Original Monel fuel tank on Tartan 27 w/A4

[CalebD]

We have been having some problems with water and gunge after draining the carb bowl and water separator so I though we would try draining the tank. Long and short of it is that the pickup tube in our tank seems to be about 7 gallons above empty in a 20 gallon tank. Effective fuel capacity of about 13 gallons.
We ended up draining about 1 gallon (most in a container) before the gravity feed stopped. Blew through the hose and heard light bubbling in the tank. Still 7 gallons in the tank. Flow was restored after adding 5 gallons of fresh gasoline. It was all done on a calm day at the dock.
Does this sound about right? Should our pick up tube be that high in the tank?

Can anyone recommend a good hand pump for pumping out our gas tank from the deck fill? Our fill is right on the cockpit floor.

Thanks in advance.

[Administrator]

Why don't you simply replace the pickup tube, which sounds like something you'd want to do anyway?

With that in place, you could enlist the services of a couple of gravimetrically enhanced (ahem) friends to get as much as you can out of the tank. It's that last gallon or two that you're most interested in removing.

Bill

[CalebD]

Thanks Bill

You are thinking that the pick up tube height on my tank is too high? I have been thinking the same.
I also agree that it is the last gallon that you want to get out in order to clean the tank. I'll probably wait till the fall to pump out the tank since we just added some clean fuel.
I was thinking of using my Shur-Flo oil change bucket/pump assembly for sucking out the gas but the idea of spark and gas vapors has convinced me otherwise for now.

[rigspelt]

What about an outboard motor hand squeeze pump in 5/16" hose?

[domenic]

I used a $5.00 plastic hand pump ( oil pump ) from a drug store. It took me 20 minutes for 6 gal.

[sastanley]

cheap easy squeezy!

Caleb, I'll second rigs' suggestion on the squeezy bulb. When my tank sprung a leak, while I had my 'finger in the dyke', it only took about 45 minutes with the squeezy bulb to get out about 15 gallons. Of course, I was in a rush due to the leak, but it wasn't difficult and the squeezy bulb is cheap.

Dunno what to tell you about the last few gallons with your high pickup tube, except to maybe stick a hose in the fuel fill or gauge sensor and suck out as much as possible.

[doralda]

i pulled my monel tank out of my Bristol 30 at the beginning of the season. My fuel was brown last year and I was going thru filters like toilet paper so I squeeze bulbed the gas out then after removing it had it solvent washed and slurped out. My pickop tube was covered in grunge so I replaced it too. Also replaced lines and filters. I am running AV100 gas now and my ears are closed to the people who say ethanol is ok. The only additive I use in the aviation gas is mystery oil. No chemistry experiments needed. It was worth the effort.
Otherwise start practicing sailing up to your mooring.

[67c&ccorv]

i pulled my monel tank out of my Bristol 30 at the beginning of the season. My fuel was brown last year and I was going thru filters like toilet paper so I squeeze bulbed the gas out then after removing it had it solvent washed and slurped out. My pickop tube was covered in grunge so I replaced it too. Also replaced lines and filters. I am running AV100 gas now and my ears are closed to the people who say ethanol is ok. The only additive I use in the aviation gas is mystery oil. No chemistry experiments needed. It was worth the effort.
Otherwise start practicing sailing up to your mooring.

Is your motor running yet - or still stalling when you put it in forward gear

[breweraz]

Tartan 27 gas tank

I have a T-27 with the fill on the cockpit floor.

I was getting water and crud in my gas and it would not run from a bad o ring on the gas fill cap. I had to drain almost 15 gallon of gas and water combined.

First I bought a small electric pump from an auto parts store. It last for about 20 minutes and stopped pumping. maybe a defective pump maybe to much work. I had a gas and oil hand transfer pump from Wal Mart. They are a bright orange and sold in the automotive section. i started using it.

The problem with the hose that was provide was it would curl up and not pick up off the bottom of the tank. I do not have a gas guage so I use a bamboo stake, like the ones used to hold up young plants, that I have marked as my gas guage. I taped the hose to the stick with about a 1/2 inch of the hose being longer than the stick to hold it at the bottom. I pumped about 15 gals of gas into 5 gal buckets. I had some of the oil absorbant cloths that i laid in the cockpit to catch any spills. I moved the stick with the hose taped to it into the corners and areas where debris may settle. There was very little gas left and most of the debris was pumped out.

I have not had a problem since this clean out. I have run about 20 gals through the engine.

Just a note. I was in a local marina when I had this issue and was not sure what i was going to do with the gas a solution soon presented itself.

An 80 ft power yach almost classified a ship came to the fuel dock. There I sat with my 1964 tartan 27 hand pumping gas out of the tank. A guest of the owner decided he was going to pump the fuel ito the yacht. About 10 - 20 minutes into the pumping there was some yelling and a lot of profanity. The guest had just pumped 60 gallons of gas into the diesel tanks.

In the end an environmental truck had to be called in from about 90 miles away and the yacht's tanks had to be pumped out.....650 gallons of diesel of gas combined. The harbor masted took my 15 galons of watery gas and said he would have no problem getting it taken care of.

Tim