Removing gas from a tank

[acdc96]

I got 30+ gallons of bad fuel. I started pumping it out by hand but it was taking way to long. I want to buy a cheap electric automotive fuel pump off eBay to pump it out for me?
It's just a regular fuel pump you would find in a car. It would pump into a 55 gallon drum that's behind the boat. It would be regular 3/8in hose.
Would this b a good cheap solution to help pump it out? I'm not gonna have anyone come to my house and pump it out.
I was talking to a guy at the marina where I used to keep my boat and he said just run the engine until theirs no fuel left. I thought about it and I thought it was a ok idea. The filters will get rid of most of the particles. After all the fuel burned off I would Change the filters and run stabil and seafoam through the system.
I don't think it would harm the engine as long as I clean the carb and filters and run cleaner through the system.

What's everyone's opinion on these ideas?
Mercruiser V8 350

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

I got 30+ gallons of bad fuel. I started pumping it out by hand but it was taking way to long. I want to buy a cheap electric automotive fuel pump off eBay to pump it out for me?
It's just a regular fuel pump you would find in a car. It would pump into a 55 gallon drum that's behind the boat. It would be regular 3/8in hose.
Would this b a good cheap solution to help pump it out? I'm not gonna have anyone come to my house and pump it out.
I was talking to a guy at the marina where I used to keep my boat and he said just run the engine until theirs no fuel left. I thought about it and I thought it was a ok idea. The filters will get rid of most of the particles. After all the fuel burned off I would Change the filters and run stabil and seafoam through the system.
I don't think it would harm the engine as long as I clean the carb and filters and run cleaner through the system.

What's everyone's opinion on these ideas?
Mercruiser V8 350

Howdy,


It depends on what kind of "bad" it is. If the fuel is REALLY old, it has lost a good part of the higher volatility components that will not only make the engine hard to start but will also reduce the octane number so much that you could risk detonation. (read: destroyed engine)

If the fuel is "bad" because of contamination (water, particulate, E10 phase separation etc) you'll plug filters and possibly pass some water which would end up in your carb (or EFI if equipped)

If you think the tank is contaminated, you should drain it completely and ensure the tank is clean before refilling.

To that end, I would put the boat on the trailer and remove the fuel tank sender (about a 2-3" hole) Then get a long length of 3/4" clear vinyl tubing (Home Depot etc) .......If the sender is at the rear of the tank, "tip" the bow up to get the fuel to run to the the back of the tank where the hole is.......

It needs to be long enough to reach from the gage sender hole to the ground and maybe a little more. put a ball valve on the opposite end of the hose so you can close it. Pre-fill the hose with gasoline and put a piece of PVC pipe on the end you'll stuff in the gage sender hole.

Have a helper handle the "valve" end of hose on the ground so he/she can close the valve when changing fuel containers while draining.

At the tank end, use the hose connected to the short piece of PVC pipe like a vacuum to "suck" all the fuel, water, and contaminants out of the tank.

With a 3/4" thick wall length of clear tubing the fuel will flow pretty fast and if you have the valve end well below the level of the tank, it will produce a fair amount of suction.

DO THIS OUTSIDE, HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER READY, NO SMOKING etc etc etc.....

You'll siphon 30 gallons with a 3/4" hose faster than any automotive type fuel pump.


Bag the Stabil and Seafoam. They won't do anything at this point except cost you more money......

Stabil is for winter/long term storage and Seafoam is about one step above Snake-oil.......


Regards,


Rick


You didn't say how "bad" the fuel is. If it's less than a year old, and you have a pretty big fuel tank so you can dilute it with fresh fuel, (like 4:1 or so) ...........I would leave about 1/4 tank of the "old" fuel in there, refill with fresh premium fuel and run it. (I do this every year with my boat and have for many years)

If the tank has water, and/or other contamination, I would do what I described above.....

 

[acdc96]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

I think I'll do that (going through the sender hole). The gas is at least 5 years old. It was stabilized before it's very long sleep. But I heard stabilizer last only about 2 years or so. Over the years I've taken small amounts of gas out of the tank to put in my lawn mower and yard equipment. My most recent siphon was a week ago and the gas was very diluted and small particles floating around. I take the fuel out via the tank to fuel/water separator line.
The stabil and seafoam is for when the tank is drained to run through the engine and stuff. I use marine stabil . And the seafoam is recommended for engines and gas treatment. I saw that in Boating Magazine. And Mercury marine suggested something like that.
Boats to big to fit indoors, (21ft long, almost 8ft beam, and about 10ft tall on tall on the trailer)

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

You don't have the pump off of that 55 gallon drum, do you? That's what I use through the fuel sender hole. Except that I have a flexible hose on the suction side to make it easier to handle.

 

[acdc96]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

I know the pump you are talking about. Those are great but I don't have one or know anyone with one.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

I think I'll do that (going through the sender hole). The gas is at least 5 years old. It was stabilized before it's very long sleep. But I heard stabilizer last only about 2 years or so. Over the years I've taken small amounts of gas out of the tank to put in my lawn mower and yard equipment. My most recent siphon was a week ago and the gas was very diluted and small particles floating around. I take the fuel out via the tank to fuel/water separator line.

If you have good access to teh gage sender hole, you can use a flashlight and look in there to see whats in the tank.

If there's a LOT of debris in the tank, I would also remove the fuel "pick-up " and inspect/clean the screen. Also, I would just go ahead and replace the anti-siphon check valve.

Don't use 5 year old gasoline in anything unless you carefully filter out the debris and dilute it AT LEAST 10:1

I would probably run that (10:1) mixture in a car (and I have in my 2003 Chev EFI car with no problems) but I probably wouldn't run it in a boat. Marine engines are FAR MORE susceptible to detonation because of the much higher manifold pressure and high er power settings.........

After you completely drain the tank, flush the fuel lines, fuel pump replace the filter etc, I would also remove the carburetor and put a kit in (rebuild) it. No amount of snake oil can "fix" a carburetor that has had stale gasoline in it for 5 years that would likely be dry by now..........

I have a flexible hose on the suction side to make it easier to handle.

I have tried it that way too. I thought I was able to move the straight pvc pipe around the inside of the tank a little easier because of the curvature in the hose. What ever works is the "key" here.

Having a valve on the other end allows you to fill the hose completely (so you don't have to use your mouth to start the siphon.........
You don't wanna get sick!!!uke: )

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

Having a valve on the other end allows you to fill the hose completely (so you don't have to use your mouth to start the siphon.........
You don't wanna get sick!!!uke: )

That's what the pump is for.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

That's what the pump is for.

Yeah......my ideal siphon set up would include a pump!

 

[acdc96]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

I plan on doing a full fuel system overhaul. New fuel line (tank to filter), new filters (fuel/water separator & fuel filter), new fittings for the tank, and more. All of the fuel lines and equipment on the engine are fine cause I started the engine the other day and it ran fine. It was on a 6gal remote tank. Probably a carb rebuild is in the future but I'm afraid of messing it up and having to mess with it to get it to run perfect again. Like the old saying goes "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It".
The fuel gauge sensor is mechanical I believe so ill just take that apart and clean and polish it. Depending how much sediment is in the tank I'll let the tank air out and shop vac the inside of the tank. When I mean air out it will sit for a couple of weeks with the gas gauge sender out gas cap out and deck hatches open. Plus I'll suck up any remaining gas with a hand siphon.
Thanks for all the postings

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

Depending how much sediment is in the tank I'll let the tank air out and shop vac the inside of the tank. When I mean air out it will sit for a couple of weeks with the gas gauge sender out gas cap out and deck hatches open. Plus I'll suck up any remaining gas with a hand siphon.
Thanks for all the postings

I pulled my tank to do some fiberglass work for the OMC King Kobra ---> Mercruiser swap. I wanted a little more room in front of the engine which required me to move the tank forward a couple of inches. Since it was a 1987 boat (in 2005-2006), I just assumed that there would be all sorts of sediment, water, debris etc in the tank.

When I finally got inside, it was PRISTENE CLEAN! To my surprise, I found nothing in the tank or in the fuel pickup screen. I still replaced the anti-siphon check valve though.


I had running issues with the previous 460 engine too. When I disassembled the carburetor, I expected the same thing (sediment, water, debris etc)

It was ALSO absolutely clean. the only thing wrong with it (after 19 years) was the gaskets I destroyed taking it apart!!!)

If yours runs fine on a separate tank, don't touch the carb!


Cheers,


Rick

 

[dannys2004glastron175mx]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

I pumped the fuel out of my boat with one of them cheap inline automotive fuel pumps off ebay it worked great , its a handy thing to have kicking around

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Removing gas from a tank

check with your local land fill or recycler. they often take bad fuel and waste oil on certain days