Steam Driver

Since I had bought one of those cheap "push-pull" siphon pumps I just couldn't resist seeing what was in my (according to the gauge) 3/4 tank of 10 plus year old gasoline. Even though I'm awhile from working on that aspect of it.

There's good news and bad news. The bad news is that after I shoved a lot of 1/2 inch tubing down it's throat and gave the pump a couple of strokes a gob of blackish powder was the first thing out of the tank, followed (after a lot of strokes) by some amber colored fluid that only smells vaguely of gasoline and seems to have a higher viscosity than expected; at least when compared to what's in my lawnmower gas can in the garage (which I used to slosh out the bucket afterwards). I probably pumped out about a gallon and a half; didn't check the gauge to see if it went down any or not.

The good news for what it's worth is that the blackish powdery stuff doesn't seem to be magnetic, so it's apparently not rust. But it is there and would no doubt cause a LOT of trouble down the line with clogged fuel filters, injectors, what-have-you. So unless I can flush it somehow through the fuel sender opening and the tank outlet my guess is a fuel tank R&R for professional cleaning is in the future. Probably save time (not to mention potential calls to AAA for transport) in the long run. Thoughts?

I won't be in town to work on it anymore for over a week; I hope whatever that stuff is doesn't dissolve that cheap pump while I'm gone!