how hard is it to drain bad gas out of 88 iroc-z camaro

Asked by jeffleehag Jun 21, 2014 at 06:12 PM about the 1988 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z Coupe RWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

camaro has been stored for a long while,  tried to start it but it wouldn`t start, think it may be bad gas in tank and the fuel filters how hard would it be to drain the bad gas and would we have to replace fuel filters

1 Answer

50,715

If you can, check to see if there is any rust of sludge in the tank. This may be nearly impossible with the tank in the car.mm If you can or not, next check the gas tank for leaks, rust or seepage. Extra care must be taken where the straps wrap around the tank, holding it in place and where it rests on the frame or cross member. If there is any rust, I recommend getting a new tank and replace the old one. If you replace it, consider new straps also. If you can, put in new gas lnes and the filters will naturally need to be replaced. Before teari9ng into pulling the tank if it is not rusty or leaking, pull the filters and look at them. If they are plugged with rust or corrosion, chances are the tank is where the rust is coming from. To drain the tank, first you should be in a well ventilated area, even out side. If you can put it up on a hoist, this is the easier way. If not, use jack stands and get it as high as you safely can. Have a chemical fire extinguisher near by in-case something catches fire. Water will only spread the gas and not douse the fire. There should be a hose connection on the bottom of the tank. Using an open end wrench try to loosen the nut. You may have to soak it with a chemical rust remover to get the nut to turn. The lines will be a rolled line so be careful not to bend or dent the line. If he line is not showing signs of rust or leaking you may not have to replace it. Have a pan or bucket handy to catch the fuel as you loosen the gas line nut. You should be wearing gloves and clothing you don't care if you get gas spilled on them as you very well may. Do not do this around any open flame or in an enclosed house garage. The furnace or hot water heater may kick on, and if there are gas fumes, you may be explaining what happened to the fire department. Vent, and don't use electrical fans for ventilation in a garage, as it produces sparks. Make sure tth filer hose and cap are lose, so when you loosen the tank straps after draining it, you can drop it down. You can pour in some tank cleaner if you wish, but once the tank is out, you can shake it to listen for rattles of lose particles. Some mechanics recommend, once the gas is out, and if you have it available, blow air into the tank for a while to get as much fumes out. If you want to clean it out, run water into the tank once it is out and disconnected. see if any sludge or rust comes out the hold the gas line is connected to. Once you have a few gallons of water in it, turn it over and slosh it around. Dump out the water from the filler hole as it is bigger and watch for any rust of contaminants coming out. If you are satisfied the tank is in good shape, blow air in again to dry it out. Try to get 100% of the water out and let it air dry before putting it back in. onnce it is dry or drying, disconnect the gas line from the fuel pump and blow air into the line to get the old gas out of it and make sure the line is clean. do a lot of looking and inspecting for leaks, rust, cracks or other damage that may give reason to change the line or not. Change all the filters. Usually one or two filters. If you can, disconnect the gas line from the pump to the carb or fuel injection rail and blow out the line also. This is a lot of work, and GM dealers around here get around $350 to $500 to do it as it is very labor intensive. I hope this helps. Pull the filters, take off the gas cap of the car, losen the gas line from the tank and drain it. Use a coffee filter to sent the gas through and any junk will be in the filter which will tell you about the tank condition. if it is fairly clear and no leaks or rust is presant, reconnect the line, put in the filters, fill with gas and a gas clean out additive, fire it up and go.

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