Empty diesel tank using a drill pump?

[Amulet]

Muck in my fuel. I'd like to empty the tank and see what is going on. One friend reports pumping the diesel out using a drill pump. I bought the only one I could find locally - Draper. It won't suck even a very modest height and is not self-priming, Has anyone done this, and with what pump?

 

[jwilson]

I'm emptying a near full 130 litre tank next week: last time I did it I sucked out about 5 litres a time with a Pela, painfully slow. For this time I've bought a nominally 43 litres/min 12v pump and some 25mm piping. I hope to fill five 25 litres canisters a lot quicker!

 

[Amulet]

I'm emptying a near full 130 litre tank next week: last time I did it I sucked out about 5 litres a time with a Pela, painfully slow. For this time I've bought a nominally 43 litres/min 12v pump and some 25mm piping. I hope to fill five 25 litres canisters a lot quicker!

Interesting, can you send a link or name for the pump? I'll be very keen to see if it works? When will we know?

 

[Poignard]

If your boat is ashore it's easy to siphon the diesel out

 

[TernVI]

It can be easier to clean the tank while there is a fair bit of diesel in it.
Stir everything up then suck it all out as liquid.
We sorted out a 10mm bore hose with 1/4 turn valve for my Pela, so it doesn't block at the first sight of crud.
Also runs a lot faster.
I still only use it to take any water or dirt from the bottom though.

I bought a very cheap Rolson drill pump. I manged to fettle it so it just about does a job, but when you can get a decent 12V fuel pump for under 20 quid, why bother?

 

[pvb]

Drill pumps are generally useless. When I was doing fuel polishing, I used an old fresh water pressure pump, which I'd replaced with a quieter version. Only about 10 litres/min, but good self-priming. I was sucking the fuel out of a keel tank, so the pump needed to have good self-priming.

 

[pandos]

See post #4...

Easy to siphon using a 10mm semi rigid pipe (beer line is good) through a convenient through hull into 20l cans ..

Use a pella pump up start the siphon.

Otherwise Aldi and Lidl from time to time do 12v oil pumps... Or fit a 12v facet pump and use that .

 

[Hunterlees]

This type of pump.
12V 175W Portable Electric Diesel Self-priming Transfer Pump Fuel Extractor Set | eBay
Search for fuel transfer pump 12v

 

[DownWest]

This type of pump.
12V 175W Portable Electric Diesel Self-priming Transfer Pump Fuel Extractor Set | eBay
Search for fuel transfer pump 12v

Bought one of those and it works really well.
Not much luck with drill pumps. Last one tried for about 30 secs then gave up. Sort of a basement Jabsco, but made from cheap plastic.

 

[fredrussell]

The way to get those drill pumps to prime is to tip some motor oil into the ‘in’ union whilst spinning the drill very slowly. Then transfer pump to in/out pipes and off you go.

 

[Plum]

Muck in my fuel. I'd like to empty the tank and see what is going on. One friend reports pumping the diesel out using a drill pump. I bought the only one I could find locally - Draper. It won't suck even a very modest height and is not self-priming, Has anyone done this, and with what pump?

I have been using one of these for 6 years to pump warm engine oil Axminster Drill Pump
So it should pump diesel just as well or better. Always self primes. I dont know how high it will lift but certainly 1 metre.

Search for Sealey TP51 Water Pump Drill Powered

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Laysula]

I used one of these. plus a filter to build a polishing machine happily left it running for 3-4 hours at a time.

60w Mini Oil Fluid Liquid Extractor Scavenge Exchange Transfer Pump Kit 12v for sale online | eBay

 

[Klausen]

What about a cheap fuel/ diesel pump? In my diy fuelpolisher it works well.

 

[jwilson]

See post #4...
Easy to siphon using a 10mm semi rigid pipe (beer line is good) through a convenient through hull into 20l cans ..

See post #4...
Easy to siphon using a 10mm semi rigid pipe (beer line is good) through a convenient through hull into 20l cans ..

Not so easy with the boat afloat on her mooring, and the keel form is not good for drying out...... I wish it was ashore for this job, which has to be done. The tank was cleaned last year, the problem is the new fuel sender fitting leaks, which I did not discover until topping up the fuel tank to the brim. If I'm doimg the job I may as well empty the tank and clean again.

 

[WoodyP]

What a horrible job. I always end up with spills and drips on changeovers of drums and hope that the fuelset I used has preserved the diesel. I don't want to do it again.

 

[Caladh]

I used a drill pump to get rid of 100 litres of bad fuel a few years ago in Greece. I’d bought it from a market stall years before in the UK thinking it would prove “useful” sometime! It said it could be used for fuel or water and cost about £3 at the time.

 

[tross]

I use one of these to polish my fuel every year.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01I5A8GHA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is designed for oil and diesel.

 

[fisherman]

I syphoned 400 litres out with a jiggle syphon, 1 inch pipe with a foot valve, gate valve on outlet end for changing barrels. Boat lifted out so a good drop. Would have been easier to simply feed the fuel pipe out through the seacock. Slower though.

 

[Amulet]

Thanks everyone. The marina lent me a good quality drill pump - jabsco. It worked perfectly. My draper one couldn't hack it.

 

[Refueler]

I use Pela and like another says - stir the whole lot up before and during job.

I took a 1/4" bore pipe and made it up to fit the Pela ... the end that went into tank being an alloy tube wedded to the clear 1/4" pipe .. that way I could wave it about inside tank.
Of course the Pela needed a steady pump action throughout - got into a steady slow rhythm without straining my old arms ! My tank was a 70ltr job with about 20ltrs in bottom.

Being a cheapskate and access to filters and Bio - I stood that fuel to settle ... added Bio ... then filtered it at least 3x and put back in tank after ...

OK - there is another way .... using the existing fuel delivery piping. Some boats have a manual pump in the line for priming the engine after draining / filter change etc.
Disconnect fuel line of engine ... connect another to container ... stir up tank ... pump out using the manual priming pump. To get crud out - as often the pickup is not at bottom of tank (can be a U shape end or just a cm or so of bottom) - then that stir up of tank is important.