TR2/3/3A with sugar in the gas tank

[sp53]

I bought this 1958 tr3 with the fuel shut off and two piece fuel line with solid connecting plumbing back in the 70’s with sugar in the gas tank, and now I am thinking of using the fuel lines. I remember the corner gas station guy that knew everything (and really did) told me to flush the tank and lines out with hot water and things would be fine. I pulled the tank and flushed it many years ago and it was fine, but did not do the lines. Now with the lines off, I am thinking hot water with a funnel then blow some air through then maybe some WD40 and more air and maybe a paper filter up in the line right before the hardline goes into the braided line. Not sure what sugar does and not sure if a filter would catch deluded sugar or what and suggestions?

 

[TR3driver]

Legend has it that sugar in the gas tank would cause the engine to carbon up and destroy itself. Pure myth as far as I know. https://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

I'd just rinse it out with some fresh fuel and let it go at that.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Since sugar dissolves in water that (hot water flush, then get it dry) seems like a good plan to me. I don't think a paper filter would be specifically helpful for this.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Can you blow air through the lines now? If so, then I'd suggest rinse with gas and fire it up.

marv

 

[LarryK]

It takes 15lbs of sugar to make it to the filters. Tests have shown that sugar does no damage and is not covered by insurance. Hence sugar will not dissolve in fuel but will in water. Clean tank a well as possible by shaking it out and flush with clean fuel. As a precaution steam tank. Replace lines and filters, should be good to go. Remove sending unit to save from damage.

 

[Guest]

Tests have shown that sugar does no damage and is not covered by insurance. Hence sugar will not dissolve in fuel .

Larry got it. What it does is act like sand around the filter or in-tank screen and choke off fuel flow. Once it dies, the sugar falls back down and the process starts all over again driving the owner nuts. The reason to use sugar and not sand is sugar becomes clear when wet and is very hard to see when you look in the tank.....driving the mechanic nuts.

 

[LarryK]

Been there done that. Hope you get it out, not always an easy job.

 

[dklawson]

Larry got it. What it does is act like sand around the filter or in-tank screen and choke off fuel flow. Once it dies, the sugar falls back down and the process starts all over again driving the owner nuts. The reason to use sugar and not sand is sugar becomes clear when wet and is very hard to see when you look in the tank.....driving the mechanic nuts.

I always wondered why the old vandalism horror stories involved sugar instead of something else.

 

[Guest]

I always wondered why the old vandalism horror stories involved sugar instead of something else.

I think its part science (the clearness), part myth (think syrupy goop and carbon build up) and part practicality; everyone has sugar but not everyone has sand.

 

[tomshobby]

I haven't heard of this since the 60's and don't ever remember anybody actually having it happen to them. Even then it was a story usually passed around with the beer.

 

[dklawson]

I haven't heard of this since the 60's and don't ever remember anybody actually having it happen to them. Even then it was a story usually passed around with the beer.

I remember this being on the local news here some years ago where someone broke into the school bus area after hours and poured sugar in several bus fuel tanks. A quick search on the topic did not find the story local to me. However, I found news stories from Tennessee and Missouri where school buses were vandalized by pouring sugar in their tanks. These stories were on TV station and newspaper web sites so presumably they record actual incidents, not urban legends.

 

[TR3driver]

My father-in-law had someone (likely a disgruntled patron of the bar he managed) pour sand and dirt in his gas tank. Clogged the filter twice, but no apparent ill effects beyond that.

 

[6TTR3A]

As far a vandalism goes, it probably is a myth but let me tell you about a true story. I was 15 in 1952. My grandfather owned his own business. He also owned a sugar bush. That's a stand of sugar maple trees. Each year during sapping season he would render (or whatever you do) to the sap to reduce it to maple syrup. He would keep the finished product in (unmarked) gallon cans in his home garage. He would pour it (as needed) into quart bottles and give it to his customers as a thank you. He had another "thank you" that he did each winter: He had purchased a WWII FWD surplus jeep and had it fitted with a small snow plow. After a winter snowfall, he would have one of his employees plow the sidewalks in the small town where he lived. During the off season, the jeep would be stored in his home garage, up on blocks, battery out, fuel tank drained, tires covered. The first snowfall that year came early. He had one of his (new) employees go up to the garage & get the jeep ready. Grampa told him there was fuel in the garage in gallon cans; just put enough fuel in the jeep to get it to a garage for servicing. YEP!!!! I never saw that jeep again. He didn't fire the employee and NO it wasn't me!
Frank

 

[smaceng]

As an investigator, I have inspected a number of such "sugar in the gas tank" incidents. Sometimes, remnants of the sugar can be found around the filler tank. What I KNOW can happen, and I have seen the results, is that fuel tanks usually have some water at the bottom due to condensation or from the gas station's tanks. Once the sugar is poured in, some of it mixes and is dissolved in the water. Then the vehicle is driven, the water/sugar mixes with the fuel and then gets delivered to the pickup, and on to the engine. It does not hurt the engine the first time, but once it cools, it can cause trouble with injectors, valves, and rings.
BTW: Worst thing to put in an engine is syrup in the crankcase!
Scott in CA