Petrol pipe blocked - help

The correct answer was to fix this before I gave the stuff to Beav for
painting, but well....

The reserve pipe on the CB72 tank is completely blocked with gunge, I've
been working on it for two days with carb cleaner and various small
tools and I've cleared it to where the external pipe bends 90 degrees
and enters the tank proper. What I need is a bendy rotating tool that I
can push through with enough force to dislodge the fairly solid gunk[1].
What would be ideal is a bendy cutting tool for my Dremel but I can't
find one and the flexible shaft extension is way too big.

Any suggestions, apart from leaving it blocked and doing without
reserve? The inside of the tank is in reasonable condition.


[1] Cotton buds aren't strong enough.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Mike Buckley

Have you got a compressor?

 

Do you have any old speedo cable?

 

Try a greasegun.

Might sound silly but the pressure will force a path though and it's easy to
clear the grease out after with carb cleaner.

 

A bit of heavy-guage fencing wire might do the job.

 

Copper wire.

<mode=old joke>
If you haven't got any, find a 2p piece and two Scotsmen...
</mode>

 

It's brazed to the bottom of the tank...

The speedo cable was a good idea, will try that shortly.

 

Just tried this - the ends of the cable were too stiff to go round the
90 degree bend, and when I cut the cable and tried it just untwisted.

 

Fraid not

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Mike Buckley

Pah! Call yourself a man?

Go and buy one immediately. In fact, buy two as a penance.

 

It's the tool for this kind of job and I suspect it will be the only
way you'll clear the blockage.

 

Unfortunately for my wallet I'm working in Nottingham on Monday, easy
walking distance from Machine Mart. I've been looking at compressors
with a view to getting some painting stuff again but I'd need meatier
than the basic models, so a bit pricey.

An alternative might be to bribe a local garage, I think it would be
cheaper.

Another alternative - anybody in Nottingham/Sheffield got a compressor?

 

bit of bowden cable with the end splayed out and the
other end in an electric drill?

 

The inside of a scrap clutch or bicycle brake cable.

 

Numpty - you solder it before cutting it.

 

In message

Tried that, won't bend to 90 degrees though so won't go past the angle.

 

Mike Buckley pretended :

he old fashioned net curtain stuff - like a coiled spring and about
3/16" diameter, if it is not too thick.

 

Pipe cleaners

--


Nige,

BMW K1200S
Honda Transalp XL600V
Yamaha R1
Range Rover Vogue

 

Pipe cleaners, or a spray gun cleaning brush. Actually a set of them. they
come n three sizes and are tough and just about unbreakable while being
flexible enough to negotiate a tight 90 degree bend.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

All the spray gun cleaning kits I can see are too big, will have a try
with pipe cleaners.