need to pump out gas

C-Slug · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 12:21 am Post subject: need to pump out gas

Hi folks,
I have a 2004 C-Dory that's new to me. Unfortunately there's apparently water in fuel system. I've pulled the carbs and cleaned em, replaced sparks, etc. I'm new to all of this!
Tonight I went to pump all the gas out of the tanks so as to make sure there isn't a contaminated gas issue. I figured this would be as simple as running a hose down the gas intake and pumping with a hand pump. But it seems there's a filter where the hose meets the tank and I can't get my line in there.
Any suggestions?
Thank you,
C

ssobol · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 2:36 am Post subject:

I replaced the fuel fill hoses on my '08. There was no filter in the hose. It is possible that there is one in the top of the tank, but I did not notice it.

Can't you suck out the fuel by using the fuel pickup? Open the line where it goes into the Racor filter and pump it out from there. Any water should be at the bottom of the tank, so you should only have to pump out til you are just getting gas. The rest of the fuel should be fine.

The filler hose makes a couple of 90 degree bends. I'm guessing that your siphon hose is get caught on the lip of the tank fill port when you try to shove it in. You could try cutting the end of the siphon hose at a 60 deg angle and then inserting it. If it doesn't go down the first time twist the hose ~90 and try again. Keep turning the hose until you get it past the neck. It may also depend on how flexible your siphon hose is.

You could also take the filler hose off the top of the tank and insert the siphon. However, this would be a bit of a PITA.

C-Slug · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 10:10 am Post subject:

Thanks for the reply and happy Memorial Day!

journey on · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 1:08 pm Post subject:

Let me remind everyone that water will congregate in the bottom of a tank, since it's heavier than gas. If you siphon out the gas with a hose shoved in through the filler, there can still be water at the bottom of the tank since you can't guarantee that the hose will be at the bottom.

I use a water dispersant, such as STP Gas Treatment. This stuff has no alcohol but will allow the water to mix with the gas and be burnt in the engine. Most of the other stuff is based on alcohol and that's what caused the problem in the first place. It's worked for me in trucks, boats and cars.

So, drain the tanks and then throw a bottle of STP Gas Treatment or equivalent in and then refill your tanks. I use it on a yearly basis, since the C-Dory tanks aren't sealed, allowing them to breath.

Boris

C-Slug · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 1:43 pm Post subject:

Thanks Boris.

thataway · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 10:42 pm Post subject:

Boris gives a good suggestion. We use a small 12 volt auto fuel pump to remove fuel from our C Dory tanks, thru the draw tubes. We have the pump away from the boat, and use a hose barb to hose barb to connect the boat's fuel hose, disconnected from where it enters the motor. Pump into 5 gallon cans for proper disposal. We use a separate small battery, and keep any inflammable fumes, or potential sparks well away from the boat.

Peter & Judy · Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 11:45 pm Post subject:

I had the same problem trying to syphon the gas out of my tanks. What I do now is remove the fuel line from the engine. Add a couple of feet of hose and run the hose through the drain hole on the splash well into a gerry can. A few pumps and the fuel starts flowing and I use it up in my car.