Removing old fuel from onboard tank

[Big D]

OK, I know that I should have had the boat out a lot more but life and my kitchen remodel got in the way this last summer.
My issue now is I've got a full tank (25 +) gallons of treated fuel that's been setting in my boat out in the shop for just over a year. I'm thinking that to avoid any issues that I probably should empty the tank and start with fresh fuel this next season. I alway use fuel treatment so the fuel might be OK but I'm wondering if I should risk it. If I do remove the fuel, I'm wondering what would be the most effective way to do so. Does anyone know if I could attach a hose to the boats fuel connections and just pump it out. And if so what and where could I find a cheap but effective pump. Or do you think I could run a hose into the filler hole and siphon it out.

[BentRod]

Big D,
If it's treated, I'd venture to guess it's probably still ok after 1 year, but if you want to play it safe, Harbor Freight sells a fuel transfer kit.http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use- ... 66418.html Not sure how great it is, but might do the trick.
I've successfully made a siphon from my outboard fuel line using the priming bulb to start the vacuum, but the small diameter of the line really makes for a slow siphon, so don't know if I'd want to do 25 gallons that way.
Good luck.

[hewesfisher]

I'd pull the cover off the tank where your sending unit is and siphon or pump the fuel from there. I wouldn't trust treated fuel more than 6mos, let alone more than a year. You will still have octane loss even though it's treated. Though a hassle, it is much safer to siphon out as much as possible and start with fresh, and IMO, there's no need to risk inducing problems using fuel that old.

While you can use the fuel bulb and 3/8" or 5/16" line to drain your tank, it will take a very long time like BentRod said.

[Steelheadin360]

Go get a cheap electric fuel pump and some cheap fuel line. Hook it up with some hose clamps. On end into the tank. The other into a bucket, etc. Then just hook the pump up to a battery. I just had to replace the fuel pump in my durango with a fuel tank of fuel and this drained it in about 15 min

[Bodofish]

Go get a cheap electric fuel pump and some cheap fuel line. Hook it up with some hose clamps. On end into the tank. The other into a bucket, etc. Then just hook the pump up to a battery. I just had to replace the fuel pump in my durango with a fuel tank of fuel and this drained it in about 15 min

+1 for the electric. I would not even think of siphoning, to go up over the gunnel is a long hard pull and there's no getting over a mouth full of gas. If you had a small hose you could shove all the way into the tank and fill it full, plug it and pull it over the side to start it. The worst is when you have to explain anything that starts with, " I was just siphoning the gas....", the rest of the conversation never goes well. But in the end its just so much easier to just pump it out even if you have to go buy the pump. With a pump you could always just get a fitting for the end of your fuel line and you don't even have to mess with the inspection cover. You'll get enough of the gas out and don't forget a new fuel filter.

[The Quadfather]

[[/quote]

+1 for the electric. I would not even think of siphoning, to go up over the gunnel is a long hard pull and there's no getting over a mouth full of gas. The worst is when you have to explain anything that starts with, " I was just siphoning the gas....", the rest of the conversation never goes well. .[/quote]

Don't know exactly what you are willing to do. What I do now, and quite regularly is to just pump gas from the boat tank into a separate container. I then add this tank into my vehicle using a recipe that calls for never putting 100% old gas in the vehicle. Again, I'm talking about boat gas that you don't think has gone completely South... I will add it to an already half tank of gas in the vehicle. By the time it all mixes up, it's all been fine.

But I do have to add a BIG +1 to the point off not syphoning. I only wish I could tell in detail the story of the most stupid thing I've done in my life. The short story of it is, that it involved syphoning...a large surprise that came over the gunnel, and cigars later in the evening.

[Amx]

Yup, you sure don't want to burp later. And with a ceegar??? NO WAY do you want to burp.

[hewesfisher]

Yup, you sure don't want to burp later. And with a ceegar??? NO WAY do you want to burp.

Never thought anyone these days would siphon gas using your mouth to initiate the flow.

The reason I suggested using the access cover is so you could also ensure any gunk in the bottom of the tank is removed in addition to the stale fuel. The fuel pickup does not reach all the way to the bottom of the tank. Just a good opportunity to remove any contaminants that may be in the tank below the fuel pickup.

Certainly, just removing the stale fuel from the tank using the methods above will be infinitely better than running it, but if I were to go through the effort to drain the tank, I'd also want to make sure no other contaminants were floating around below the pickup, but that's just how I would do it.

[Bodofish]

Not to mention all of us are way to old to even think of explaining about that mouthful of gas to anyone.....

[ReelyFun]

Get a drill pump and attach an old garden hose to it and insert it in your tank where the sending unit is located would be the way I would do it. Certainly not worth the headaches or expense if you run old fuel through the carbs. If was gonna store it for a long time i would try to run it out of fuel or close to. Good luck

[Corkie]

I pumped mine out using an old fuel pump wired up to a 110 plug...using the existing fuel line going to the ob...an hour later, had my truck and sons honda civic gas tank filled and the boat tank completely emptied.. .its the only way i winterize now...