someone dumped bleach, at least it smells like bleach in my gas tank. i left work, about 5 miles or so down the road my olds dies. of course it is pouring down rain so hard i can't see anything. so i sit there along the road assuming the cap or wires got wet. i cranked it over a few times,and kept smelling bleach really strong. i get out and open the hood and check around the battery. then i realized the smell was not comming from there. i took the air cleaner off, and looked down the carb, pumped the throttle and it smelled like bleach. i had the car towed home. how much damage did i do? i know i have to drop the tank, blow out the lines, and clean out the carb. it is a 74 cutlass supreme 350 rocket. i have not tried to do anything with it yet.i hope it didn't lock up.

 

Sounds like you've got some nice friends over there in Bleach City.

I've never heard of anyone putting bleach in a gas tank, but I would imagine that it would have results like the ones you described.

The things I would be concerned about would be the bleach reacting with the metals inside the carburetor and causing corrosion, though if it's only in there for a few days, it probably won't do much damage.

I agree that a full flush-out would be in order, and would suggest opening up the carb to at least have a look.

- Eric

 

When done, get youself a locking gas cap.
Whoever did it will get theirs.
What goes around comes around.

 

I would do an oil change also, in case something got past the rings. Cheap insurance. Sounds like some idiot environmental ****.

Larry

 

I hate when people mess with cars.

 

Search for the Mythbusters clip on putting bleach in the gas tank.
You'll need a new gas tank, fuel lines, maybe a carb, spray WD40 in the cylinders asap or your block might be toast too.
It corrodes everything really fast.
Want proof, drop a steel bolt in bleach overnight.

 

Wow.

Really?

Better make a list of your friends and your enemies, then, and start paying visits to your "friends" first.

- Eric

 

That really sucks for spineless scum bags to do that.I'd do as others said bleach is corrosive.

 

I've never heard of anyone putting bleach in someone's gas tank as a prank. I have heard of putting moth ***** into a gas tank to damage a car though.

If MythBusters did an episode on putting bleach into a gas tank then I guess it happens. If it happened to me I would siphon out the gas, drop the tank and clean it and probably rebuild the carburetor.

 

X2. I'll add blow out the lines and toss
the fuel pump for a Napa reman. Bastards.

 

What idiots. Especially if they did it for environmental reasons. Seeing you might have to get some new parts now. Metal that was mined, extracted, worked. Parts created. Best thing environmentally is to take care of your stuff

 

you might want to change out the rubber flex hoses as well... Chlorine reacts with the rubber. Hopefully it was not in the fuel system long. Might want to check security camera footage at work... something may show up.

As far as environment ****'s they don't understand that we don't pollute as much as they do in their Prius with the battery packs... Our cars are "recycled" without the energy used to melt them down, one small battery every few years... yeah we burn more fuel, but the dinosaurs did not freaking fie for nothing!

 

So far three posts about this being the work of "environmentalists."

Where's your evidence of this? Have you ever known an "environmentalist" to do something like this? Is there some "environmentalist" running around somewhere with this MO?

Or are you just typing out your exhaust pipes?

I've no love for enviro-wackos, but I've never seen nor heard of them doing anything like this.

Focused vandalism, like murder, is usually perpetrated by someone very close to you.

- Eric

 

i flushed out the tank, blew out the lines, and rebuilt the carb. i was checking in for for comments and suggestion before i try to start the car. i agree i should change the oil and the fuel pump. i an going to buy plugs also, just to be safe. the rubber lines were just replaced a month or so ago, so hopefully they are ok. they seemed to be good. my boss is so tight i don't think he knows what a security camera is. i think he is related to mr. scrooge, a cousin or something? thanks for all your help.

 

i agree with you eric, someone i know or work with, or just some jealous @#$%^U

 

How did the carb look inside?

Any really clean or really corroded areas? If not, I wouldn't worry about the rest of it - it means you got to it in time.

- Eric

 

did you file a Police report?? just in case this becomes a insurance issue.
I hope the engine was not damaged , I believe in Karma!!hope everything works out

 

Maybe so, but I've had a run in once with a "environmentalist" when I had my old Delta. Just so happened that it was right after the 350 Olds swap

Was picking my pup up at the vet and I parked next to a Camry Hybrid, and some lady was walking out of the vet as I was walking in.

She said "You're a monster" after I had walked about a good 15 feet past her, I didn't think she was talking to me, but I turned around anyway and she goes on to say how I'm a monster because I'm driving a gas guzzling, polluting car like that and I should be ashamed of myself.

So to have fun with this bitch, I tell her that the car is currently getting 8 MPG and runs on leaded gasoline.

She starts getting mad! Like she's the one that has to pay for the care of this car.

I then say that my gas guzzling, polluting car with no emssions equipment admits LESS greenhouse gasses than her Hybrid. She tells me I'm wrong. So I ask her what happens in 4 years when that car needs a new battery. Like where is the battery going to end up? how many toxins are in that battery? Before I could get out my next point, she jumps in the car and takes off.

If some random "environmentalist" would actually have the ***** to say something like that to a total stranger, what would stop some creep from doing something like dumping bleach in a gas tank?

After reading this post last night, I bought a locking gas cap on eBay

 

And if it is a coworker, are they cameras in the parking lot?

Here, fired in a heartbeat

 

Depending on how big her dog is, it might have a bigger environmental impact than your car. If she has more than one dog, it certainly does.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...et.html?page=2

To make the average car takes around 31, 000 btus per pound. Her car cost probably around 1, 800 gallons of fuel to make. Thats around 3 yrs of driving for you at 5000 miles per year. If she consumes no additional gasoline, then she is ahead. Practically it would probably take 5 yrs for her to match up to you, as she is driving around. If she then buys another car, while you keep on driving yours, the cycle starts all over again. She just cant get ahead.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/200...-of-a-new-car/

 

The longer you drive an old car the more you spread it's initial manufacturing impact over time. She'd have to drive that stupid hybrid over 40 years to get close to the initial impact our old cars have. As pointed out she will catch up sooner taking fuel milage into account. Keeping an old car properly running and on the road is more environmentally responsible than buying a new car and recycling the natural resources and throwing away the BTUs or 1800(approx) gallons of fuel it took to make the old car. Just keep driving that old car until that initial manufacturing foot print is the size of a gnat. If most people keep a hybrid more than 10-12 years I'd be surprised. How many batteries will it need in that time? My cars might be old but I keep them tuned and running properly. They are certainly not gross polluters. 12 to 14 miles per gallon doesn't seem to bad for my old cars. My Bro in law's 2009 Ford F-150 only gets 12-14.
For redog- Some people need to mind their own damn business. I can't believe some one would talk to you like that about a car. I probably wouldn't have reacted too nicely if I had been approached in that manner. I'm afraid it may have gotten crude and vulgar pretty quickly. You seem to have handled it well.

 

The economics of an old car are pretty good as well, buy one (stimulate an individuals economy), buy parts (stimulate more individuals economy), buy fuel (stimulate the economy)... pay cash for the car (no banks are into your pocket), low taxes (minimize government hand in your pocket), you can rebuild a nice ride for a lot less than one of the current "muscle cars" and drive the heck out of it! Nobody looks at the Beemers, Mercedes, and rice burners rolling down the road... how many thumbs up do you get when you drive your Olds? Had too many run-ins with the enviro idiots over the years I guess... Seen too much of their antics first hand.

 

It being the vet's office, I might have made a vile accusation that involved her dog.

- Eric

 

Locking gas cap is going on the to do list!

 

The thing with a locking gas cap is that if anyone wants to steal your gas they might cut a hole in your tank. Have heard of that happening.

 

yes the carb had corrosion, i cleaned it out as good as i could.

 

i changed the plugs,the pump, and drained the oil. the oil did not look good and smelled like sulfur. i am not going to attempt to siart the car, i am pulling the engine tomorrow and tear it down. hopefully it is able to be rebuilt. the old plugs were rusty and burnt looking. they are only a few months old. someone murdered my ride, so hopefully karma finds them.

 

Take pictures - we'd like to know what sort of damage was done, and also to be able to tell you what may be normal.

- Eric

 

i will see what i can do thanks.

 

[QUOTE=Olds64;563702]I've never heard of anyone putting bleach in someone's gas tank as a prank. I have heard of putting moth ***** into a gas tank to damage a car though.

In the 70s we used sunoco 104 and a handful of mothballs in our modified.
Adding the mothballs gave our Cleveland the most amazing blue flame out the headers at the end of the straight.

 

Na, it wasn't worth it. I rather make her feel stupid. That's more fun

I have 3 cars, Just got my Volvo about 6 weeks ago. Still have my Alero and my Delta. Out of the 3, the Delta looks the worst. I get complemnts on it all the time. Just about every time I drive it

It will look better soon though. Got some new tail lights (2 piece red ones) and going to "restore" them a bit. Going to get the car repainted soon too. State Farm will not cover the car as a classic until it is "show ready" . No way am I dropping the 330 in it with regular insurance

 

an older guy down the street told me put 3 quarts of oil in and 1 gallon of kerosene, and let the car idle 2 to 3 minutes. he said to let it soak overnight, and do it again in the morning. then drain it, and refiil it with good oil and and a bottle of marvel mystery oil. he said to run about 1500 miles or so then change the oil again, and the engine should be ok.

 

If the engine's been apart / cleaned / rebuilt recently, I'd say his idea is a sound one.

If it's a good-running 100,000 mile-plus engine, then that treatment might loosen all sorts of stuff that would be better off left alone.

If you're hell-bent on taking it apart anyway, then you've pretty much got nothing to lose by trying his method first.

- Eric

ps: exactly what qualifies as "older"?

 

Grace. Do not pull the engine until you know it won't survive! I have personally tried to blow up engines that I knew would never sell for more money than fun I could have. Think of it as how great American engineering used to be. Change all fluids run it then change again. You may be surprised what an old American built V-8 will put up with! You have less to lose as well. As far as the other posts I read I have heard of mothballs increasing the octane. Any truth to that? And by the way, my '69 el Camino gets 17 mpg in town. Far better than my 4 cylinder daily driver. And has way more power to boot! I don't think environmentalists were behind this but would never put it past them (see how they want to remove wild horses from grazing in new mexico! How natural is that?). And again just change fluids and drive it and see what happens. At worst you'll need a rebuild anyway. And at best it will run like before. I have a "hybrid" emblem I put on my cars with a magnetic backing (as to not ruin the car) to mock the misguided and non-understanding people that set eyes upon it. Yeah! It had a prius for breakfast and crapped out a a motorola droid an hour later. I felt more sick than the car did.

 

Grace, sorry to hear this happened to you and I hope you got or will get it running soon! Definetely get a locking gas cap, even if you have to order it online.
However, be on the lookout for other stupid crap they might do next. If you do not know anyone who hates you personally (like an ex-wife or such) then it may very well be the enviro-morons. Invest in a small portable motion sensing security camera that records to an SD card.

Eric, this is a common problem - I am surprised you have not heard of it. There was a large number of hummers here that has XXX's scratched in them. A guy set up a camera and caught the jerk. An old man who drove a pee-us...

 

I dunno - I've never seen nor heard of anything like that either here in New England, or in NY or NJ, where I spend time.
Could it be a midwest or a Texas thing?

Around here, I used to hang out with some enviro-leftist-communal-cooperative wackos (got all freaked out when I slapped together a cabinet for their school out of scrap pressure-treated lumber because it could "outgas," whatever that means), and I can assure you, none of them would ever so much as think about doing anything like that.

- Eric

 

Outgas!?

Grace, I agree with the others that you should change the fluids in your engine and see how it runs before completely rebuilding it.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/outgas?s=t


bill

 

Don't get me started.


I didn't want to go there because this never happened to me, but suffice to say that if we could see some photos of the inside of the carb and of the spark plugs, we would have a chance of providing good advice.

- Eric

 

i think i'll drop a chunk of a qj into some bleach and see what happens...


bill