Getting ALL the fuel out of the tank to pre-mix it?

[joetheis]

I have a 1991 70 Rude 2 smoker on the back of my Grumman fishing boat.
It has the VRO hooked up, and seems to be working OK, (got it in Aug of this year).
I serviced the oil tank, replaced the sock and oil line this fall, before she went to bed for the long winters nap.
I'm on the fence about removing the tank and premixing, (I just added a trolling motor that runs on 50:1, so that may be the final straw).
The Grumann has a 20 gallon tank in the bow, under the floor.(of course I topped it off with non- E high test, added all the good stuff to it, so it's FULL-FULL- old school, fuel of gas= no water)
I'm not about to rip the floor up to get at it.
What would you think is the best way to pump it dry, mix and start over with mixed gas?
I thought a siphon to get as much as I could out, but you know there will be a gallon or 2 left over (maybe??).
The primer bulb?? Give my forearms a work out??
Joe
Why do I ALWAYS make it hard on myself??

 

[racerone]

????------I am not sure why you are asking at all.------Why not add the correct amount of oil to your full tank and go boating.

 

[alldodge]

I have a 1991 70 Rude 2 smoker on the back of my Grumman fishing boat.
It has the VRO hooked up, and seems to be working OK, (got it in Aug of this year).
I serviced the oil tank, replaced the sock and oil line this fall, before she went to bed for the long winters nap.
I'm on the fence about removing the tank and premixing, (I just added a trolling motor that runs on 50:1, so that may be the final straw).
The Grumann has a 20 gallon tank in the bow, under the floor.(of course I topped it off with non- E high test, added all the good stuff to it, so it's FULL-FULL- old school, fuel of gas= no water)
I'm not about to rip the floor up to get at it.
What would you think is the best way to pump it dry, mix and start over with mixed gas?
I thought a siphon to get as much as I could out, but you know there will be a gallon or 2 left over (maybe??).
The primer bulb?? Give my forearms a work out??
Joe
Why do I ALWAYS make it hard on myself??

Siphon or pump out 0.4 gallons and add mix, then shake the boat it a while (might be a tired arm thing again)
Continue with what you have and change out next season.

Pick up a Carter, Holley or other electric fuel pump with some fuel line and put it in cans.

 

[boobie]

Agree with Racer, put the proper amount of oil in, get some friends and shake the hell out of the boat.

 

[nwcove]

????------I am not sure why you are asking at all.------Why not add the correct amount of oil to your full tank and go boating.

Agree with Racer, put the proper amount of oil in, get some friends and shake the hell out of the boat.

^^ yep....i would mix it for what you think you have in the tank... add a bit extra ... rock the boat then run it .

 

[GA_Boater]

Rock the boat until the tank burps ( it will burp), add the right amount of oil and let it sit until the next outing. The oil and gas will be mixed by the time you get to the ramp. And make up your mind about disabling the VRO or you will be running just about a 100:1 ratio if you add oil to the fuel tank. If you to decide to keep the VRO intact, get a portable tank for the kicker and pre-mix to your heart's content..

 

[racerone]

???---50:1 in the tank and the VRO operating would give you about 25 :1 at the motor.---Will smoke a bit but never do any damage !!

 

[GA_Boater]

No it won't hurt with the increased oil. My math was too fast and off.

 

[gm280]

If you already have your 20 gallon tank "FULL FULL", then just add the proper amount of 2-cycle oil and boat on. What really is the problem? Personally I'd stick with the VRO oiling system if it is working properly... Why mess with things that work? Just use a 1 to 3 gallon axillary tank mixed for your trolling motor. Be easier to keep up that way too...

 

[pro-crastinator]

Theres a couple of elements in this thread, this post hits one of em..
There is a time when fuel tank evacuation is something that needs to happen.
My boats during winter have bone dry tanks. Thats the IO Mercruiser as well as the Evinrude OB.
Using an electric fuel pump hooked to the feed lines to the tank is by far the easiest, quickest, safest way to do the deed IMHO.
I could never get a siphon to function.
In my defense,
I am sure that the bone dry method will be declared an excessive excercise by some (like my wife) but it has been the only sure fire way that I have found to avoid the first of the season startup - surging, hard starting, rough initial idling that had been the rule.
ethenol = the devil

 

[joetheis]

Hmmm all good points, and food for thought.
I thought IF I could get the tank dry, THEN I'd unhook the VOR set up.(it's the idling and low speed running at 100:1 that makes me nervous!)
I HAD thought about a E-lectric pump, (I have a old one I keep in case of a pump problem on my boats), But thought it cook a pump drawing it dry.
I'm thinkin' the tank is 20 gal, as it had fuel in it when I got it, I added as needed til the end of the season.
Oct. came I loaded it on the truck, filled my truck, a few jerry cans, my boat with fuel, (we don't have non-E gas in N.E.Pa. and thought I get as much home as I could), so I ASSUMING it's a 20 gal tank.
My first thoughts were, ("it's a '91 and has worked VOR why mess with it").
I have a 3 gal spare tank I use with the kicker now, but thought I could use 1 fuel supply, (the whole set up came off my sailboat).
Tanks
Joe
My problem is I think too much and make MORE problems to think about!

 

[racerone]

The VRO that you have now works very well to just pump mixed fuel.----The VRO is easy to take apart / inspect as well.

 

[64osby]

You can also consider your kicker tank as an emergency reserve, might be nice to have at some point.

 

[joetheis]

From what I've seen on line, (and you know IF it's on line- it HAS to be TRUE), the gasoline side of the pump is rebuildable, but the ALL important-o oil pump side isn't.
I got a 3 gallon tank off E-bay for the kicker, (I have a 6 gallon one too, but that's too big), that fits nicely on the Grumman between the 2 batteries and the oil tank.
But the thing I'm trying to reduce is the weight, as the boat is pushed by a 70 H.P. "Rude. If I can reduce the carrying weight by 21# (gas is 7# a gallon-me thinks), all the better!
Joe
I gotta stop thinking things so much!

 

[gm280]

One last thought on this from me. IF this VRO setup has been work flawlessly since new, why worry about it all of a sudden? Yes it does vary the oil amounts at different RPM requirements but all that was engineered into the design. I'd love to fill an oil tank and not worry if I mixed the correct amount of oil when topping off my gas tank on premix setups. I can tell you, there is probably not very many folks running premix fuel tanks that have the exact 50:1 mixtures in their tanks. We use the gas out and fill more in and supply what we think will be the correct amount of oil all the time. Unless the tank is bone dry and you start from fresh, you will never know exactly what percentages you are seriously running. Is that a real problem? NO! Because the engines can work with varying amounts and be okay... But the simplicity of filling an oil reservoir/tank and topping of a regular gas tank seems pretty nice to me! No wonders, worries or anything but happy boating...

 

[dude11]

Hmmm all good points, and food for thought.
I thought IF I could get the tank dry, THEN I'd unhook the VOR set up.(it's the idling and low speed running at 100:1 that makes me nervous!)
I HAD thought about a E-lectric pump, (I have a old one I keep in case of a pump problem on my boats), But thought it cook a pump drawing it dry.
I'm thinkin' the tank is 20 gal, as it had fuel in it when I got it, I added as needed til the end of the season.
Oct. came I loaded it on the truck, filled my truck, a few jerry cans, my boat with fuel, (we don't have non-E gas in N.E.Pa. and thought I get as much home as I could), so I ASSUMING it's a 20 gal tank.
My first thoughts were, ("it's a '91 and has worked VOR why mess with it").
I have a 3 gal spare tank I use with the kicker now, but thought I could use 1 fuel supply, (the whole set up came off my sailboat).
Tanks
Joe
My problem is I think too much and make MORE problems to think about!

If I'm reading this right,,It sounds like you were using the boat tank as a means to get non-E fuel home,along with the truck & jerry cans.Then it turned to changing factory set up on the oil mix system.Did I miss something??

 

[joetheis]

The tank is filled with non E gas, all the good fuel storage stuff for the long winter's nap.
I don't plan on pulling it out, just to dump in my truck.
I do haul as much of the good stuff home as I can though!
IF, IF, I can get ALL of it out, I'll leave the tank dry til I go to put the boat in the water, then fill with new non E gas and add oil.
Joe

 

[ondarvr]

Sounds like you are over-thinking a non issue, either remove the oiler and dump oil in the tank, or use a small tank for the kicker (which is what I do) either way works. If you are that worried about weight then don't fill the main tank or the kicker tank all the way. Why worry about it idling at 100:1 if that's what it is,