How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

[Rock Hall]

I have boat with a full 60 gal fuel tank that has been sitting for about 18 months. It has been recommended to me that I empty the fuel and fill with fresh. I guess I will be siphoning the fuel out. I'm assuming the water, if present will lay on the bottom of the tank. How important is it that I get every drop out? The fuel has had Stabil added twice. Once each Fall.<br /><br />Mark

 

[fireship1]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

I have done this plenty of times with cars and boats. I have a standard universal style in line 12 volt fuel pump sitting on a shelf. You can pick one up for 20-30 dollars. I installed long leads and fuel line attached to it at one end. I disconnect the supply line from the tank. Attach the fuel pump. Get your cans. However many you need. Put the hose from the pump into the can. Keep the battery near you and hook it up. It will pump right into the can, nice and easy. Keep the battery away from the cans, don't smoke, just use good common sense. Keep an eye on it at all times and don't let the cans overfill! Make sure you dispose of the old fuel in a responsible way. My town's DPW took it and used it for something! Hope this helps!

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

I have a 44 gal tank on my new (to me) Four Winns. I drained 25 gallons of "old" (2 year old) fuel out of it using a small Bendix pulse type fuel pump. It took about an hour to get it all. I then put the fuel in my old truck and ran it. It was fine. Gasoline today doesn't sour as badly as it used to since the vapor pressure is lower due to EPA req. The "high ends" don't evaporate away as fast as they used to.<br /><br />I couldn't tell any difference in the fuel running in the truck. I also ran it in my John deere 318 (Onan) and my Briggs & Stratton 11hp generator and I couldn't tell any difference. <br /><br />60gal is worth something like $120-150!<br /><br /><br />I later decided to have a look inside the tank since it had been sitting for quite some time and my brother had told me that the fuel gage sender had been intermittant so I removed it and used a hose to siphon the rest of the gasoline out of it. <br /><br />Go to the hardware store and get a suitable length of 5/8" or 3/4 clear plastic hose to do this. Set it up so that it'll drain into a large container or have someone ready to switch containers for you. You can use the siphon hose like a vacuum to suck all the debris and water out of the tank by moving the hose around in the tank thru the sender hole. (also, get a new gasket for the sender when you replace it.)<br /><br />My sender is near the back of the tank and I raised the bow up a couple of feet so everything would drain to the back of the tank so I could siphon all the crud out of it. (there wasn't any by the way...but I got ALL the fuel out of the tank except for about 1 cup)<br /><br />If you're going to use a fuel pump, DO NOT USE ALLIGATOR CLIPS TO CONNECT! Use crimp connectors.<br />Connect to the battery using regular nuts/bolts etc. alligator clips have a nasty habit of coming loose at the wrong time and you'll get a spark if that happens. Gasoline vapor is heavier than air....It will be on the floor all around(unless you're outside...and even then if there's no wind there will still be vapor......it hangs around!)<br /><br />WE DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT YOU AFTER THE FIRE!!<br /><br />I used a 20A DC power supply to run my pump. I wouldn't do it again given how easy it is to siphon. Siphoning is safer since you have less chance of producing a spark.<br /><br />You could also use a smaller hose to siphon thru the fuel fill but it might be hard to get it to to the bottom of the tank. It depends how many bends there are in the fuel fill line and how long it is. (It might be pretty easy)<br /><br /><br />With the fuel pump I connected the hose directly to the fuel line where it comes from the tank and connects to the fuel filter prior to the engine driven fuel pump.<br /><br />Regards, <br /><br />Rick

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

i removed the fuel guage sending unit. ran a hose out the transom drain hole and siphoned into fuel cans.

 

[KaGee]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

Hey Rock!<br /><br />My advice is simple and comes via a close friend who owns a radiator and fuel tank repair shop. He's been in business almost 30 years. They only employ ASE Techs. They never dispose of fuel unless there is some sort of foreign contaminant like sugar or sand. BTW, it costs between $3 and $4 a gallon to recycle old gas! <br /><br />The advice? Burn it out. Use it! Siphon out a few gallons for the lawnmower, and replace with fresh fuel. (I had an old fuel hose laying around from an outboard with a primer bulb already attached. I connected it to the fuel line and ran it out the drain hole.) <br /><br />You already said stabilizer was added. I would get a quart of PRI-G (West Marine catalog) and add the proper amount as listed on the bottle. Replace the fuel/water separator cartridge after 2 hours of use and again after another 2 hours. Top off the fuel tank after every trip. <br /><br /><br />I have a 90 gallon tank and had a similar scenario. I also temporarily inserted a clear fuel filter (since removed) ahead of the water separator so I could see if there was any other form of contamination coming from the fuel tank. <br /><br />Do whatever you want, but please don't try siphoning fuel using any kind of DIY electric pump. That's an accident waiting to happen.

 

[QC]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

I'm with KaGee. Run it. I took a bunch of water due to a vent issue a few seasons back. Took me about 3 tanks of fuel and 4 filters, but I had very little choice because it wasn't discovered until I was on the water . . . I'm guessing your deal will amount to nothing.

 

[Doug Durako]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

Run it. Keep filling it.<br /><br />Put Stabil in every time you put fresh gas in.

 

[fireship1]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

Do whatever you want, but please don't try siphoning fuel using any kind of DIY electric pump. That's an accident waiting to happen. <br />

KaGee is 100% correct. I should have been clear about that in my post. The pump that I am discribing is an automotive electric pump for a car. It is made to pump gasoline.DO NOTuse any other kind of pump to do this job! It HAS to be rated to handle gasoline. Any other kind of pump could cause an explosion.

 

[Rock Hall]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

Wow!<br />Thanks for the help guys! It was suggested earlier to me that I not use the fuel. I'm not ready to start this project for a couple of weeks. Weather isnt cooperating this weekend. I think I'll start by siphoning a few gallons off the bottom and just how bad it looks. I was planning to use it in one of the vehicles. I've had major problems with water in my outboard fuel in the past. I'll pull some fuel out and report back what I find.<br /><br />Also, thanks for the saftey tips. The boat sits high enough on the trailer that I should be able to give siphoning a try.<br /><br />Mark

 

[imported_Curmudgeon]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

Put in some HEET (or the equivalent). That should alleviate any water, unless there's several gallons of it. Might be worth investing in a funnel with a filter when transferring to a vehicle ....

 

[gatorred]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

if stable in it pump it though filter then add Ethanol or racing gas and gas o klensr by cen-pe-co it treat's gas got an old farm tractor don't do like guy took gas out of my hot rod it ran good till it frozze up he said he watered the gas down i wish i new that trick when it droped below 32 you have a problem

 

[KaGee]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

It was suggested earlier to me that I not use the fuel.

That is the standard answer most have. Yet, you were also urged to burn it in your car. Now considering that most cars nowadays are computer controlled TBI or MPI, what sense does that make? The concern is for any gum in the system that may cause a blockage. After only 18 months and STABIL being added in the past, I would not worry about that at this time. Simply adding fresh fuel will not clear any blockage if one exists.<br /><br />

I think I'll start by siphoning a few gallons off the bottom and just how bad it looks.

Do what you want, but there is going to be some water in there. That's inevitable. If you have a separator, it will take care of that.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

quote:<br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />I think I'll start by siphoning a few gallons off the bottom and just how bad it looks.<br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Ayuh,......... Do That.......<br /><br />Then Smell It............ <br />If it Smells like Gasoline,......... Run It........<br /><br />If it Smells like Spoiled Gas,......... Pump It Out,+ Dispose of it.........It Won't even run in your Lawnmower...........

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

My Boat had been sitting for about 2 years in California. The 25 Gallons I drained out has not been a problem (it runs ok in everything I have tried it in.)AND there was NO water in it at all....and since I have the sender out now and can see inside there's no water in the tank either.<br /><br /><br />Unless you think there's a problem with water in the tank.....I am with the other people here....just run it.<br /><br /><br />Cheers, <br /><br />Rick

 

[Rock Hall]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

Thanks for the help guys. The tank is full to the top, so not much room for condensation. I plan to fire it up in about 3 weeks if the weather breaks. This winter has been real mild here. Hopefully it will be over soon.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

Just to give my two cents worth I ran into trouble doing exactly what it has been recommended to you to do. When I bought my boat (24' Sportcraft walkaround) it had been sitting for an unknown amount of time. It has a hundred gallon fuel tank and it was full to the brim with gasoline. I didn't want to waste this much gas so I siphoned some off and it smelled fine. I added Stabil to it and ran it. It ran fine for about 15 minutes and then died. Long story short - it overwhelmed my fuel / water separator and allowed water into the carb. <br /><br />There is a local company which will come out and run the fuel through a series of filters and pump it back into your fuel tank, so I contacted them. They filtered it for awhile and came to the conclusion that there was simply too much water and old gas to do anything with it. The bottom line - I had to pay to have the fuel removed. They said the biggest mistake I made was to add Stabil to the fuel. They mentioned it emulsifies the water so it is absorbed into the gas instead of separating out down at the bottom of the tank. In my case I had too much water.<br /><br />Anyway, I ended up having to take apart the carb and cleaning out the fuel bowl. Expensive and time consuming problems which could have been avoided by not taking a chance with old gas.<br /><br />Just "food for thought." <br /><br />PS - I did siphon some fuel from the bottom to check for water, but I either didn't get it from the bottom as I thought, or the water was caught in a baffle, or whatever - anyway there was much more water than my initial siphoning suggested!

 

[Always Broke]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

I wish I was closer, I'd come drain your tank for ya, no charge

 

[mikeneal]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

I purchased a 19 ft bowrider that had been sitting without stabilizer for 3 years and the gas was nasty. My local waste managemnt (dump) took the 25 gallons of old gas. I persoanlly would bite the $$ dollar bullet and get rid of the fuel.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: How to empty 60 gal Fuel tank?

I drained my 90 gallon (50 in it) because it just didn't get used enough last year (down for manifolds). I have 6 5 gallon cans, and used it up slowly (in fact I just used the last today!) by filling up the van, and when I got a hundred miles on it, put in 5 gallons of the old gas. Mixed with the 20 or so in the tank was no problems. If it still smells like gas your fine. It it curdles your nose and smells like Shellac, DON"T use it. And you can pick up 12volt auto inline pumps for cheap on ebay. Just make sure its not an in-tank pump. AND ADD A CHEAP $3 PLASTIC INLINE FUEL FILTER BEFORE THE PUMP!