Am I damaging my gas tank?

SWTobias

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Messages
39
1998 5.0 liter GL, volvo-penta engine, charcoal with SX outdrive on a Larson 215 Hampton.

I'm trying to drain 40+ gallons of 5 year old gas from my tank. I've tried to pass every sort of tube I can down the fill tube and can't get anything to pass through due to a 90 degree turn in the fill tube about halfway to the tank. I disconnected the gas line from the tank to the carburetor and attached a short length of tube and a small hand-pump from Sears (used for siphoning gas). The pump works OK although a bit slow. While I'm pumping, I hear a vibrating noise from the area where the gas line is exiting the tank. I believe there may be a one-way valve or something there and I'm wondering if I'm damaging it in some way by pumping the gas out faster and under more pressure than would be normal under engine operating conditions? Any advice is greatly appreciated before I continue with removing all the old gas in this manner.
 

Bondo

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71,082
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

Ayuh,... That's the anti-siphon valve rattlin'...
It's probably fulla Crud by now...
Pull it off, 'n use a brass nipple to drain the tank...

When yer done, put on a New anti-siphon valve...
 

steveclv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 12, 2010
Messages
242
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

OT: Why does every post you make start with the letters Ayuh Bond-o?

I'm trying to determine if it's a code for something like LOL, or YMMV or something.

"As You Understand Hopefully"?

???
 

LippCJ7

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Sep 20, 2010
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Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

do you know if you have an electric fuel pump? if your boat is injected then you will, just disconnect the fuel pump output and run a hose to a gas tank and turn your ignition on, this will empty your tank pretty quick!

steve, Bond-o's Ayuh is his way of saying hello, we give him grief about it all the time! I think of it as the way, Prince used to have that symbol and everyone called him the artist formerly known as Prince:D:facepalm:
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
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Jan 19, 2007
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12,004
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

Ayuh--apparently you young whippersnappers haven't talked to many old salts in your lifetime. Bondo told God where to put the dirt!
 
Joined
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Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

ayuh i think i should start with that and type like when yer done. it's funny i don't see you guys giving him so much crap about the way he miss spells every thing but i miss spell one frigging thing and you all jump and start screaming are yer all done making fun of me now :)
 

SWTobias

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Messages
39
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

That's the anti-siphon valve rattlin'... It's probably fulla Crud by now... Pull it off, 'n use a brass nipple to drain the tank
I'll try that. I'm not sure how accessable it is but will try to get to it. I wanted to try and clean the tank of any crud I could get to anyway.

"do you know if you have an electric fuel pump? if your boat is injected then you will, just disconnect the fuel pump output and run a hose to a gas tank and turn your ignition on, this will empty your tank pretty quick"

It doesn't have an electric fuel pump, it's carbureted.

"worse comes to worse. if all else fails. pull the fuel sender out of the fuel tank and stick yer siphon directly into the tank and pump her dry"

I thought of that but was reluctant to pull that out and break the seal and risk maybe having a fuel leak around that area if I didn't replace it correctly. I have the tank about half empty now and hope to empty it completely within a few days and then pull the anti-siphon valve that bond-o mentions.

It's strange, nobody wants 5 year old gas... My son has been putting it in his car a gallon or two at a time and no problems so far. I only have diesel vehicles so can't even use it myself. It had stabilizer in it and I've added some of a PRI (??) product to it.

I appreciate all the responses, I've made some pretty expensive mistakes in the past and it helps to know before-hand if you're heading for one again.

Steve
 

LippCJ7

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Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

Ok I wouldn't worry about sealing the fuel sender unit they are very easy and I would agree that if you can access it thats the fastest way to get the gas out.

As for your old gas if you are using PRI then use your old gas in your lawn mower or snow blower, your son could use the old gas in a much higher ration in his car too 2 to 1 would be fine 2 gallons new gas to 1 gallon old. I have even used old gas in my diesel trucks up to 5 to 1 with no adverse effects, I have a 2000 7.3L Power Stroke and 2006 Cummins FYI.

Be sure to let us know how you liked the PRI product as well, I am still storing gas to see how long it will work but I have been told that if you retreat the stored gas it can keep for 10 years or so! Just food for thought
 

steveclv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 12, 2010
Messages
242
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

ayuh i think i should start with that and type like when yer done. it's funny i don't see you guys giving him so much crap about the way he miss spells every thing but i miss spell one frigging thing and you all jump and start screaming are yer all done making fun of me now :)

Apologies to the OP for the OT Hijack - you seem to have got a plan now so please forgive me.

SBL - the reason we give you crap over your spelling and grammar is because you are 15 years old - we are helping you with your education at a time when it's critical that you learn how to do it right. When you get to be as old as Bond-o (older than dirt itself) then you can choose to do it wrong - but until then we want to see an improvement in your grades and quality of posting. Now go clean that boat hull and post proof! :)
 

Bondo

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71,082
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

OT: Why does every post you make start with the letters Ayuh Bond-o?

I'm trying to determine if it's a code for something like LOL, or YMMV or something.

"As You Understand Hopefully"?

???

Ayuh,... Google is yer Friend Bud,...
As noted, I'm an ole Maineiac in exile here in northern most NYS...
Dialects, 'n accents last for Along time ya know....
You guys are somewhat lucky, I don't still use true Downeast Maineiac, All the time....;)
ayuh i think i should start with that and type like when yer done. it's funny i don't see you guys giving him so much crap about the way he miss spells every thing but i miss spell one frigging thing and you all jump and start screaming are yer all done making fun of me now :)

SBL,... Show me where I've mis-spelled Anything,..??

All of My spelling is either proper american english, or properly spelled american slang...
I also have a solid grasp of puncuation, 'n use paragraphs so my postings are Easily read...
Considering yer posts when you came here, Vs. your posts Now,...
You're Improvin'...
Yer still woefully lackin' in the puncuation, 'n use paragraphs department though...
there'snothinghardertoreadthanpostswithoutpuncuation'nparagraphs...;)

Apologies to the OP for the OT Hijack -

Ditto that, sorry for runnin' off topic....:)
 

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

Having spent a few summers in rural Maine many years ago my recollection is that "Ayuh" translates to "Howdy" in Texan or "Right" in merry olde England. It is the correct way to open conversation.
 

Bondo

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Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

Having spent a few summers in rural Maine many years ago my recollection is that "Ayuh" translates to "Howdy" in Texan or "Right" in merry olde England. It is the correct way to open conversation.

Ayuh,... That's pretty much it JB...

It's an acknowledgement,...
It usually means Yes, or Howdy,...
Other times, if ya could hear it, it could mean Alotta things to a local who speaks the dialect....;)

Kinda like the other favorite word used up in Downeast,... Wicked...
Wicked can mean Great, or it can mean really Bad, or about anything in between, depending on the content of the conversation, 'n tone of voice...
 
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
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Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

Just wished I had the problem of gas staying in my tank that long. I've burned 40 gallons of fuel in 2 hours before.
 

Jeep Man

Commander
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
2,803
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

ayuh i think i should start with that and type like when yer done. it's funny i don't see you guys giving him so much crap about the way he miss spells every thing but i miss spell one frigging thing and you all jump and start screaming are yer all done making fun of me now :)

ayuh.......no, not YET:D:D
 

SWTobias

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Messages
39
Re: Am I damaging my gas tank?

Ok I wouldn't worry about sealing the fuel sender unit they are very easy and I would agree that if you can access it thats the fastest way to get the gas out.

As for your old gas if you are using PRI then use your old gas in your lawn mower or snow blower, your son could use the old gas in a much higher ration in his car too 2 to 1 would be fine 2 gallons new gas to 1 gallon old. I have even used old gas in my diesel trucks up to 5 to 1 with no adverse effects, I have a 2000 7.3L Power Stroke and 2006 Cummins FYI.

Be sure to let us know how you liked the PRI product as well, I am still storing gas to see how long it will work but I have been told that if you retreat the stored gas it can keep for 10 years or so! Just food for thought

This is good to know. I had heard that small amounts of gas in a diesel vehicle wouldn't hurt it but hadn't actually heard from anyone that had tried it.

I'm anxious to fire this boat up for the first time in 5 years so I want to get rid of the old gas as fast as I can... I'm pulling the sending unit this weekend and pumping out the rest of it. The sending unit is easily accessable, probably about the only thing on this boat that is accessable.

It's difficult to tell how that PRI-G is working. I've only put a few gallons of gas into my sons car and a friend of his car with the PRI-G treatment in it. Both of them say their cars have ran fine with the old gas. I guess the ratio would have been about 3 gallons of the old gas to about 10 gallons of fresh gas.

Thanks again to everyone for the tips and advice. I've also enjoyed the other correspondence back and forth and now know what ayuh means :)
 
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