Very basic help needed re: draining out old gas from fuel tank...

[gdeangel]

Hello - I've got a small I/O boat that is 3/4 full of 2 year old gas. The boat ran on it this season with any *noticeable* problem but I want put in fresh gas before storing it for winter. I bought the boat this fall and just didn't get much chance to use it up. I figured I'd just siphon it out, but so far I'm having bad luck.

I read a lot about ways to drain the tank... but I'm still pretty confused. I have three hoses in the bilge that disappear under the floor where the fuel tank must be. On goes to the engine (fuel pump/water separator), and two (fill, vent hose?) go to the gas cap on the deck. I tried snaking some 3/8 tubing down the fill hole, and got about six feet of tubing in and it hit something and wouldn't go any further.

I don't have any way to get to the tank that I can find other than start pulling apart the interior. There is no obvious drain valve. I don't see anything that looks like the fuel level take off. And I'm pretty nervous about trying to unhook the line that goes to the fuel pump, lest gas start pouring out all over the place... but it's looking like that's going to be my only option unless I figure out what is blocking the fill line (screen possibly?) and how to get around it.

Can someone who has been through this please walk me through the very basic, step by step on how to drain the tank via the line to the fuel pump. After reading about a dozen posts on this, I'm not even clear if I'm supposed to disconnect on the "inlet" side, couple to a hose run through the drain plug and gravity/siphon drain it, or if I'm supposed to disconnect the pump outlet side and then somehow use the electric fuel pump to actively pump out the gas...

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Failproof]

Re: Very basic help needed re: draining out old gas from fuel tank...

If you trully want to drain, pull hose from inlet of pump, connect to hose running out of bilge drain, into approved container, then siphon start the flow. If it wont siphon, use an electric fuel pump. Dump gas in old carburated non emmisions vehicle. Make sure to remove fuel filter and water seporator and install clean ones.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Very basic help needed re: draining out old gas from fuel tank...

If the fuel won't siphon it's because of the "anti-siphon valve in the fuel tank outlet fitting. You are going to need to pump it out with an electric fuel pump as FP suggested. I wouldn't refill the tank until you are ready to run the boat again, less of a chance of the fuel going bad. I'd rather run fresh fuel opposed to 6 month old fuel.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Very basic help needed re: draining out old gas from fuel tank...

Have to set aside enough time EVERY fall or spring to Burn up the gas. I thought that was part of the fun.

I burn up all that stabilized full tank of winter gas, first thing in the spring. I paid the marina. Then refill with new gas that sits for the whole summer.

 

[zopperman]

Re: Very basic help needed re: draining out old gas from fuel tank...

I used a hand transfer pump. removed 15 gals of stale gas...

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Very basic help needed re: draining out old gas from fuel tank...

Auto parts store sells a little red hand pump kit with black caps and orange plastic hoses for about $10....as does Harbor Freight. This pump is suck or blow depending upon how you hook the hoses. I have enough hose around the place from previous pumps that I just butt joint pieces and duct tape them together, nice and air tight till I get enough hose to get to the bottom of the tank and get over the side of the boat such that my discharge point is below the pickup point, or you could just buy what length of Tygon tubing (clear plastic tubing) while at the AP store.

I attach the hose to the suction fitting on the pump and pump away until I get fuel flowing. Once flowing, I pinch the hose end, pull the pump off, stick the hose in the container and let gravity finish the drain job. If I have more gas than I can get into one container, I keep watch and when time pull the hose out of the current container, pinch off the hose, stick it in the second container and let the flow continue. This is where the Tygon tubing is nice as it is clear and you can monitor your "vacuum" condition of the fuel in your line.

Then when you finish seal up your vents and all so that the tank can't breathe over the winter.....if it can't breathe, it can't suck up moisture laden air and cause condensation.....if it can it will have condensation accumulate.....glass of iced tea sitting on your dining room table type thing especially if the tank is made of metal.

This little pump will also do a stellar job of sucking your crankcase oil out of your boat's engine crankcase for an oil change, or on your truck/ if you pull out a quart or two of auto tranny fluid and replace with fresh, every time you change your engine oil...keeps you from having to mess with the drain pain fiasco every so many miles it is you think your tranny fluid has to be changed.....course nowadays you can get synthetic tranny fluid and forget the changes....I know Dodge and Chevy trucks of current mfgr use it. Mopar calls it ATM+4. Don't know what GM calls it.

Oh, and no sparks and well ventilated area.

Mark