Draining the Fuel Tank
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Draining the Fuel Tank What is the best way to drain the fuel from my tank? I was thinking i could just take the line apart where the fuel filter goes and turn the pump on. Would that work alright? The reason i ask is that i have been replacing the motor in my car, and its been sitting in there for about 6 months or so.
dont do that.. the fuel keeps the pump from over heating if you had it pump it all out you would probably ruin your pump.. thats why alot of guys dont let there tank get below 1/4 tank its hard on the pump
Originally Posted by rdeterman
dont do that.. the fuel keeps the pump from over heating if you had it pump it all out you would probably ruin your pump.. thats why alot of guys dont let there tank get below 1/4 tank its hard on the pump
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Originally Posted by rockertype
Are you guys kidding me??? 
Turn the pump on & empty the fuel into a container! You could run that electric pump dry for a week before it would overheat & burn out!
Turn the pump on & empty the fuel into a container! You could run that electric pump dry for a week before it would overheat & burn out!In fact, the dealer told me they had problems with lots of Camaros in the winter time. They would start their used Camaros on the lot to let them warm up in winter and they would run out of fuel (which burns up the fuel pump). Dealers usually don't keep the tank full, most times below a quarter.
This dealer would have replaced it under warranty, but after the fact. The dealer where it was towed refused to warranty the pump because I ran it out of gas.
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You don't ever want to leave the tank completely empty because supposedly the seals etc will dry out in the pump. The pump sets in a cup-like container and there is usually always gas in the cup keeping the pump always immersed in fuel.
See the writeup here how the pump works with a better explanation of the pump and how it functions in the tank and cup.
http://www.racetronix.com/Racetronix..._Pump_Kit.html
So why don't the seals dry out in a new pump out when sitting on shelf waiting for a new install? Supposedly there is a lubricant in the pump.
You could simply siphon the gas out of the tank. In the old days people used to steal gas using that method.
See the writeup here how the pump works with a better explanation of the pump and how it functions in the tank and cup.
http://www.racetronix.com/Racetronix..._Pump_Kit.html
So why don't the seals dry out in a new pump out when sitting on shelf waiting for a new install? Supposedly there is a lubricant in the pump.
You could simply siphon the gas out of the tank. In the old days people used to steal gas using that method.
Last edited by dlandsvZ28; Jan 7, 2006 at 09:54 PM.
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67Ranger: I performed a little experiment yesterday. I took an old (used) OEM pump from a 98 Bird and put it on the battery charger. I had it running for just over two hours (DRY!) before I had to leave the house. I hooked it up again this morning and although it seemed to run a bit slower, it still worked! 
So I would say that it would take a bit more than just running out of gas to kill your pump! Disconnect a line and empty your tank. When you hear (or see) that you are empty, shut off the pump. It won't overheat from a few seconds without fuel!
Of course, none of this matters if the bottom of your tank is full of dirt/slime! If you suck that into the pump who knows what will happen! Maybe I need to do another experiment!
So I would say that it would take a bit more than just running out of gas to kill your pump! Disconnect a line and empty your tank. When you hear (or see) that you are empty, shut off the pump. It won't overheat from a few seconds without fuel!Of course, none of this matters if the bottom of your tank is full of dirt/slime! If you suck that into the pump who knows what will happen! Maybe I need to do another experiment!
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yeah... i was kinda worried about any kind of debris in the bottom of my tank. Well see how it goes whenever i get it ready to go again. We'll also see how the old fuel does in my beater car