Dropped something in the tank

[chocker]

Hi,
I was filling up yesterday and there were a couple of drops of gas that dripped on the tank. I took some paper from the dispenser at the gas station and it turned out that when I was wiping the excess, a small piece of paper fell in the tank. I stuck my fingers in to try to get it but too late. It was about 1 inch by 1 inch in size. My question is since it is a small piece and only single ply probably recycled, will it just disintegrate in the tank with the gas. Obviously nothing has happened yet. Of what I saw it seemed to slide in the opposite direction of the petcock. What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Mark

[novaraptor]

just my guess, but yeah, I think it will dissolve. To be sure, get some of the same paper in about the same size and let it soak in a small amount of gas and see if it softens up and breaks apart.

Nova

[novaraptor]

Though, if you have a claw around, you probably should go fishing...

Nova

[Country Joe]

Though, if you have a claw around, you probably should go fishing...

Nova

[+1 on that. I had the little paper gasket from the cap of a fuel treatment bottle fall into the tank. I ran the fuel pretty nearly empty and took the tank off so I could slosh it around to wher I could pick it out with a pick up claw.

     Joe

[Bminder]

Like the other guys said, I would try to fish it out with a claw. If you don't have one, they are cheap at a parts store.
If you don't and it doesn't dissolve, it will probably just shrink up into a little clod and sit in a crevice in the tank. Doubt if it will cause any problems.
I had a moth fly into my tank the other day when I was filling it up.

[FJmonkey]

Paper products will dissolve back into the pulp used to create it when in water. Gas is not likely to dissolve it like water would. I would carefully fish it out if it were my tank. Keep a fire extinguisher handy any time your playing around with fuel.

[Country Joe]

Just a suggestion.......if you choose to use a flashlight to see what you are trying to fish out of the tank (and who wouldn't?), make sure you turn the flashlight off & on someplace other than in the fuel filler opening. Flashlight switches can arc when they are operated. It's probably not likely to be a problem, but why chance it?



Fish safely,

     Joe