bad old fuel

[Dr Noob]

hi. first post ever. please be gentle, but no sugarcoating eather, please =)
i have a 2002 glastron 195 with volvo penta sx 5.0. i have a half a tank of really old fuel in it. i attempted to syphon it out through the intake hole, as well as through the hose that leads to the fuel pump. both attempts failed, as there seems to be no direct way to get directly into the tank. at this point, the only solution is see it to top off the tank with fresh fuel, dump a container of stp engine cleaner, and pray to boat gods. please, please, please help me, as i am freaking out!!!

 

[JustJason]

Re: bad old fuel

you could try splicing on to the fuel line that goes to the fuel pump on the motor.... then starting your siphon.
If worst comes to worst though you may have to bring it to your local marina that does fuel pumpouts.

 

[Skyhawk]

Re: bad old fuel

There has to be a way to get to the top of the tank to access the sending unit. Remove that, pump 'er out.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: bad old fuel

First welcome aboard sir:

Go to a auto parts store and buy the cheapest electric fuel pump you can lay your hands on.

And about 10 feet of clear hose, and 2 clamps to clamp the hose to the electric fuel pump nipples.

Install the hose onto the electric fuel pump with the clamps and cut the hose in half.

Tell them at the store what you want to do and they will hook you up. Maybe 15 dollars with the hose and clamps maybe a little more.

If boat is on trailer raise the bow, as high as it will go.

Take the plate off the top of the floor that allows access to the fuel sending unit on top of the fuel tank.

Unscrew the plate on the gas tank that has wires coming out of it.

Stick the hose into the tank all the way back in the corner.

Stick the other end into a container, and hook the electric fuel pump to the battery, suck it dry.

Pull the hose out of the tank after taking wires off the battery.

Pour some fresh fuel into the tank about 2 gallons and shake the hell out of the boat to make the fuel agitate in the tank.

lower the bow and than raise back up the bow.

To get what gunk you missed the first time and then suck out that.

Close everything up, and burn that fuel in your lawnmower.

Good luck. If you run into a problem post here, we will help.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: bad old fuel

I suggest a combination of captJason and chiefalen's suggestions. Buy the electric pump that chief recommends, and remove the fuel line from the tank to the engine and simply pump it out of the tank.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: bad old fuel

I suggest a combination of captJason and chiefalen's suggestions. Buy the electric pump that chief recommends, and remove the fuel line from the tank to the engine and simply pump it out of the tank.

I agree. Don't do more work than you need to. You should have a soft line from the tank to the mechanical fuel pump. Remove that line at the pump and install the electric You can VERY carefully crimp the rubber line with a pair of vice grips to prevent excessive spillage until you hook up. Place the receiving container on the ground at the transom for safety and gravity's sake. When completed, carefully check the area where you crimped the line (if you did) for cracks or rips.

 

[180shabah]

Re: bad old fuel

Also - check/replace the antisiphon valve while you are doing all of this, it'll save you a headache later.

 

[JustJason]

Re: bad old fuel

hmmmm... i just re-read what you wrote and you said you tried to get it from the fuel pump fuel line.....
If your not getting any fuel out of that line then either...
1. your out of gas
2. because of the way the boat is pitched the gas may be away from the pickup in the tank
3. you have a leaky (airbound) fuel system.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: bad old fuel

If he checks the anti-siphon valve he will have to unscrew it. Than he can pump it out that hole.

Maybe it's stuck not letting fuel out.

He can leave the sending unit hatch alone.

And he can check the fuel pickup tube also.

 

[Dr Noob]

Re: bad old fuel

thank you, guys, for such quick and informative replies.

also, before i proceed any further, i would like to inform everyone that i am not exaclty the brightest crayon in a box. most people have a problem with themselves in that situation, but i have made peace with it a long time ago. so i ask you to please bear with me, as i do not want to loose my boat.

thankfully, the out hose from the fuel tank is attached to the fuel pump with one of those adjustable clamps with a screw. so i had no problem removing it from the pump. i also bought a bunch of clear tubing in various sizes. after failed attempts that i described in my initial post, i figured that i could pump out the gas through the out (fuel pump) hose by inserting into it a clear tube, whose width is about the same as the out hose's opening. that would create an airtight join and allow me to pump under pressure. i then proceeded to pump via a simple hand pump, but with no success. i then placed the other end of the clear tube into my mouth and attempted to blow the air into the tank, just to make sure that there is an open path to the tank. however, i could not push any air in, which explained why the pumping did not work. is it possible that there is some sort of a safety mechanism that seals the tank's out path until the key is turned? if i do not solve this problem, i may be forced to disasseble the floor as per chiefalen suggestion, which is something that i am not looking forward to.
once again, thank you for your time!

 

[chiefalen]

Re: bad old fuel

There is a one way valve that prevents you from blowing into the tank.

Allows only one way fuel to leave the tank.

Sir: there must be some round hatch on the floor.

Over the gas tank.

Is the floor carpeted?

And someone covered the hatch?

 

[180shabah]

Re: bad old fuel

...is it possible that there is some sort of a safety mechanism that seals the tank's out path until the key is turned?...

That would be the anti-siphon valve. It is mounted directly to the top of the tank. Externally, it looks just like a hose barb, but on the inside there is a check ball and a spring. You will need a constant vacuum to keep the valve open, you will kill yourself trying to suck through it with your mouth. Of course the pump may not suck through it either if it is all gummed up inside.

Go get a new anti-siphon valve AND a cheap regular hose barb. Install the hose barb untill your are done with all of your cleaning and draining. Then you can installl the new AS valve.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: bad old fuel

I would say hold off on buying anything till you need it.

No way to know if a little piece of garbage is blocking the valve till it is taken off.

Learned the hard way, wait till you know you need a part, before you buy one.

 

[Dr Noob]

Re: bad old fuel

evening, gents. i made significant headway this evening. first, i noticed that there was a narrower hose running alongside the intake hose. i figured that it had to be the vent hose, and i traced it all the way to the intake hole where the gas is pumped at a gas station. turns out that a tiny plug was hiding there all along. i managed to take the plug off, (as it promptly fell down the intake hose , but that's another story) but it did not help at all. i still could not syphon. the only thing that worked was my oil pump. it is a Jabsco pump that attaches to a typical drill. however, it explicitly states that it shall not be used for flamable liquids, so i decided to set it aside.
at this point, i looked around and noticed the screws holding down a portion of the floor. i took them off and was finally face to face with the tank, as well as the three hoses connected to it. however, i cannot figure out where the anti-syphon device is. both the intake and vent hoses are connected directly to the tank via an area that rises at about 45 degrees. so i just unplugged the vent hose, stuck my clear tube inside it, and proceeded to syphon. it is working like a charm......so far, as i am typing this post. in any case, i would like to thank all of you who responded to my original post. i never thought that i would be removing the floor in my boat. but you made me believe that there was a solution no matter what.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: bad old fuel

The anti-syphon valve is a fitting with a angle to it.

It should screw off the tank. The hose attached to it leads to the fuel pump.

When you screw it off there should be a pickup tube and a screen on the bottom of it. Clean the screen.

Blow thru from the tank side to the fuel pump side with compressed air.

No compressed air? How are your lungs? Try cleaning the fitting with gas or carb cleaner might be clogged.

Disconnect the fuel line from the fuel pump before you blow thru it.

It will be to your advantage to do it before you close up the tank under the floor.

Might want to blow air thru the vent hose also to make sure that it is not clogged creating a vacuum in the tank as you use gas.

Would prevent the carb from getting fuel.

Good luck.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: bad old fuel

... i still could not syphon. the only thing that worked was my oil pump. it is a Jabsco pump that attaches to a typical drill. however, it explicitly states that it shall not be used for flamable liquids, so i decided to set it aside....

The problem is that you are still trying to siphon. There is an anti-siphon valve as you have already discovered. As mentioned above, you need to buy a cheap electric inline FUEL pump - then you can pump the gas out of the fuel line. If that doesn't work, then you have bigger problems - since that is the way your engine is going to get the gas as well.

 

[Dr Noob]

Re: bad old fuel

chiefalen,

aha, now i understand. for some unexplained reason, i figured that the anty-siphon valve is attached to the vent hose. now you see what i meant about not being the brightest crayon. the tank side of the out fuel hose is connected to the tank via a metal 90 degree fitting, which itself is crewed into the tank. that's where the device is. thank you for clearing that up.

Fishermark,

what finally made me remove the portion of the floor (along with the entire rear "couch") was the conversation that i had with a slesperson from Northern Tool and Equipment. he told me that due to the volatility of fuel, such pumps cost at least $300-ish, and are rather large in order to absorb any possible explosion. other stores around me like Menards, Home Depot, Lowes, and Fleet Farm did not have any pumps for fuel. in the end, i figured that i could get the very same fuel pump that is in my boat. would that work? after all, i completely agree you about the need of a fuel pump for my situation. and it would be quite nice to have one around in case a need arises in the future.

in any case, the old fuel is all but gone now. and i became more familiar with my boat, all thanks to you, guys!

 

[Fishermark]

Re: bad old fuel

I know it can be easy to miss and overlook information with all the posts, but chief nailed it early on:

Go to a auto parts store and buy the cheapest electric fuel pump you can lay your hands on.

It shouldn't cost more than $15 - $20 for a cheap inline electric fuel pump. But you want to go to an auto parts store - not Home Depot, etc.

Anyway - glad the fuel is almost gone!

 

[chiefalen]

Re: bad old fuel

May i ask sir are you planing on starting this motor?

May i also ask when the motor was last started.

 

[Dr Noob]

Re: bad old fuel

yes, i am planning on starting the motor this weekend. then i will change the oil.

the motor was last started a little under a year and a half ago.