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Author Topic:   Emptying Fuel Tank and Disposal

seasled posted 09-19-2002 07:45 PM ET (US)
I just bought my dream boat.This is a 1991 19-Outrage with a 1983 150 Mercury pre-mix engine. The [previous] owner said he bought the boat and motor new in 1983, and in 1990 had a delamination problem. Whaler gave him the 1991 [under] prorated [warranty]. This boat has sat unused for 3 years. I plan on running the 1983 engine until I can rise the funds for a newer motor. The boat is in great shape.There is only a few spider cracks up in the bow by the locker. The bottom has never been painted. It has the twin pedesal seats, and the fibergless gunwhales.I am really looking forward to getting it home so I can get it all cleaned up and waxed.
The fuel gage reads half. How do I get all this stale gas out of the tank?
Thanks--Seasled
jimh posted 09-19-2002 10:17 PM ET (US)
Getting the gas out of the tank is simple. What you do with it after you get it out, now that is a problem.
An 19-OUTRAGE c.1991 probably has a 75-gallon tank, thus you'll have 35-gallons of very stale gasoline mixed with 2-cycle oil.
Disposal of this could be a problem and an expense.
jimh posted 09-19-2002 10:23 PM ET (US)
[Edited thread and changed topic; was "19 outrage fuel tank"--jimh]
bluewater posted 09-20-2002 12:18 AM ET (US)
The last time I did an oil change on my vehicle, I brought the used oil to my local auto parts chain. I put the oil into empty windshield washer fluid bottles. The store disposed of the oil free of charge. Not sure how they would handle a mix though. Couldn't hurt to call and ask.
bluewater
ShrimpBurrito posted 09-20-2002 01:02 AM ET (US)
Here in Portland, OR we have recycling centers that will take just about anything hazardous, including gas. I called them about taking over 15 gallons of used antifreeze, and they assured me it was no problem. They also run "collection events" during the year across town, encouraging people to clean out all that nasty stuff from the garage. Hartford may have a similar type of facility.
homey posted 09-20-2002 01:46 AM ET (US)
Seasled, I wouldn't suggest you remove the gasoline. It's only half a tank so, why not add "fresh start". Fill the tank with high octane fuel, then run boat... It may run alittle rough but should run... If that motor has been sitting that long unused, its highly possibble the carbs will be fouled... The oil gas mixture sitting in the carbs will gum up and foul the inerds/jets etc. Something to think about if problems begin. Good luck.
WhalerAce posted 09-20-2002 06:03 AM ET (US)
Seasled,
When I drained my Outrage tanks a couple of years ago, they were almost full. I went to a local drum distributor and bought a used 55-gallon drum for $30. Pumped it full, left the rest in the boat and added new fuel to that.
The stuff in the drum I use in the lawn mower, our ATVs, or you can always find a teenager who will be happy to pump it into his car tank. I have put mixed gas in my cars before with no problem. Of course, that was a few years ago, don't know how fussy new car fuel injectors are.
Ace
newt posted 09-20-2002 07:54 AM ET (US)
seasled,
When I bought my montauk earlier this year, I had the same worries about what to do with 24 gal of fuel.
I called the Mass DEP Hazardous waste hotline, and asked what I could do with old fuel. They had no advise or recomendations as to disposal,collection centers, etc. The guy on the line said mix it 1 part old to 4 part new gas and run it in the boat, truck, lawnmower, etc.
My fuel didnt smell bad, so I just mixed it 1/2 and 1/2 with fresh gas, put in a bottle of fuel conditioner and burned it up. Have not had any problems.
hooter posted 09-20-2002 08:07 AM ET (US)
Fuss-budgets. If it smells like gaz, jez mix it 50/50 wid new and run wid'it. Ever drop o' gaz ya put in yer tank is 'bout a hunert million years old to begin with.
Tin Man posted 09-20-2002 08:24 AM ET (US)
The county landfill here in Charleston takes old gas and premix. I have drained a couple of tanks in the past month and just used the fuel line. I extended the line using a quickfix fitting and extra fuel line and drained it all into gas cans sitting on the ground. It takes awhile - probably 10-20 minutes per six gallon tank.
You don't get all the gas out of the tank using this method but you do get most. I check the gas for water every six gallons using a clear glass mason jar. If you get a significant amount of water in a sample, then you may want to consider taking out the inspection plates and pumping as much out as you can.
I used to do it using an electric auto fuel transfer pump and ran it through a racor filter to reclaim the gas but have decided that it was more trouble than it was worth. The largest tank I did was 100 gallons and used it in the cars and lawn mowers. It took forever and I had a big potential fire hazard in the back yard.
Bad gas causes a large number of problems and is one of the cheaper remedies. I have a portable three and six gallon tank that I used to isolate the problem with the gas tank. If it runs better on the portable with a fresh mixture, then you know the problem is in your fuel line, primer bulb, tank or gas. If you then put the old mixture in the portable and it runs rough then dump the gas.
Having the portable also gives you some backup and lets you run some engine tune or fuel system cleaner through with out committing a full fuel tank. Once you decide to refill your main tank, make a note of the relationship of the gauge and the amount of gas in the tank.
I would personally drain the tank. Three years is a long time for gas to sit. I'm no expert, so eliminating the cheaper potential problems first is one of the ways I go when refurbishing a used boat.
ShrimpBurrito posted 09-20-2002 01:32 PM ET (US)
Aside from physical changes that occur to gas over time (i.e. oil separation) that could be fixed by remixing/restirring the gas, does anyone know what chemical changes take place when gas ages? In a sealed tank, there should be no evaporation, and thus, no gumming.
Does the refining process remove whatever stabilized the fuel while it was in the ground?
bluewater posted 09-20-2002 01:42 PM ET (US)
Ok, back to the beginning. If he chooses so, how does he get the fuel out? Siphoning?
bluewater
jstachowiak posted 09-20-2002 02:28 PM ET (US)
"hooter" you make me LOL. Please keep it up.
ShrimpBurrito posted 09-20-2002 06:20 PM ET (US)
You can siphon it out with nothing more than a hose or you can get a cheap hand pump somewhere. Avoid electric pumps as using cheap ones could get messy when pumping fuel. It's a piece-o-cake.
Capt_Tidy posted 09-20-2002 07:56 PM ET (US)
Gas degrades pretty quickly.. after a couple of months it looses alot of kick... but we all don't drive race cars so who cares.
Pull some old gas out and add some new high octane stuff. There are a lot of boosters out there... it's help. After years of working on gas stations, I don't buy anything but the lowest octane... I've seen to many station pulling both high and low octane from the same underground tank... the State only checks the system.. not what's in the system.

seasled posted 09-20-2002 08:06 PM ET (US)
Thanks guys. As soon as I get it home I'll try the siphon with the pimer bulb.Do you think the tank is ok. The boat is eleven years old. Thanks for the info. Seasled
Jay A posted 09-22-2002 12:17 AM ET (US)
I had a gas attendant pump 15 gallons of gas in my bilge last year.(Thru a rod holder!) The marina at the fuel dock called a nearby boat yard to dispose of the "tainted" gas at $5.00 a gallon.(The fuel dock picked up the tab.) It was a mix of gas and water mixed with detergent that I had flooded the bilge with to dulute it.I'm sure if you call around to different boat yards or garages you'll find a place to dump it. DON"T use it in anything else!

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Author	Topic: Emptying Fuel Tank and Disposal
seasled	posted 09-19-2002 07:45 PM ET (US) I just bought my dream boat.This is a 1991 19-Outrage with a 1983 150 Mercury pre-mix engine. The [previous] owner said he bought the boat and motor new in 1983, and in 1990 had a delamination problem. Whaler gave him the 1991 [under] prorated [warranty]. This boat has sat unused for 3 years. I plan on running the 1983 engine until I can rise the funds for a newer motor. The boat is in great shape.There is only a few spider cracks up in the bow by the locker. The bottom has never been painted. It has the twin pedesal seats, and the fibergless gunwhales.I am really looking forward to getting it home so I can get it all cleaned up and waxed. The fuel gage reads half. How do I get all this stale gas out of the tank? Thanks--Seasled
jimh	posted 09-19-2002 10:17 PM ET (US) Getting the gas out of the tank is simple. What you do with it after you get it out, now that is a problem. An 19-OUTRAGE c.1991 probably has a 75-gallon tank, thus you'll have 35-gallons of very stale gasoline mixed with 2-cycle oil. Disposal of this could be a problem and an expense.
jimh	posted 09-19-2002 10:23 PM ET (US) [Edited thread and changed topic; was "19 outrage fuel tank"--jimh]
bluewater	posted 09-20-2002 12:18 AM ET (US) The last time I did an oil change on my vehicle, I brought the used oil to my local auto parts chain. I put the oil into empty windshield washer fluid bottles. The store disposed of the oil free of charge. Not sure how they would handle a mix though. Couldn't hurt to call and ask. bluewater
ShrimpBurrito	posted 09-20-2002 01:02 AM ET (US) Here in Portland, OR we have recycling centers that will take just about anything hazardous, including gas. I called them about taking over 15 gallons of used antifreeze, and they assured me it was no problem. They also run "collection events" during the year across town, encouraging people to clean out all that nasty stuff from the garage. Hartford may have a similar type of facility.
homey	posted 09-20-2002 01:46 AM ET (US) Seasled, I wouldn't suggest you remove the gasoline. It's only half a tank so, why not add "fresh start". Fill the tank with high octane fuel, then run boat... It may run alittle rough but should run... If that motor has been sitting that long unused, its highly possibble the carbs will be fouled... The oil gas mixture sitting in the carbs will gum up and foul the inerds/jets etc. Something to think about if problems begin. Good luck.
WhalerAce	posted 09-20-2002 06:03 AM ET (US) Seasled, When I drained my Outrage tanks a couple of years ago, they were almost full. I went to a local drum distributor and bought a used 55-gallon drum for $30. Pumped it full, left the rest in the boat and added new fuel to that. The stuff in the drum I use in the lawn mower, our ATVs, or you can always find a teenager who will be happy to pump it into his car tank. I have put mixed gas in my cars before with no problem. Of course, that was a few years ago, don't know how fussy new car fuel injectors are. Ace
newt	posted 09-20-2002 07:54 AM ET (US) seasled, When I bought my montauk earlier this year, I had the same worries about what to do with 24 gal of fuel. I called the Mass DEP Hazardous waste hotline, and asked what I could do with old fuel. They had no advise or recomendations as to disposal,collection centers, etc. The guy on the line said mix it 1 part old to 4 part new gas and run it in the boat, truck, lawnmower, etc. My fuel didnt smell bad, so I just mixed it 1/2 and 1/2 with fresh gas, put in a bottle of fuel conditioner and burned it up. Have not had any problems.
hooter	posted 09-20-2002 08:07 AM ET (US) Fuss-budgets. If it smells like gaz, jez mix it 50/50 wid new and run wid'it. Ever drop o' gaz ya put in yer tank is 'bout a hunert million years old to begin with.
Tin Man	posted 09-20-2002 08:24 AM ET (US) The county landfill here in Charleston takes old gas and premix. I have drained a couple of tanks in the past month and just used the fuel line. I extended the line using a quickfix fitting and extra fuel line and drained it all into gas cans sitting on the ground. It takes awhile - probably 10-20 minutes per six gallon tank. You don't get all the gas out of the tank using this method but you do get most. I check the gas for water every six gallons using a clear glass mason jar. If you get a significant amount of water in a sample, then you may want to consider taking out the inspection plates and pumping as much out as you can. I used to do it using an electric auto fuel transfer pump and ran it through a racor filter to reclaim the gas but have decided that it was more trouble than it was worth. The largest tank I did was 100 gallons and used it in the cars and lawn mowers. It took forever and I had a big potential fire hazard in the back yard. Bad gas causes a large number of problems and is one of the cheaper remedies. I have a portable three and six gallon tank that I used to isolate the problem with the gas tank. If it runs better on the portable with a fresh mixture, then you know the problem is in your fuel line, primer bulb, tank or gas. If you then put the old mixture in the portable and it runs rough then dump the gas. Having the portable also gives you some backup and lets you run some engine tune or fuel system cleaner through with out committing a full fuel tank. Once you decide to refill your main tank, make a note of the relationship of the gauge and the amount of gas in the tank. I would personally drain the tank. Three years is a long time for gas to sit. I'm no expert, so eliminating the cheaper potential problems first is one of the ways I go when refurbishing a used boat.
ShrimpBurrito	posted 09-20-2002 01:32 PM ET (US) Aside from physical changes that occur to gas over time (i.e. oil separation) that could be fixed by remixing/restirring the gas, does anyone know what chemical changes take place when gas ages? In a sealed tank, there should be no evaporation, and thus, no gumming. Does the refining process remove whatever stabilized the fuel while it was in the ground?
bluewater	posted 09-20-2002 01:42 PM ET (US) Ok, back to the beginning. If he chooses so, how does he get the fuel out? Siphoning? bluewater
jstachowiak	posted 09-20-2002 02:28 PM ET (US) "hooter" you make me LOL. Please keep it up.
ShrimpBurrito	posted 09-20-2002 06:20 PM ET (US) You can siphon it out with nothing more than a hose or you can get a cheap hand pump somewhere. Avoid electric pumps as using cheap ones could get messy when pumping fuel. It's a piece-o-cake.
Capt_Tidy	posted 09-20-2002 07:56 PM ET (US) Gas degrades pretty quickly.. after a couple of months it looses alot of kick... but we all don't drive race cars so who cares. Pull some old gas out and add some new high octane stuff. There are a lot of boosters out there... it's help. After years of working on gas stations, I don't buy anything but the lowest octane... I've seen to many station pulling both high and low octane from the same underground tank... the State only checks the system.. not what's in the system.
seasled	posted 09-20-2002 08:06 PM ET (US) Thanks guys. As soon as I get it home I'll try the siphon with the pimer bulb.Do you think the tank is ok. The boat is eleven years old. Thanks for the info. Seasled
Jay A	posted 09-22-2002 12:17 AM ET (US) I had a gas attendant pump 15 gallons of gas in my bilge last year.(Thru a rod holder!) The marina at the fuel dock called a nearby boat yard to dispose of the "tainted" gas at $5.00 a gallon.(The fuel dock picked up the tab.) It was a mix of gas and water mixed with detergent that I had flooded the bilge with to dulute it.I'm sure if you call around to different boat yards or garages you'll find a place to dump it. DON"T use it in anything else!