removing gas fromfuel tanks

[caw]

I want to remove the fuel from my tanks on my 23' Venture. After reading all the posts on this subject, I decided to try it simple. I disconnected the fuel line from the kicker,put a nail in the connector to keep the ball depressed and started pumping----30 minutes later, empty fuel tank[even though the fuel gauge said port tank empty and I had the fuel selector switch on starboard]. I'll address that situation when I refill. So, with one empty fuel tank, I switched the fuel selector switch to the other tank, start pumping with the same primer bulb on the fuel line from the kicker and-------nothing. No gas and the primer bulb stays compressed and will not reinflate---until I switch the selector switch back to the original position. No laughing--- but what am I missing????

[thataway]

Makes me think that the pointer is not aligned properly with "Port/Stb/Off" plate.. Keep turning until it brings fuel out of the other tank.

[lloyds]

This is kind of a long shot but I had a similar problem, not trying to drain, but running on a nearly empty tank. The fuel pickup tube has a pipe nipple in the end of it that comes very close to the bottom of the tank. It was cut off parallel with the bottom of the tank. When the tank got nearly empty the bottom of the tank would suck up into the intake tube and lock there. After weeks of worrying about it I finally pulled the pickup tube out and cut a slight bevel in the pipe nipple, no more problems.

[Larry H]

Here's another thing to try.

The valves in the primer bulb work by gravity.

Point the arrow on the bulb UP and squeeze!

This is especially important if the bulb is full of air.