60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

[jc55]

I have one of these...

on my Steiger, with an 80 gallon tank, under the deck.

My fuel is full of water. I know what was causing it and have fixed the problem(leaking deck inspection plates and bad sending unit gasket while p.o. had boat outside), but not before adding 55 more gallons of new fuel. I siphoned off 20 gallons and put them in my cars...they're running fine, but my outboards won't run on this fuel, and I can see the water with EVERY sample I take. I added two bottles of Seafoam before the 55 gallons were added, then 3 bottles of "dry gas" after. I fear that there's just two much water.

I put in a new filter and cleaned the sight glass. Do I have any options? Can I siphon all the fuel out of the boat through the fuel/water separator, then clean the tank with a wire and a rag, put fuel back in? Or, park on a hill and suck out the lowest point(where water settles) through the sender hole? With the old filter, water was getting past the separator and into the fuel line.

It was a failed first launch, I have the next two days off and nowhere to put all this fuel. I'm not rich so this is kind of a hit.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

It's contaminated fuel unfortunately, I would be very leery about even using in in your car. Just because some of it runs well there, doesn't mean the rest will. Maybe a clear plastic storage bin that will allow you to see (inspect) the fuel you siphon out? I understand the cost, but you can destroy a motor doing that, any motor, it would be really bad to knowingly damage the car for a couple hundred in fuel. All that gas seems like it needs to be removed from the boat. Maybe it's not and bad as you think, I would want to view the fuel before I put it in my vehicle. I think dry gas is only good for the same amount of water, meaning if you put 10 oz. of dry gas in, the most it will remove is 10 oz of water. Maybe others can speak confidently about it,.

 

[dingbat]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

Water does not mix with gas. You can easily leave the fuel in the tank and siphon the water off the bottom.

Tilt the front of the boat up to cause the water to collect in the bottom rear of the tank. Remove the sending unit and siphon the water off the bottom.

To make a tank siphon,

1-3' of soft copper tubing
1-8' of clear plastic tubing
1- 3/8" primer bulb
3- hose clamps
1- collection vessel

Put collection vessel on ground behind boat. Route the end of the tubing thru the lowest point of your boat. Stick copper "siphon wand" in tank and squeeze primer bulb to start the flow and go at it. It will pull the water off the bottom of the tank like a vacuum cleaner. When done, fill tank back up with E-10 (dry gas is nothing but alcohol) and go boating.

 

[funk6294]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

To echo what ding bat is saying you can siphon the water off the bottom. I went through this last year and if you have a dirty tank as well cut your losses and chuck the fuel. Clean out the tank and start over. If the boat was filled with e10 fuel before, excess water can strip the ethanol from the fuel. This in a sense at least leaves you straight gas after you siphon out the water, but the octane drops as well. To effectively bring the octain back up top the tank with 93 or if you have a station that carries 100 (the rebel by us carries it) then use that.

 

[Bondo]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

To echo what ding bat is saying you can siphon the water off the bottom. I went through this last year and if you have a dirty tank as well cut your losses and chuck the fuel. Clean out the tank and start over. If the boat was filled with e10 fuel before, excess water can strip the ethanol from the fuel. This in a sense at least leaves you straight gas after you siphon out the water, but the octane drops as well. To effectively bring the octain back up top the tank with 93 or if you have a station that carries 100 (the rebel by us carries it) then use that.

Ayuh,.... 'n to say it again,... Suck the water off the bottom,...

No reason to drain the whole tank,....

 

[Ned L]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

I would agree with the others. Not sure about fuel injected gas engines, but water in the gas really shouldn't hurt a carbureted gas engine.

(Diesels are a different story, water in the fuel CAN damage them, ... ok, can damage the injector pump and injectors, not so much the base engine.)

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

to add to dingbat's suggestion, run the tube out the bilge plug hole. But leave enough line to grab to stop the flow, and figure out ahead of time how to stop it if you have a problem while it's running, including overflowing your container.

Don't try to re-filter or "clean" it or add stuff to clean it.

Too much hassle? drive the boat on the trailer to a fuel disposal/clean-up company and they will pump it out and dispose of it for you.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

In addition to raising the bow also put the trailer tires on on side higher.... That runs the water to one corner.... Remove the sending unit and siphon or pump the water from that corner.....

That said... If this was the common gas with 10% ethanol I suggest just getting rid of it.... I recently disposed of nearly 100 gallons and it hurts but not as much as a blown engine

 

[Fastatv]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

Do what Bondo has said here...suck the water off the bottom, add a little HEET, then go boating. If the fuel is fresh, no way I would waste it....there are many solutions to the issue....read above....

 

[jc55]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

Thank you guys for some really great advice. I parked on a hill and off to one side and siphoned off the worst of it. It looks like my water/fuel separator is now clean. I have separate fuel delivery issues coincidentally, so my problems are compounded. Thanks again!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

treat yourself to a new filter now that you have good fuel and waterlooged the other. I wouldn't rely on the drain bowl

 

[jc55]

Re: 60 gallons of contaminated fuel...

Thank you, Home Cookin' I will. Napa ordered two for me when I only asked for one. They're getting to know me, lol.