Draining Fuel Tank??

[CFRay]

I have a Lund Prosport w/an internal fuel tank. I did not use the boat as much as I'd have liked this season so I would like to drain the tank which holds about 5 gal. of last years fuel. Then I'll fill it with fresh before putting it into storage. Anyone know how to do this in an easy and clean manner?

[delmuts]

you can try a siphon(sp?) ; or check with some of the shops( auto and or boats) they may/should have a hand pump that maybe you can use.

[TSCTSC]

Must you fill it with fresh fuel before drainage? I thought that you were supposed to run the motor till there is no more gas or until you are sure that you have stabil in the system. So would not it be a waste of fuel to put in fresh fuel before storage?

[luckyc]

First I'd run the motor empty off fuel by disconnecting the hose and running till she dies.If you have a removable end on your hose like merc/mariner, you take that off. Take the hose out the back of boat, get that end below the bottom off the boat, put in a gas can and then squeeze your primer bulb until it starts to flow. Your pickup tube is more than likely at the rear of the tank, so have the front of the boat higher than the back. This should get all but a minute amount out. Then I'd add a little Stabilizer and wait till spring to fill up, might as well start off with fresh gas.

[Northlander]

Why not just keep the gas in your tank with stabil in it? (Whatever is left at the end of the season)After running it threw the motor of course. I have done this every year and it worked fine. Am I doing something wrong here?

[Animal]

There are all kinds of gas siphons on the market. Check Northern Supply or Fleet Farm. Don't use a Shop Vac. I heard that some guy in the Duluth area just tried that and burned his garage down. He got out. I hope it was the beer.

[Surface Tension]

I like to drain my fuel tank every once in a while to get rid of water either from condensation or from the storage tanks. Since my filler is in the stern of the boat I'll jack the bow of the boat up and let it sit like that for a few days. Any water in the tank will settle to the lowest point which will be directly below my fill hole.

Get the hose to the lowest point in the tank without any curls in the siphon hose. I'll siphon the first gallon into a clear glass container and let it set so any sediments and water can settle. Assuming I've used stabil I'll stop siphoning when the gas has no sediments or water then fill the tank, ad stabil and put it away for the season. What to do with the gas in the glass bottle? Again use your siphon hose and suck up the water and crud off the bottom and dispose of it. The remaining gas gets used in my truck.

[Wave Runner]

I always drain my Pro-V and I just did it yesterday. I remove the rubber hose that runs to the outboard from the barb on the boat and replace with a piece of clear plastic hose long enough to run to a gas can sitting on ground. Then I take my compressor hose and stick it in the tank filler hole. I "pack" it in with a rag and pack a rag in the tank breather outlet.

Turn on the compressor just briefly to put a little air in the tank and it'll pump the tank dry in just a little while.

[marine_man]

Quote:

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First I'd run the motor empty off fuel by disconnecting the hose and running till she dies.

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This works great unless you've got an oil injected motor... which means you've now filled your carburetor with oil and no gas... if you have a oil injected motor put fuel stabilizer in the tank and run the motor till you're sure there's stabilized (or OMC's 2+4, whatever you like to use in your gas) gas in the carburetor... then shut the engine off.

marine_man

[Northlander]

Thanks Marine Man I wonder about 4 strokes. Anything special that I may not be doing? Right now I change lower unit oil, stabil in gas and spray some lubricating oil in plugs.

[marine_man]

How about your crankcase oil Northlander? Are you changing that and the filter as well, or do you change it on specific intervals, regardless of the end of the season? If it were me I'd probably change it, just to know it had been done and to be ready to go for spring... but I woudn't think there would be any harm in not changing it at the end of the season either...

Other than that it looks like you've got it covered...

marine_man

[CFRay]

Thanks for all the replies. I have always filled the tank with fuel before storage (w/ stabil or seafoam) as I was instructed to minimize condensation within the tank during the winter. I do wish to clean out the tank of the old fuel and whatever else may be in there as suggested above. I like the air compressor method.

[Animal]

I've made a living in the industrial safety and risk management field for 25 years. It is never a good idea to use compressed air to force gasoline though a fuel system or out of a tank. This holds true for any other flammable or corrosive. Usually nothing will happen, but when its bad---its bad. You run a big risk of injury to soft tissue, the eye and there is a fire hazard. Use a siphon or remove the tank and dump it out.

A couple of years ago one of our mechanics decided to use compressed air fix a dent in the fuel tank on his truck. He took the time to drill a hole in the fuel cap, welded a pipe to it and threaded an air fitting on to the pipe. He put the cap on the tank and turned on the air. A seam in the tank ruptured causing the gas to atomize creating a fine mist of gas that filled his garage. The gas settled on his wood stove and booom. He lucked out with only some minor burns, but lost most of the contents on the garage and the truck. The price of a good used tank was about $200.

[Northlander]

Sorry Marine man I forgot to put that in my post. Yes I will be changing out the Amsoil and filter. I guess I must be doing ok after all.

[Kevin Turner]

Animal is dead on here...Very bad things can happen.

Coast Guard regs require boat builders to pressurize fuel systems with 3 lbs of air pressure B4 leaving the factory. You should see the way plastic tanks expand with only 3 lbs of pressure in them.