Fuel Tank Problems

I replaced the badly rusted fuel tank that was in the Geo with a much less rusty specimen from the salvage yard on 8/11/09. The car started sputtering and pinging more and more lately so I decided to drop the tank again to investigate. Here's what I found, you can expect similar issues if your car has a steel fuel tank and you use gasohol (otherwise known as ethanol "enhanced" gas, E10, E85).

There was rust crud built up about 1/8" deep in the sump.




A white rag that I wiped the bottom of the tank with...




This (and the fuel filter) are the real problem because they make the pump work much harder and starve the engine for fuel. I used compressed air to blow this pre filter clean and re-installed it. I also replaced the fuel filter, relocated it for better serviceability and cut the old filter apart but my camera has died so pics will have to wait.