I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

[PabloFC]

Hi. I have an 1987 starfire, omc 5.7. It's gopt 50 gallons in it and I think I should renew the gas in it. I tried siphoning from where the gas goes in but the intake is L shaped. Long story short, I cut the gas line for the kicker motor and I can only siphon gas every time I pump the siphon, too mesu and SLOW! I then tried out of the same line with a drill powered in line pump and it did not work.
My engine has a water/fuel separator, so should I worry about it or no? How could I pump it out? Thanks!
Pablo

 

[veritas honus]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

Smell the gas. If it smells like gasoline, it's good. If it smells more like turpentine, then it's bad. How old is it? Is this ethanol we're talking about?

If you have to siphon it, Run some 1/4" tubing through the bilge drain to the fuel tank. Remove the fuel line from the tank and put the 1/4" tubing in through there. You can also remove the sender and go through there with larger diameter tubing to drain the tank faster.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

Drill powered pumps give off sparks which will cause the gasoline to catch fire.

If you can get to the top of the tank, remove the gas gauge sender plate (about 4" in diameter, 5 screws). Hopefully the boat is on a trailer?

If so, stick 1/2" piece of copper pipe into the open end of one of those "shake-shake" siphons, and stick it thru the garboard drain on the transom to the outside world. You can put a jerry can under it. Now stick the business end of the syphon into the tank and start the siphon into the Jerry can.

 

[PabloFC]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

The gas is from last year, but it was added to a few gallons from the year before that and so on. I always put stabilizer in it tho.
Thanks for the replies!
Pablo

 

[Raystownboater]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

I used an electric fuel pump with two aligator clips connected to the battery to empty out my fuel tank.

 

[Randy J]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

i put a fuel line on the tank outlet barb and run it over edge of boat into 5 gal jug then use air hose with blow nozle and put it up against one hole of the vent by gas cap and cover other hole with finger and watch and slowly and very carefully watch tank and shoot small amounts of air and i see the tank swell a little and it blows the gas out into empty jug. im sure it may not get 100% out but what li left ill just top off with fresh next trip out. i/o been a real pain over years but definatly never use a drill pump wanna be on next episode of 1,000 ways to die ?

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

Just in case it hasn't hit home, one more vote for DONT use any pump not rated for fueling. Especially a drill pump (which, by definition has a drill attached, which has brushes in the motor, which spark, which cause loud booms and fireballs). Either find another access to the tank (can you take the vent line off and get in that way) or drain it a little at a time through the fuel line. My personal favorite way to drain the tank is at WOT on the water. Is the gas that bad?

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

I picked up a cheap automotive electric fuel pump at Autozone. Cost me $19.99, and like was mentioned earlier, a couple aligator clips to the battery and it will pump it right out. That pump has been used many times. I definately got my moneys worth out of it.

 

[rboating]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

you could always use a fuel line from a outboard.... remove the end clamps and put it in the tank and pump it by hand....

 

[dannyual767]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

The gas is from last year, but it was added to a few gallons from the year before that and so on. I always put stabilizer in it tho.
Thanks for the replies!
Pablo

Since you put stabilizer in it last year, I'm going to say that your gas still smells like gasoline and that it will burn just fine in your engine. My boat's gasoline is from last year (10% ethanol and stabilized) and I've got no fear that it is going to run just fine during our first outing of the year on Saturday .

I've needed to siphon some gas out of my tank in the past. Like you, I couldn't get a siphon hose to negotiate the turns that the boat's gas fill hose makes. I ended up removing the gas outlet hose that goes to the fuel pump>filter>carb. I hooked my siphon hose to the tank fitting there. Now you can run that hose out of your bilge drain into your gas can and siphon away.

 

[rincon madness]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

I picked up a cheap automotive electric fuel pump at Autozone. Cost me $19.99, and like was mentioned earlier, a couple aligator clips to the battery and it will pump it right out. That pump has been used many times. I definately got my moneys worth out of it.

I did the same. I just dis-connected the fuel line before fuel pump/after separator and connected a misc. hose to an electric pump and ran line into empty gas tank. Be carefull and keep the battery and pump assembly far away from actual gas. Works wonders. I have pumped tons of gas out of my boats and used in my vehicles. The alligator clips are great too.

 

[steelespike]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

The outlet of the syphon needs to be as low as possible compared to the tank.
I like running the hose out the hull drain.
I don't think there is any reason to drain it if it smells normal.

 

[Stachi]

Re: I can't siphon gas out of my boats tank, need help!

I have used an automotive fuel pump with alligator clips. Long wires back to a battery. When I wanted to shut off the pump , I just yanked the wire off of the battery while I was standing at the pump. No sparks near the fuel.