Re: Clean the fuel tank?

["jberam1" <jberam@xxxx>]

I had to take care of a few more things before I could start my 
Delorean up again (I just turned it on for the first time in the 
better part of a year today). Your advice helped save me some time, 
though. I ended up leaving the less than half tank of gas in the car 
without adding anything to it or draining any before starting. 
Although the car was stored outside in Maryland for about ten 
months, including winter, the gas still smelled like gasoline, the 
car started fine, and everything seems to be in order. Thanks again 
for the advice.

Jonah Beram

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Harold McElraft" <hmcelraft@xxxx> 
wrote:
> 9 months usually will not be enough for the gas to go bad if it 
was 
> sitting in a garage out of direct heat and weather. You can also 
> tell if the gas has turned bad by the smell - you indicated it 
> seemed ok - how did it smell? Since it is at half tank I would 
think 
> it is low risk to fill the rest of the tank with fresh gas and 
start 
> it. Max I would do based on your comments is just do a hand pump 
> drain (there are plastic pumps available for less than $20) then 
> fill it with fresh gas and get going.
> 
> Harold McElraft - 3354
> 
> 
> 
> --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "jberam1" <jberam@xxxx> wrote:
> > While I was away at school, my Delorean sat with about 
> > a half tank of gas. This was probably since around 
> > November/December, a little bit over nine months (I originally 
had 
> > arranged for someone to drive the car every two weeks but that 
> fell 
> > through after I'd already left for school and, unfortunately, I 
> > never had a chance to drain the tank or put a fuel stabilizer 
like 
> > Stabil in it).
> > 
> > Today I removed the baffle in the luggage compartment and took 
the 
> > fuel sending unit out and the gas itself looks alright, it 
hadn't 
> > turned into tar or anything (although I guess that doesn't 
really 
> > mean much as there could be sludge at the bottom of the tank). I 
> > think I read somewhere on these boards that gas can sit around 
for 
> > at least six months without getting contaminated and screwing 
the 
> > fuel line. I was wondering if this was a conservative estimate; 
do 
> > you guys think that my car has been sitting long enough to 
justify 
> > doing the fuel tank drain/clean at all, or is it unnecessary?
> > 
> > And if I do decide to go through with the draining/cleaning 
> process, 
> > (and I'm using the DMCNews thread at 
> > http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/message/32116 for my 
> > reference) how exactly do I "go after it" with my Berryman's 
B12? 
> I 
> > understand the whole process fine up until the point where I 
have 
> to 
> > clean the tank through the 3" fuel sending unit hole. I can't 
> really 
> > fit my hand through it. Any advice would be much appreciated. 
> Thanks.