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Dealing with sugar in gas tank - READ ONLY

13 messages,  Last post on Apr 17, 2002 at 5:52 AM

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#5 of 13 For what it's worth... by csandste Apr 11, 2002 (2:52 pm)
Click and Clack deal with sugar (not that serious)... http://cartalk.cars.com/Columns/Archive/2001/February/02.html Modern Maturity (auto myths) http://www.aarp.org/mmaturity/jan_feb01/consumer.html Straight dope (could clog) http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msugargs.html 2Car Pros (injectors probably plugged)... http://www.2carpros.com/topics/gastank.htm
#6 of 13 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Apr 11, 2002 (3:50 pm)
If you put enough of anything in a gas tank it will foul it up. I'm sure Cheerios are as deadly as sugar. (and you can add milk, too!)
#7 of 13 sugar in gas tank by royallen Apr 11, 2002 (5:53 pm)
Thanks for the informative posts. o_h_w, I'll keep the test tube tests going and will follow-up in a couple of weeks. My last concern is that water condensation in the tank will dissolve some sugar. My strategy is to add 1/2 oz isopropyl alcohol with each fill up to dilute and minimize the sugar load downstream. I also plan to inspect a spark plug at the same interval to look for fouling. I'm also a little concerned that fuel injector contamination from sugar water/alcohol could be hard to clean since water can't be used - at least not in the usual way.
#8 of 13 You should try to NOT let sugar dissolve in water.. by zr2rando Apr 12, 2002 (3:12 am)
If it dissolves in water then it will go through the filter (filter should stop water too but some still dissolves into the gas, especially when you use the water remover/alcohol/dry gas etc) and harden/plate out like laquer/glaze in the injectors/intake valves and is almost impossible to clean except by physical(abrasive) action. Keep it solid and let the filter catch it...just change the filter is alot easier... Years past I have always seen that sugar in the tank really had to have tank removed and rinsed/dried, fuel lines air blown in reverse to really clean it right. Best thing is to find the people responsible and watch them do the work. good luck
#9 of 13 FLUSH YOUR TANK NOW by pblevine Apr 12, 2002 (9:12 am)
Why take a chance? I'd even drop the gas tank. And remember, "Equal" is better than sugar! In coffee, that is. Never in your tank.
#10 of 13 Hey as a 5 year old I discovered by mrdetailer Apr 12, 2002 (1:36 pm)
that dirt can really clog up a tank, having deposited several handfulls in one myself. Dad definitely was NOT happy.   Seriously, I would drop and clean the tank immediately. The cost of that repair isn't bad compared to the dangers it can cause.
#11 of 13 I remember by isellhondas Apr 15, 2002 (2:31 pm)
Someone telling me that a handful of moth balls would neutralize the gasoline.   Never tried it.
#12 of 13 test of sugar in gas by royallen Apr 16, 2002 (8:20 pm)
It is one week since I placed 10 cc of gas in a test tube and added 2 sugar crystals and the sugar is 100% in its original crystal form. My van is also operating normally with only a change of the fuel filter which contained no sugar.
#13 of 13 by mullins87 Apr 17, 2002 (5:52 am)
The thing I would be most concerned with is some of the crystals getting past the filter. I don't know what engine heat would do to them, but I could imagine them acting much like grains of sand as they move through the injectors into the combustion chamber.

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