Getting the gas out.

[jamanati]

Have a 95 3200 SCR. This year I decided to do something different. Instead of leaving gas in the tank and the carbs, I disconnect the fuel lines from the filter inlet and let the engines run out of gas (instead of doing the ol' stabilizer treatment). As for the gas in the tank, I bought a pump kit from my marina that said could do oil, diesel, and gas. Its a siphon pump with a 7 liter holding tank, so I put the tube that draws the gas into the gas line that I had disconnected from the filter. Pump, pump, pump, it wasn't bad, got out full container every few minutes. Then I had to empty it into portable gas containers. Into the bilge, out of the bilge, into the bilge, it was a long process. The pump/container didn't empty well when I was emptying it into portable gas cans, one would think they would have included a spout so the owner could easily pour it out. Instead, it would dribble and run down the side. After a couple of hours, I got about 20 gallons out. The gas started to eat this pump/siphon, so obviously its not good for gas, so I stopped for the day, there is still probably some fuel left.

Searching online stores, I am surprised that there really isn't anything out there (or I couldn't find anything) that would pump the gas out quicker. I saw the drill-type pumps, all of which said don't use around gas. I would agree. I saw many for water, diesel, and oil, but not anything for gas. Must be either a liability thing, cost thing, or no other idiot is doing this than me.

So I decided to buy a few things and build my own little gas transfer pump using
-) Mr. Gasket 12S Micro Electric Fuel Pump
-) 12v 16 gauge auto-type black and red wire (20 ft of each)
-) cigarette-style plug with fuse
-) 12v toggle switch
-) 25 ft of 3/8 fuel line
-) fuel barb
-) some plywood scrap I have

Since my boat is now up on blocks, my plan is to install the pump on a piece of plywood, along with the 12v switch, and run about 10-15 ft of wire using the cigarette-style plug to my truck. Will cut about 8-10 feet of fuel line, attach to the inlet of the pump, then feed the hose through the transom drain hole and into the bilge, connect with a barb to the disconnected fuel hose. The other 8-10 feet of fuel line will attach to the other side of the pump and into a portable gas can. The toggle switch is to turn the pump on and off.

So before I blow myself up, anyone have any comments, thoughts, suggestions? Thanks.

[biggerseagar]

Jamanati...........with all do respect..........why??? Why would you go though all this trouble and expense to do something that is not necessary?

Just to keep your tank or tanks at half full and 10 bucks for stabilzier for the gas would be so much easier and less costly, plus this is a tried and true method for winter storage. The condensation issue everyone talks about in this short of a period of winter storage is a non-issue.

It works!! I was watching the TV show "Motorweek" last night and the mechanic Pat Goss was talking about cars in storage. He said that if it is less than one year, fill

the the tank up and add stabilizer, more than a year, drain it. Now how many months is your winter storage.....4 or 5 maybe? I know sometimes it is just the challenge that we need but

IMHO I would use that energy for something else. Come over to my house and you can rake all my leaves I have to get done this weekend LOL.

Good luck with whatever you decide


Roger (raking all the leaves in the midwest this weekend)

[pascavone]

you are making things worst.

an empty gas tank is more flaimble them a full one!

if your drop a match in a full tank of gas it will go out, if you drop it into a empty tank, its a bomb.... gas/ air ratio , gas in vabor form makes things go boom!

further, moist humid air carries the water into your tank, and you just emptied your tank for the most air possible.

leave your tank fuel as possible.

water sinks under oil.... like gas.

so, your fuel spreartor flows from the top down, so any water collects at the bottom of the filter.

[jamanati]

Last winter, like all the others, I did the stabilizer and fog treatment. Spring came, one carb was shot, couldn't run anything under 1500 rpm. Funny, it worked a few months ago. One carb rebuilt. Few weeks later, the other carb wouldn't hold idle. Another carb rebuilt. I'm appreciating everyone's feedback, maybe it was bad gas, or time for the carbs to go, I don't really know. I figured this year to try running the carbs dry and draining the tank, putting new gas in come spring.

[rens914]

have the same problem each beginning of the season
tanks half full and stabilizer don't work
the big temp differences yust build up condens water in the tank
at the beginning of the season i bring the nose up and disconnect the hose going to the tank
then i suck the bottom of the tank with a handpump
the fluid go's in a see-through jerry tank with opening at the bottom (the ones we use for keeping water)
the moment i dont see water (its heavyer than gas) coming out of the pump anymore it's done.
i let out the water and use the rest in my car
only then i clean up the carbs and start the engine
it's an hours job but it works fine
rens

[Capt Al]

I've tried both ways for the layover, filling it up with fuel as well as just leaving a small amount of gas. (both ways with stabilizer) and have noticed no difference between the two. I've spoken to several marine mechanics with opposite opinions either way. Personally I've chosen to leave it mostly empty because of the speed that ethanol laced gas deteriorates. I prefer adding fresh fuel in the spring.. After 9 yrs with twin screws, so far so good....

[pascavone]

if it was me, i'd leave the tank fuel, and pull the carbs off and put them inside for the winter.

i'd believe they are drying out in the boat and sticking for the start up., needle valves, chokes, etc.

[rens914]

getting the water out of the tank, emptying the fuel filter and cleaning the carb is about 1 hours work
rens

[jamanati]

The transfer pump I wound up building works great (will post a picture soon), but I now think my gas gauge may be off a bit. When I had the boat pulled out for the winter, the gauge read about an 1/8, of the 180 gal tank that should be around 20-25 gallons. At worse, maybe 40 or so. I'm up to about 55 gallons transferred so far, of which I keep putting in my truck. Anyone have any knowledge about gas gauges and how to test or adjust for accuracy?

[jamanati]

Well after about 65 or 70 gallons, finally pumped my tank empty. Attached are some pics of what I built to make getting the gas out easier. As I posted earlier, its a 12v gasoline fuel pump. I mounted it on a 2x4 along with the toggle switch and there's about an 18 ft length of wire to the cigarette style plug. The fuel line is 3/8. Wounded up around the 2x4 and stored it away until next year.

[shrew]

The pump is ignition protected.........is the switch that you made as well? How long is the fuel hose?

[jamanati]

I think the switch is a normal 12v switch. I bought a roll of fuel hose, I think it was $20 for 25 feet, I wasn't sure how much I was going to need. When I have it hooked up to my boat, I have the fuel line that runs from the tank to the fuel pump disconnected at the pump. I use a brass fuel barb and about 3 feet more to connected it to the inlet side of the pump (the pump also came with a small filter which is screwed in, you can see it in the pic). The length of the real fuel line in the bilge and the other 3 feet I added is enough so I can put this unit on my swim platform. I added probably about 4 to 5 feet of hose on the output side, enough to hang low and into a portable gas container. Probably all in all no more than 10 feet of fuel hose. The 12v pump claims to self-prime, which it does, but it took more than a minute to do so before gas started flowing in the portable container.