Recovering fuel

[flatstrap]

Hi guys,
Wonder if you guys have a good system to recover petrol from an in-hull tank set deep in the hull of a Cat. I have tried the Finnspray brass body pump, not so good, too slow. The tank holds 220 litres each. tried an electronic in line fuel pump 6psi, won't lift fuel enough to recover. Any suggestions?

[PADDLES]

it'll cost but maybe try a high volume automotive fuel pump, it'll probably still take a long time. is it on a trailer? you can't just siphon it?

[flatstrap]

Thanks, Paddles. It's on a trailer so it will have to be a clear hose siphon exercise. Thanks again...

[gr hilly]

years back we pulled the pump off the water tank that did the trick.

[Roughasguts]

Can you get to the fuel tank via a 12 mm hose thru the bung hole in the hull? that way you don't need to syphon up over the transom to slow down the flow.

I do that on my single hull put the syphon hose thru the bung raise the nose and raise the opposite side wheel for the fuel tank pick up and use jerry cans to catch the fuel. All down hill of course doesn't seem to take long and all but around a litre comes out.

Cheers

[cormorant]

Cover vents and stick bung in and 2psi air pressure and it will all come out your curent fuel pickup and hose into jerrys or whatever.

To get the last bits???????

[captain rednut]

where are you as i have a air pump especially for doing that job it pumps 400 ltrs in 20mins, cheers jim

[flatstrap]

Thanks to all Ausfish members for your replies. I am appreciative of your interest when there is a problem, no matter how small. In the end, the solution was to put air pressure into the tank via a compressor and the fuel gushed out of a 20mm clear hose. No sucking, no petrol breath! Thanks again all, problem solved!

[steveg1100]

I also have a cat and had the same dilemmas as you described.

Found the best way to drain the tanks is disconnect the fuel line after the bulb (on mine it is were it joins into the water/seperater/filter) hang it over the side extending down below the tanks. Put into container press bulb a few times and gravity will do the rest.

Just for future reference.

[Noelm]

When I drained my tanks I just used a long syphon hose and small tanks on the ground, not especially fast, but still worked OK, the big advantage is you can put the inlet of the syphon hose right on the bottom of the tanks and hopefully pick up any crap and water that maybe lurking there.

[PADDLES]

sounds like you got away with it, but be super careful with air pressure into thin wall metal tanks, they're generally not designed to take much more than a few psi, ie. multiply 2psi by the surface area of a wall of your tank, it equals a sh!tload of force. our local s/s welder reckons he's had boat tanks rupture just from the force/pressure of filling them from a high filler (big boat with tank right down in hull and filler up high)

[fisho64]

sounds like you got away with it, but be super careful with air pressure into thin wall metal tanks, they're generally not designed to take much more than a few psi, ie. multiply 2psi by the surface area of a wall of your tank, it equals a sh!tload of force. our local s/s welder reckons he's had boat tanks rupture just from the force/pressure of filling them from a high filler (big boat with tank right down in hull and filler up high)

your deadright there paddles.
I have seen commercial fuel tanks on new builds popped by overzealous apprentices.

Best way to regulate if doing anything like this is to set up the outlet so it pushes water up a tube (like a reverse bong:o ) and push the water up only a meter or less. 10 meters is 1 bar or 14.7psi which is hugely dangerous in a non pressure vessel.