Removing gas from the boat

[robbyr1]

I have a Volvo Penta 3.0 GSM-A that I am replacing in a 2001 Glastron SX175. I bought a new long block to replace the motor with a cracked block. While I was taking the old motor out, I had to cut the fuel line going to the fuel pump as the connector was stripped. So I pinched it off, cut it and sealed it then attached it about a foot up in the air to have gravity help keep the gas from leaking.

The gas is about 18 months old with no sta-bil so I am assuming that it is pretty much varnish at this point and would like to remove it. I could siphon it out, but I THINK it might be better to do the following. My thinking is: why not get ALL the gas out of the boat, along with any debris or water that has accumulated in the tank. Then maybe run another good gallon of gas though there to make sure everything is out.

My plan is to put the boat at an angle (the bow will be higher in my pitched alley) and then jack up the front wheel of the trailer. Then attach a hose to the fuel line and run it through the bilge and out the drain hole into a 50 gallon drum.

I think that this will work. What do you guys think?

From what I am told, after all the fuel is out, I will have lost my "siphoning effect", so I will have to make sure and get fuel all the way into and past the fuel pump before trying the start the new engine.

Any thoughts, opinions, or ideas are GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for reading.
Rob

 

[Dawg'sLife93]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

New 12 Volt Universal Electric Fuel Pump, 4-6 PSI on eBay!

I bought one of these and put a long set of wires with gator clips, it's a little slow,but will suck that tank dry and you don't have to do trailer stunts. Good luck.

 

[ken226]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

New 12 Volt Universal Electric Fuel Pump, 4-6 PSI on eBay!

I bought one of these and put a long set of wires with gator clips, it's a little slow,but will suck that tank dry and you don't have to do trailer stunts. Good luck.

Defininetly spend the couple dollars and get the pump. My dumb hillbilly *** tried to be clever a few years ago and use a garden hose to siphon the fuel out of a 1984 Seawirl tank. That fuel had probably been in there since around 1990.

I tried to siphon that stuff out in 2009 and I can still taste that **** today. I learned a lesson that day! The smell and taste of OLD gas will linger forever.

 

[Quad82]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

I use an aircompressor with a 20' hose in the driveway. No static! Take the supply line off the motor (which you have done) and run it into a 5 gallon can. Put a hand-held air sprayer/nosel with lever control on the airline and put just enough air in through the filler tube to pressureize the tank. Not too much, or gas will blow back at you. Gas will flow out into the gas can. I do this every spring when I dewinterize my boat. I have a 30 gallon tank and fill 6 5 gallon cans. I use this 5/6 month old mixed gas mixed 50/50 with fresh gas in my farm tractor. I also change the water/gas seperator filter at this time. I started doing this every year after my brother let the boat sit for 3 years with half a tank of crap in it. I know this is overkill doing it every year. But it only takes an hour. And the piece of mind is soothing to me.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

That gas isn't that old. I can still start the generator in our Party Cruiser with the 8 year old gas in the tank, and it'll still pull a full load. The 128 gallon toy tank in our houseboat has never been below half full since we bought it in 2006 (and the gas that was in it THEN was 4 years old) and I've never drained or stabilized it. I just refill the tank in the winter when gas prices hit their low point. It looks fine, smells fine and runs everything I put it in just fine. The LAST thing I'd ever worry about is fussing around with 18 month old gas. And even if I did, I'd only remove HALF of it, then top it off with some new fuel, and when there's room for it, I'd put the other half of the old gas back and refill again.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

I empty my fuel tank on an annual basis in much the way that you describe . . . connect a tube to the fuel line and run it out the drain plug hole in the transom. The only thing to be concerned about is the "50 gallon drum" part.

Keep in mind that in order for the siphoning to work the drum and fuel level has to be lower than the level of fuel in the tank. So, usually you would use 5 gallon gas containers, as they are more manageable.

Regardless without a significant amount of difference between the fuel level in the tank and ground level, you will probably want to have a pump to assist in moving the fuel. If you can get an electric fuel pump (one that is safe for fuel pumping, etc), then the task is easier. If not then you will have to put the effort into a manual pump.

How much fuel are we talking about? I offloaded 35 gallons of fuel in a couple of hours using a manual pump. since the fuel was only a few months old, I distributed it to the cars. Depending on how much fuel you have and its age, you may have to line up a reclamation service or something.

 

[R Steele]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

My thinking is: why not get ALL the gas out of the boat, along with any debris or water that has accumulated in the tank.

I need to do the same thing since I have 18 month old gas. I'm no expert, but I'm not sure you can get ALL the gas/water/debris out of the tank if pulling it from the fuel line. Many pick up tubes don't go all the way to the bottom by design, and depending on where it's located in the tank, you may leave more by tilting the boat.

Mine has an access hatch under which you find the fuel line connector. I'm going to try remove the connector and pump out the gas with my own hose.

The compressed air method mentioned above sound interesting if I can figure out how to access and block my vent hose.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

You will leave about 1/4 - 1/2 of a gallon in the tank by siphoning through the fuel pickup. You can draw most of the remainder and any crud by accessing the tank through the gauge sender unit. However, it is more dangerous due to fume exposure and possible ignition (blast off) .

 

[Quad82]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

That gas isn't that old. I can still start the generator in our Party Cruiser with the 8 year old gas in the tank, and it'll still pull a full load. The 128 gallon toy tank in our houseboat has never been below half full since we bought it in 2006 (and the gas that was in it THEN was 4 years old) and I've never drained or stabilized it. I just refill the tank in the winter when gas prices hit their low point. It looks fine, smells fine and runs everything I put it in just fine. The LAST thing I'd ever worry about is fussing around with 18 month old gas. And even if I did, I'd only remove HALF of it, then top it off with some new fuel, and when there's room for it, I'd put the other half of the old gas back and refill again.

I am in northern Michigan. The crap they add to the gas (ethonal (sp)), does seperate over a few months.

As for plugging the breather line, Mine comes out at the top of the filler tube under the gas cap. I wrap a rag around the air nozel before inserting it in the filler tube. This plugs the breather and also stops any blowback if I put too much air in. The lever on the air nozel helps regulate the pressure. I also set my PSI valve to about 40 PSI on my tank/compressor.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Removing gas from the boat

Be careful pressurizing a fuel tank . . if that is what is being suggested . . . they are not designed to take much pressure at all and could rupture, which would be a bad thing.