How to Clean the Fuel Tank

Want your new fuel pump to last? Clean your gas tank first.

Before installing a new fuel pump, it's critical to properly clean the gas tank. Debris in your gas tank will damage your new fuel pump. And the time it takes to clean out the debris – about an hour – is nothing compared to the time it takes to redo the entire job. So save yourself time, hassle and money – clean the tank before you replace the fuel pump.

It is critical to properly clean the fuel tank before installing a new fuel pump. The original pump went into a clean tank, so to ensure the same level of performance, the new one should go into a clean tank too.

Fuel tank cleaning kit

Even the toughest fuel pumps need to begin their life in a clean environment. So whether you’re a Do-It-Yourselfer or a technician replacing a fuel pump, you need to clean and inspect the fuel tank too. This important step protects the brand new fuel pump from damage caused by old debris and contaminants that may collect over time inside the tank.

In fact, according to independent research, most returned fuel pumps are due to installers not cleaning the gas tank properly. Contaminants can cause wear on the impeller causing the pump to fail due to low flow/low pressure.

10 steps to properly clean the gas tank