DIY Fuel Transfer Pump for about $60.00

[JoLin]

I like to tinker

Every once in awhile I need a way to transfer fuel from one place to another. Always seems to be a situation where a siphon/super siphon/manual pump won't work well. My current problem is a boat in FL (I'm driving down from NY next month) with about 10 gallons of old fuel sitting in it. I need to get rid of it, then take the tank somewhere to be cleaned. I have no place down there that I can afford to spill any fuel, or clean the tank myself or do anything 'dirty.' I also don't have access to electricity or water where the boat is. The homeowner only charges me $40.00 a month to store my boat and trailer, but you can imagine how hard it is to just maintain the thing. Thank goodness for portable power tools!

Been thinking about it for awhile and decided to put together a 12V fuel transfer pump myself. Went on eBay and found a low pressure pump for $9.95 and a bag of 20 disposable filters for $9.95. Also got a toggle switch, 12V cig. lighter plug and cig. lighter plug adapter with battery clips for about $10.00 all in. All this stuff came with no tax and free shipping. I bought 2 pumps because I figured at that price, one might be DOA. But they both work.

I cobbled it up to test and found that it would pump about 6 gph. Not great by any means, but it would at least do well enough for what I needed. Then I thought about putting the 2 pumps in series (output of one to input of the other) and the flow went up to 10 gph.

I mounted the 2 pumps and a filter in line, inside a big plastic tool box I had laying around. The toggle switch is mounted on the box, too. Putting it in a toolbox gives me room to tuck the power cord, cig. lighter adapter, hoses, clamps, and a screwdriver all in something that's easy to transport. If I start finding more uses for this thing I might swap the pumps out for a high flow FI pump, but I had do this one on the cheap.

Sorry I don't have any pics, but maybe somebody can use the info.

 

[gm280]

Well that sounds interesting. If you seriously mean those pumps only pump 6 gallons per HOUR instead of minutes, then it would seem that instead of running them in series (output from one to the input of the other) you should run both in parallel and get 12gph instead of 10gph like you have now. But even at that, if you figured you still have 10 gallons in the tank, it is going to take at least an hour running to drain it. That is a long time for battery powered pumps to be running. And I have to ask, are you sure those pumps are able to pump gasoline? If they are merely liquid pumps, you could have a more serious issue. JMHO!

 

[JoLin]

They're gasoline pumps- low pressure for carburetors. It isn't a long time for them to be running. They're made for cars. As for mounting in parallel, yeah, I could... but now I have a bulkier assembly, with tee fittings, extra hose and such that might not all fit in the box. When the time comes to play with ti again I might try it, but I'd rather swap out the pump instead.

As for the flow rate, I tried to make it clear that this is a low-rent, occasional use setup of limited utility... but good enough for what I need. Total current draw is 4 amps. I can run it off the boat battery, car battery or my jump starter. Just swapping the pump for a high pressure FI type would quadruple the flow rate, and roughly double the cost.

My .02

 

[GA_Boater]

I like it. JoLin.

While it doesn't sound like 10GPH is high flow, it gives you the time for other maintenance. As the pumps hum, you can check wheel bearings, tire pressures, change lower unit lube, etc. Before you know it, the pumps are sucking air.

You get a Unofficial Forum DIY :thumb:

 

[bruceb58]

I am surprised they only do 6GPH. The fuel pump on my Volvo(carbed) are doing three times as much. Maybe its why they are so freaking expensive.

 

[JoLin]

I like it. JoLin.

While it doesn't sound like 10GPH is high flow, it gives you the time for other maintenance. As the pumps hum, you can check wheel bearings, tire pressures, change lower unit lube, etc. Before you know it, the pumps are sucking air.

You get a Unofficial Forum DIY :thumb:

Funny you should say that, because that's exacly what I plan to do- change the LU fluid, pump up the trailer tires, etc.

Look, if anyone is inspired to build their own, by all means use an inline FI pump that'll pump 40 gph. If you're one of those guys who 'just bought a boat with 15 gallons of 5-year-old gas in it. How do I get rid of it?' maybe something like this will fit.

 

[JoLin]

I am surprised they only do 6GPH. The fuel pump on my Volvo(carbed) are doing three times as much. Maybe its why they are so freaking expensive.

Entirely possible that the pumps I bought are meant to be 'booster' pumps instead of primary, but it's hard to figure that out based on the eBay descriptions. I'll just say that all the eBay low-pressure pumps are advertised to pump around 6 gph. I at least verified that the description is accurate.

 

[bruceb58]

Probably all that is necessary for a car.

This one is 50GPH
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crt-p4389/overview/

 

[StarTed]

JoLin,

It's great to see someone else is afflicted with the same disease. This caught my attention because this field is what I've been mulling over in a slightly different vane. I'm thinking about some kind of (air?) powered coolant pump that could be used with flammable fluids. Your solution leads to other options.

Tinkering can become a disease. Keeping it on the cheap just adds another dimension.

Remember: the time you spend doing these projects doesn't really cost because it can be taken from TV watching time.

 

[JoLin]

I've spent my life building half-assed solutions to problems that could be addressed with a paperclip and a hunk of string... but what fun would that be?

Lord knows, I've read enough of other people's ideas right here, that kicked off a possible solution to a slightly different problem I had. I like it when people share their cheap, dorky ideas. My ideas and execution are seldom perfect, but maybe they can jump-start a soltiuon to somebody else's issue.

 

[gm280]

JoLin, please don't take my questions as anything but being interested. I surely am not condemning you for your ideas. Heck I enjoy reading everybody's ideas. And like you, even if the post has nothing to do with what I am presently working on, I do get ideas how to do other things so many time. So Bravo for your thinking. I was merely wondering about the flow rate... :thumb:

 

[JoLin]

It's all good. No offense taken.

 

[64osby]

Nice tinkering.

Just as a reference how long would it take to siphon to fuel out?

 

[Scott Danforth]

10GPH sounds really low. as in I would run out of fuel if I attempted to use it on a motor low.

The Carter rotary vane electric fuel pump has a 72GPH rating(free flow). they will also pump diesel if you get the HD version. however they will not live pumping oil (dont ask :facepalm.

they are available at any performance shop (on-line and brick and morter) here is a link to the manufacturers site.

http://carterfuelsystems.com/fuelpumps/universal_fp.php

 

[Scott Danforth]

Here is another alternative that I have used for oil, and paint thinner (when cleaning my parts cleaner) http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-drill-powered-pump-650-gph-62145.html

if it will run paint thinner, it should be able to handle fuel.

 

[fhhuber]

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-marine-utility-water-pump-94639.html

Their online descriptions are lacking a bit...


Harbor Freight local store has a 12 V pump that looks EXACTLY like this that is rated for gasoline. (I wouldn't use it with the alligator clips and gasoline... but that is how it comes)

Price is the same as the one rated for water that looks identical.

 

[StarTed]

It's interesting but their (HF) parts cleaner pump looks exactly like their fountain pumps. The fountain pump is only a solenoid operating a diaphragm powered by 120VAC. I guess their solenoids don't create any sparks.

By the way, their fountain pumps do work in a prats cleaner but sometimes can be a little flaky. Mine sometimes doesn't want to start and will trip out the GFCI unless I have on some other load (lights) when I turn it off. That only happens when I turn it OFF.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Nice tinkering.

Just as a reference how long would it take to siphon to fuel out?

Good point. A lot faster than 6 gal per hour.... Probably do it in a few minutes, depending on the size of the hose. It's been a while since I've done any siphoning......

 

[Boomyal]

I have a friend who fashioned a transfer pump using an FI fuel pump off of a Suburu. I do not know what its pump rate was but it sure moved fuel in a hurry. I wanted to duplicate that but never have. Siphoning fuel sucks and those Harbor Freight type transfer/siphon pump setups hardly work at all. Seems like it took a half a day to siphon 5 gallons out of my Suburban.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Siphoning? It's all timing Boomyal. A split second too late and, well...............uke::brushteeth: