Stones in tank... and they don't want to come out!

**jazbug5** · 24th March 2007, 23:42

I've been fixing up my tank, as it sprung a leak from a couple of pinholes last month, and now that I have polished it into a thing of gleaming beauty, I am ready to seal it. I read that putting a few stones in with some petrol and shaking was a good way of cleaning up any rust and crap, so I did that this morning.

Now, I knew getting them all out might be a *little* fiddly, but I can't seem to get any out! I've removed the fuel cap and tried shaking them out of there, but now realise (belatedly) that there are 'lips' around the hole that are stopping the stones from getting out. In desparation I tried fashioning a scoop type thing to see if I could get the odd one or two caught in it. Er.. no.
Am I missing an obvious solution, or do I need to get some tongs from somewhere... or what? *smacks forehead against the wall repeatedly*

Apologies if this is covered somewhere, I did search before posting...

**James Deuce** · 24th March 2007, 23:45

Vacuum cleaner. Get a narrower pipe and duct tape it inside the end of the flexi hose.

Keep sucking until it stops rattling.

**aderino4** · 24th March 2007, 23:45

What abotu vacuuming them using vacuum cleaner?

**jazbug5** · 25th March 2007, 00:08

Er, no. I thought I had already very ably demonstrated that I do not have my grey cells plumbed in today.

It's a Goo Goo Dolls song, but that's as much as I know.

Anyway, for Jim & aderino- thanks, I have added you to my Pantheon Of Heros along with whoever it was that invented the vacuum cleaner. It works!

**James Deuce** · 25th March 2007, 00:26

Originally Posted by jazbug5

Er, no. I thought I had already very ably demonstrated that I do not have my grey cells plumbed in today.

It's a Goo Goo Dolls song, but that's as much as I know.

Anyway, for Jim & aderino- thanks, I have added you to my Pantheon Of Heros along with whoever it was that invented the vacuum cleaner. It works!

That's very kind, but what ever you do, don't ask me how I know.

**El Dopa** · 25th March 2007, 08:23

Originally Posted by jazbug5

It's a Goo Goo Dolls song, but that's as much as I know.

Arrrrrrgh. Nails down a blackboard. Kids today. No sense of musical history.

What Weasel is trying to say is - you've got Rolling Stones in your tank.

If the vacuum cleaner trick doesn't work, you might have to unbolt/unscrew the fuel tap assembly and shake them out through that hole. That's how I was told to do it. Never tried it though.

Once you've got the stones out, It's probably a good idea to flush the tank out with some petrol (pour it in the top, swish it around, pour it back out the bottom). This flushes out any rust flakes and other manky bits knocked loose by the stones.

**Toaster** · 25th March 2007, 08:52

First I've ever heard of putting stones in ya tank.... bizarre.

**FROSTY:Me** · 25th March 2007, 09:06

You see toaster--You havent lived. you use fish tank stones and give it all a good ol shake up--the stones smack away at any corrossion inside the tank

**Pixie** · 25th March 2007, 12:44

If you use the POR15 tank sealer kit,it contains Marine Clean and Metal Ready,and that is all you need to clean out the tank.

**caesius** · 25th March 2007, 14:52

I just chucked some rust converter (phosphoric acid) in my tank and shook it around for ages. Worked a treat.

**Squiggles** · 25th March 2007, 22:53

failing all else try fashioning a scoop that you can get right up under against the inside of the tank, flip tank so stones goto next to cap, put scoop over stones and hold against tank, flip tank over, remove scoop with stones....

tis all i could think of

**Quartermile** · 25th March 2007, 23:29

If I tryed to clean my tank with stones I would probably end up with just a few holes in it

**What?** · 26th March 2007, 06:55

Originally Posted by jazbug5

... whoever it was that invented the vacuum cleaner. It works!

We trust that there were no petrol fumes left in the tank when you did that!!!

**bistard** · 26th March 2007, 08:31

When I cleaned out my tank,I used nuts & bolts,which are magnetic!!
Have you removed the fuel tap,as well as the feul cap,could give you better access??

**Edbear** · 26th March 2007, 08:57

Bro-in-Law used a vacuum cleaner for this reason on a petrol tank back in the early '80's. The flames from the vacuum cleaner reached the second storey!

HE took the vacuum cleaner back to the shop and complained that it had caught fire. They were puzzled and said it had never happened to anyone before, nevertheless they gave him a new one...

I assume there's no petrol fumes in your one...