Draining Gas Tank

[MrSchaeferPants]

Do our trucks have those anti-theft strainer things? I tried sticking a 1/4 tube down the tank to drain it so that when I drop the tank it'll be mostly empty, but the tube wouldn't go all the way down. I bought one of those nifty drill pumps and some 1/4 tubing, but can't get the tube down there. If not I guess I'll d/c the hose at the tank and rig my tube to that.

 

[pmack74]

I did the same thing when I dropped the tank on my 1987 K5 Blazer. I bought a cheap hand pump from HF and was able to pump most of the gas out. I do remember it being tricky to get the pump tube down the filler neck in to the tank. The tube was a stiff rubber or plastic with a permanent arc to it. I stuck it down the filler neck until I hit resistance and then I had to rotate the tube until I could snake it past whatever obstacle I was hitting. I don't think there should be a difference in the tank of my tbi'd 1987 and your 1985, but I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in and let us know.

 

[diesel4me]

The smaller vent hose might not have a restrictor in it,and would be easier to take off than the filler neck hose,and insert the hose into...I'm not sure about the 88 and up trucks,but the older ones only had that "flapper" in the filler neck so only unleaded gas nozzles will fit in them--they make using a siphon hose darn near impossible,even without one its not easy getting the siphon hose to go around the 90 degree bends in the filler neck...

 

[zombiyjay76]

I think diesel has the right idea, I have mine apart right now and it looks like the vent tube would be a straight shot into the tank. I just disconnected the supply line and ran the pump to empty some of the fuel in my tank.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

I'll give that a shot. I was hoping it'd be super easy to put the tube down, which is why I bought it and the pump. So I could empty my tank into the gf's jeep, do my work, and then top off the jeep, and dump a few gallons into the Jimmy, so I wouldn't have to fill up a red gas can.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

just drop it with gas in it... lol


i dropped my 43g tank with about 25-30 gallons in it. It was fun!

 

[dremu]

just drop it with gas in it... lol


i dropped my 43g tank with about 25-30 gallons in it. It was fun!

8# to the gallon... only 200+ extra pounds to heft!

-- A

 

[NorCal_Chris]

8# to the gallon... only 200+ extra pounds to heft!

-- A

and the best part is that the weight isnt stable. it likes to shift at inopportune moments

 

[dremu]

and the best part is that the weight isnt stable. it likes to shift at inopportune moments

I use a stack of scrap 4x4 lumber, and one of these:

It's kinda like a transmission jack, but IMO better for wide/weird shaped loads. I installed my sliders and my Doubler setup with it... and I've dropped that tank I donno, three or four times for various reasons.

-- A

 

[K5_Fla]

that thing above would be perfect.. I just had to drop the tank this week. As for the gas in the tank - I used a 3/8 hose to siphon the gas.... it was actually an old refrigerator water hose.. I just cut the ends off.. I think it was about 3/8. I had to work it around the tank a little.. but I got most the gas out pretty quick

 

[KansasTwister]

we put a electric pump at the fuel pump location on the mechanical pump trucks, and then simply pump out the majority. Works pretty well.

 

[diesel4me]

At the junkyard we's sometimes drain tanks by using the air hose --we'd dissconnect the main fuel line ,then put the blow gun in the filler neck and shove a rag around it to seal it up some,then use the trigger to carefully pressurize the tank a bit,and the gas would come squirting out in the bucket...you need to be careful NOT to over pressurize the tank or you'll make any weak spots ot the seams leak or blow out though..it gets 99% of the gas out...

 

[BoondocK5]

I never bothered to remove the fuel, at all. it was just too much trouble in an all ready cumbersome job. Even with a full 31 gallon tank(they always seem to need removal when the tank was freshly filled) I just use two floor jacks and jockey it around into position. Not easy, just possible.

 

[diesel4me]

I empty them as much as possible--after helping a friend take down a big tank in a later model GM truck that was at least half full,and having the gas suddenly slosh to the front of the tank as we tried to extract it out from under the truck while it was over our heads on a lift,it took both of us right down to the floor,almost ripping off both our arms in the process,and it was all we could do to keep it from hitting the floor hard enough to ruin the tank too--spilled a good gallon of gas all over the shop floor too!..

We both had very sore backs for days after that incident...it may not be a big deal dropping a near full tank using floor jacks with the truck on the ground,but on a lift you'll want it as close to empty as possible--just the empty tank alone is heavy,never mind the gas in it..

I think putting the fuel pump IN the tank was among THE stupidest ideas EVER..no reason why an external pump could not have been used,other than it would decrease repair costs and profits to dealers and repair garages...many vehicles that have in tank pumps get SCRAPPED when a fuel pump croaks --because 9 times out of 10 the tank or sending unit is junk too,along with that 200 dollar pump!-

-not many people will sink 500+ bucks into a 10+ year old clunker thats not worth that even after its been fixed!.. another suck pill is the fact an EFI vehicle needs to be pushed out of the shop bay after removing the tank+ pump,while a carbed one could be driven out with a jerry rigged gravity feed "tank" ..