Honda 2.3 emptying fuel tank

[mick]

Is it safe to do this by upending the motor?

 

[Graham376]

Not unless you drain the engine oil first.

 

[Mistroma]

Might also be difficult to get it completely empty. The filler on my outboard isn't at the very top of the tank and I would expect that to catch a fair bit of fuel. Petrol would need to run uphill out of this region to reach the filler when the tank is inverted.

I imagine it is designed to prevent the tank being filled completely and always leave a gap filled with air. Petrol volume doesn't reduce under pressure and I expect the trapped air is a safety measure.

 

[prv]

I don't know the engine, but disconnecting the feed pipe at the carb or inline filter, putting the end in a bottle, and then opening the tap is likely to be easier and cleaner anyway.

Pete

 

[Old Harry]

Is it safe to do this by upending the motor?

why do you want the fuel out

 

[RichardS]

Is it safe to do this by upending the motor?

I do that with my Suzuki 2.5 several times a year. It only takes me 5 or 10 seconds to flip the engine upside down and tip out the unused fuel into a funnel and back into my 5 litre can. In those few seconds the oil is not going to find its way anywhere that it doesn't when the engine is running.

I do also open the carb drain to empty the float chamber as, even after running the engine with the fuel tap off until it stops, there is plenty of fuel left in the carb. However, trying to empty the fuel tank into the carb and then through the carb drain seems to take forever and I'm always got too much other stuff to be getting on with.

Richard

 

[mick]

Winterising

why do you want the fuel out

 

[lw395]

Most outboards there is a gauze filter before the tap.
So draining the tank into a bottle via the tap may not get everything out.

With the tank nearly empty, tilt the motor to one side, then suck the fuel, water and dirt out with a big syringe.
Or undo a few screws and take the tank off?

 

[Old Harry]

Winterising

:smug:

 

[tross]

For Winterising
Run the engine with the tap off to empty the carb bowl.
Drain the remaining fuel in the bowl using the bowl drain screw
Remove the filter from the main tank
Get some small bore plastic fuel pipe and give it a suck to start the syphoning off.
This removes about 99% of the fuel .

 

[Ruffles]

The Honda has a spigot in the tank to stop the crud in the tank getting any further. So inverting the tank is the only way. You could take the tank off I suppose but seems a bit extreme.
Suggest removing all clothing before attempting!
As suggested the oil won't go anywhere in the few seconds it takes. Particularly if it's cold.

 

[steve66]

Apologies for the deleted thread. I wanted to correct a typo but was deleted.
It's perfectly fine to invert a Honda 2.3 with oil still in its to remove the fuel, just be careful not to drop it!

 

[Scomber]

We've this engine and Ive tipped it correct side down and quickly past horizontal to get fuel out annually at end of season. Never had a problem. While on this engine...another big thank you to steve66 , great common sense advice and any bits you might need for maintenance etc

 

[Pete7]

We've this engine and Ive tipped it correct side down and quickly past horizontal to get fuel out annually at end of season. Never had a problem. While on this engine...another big thank you to steve66 , great common sense advice and any bits you might need for maintenance etc

Agreed, great service when he re-built my carb and supplied extra bolts to replace the two Honda chocolate ones that hold the carb on. The replacements are allen keyed so much easier to get into.

Pete

 

[steve66]

Thank you gents