removing old gas from hard to reach fuel cell

[charleyrocknroll2]

My 2007 SEA ARK 20' center console has been sitting up for two years due to my bad health. I can almost walk now, and, with help, have been trying to get the old gas from 30 gallon fuel cell under the front casting deck. I managed to suck 3 gallons out with a long piece of garden hose, but could not get anymore. Just out of sight, under the deck, the fill pipe makes a sharp turn. It took some wiggling but I did reach gas with the hose. My question is, is there another method to remove this gas besides taking the cast deck off and removing the tank? Taking the deck off would be a helluva job.

 

[BillP]

No need to make work for yourself. Use the fuel pickup hose to syphon from...or if you have a large primer bulb it can be pumped...just take the engine connector off for better flow. You could also get fancy and pressurize the tank vent with your air compressor.

 

[BevoHoward]

I had a similar problem a month or so ago. And the tank was almost full. I pulled the drain plug, and ran a hose through the transom, under the engine and straight into the filler neck. I then capped off the feed and vent lines.

As Bill suggested I pressurized it by wrapping a shop rag around the syphon hose at the filler neck and stuck the air hose in it. I gave it just a small amount of air. Once the fuel started flowing I filled jug after jug of old fuel.

 

[charleyrocknroll2]

okay, thank you both for responding. Just so you know, I am 63 yrs old, have had boats all of my life, BUT, I am disabled due to a severe mental disorder, meaning, I sometimes don't "catch on" easily. I feel like I need to tell you, the fuel tank is in the front, under the deck, not visible. The fill tube comes up through the deck and has a spring loaded cover. The vent hole, is in the SIDE of the boat, just under the fill line on the deck. So, Bevo, if I am understanding you correctly, I will stick my syphon hose ( a piece of garden water hose) into the fill tube, wrap a rag around the hose to seal it off at the fill tube, then, shoot air into the outside end of the syphon tube. That will pressure up the fuel cell and push the gas out of the syphon hose. Am I close to getting this right? I guess a small piece of rag, stuffed in the vent hole, will suffice. I'll wait to hear back before I hook up the trailer and move the boat to my barn, where the air compressor is.

 

[BevoHoward]

Sometimes I'm not very good at explaining myself. I just stick the air hose in the filler neck along with the syphon hose and then seal it with a shop rag. The rag just helps get more volume of air . All you need is a two or three second burst of air. It wont take much. Once fuel flows, remove the rag, and you should be in business.

I used this same method when I bought my boat back in May. It hadn't been run in awhile, so I stuck an air hose in the filler and gave it a couple bursts of air and next thing ya know I had fuel at the fuel pump. By doing that it avoided endless cranking waiting for the pump to draw it.

If I'm confusing you say so and I'll try again.