Getting fuel out of a garage queen?

Dec 09, 2005 28 Replies

Hello peeps, not strictly landy-related but there's more know-how here than in most forums I'm in. I have a garage queen that I'm trying to rebuild (just finished rebuilding the engine I removed almost 3 years ago) and have noticed that the fuel tanks are rusting. There's 70 litres of petrol in there that has been sitting for almost 3 years that I need to get out into jerry cans, I can't drain it out the bottom and would like to use a more controlled method anyway as draining it out the bottom would mean that once it's started coming out, it's going to be hard to stop.



Am planning on using the time-honoured suck-and-spit method once I can get at the fuel (can't get the tube in the filler neck), I tried a Draper siphon pump but it was a waste of time, couldn't even suck water out of a glass. Anyone know of a good method that doesn't involve electric pumps (including the car's own pump, don't trust it) and is controllable?


Ian, have you re-read this post?

Alex, in case you got this far, stop reading, now...

Given the title of my post, I suppose it was a rather unfortunate phrase.. I was talking about petrol though, not some kind of warm high protein drink, just in case you were wondering.

Right, to bed, perchance to dream. Careful now!

Ian Rawlings uttered summat worrerz funny about:

Can you get to fasten a long hose on the feed to the carb? If so will using the pump for say 10 seconds then allow the rest to syphon in to your jerry cans? It may stop just depends on the type of pump I suppose.

On filler necks where I've had initial problems, i've had some success in rotating the pipe as it goes down. just depends on how many twists and curves you have to negotiate. Perhaphs some petroleum jelly on the hose to help it in.

Lee D

No carbs, it's an EFI engine, also the engine's in a cradle next to the car, not really in a fit state to be cranked! I really don't want to be stood in the engine bay between two fuel tanks while trying to operate any of the car's electrics, the pump's not been turned in 3 years and I'm not sure about the state of the cabling/piping. Some of the piping used to transfer vapour around is goldfish-tank standard which rots and splits so I don't want anything electrical anywhere near it when I'm standing in the middle of it all!

I spoke to my neighbour who had told me he works for a company that deals with hazardous liquids, turns out he meant "s*it" so that's not much use to me sadly..

I'll be taking the engine bay sidewalls off tomorrow (or Sunday) and will take the fuel level sensor off the left-hand tank to give me direct access to the top of the fuel. I tried feeding hoses into the tank but while they went in they seemed to be curving around away from the top of the fuel. While I could manage to dip the pipe into the fuel and slurped some fuel out, I didn't think I'd be able to control the end enough to get all the fuel out down to the bottom of the tank so I'll just remove the sensor to reveal a hole in the tank.

And watch out for talking about pipes and petroleum jelly, Martyn's about, we don't want to get him excited..

On or around Sat, 10 Dec 2005 08:31:35 GMT, "icky" enlightened us thusly:

does that create enough vacuum?

's a neat idea.

it works a treat i did the other day with some parafin if you keep blowing when the fuel comes it atomises it and makes a mega parts cleaner ( not to be done in enclosed spaces)

On or around Sat, 10 Dec 2005 10:10:35 GMT, "icky" enlightened us thusly:

and presumably if you apply fire it makes a passable flame-thower.

what size pipe did you use?

Being a bit of a show-off ,, I prefer to gargle ..............

***I'll get me coat ***

............Smurf

I was about to ask that, suspecting that a fairly small diameter pipe would be needed, but then again I don't want the stuff gushing out now do I!

Pity I don't have a compressor though apart from one of those halfords jobs for blowing up tyres.. I think I'll suck 'n' spit.

Been there, done that, gotten a mouthfull of petrol, spent all day trying to get the taste out of my mouth.

There's much nicer things to suck on.....

Alex

So, do you follow Ians commendation of 'spit', or...

If you have a long enough tube you could feed it into the tank, put your thumb over the end, then draw it out and down until the filled part is below the level in the tank and it should start siphoning.

Whilst there are things i do like to swallow, I couldn't honestly reccomend swallowing petrol.

Alex

A dentist once told me that a swig of Vodka in the morning would be far better for my teeth than any of the mouthwashes available on the shelves, perhaps I can one-up him and go in there stinking of petrol?

If you go to your dentist and breathe alcohol fumes he'll refuse to treat you - alcohol and anathestic don't mix.

God knows what he's do if you went and breathed petrol fumes at him...

Alex

Make sure he uses the plastic drill?

"Tim Hobbs" wrote

Best way is to use a piece of clear plastic pipe about 1/2" I.D. or similar garden hose about a 6ft length, place one end in tank, stand up holding other end of pipe at head height, then suck gently until you see the fuel come to within an inch or two of the top, quickly transfer your thumb to end of pipe and then lower into container below level of fuel in tank and remove thumb. Works for me.

Martin

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