Yes, I did it; What's the easiest way to drain the fuel tank?

[The patriot]

Has anyone tried pulling off the suction line under the frame, then putting some pressure to the tank? Just a few pounds.

This way you'll get just about all of it out.

Just a thought.

Eric

 

[illflem]

Eric, good idea, I think it would drain the tank very fast. I've drained other types of tanks with this method, in fact that's how I pump fuel from my 1000 ga storage tank. You would have to block off the tank vent and fuel cap somehow though, they are designed to vent pressure when it exceeds 3 psi. I also wouldn't apply more than 10 psi for fear of splitting the tank.

 

[Scot]

Originally posted by Tom W

I took the fuel filter off and put a funnel and large pan under the housing. I the turned the ignition switch on and off until it quit pumping. I repeated this until the tank was empty, then added about three gal of diesel and pumped it out. The lift pump will only run about 10 sec so it is rather slow process. Took me about 1/2 hour to get rid of ten gal.

Tom



Just noticed you have an 89, don't know if this would work for you.

Be really careful about this. I recently went to a '94 or '95 Dodge gasser fire that began when the gas got spark.

 

[shendren]

swamp rat, yes i have one of those little brass things. i use it for my boat here in fla. i can drain a 15gal fuel can in just minutes. i bought mine at a marine liquidators warehouse. noone likes the fuel dock prices. i can't seem to find one outside of the marine place. where did you find yours. ?

scott.

 

[lschultz]

Boy if anybody should of done that it would of been me after that wreck I was in 3-15-98(totaled out my 98 on a tree,it was my fault) but so far I have not. Whenever my wife gets on to me about doing things I just point to my head(had bleeding on the brain,out of work 11 mos. ,therapy,surgery and now back at work) but she says I can't use that excuse anymore. But if seems like I have to think about it more when I stop to fuel up my VW. But it happens more people are driving diesels now.

 

[swamp rat]

Brass siphon

Scott,

I got my first one at a Pilot truckstop. The other two I have, I bought at a Y2K Preparations and Survival show a little SE of Gnashville. I've seen them at a lot of truckstops the last few years. I'd start there. If you have no luck, check online at some of the Survival type stores. I wish I held the patent on the thing. They work well and take up almost no space.



Something I did to make it much more useful was to go to Home Depot and buy a spool of clear tubing in order to custom fit the length to the job. IIRC, the ID of the tubing is somewhere between 3/8 to 1/2 inch, and the spool cost me about $40 for 100'. Makes it really nice when emptying a barrel from the bed of my truck into a barrel on the ground. I even use one of them to empty my hottub on occasion. Took slightly more than hour to empty a 350 gallon hottub, which was faster, more efficient, and much less messy than using the built in dump valve and garden hose.

 

[The patriot]

Thanks Bill!!

Originally posted by illflem

Eric, good idea, I think it would drain the tank very fast. I've drained other types of tanks with this method, in fact that's how I pump fuel from my 1000 ga storage tank.

Yea, I know. In a post a while back you mentioned it. I'm using this on my 550 right now. Much cheaper than an electric pump, and less PITA than the ol hand crank I was using.

I just wish I could find an appropriate safety valve. I have to watch it!

Eric