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How to siphon fuel tank

kopper69

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Hi guys,

My fuel pump died this morning, so I have spent half the morning organising to fix it up. I firstly need to empty the fuel tank. My trusty gregory manual has let me down on this one, it just says to siphon it - yeah but how? When I was down at supercheap, I got a little cheap siphon pump. You just squeeze the little bulb and its supposed to suck it out. The hose reaches the petrol, but it doesnt want to come out. So I asked my old man, hes a farmer and is used to sucking it through a hose. I tried a couple times, but the fuel would come out for that suck and wouldnt continue. So I got him to try, he has had a lot of practice, and he couldnt get it. Im going to assume there is an anti-siphon device in there stopping me. So how do I empty my tank???
 

Snotty

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are you making sure that the end of the hose is lower than the tank?
 

kopper69

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Yea mate, I tried lower then the tank and every combination in between.
 

Snotty

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i did mine the other day just by sucking on the hose,

One other way (but is quite messy) is to put the hose into the tank, fill the hose with petrol and put your thumb on the end, stoping any air getting in, so the hose is full of petrol.
Then lower the end into the bucket, below the tank and remove your thumb.


thats how i used to do my pond.


hope it helps
 

Slow VR

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Why not empty the tank after u have dropped it out of the car?

Just get two trolley jacks and a piece of timber/steel plate, put it on both jacks under the tank and lower them equally. Then worry bout draining the tank.
 

hako

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Just inside the fuel filler is a metal spring loaded flap that seals the tank - this also makes it difficult to syphon fuel as it collapses the hose you are using to syphon. You can stick something else down the filler tube to hold the flap open to stop this happening or use a thick wall hose. You can also syphon via the fuel pump outlet but it is very slow and takes overnight to empty.
 

kopper69

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Thanks guys. While I was waiting your answers I went and tried again. I was doing the bottom lines near the fuel filter. It works, but as hako said, was going very slow. The tanks nearly full, so im expecting to pull out about 50 litres. I managed about 4 in the good part of an hour. I think the problem is, because the car wont start, I am working on it in the shed where it sits. Tomorrow I will get some thick hose, as hako suggested, and bang the fuel pump a few times just to get the car started. Then I will quickly move it on a higher area, so the fuel drums will sit well below the tank.

I wasnt planning on dropping the tank out, so thats why i didnt do it after.
 

Mr Ute

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just do what i did undo the pump and stick your drum under it.you will empty it in 10min.Just leave 1 top and 1 bottom screw in and when you want it to stop so you can put a new bucket under you just nip them up.And it sounds mesyer than it realy is.I didnt loos a drop.
 
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