I’m looking for an outboard fuel tank that pours well…

[Phil_boat]

I want a 10-ish litre outboard fuel tank that will pour well without spilling petrol everywhere.

Does such a thing exist and can recommend one please? Ideally I need one that I can store upright like this, but this one will also pour terribly.



I’ve got this type



And it has zero pouring finesse!

(It’s an auxiliary engine and my plan is to regularly pour it from this into the main boat tank to avoid having stale petrol hanging around for months. This tank doesn’t easily fit where I want to store it either.)

I feel like what I’m looking for doesn’t exist as they’re not designed for it but thought it worth an ask.

cheers!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

A ski lift cabin in your garden. If I had one, it would be closed today due to high winds.

I have quite a number of outboard fuel tanks, and you’ve hit on their weak point. None of mine will even pour into a funnel. I use a syphon pump. Slow, smelly, sure. But petrol is horrible stuff to spill, on every level. I could use a pump on a drill, brushless only. But I use that for pumping water, so would need to carry 2.

 

[Canopy Locked]

Jiggle syphon hose is probably the best bet unless you can get an old cap for the fuel tank which you modify by making a hole with a spout, then fitting it when you want to pour... but for those shaped can the best bet is a jiggle hose.

 

[Refueler]

Why are you pouring from an outboard tank ?

Myself - I have a 12v powered pump that I use to transfer fuel from containers to tanks etc ... no holding container up and over to pour .. just stick pipe in .. switch on and watchy the fuel transfer. My present pump is an Oil Suction Pump used to change the oil in a car.

 

[ylop]

Why are you pouring from an outboard tank ?

If I understood his explanation, this tank is for an aux engine that gets low use, so he wants to pour it into the tank which the main engine uses and put fresh into the aux tank periodically. Some people will say unnecessary, some will advocate adding a dash of fuel treatment, and others will tell you the sky will fall in if you don’t. Problem is if it’s an aux engine you really want it to fire up easily and be confident about that so regardless of the logic, if you have a doubt you probably want to swap the fuel. Presumably the main engine can’t connect direct to this tank or it would be easy to swap the tanks?

The jiggle siphons etc will work but are not completely free of spills, smells and dribbling.

You can make a fuel hose that connect to the tank outlet and has a primer bulb (make sure correct way round) and with the small tank higher than the main tank use it to feed the fuel across - its should self sustain. It’s quite slow but works - if you add a valve at the “open” end you can stop most of the dribbles etc too.

 

[Phil_boat]

A ski lift cabin in your garden. If I had one, it would be closed today due to high winds.

I have quite a number of outboard fuel tanks, and you’ve hit on their weak point. None of mine will even pour into a funnel. I use a syphon pump. Slow, smelly, sure. But petrol is horrible stuff to spill, on every level. I could use a pump on a drill, brushless only. But I use that for pumping water, so would need to carry 2.

It’s relatively calm up here today, perfect gondola weather

I’ve got a massive funnel that I was trying to use and still managed to spill it everywhere
I guessed I may be searching for something that doesn’t exist.

Why are you pouring from an outboard tank ?

Myself - I have a 12v powered pump that I use to transfer fuel from containers to tanks etc ... no holding container up and over to pour .. just stick pipe in .. switch on and watchy the fuel transfer. My present pump is an Oil Suction Pump used to change the oil in a car.

I thought my bit in brackets answered that? Because it’s for a backup outboard, I don’t want fuel sitting in it for months on end. Chuck it in the boat tank every few weeks and fill it with fresh.

I’m not sure about using anything 12v powered to transfer petrol. I’d rather spill it a bit than set it on fire. Maybe the real risk isn’t really that bad but I don’t want to find out.

 

[andsarkit]

Get a fuel spigot the same as the one on the auxiliary engine. Fit this to the end of your fuel hose to open the ball valve and place the tank higher than your main tank . Get it flowing with the bulb and let it slowly transfer the fuel.

 

[Phil_boat]

Presumably the main engine can’t connect direct to this tank or it would be easy to swap the tanks?

Not easily. The main is a built in 280L tank.

And you’re exactly right about my reasons for wanting to do it, although in its defence it ran first pull on 6 month plus old petrol this morning.

The solution will probably be just to carry the aux tank empty and have a second cab that I can fill it from if ever needed. But I’m not inundated with storage space!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I tried successively larger funnels until they would no longer fit in the locker. It’s hopeless Hence the syphon, which, as ypu say, you know about but would rather not. Neither would I. You can get fuel transfer pumps, presumably they are safe for petrol. I have a brushless Makita drill which also does not spark. Not a bad idea to have one of those to use anywhere on a petrol powered boat, like yours and mine,

 

[Refueler]

It’s relatively calm up here today, perfect gondola weather

I’ve got a massive funnel that I was trying to use and still managed to spill it everywhere
I guessed I may be searching for something that doesn’t exist.




I thought my bit in brackets answered that? Because it’s for a backup outboard, I don’t want fuel sitting in it for months on end. Chuck it in the boat tank every few weeks and fill it with fresh.

I’m not sure about using anything 12v powered to transfer petrol. I’d rather spill it a bit than set it on fire. Maybe the real risk isn’t really that bad but I don’t want to find out.

The Oil Transfer Pump I use is not designed for gasoline obviously ... but it is actually safe. I use it on the pontoon and always UPWIND of the containers ... the power source and connection is always suitable distance from the gasoline.

With Gasoiline / Methanol powered models - we have 12v tarnsfer pumps that are built safe with reversing action as well ...

There are hand pumps you can get which will do the transfer ....

 

[ProDave]

Keep the OB tank on the boat EMPTY.

Keep 2 gallons in 2 separate 1 gallon containers on board ready to fill it when needed. Pour these into the main tank when you want to refresh them.

 

[Phil_boat]

Keep the OB tank on the boat EMPTY.

Keep 2 gallons in 2 separate 1 gallon containers on board ready to fill it when needed. Pour these into the main tank when you want to refresh them.

Yeah I think this is the solution.
It’s just that it takes up half a lockers worth of space.

Just need to find the smallest OB tank I can now.

 

[dunedin]

Yeah I think this is the solution.
It’s just half a lockers worth of space.

Just need to find the smallest OB tank I can now.

What was wrong with the siphon solutions ? Doesn’t need a pump for small volumes.

 

[Refueler]

What was wrong with the siphon solutions ? Doesn’t need a pump for small volumes.

No disrespect intended to anyone - but I have view that many aspects of life have come down to others providing a solution due to lack of own thinking it through ..

This fuel transfer lark is so simple to solve - I just wonder what people are expecting ?

 

[ylop]

w

Not easily. The main is a built in 280L tank.

Is it an OB though? In some ways quite handy to be able to connect either tank to either engine (if only for debugging etc).

What @andsarkit describes is similar to my approach but using your existing fuel hose and primer rather than making a separate one - it will work fine.

The solution will probably be just to carry the aux tank empty and have a second cab that I can fill it from if ever needed. But I’m not inundated with storage space

Whilst I can see the attraction of that IMHO if you need the aux you need the aux not to start filling its fuel tank, etc.

If you do want to go that way then the aspen cans are designed for long life and have a fairly good flexible “spout” you can buy for a few pounds.

 

[Cerebus]

I want a 10-ish litre outboard fuel tank that will pour well without spilling petrol everywhere.

Does such a thing exist and can recommend one please? Ideally I need one that I can store upright like this, but this one will also pour terribly.

View attachment 205465

I’ve got this type

View attachment 205464

And it has zero pouring finesse!

(It’s an auxiliary engine and my plan is to regularly pour it from this into the main boat tank to avoid having stale petrol hanging around for months. This tank doesn’t easily fit where I want to store it either.)

I feel like what I’m looking for doesn’t exist as they’re not designed for it but thought it worth an ask.

cheers!

What is the object in the background of the photo? A personal steam room or something?

Re: the original question, would a pump be a solution rather than change tanks?

 

[thinwater]

I want a 10-ish litre outboard fuel tank that will pour well without spilling petrol everywhere.

Does such a thing exist and can recommend one please? Ideally I need one that I can store upright like this, but this one will also pour terribly.

View attachment 205465

I’ve got this type

View attachment 205464

And it has zero pouring finesse!

(It’s an auxiliary engine and my plan is to regularly pour it from this into the main boat tank to avoid having stale petrol hanging around for months. This tank doesn’t easily fit where I want to store it either.)

I feel like what I’m looking for doesn’t exist as they’re not designed for it but thought it worth an ask.

cheers!

Shaker or jiggler siphon. You're not going to find an outboard tank that does what you want. A funnel can work, but a shaker siphon is better, if there is enough in the tank to matter.

A large funnel, of course.

Run your outboard more and use it up!

 

[Cerebus]

Shaker or jiggler siphon. You're not going to find an outboard tank that does what you want. A funnel can work, but a shaker siphon is better, if there is enough in the tank to matter.

A large funnel, of course.

Run your outboard more and use it up!

Difference between a siphon or jiggler and a pump?

Pumps can be manual as well as electric.

I bought an electric pump for less than £20 from Aldi uk designed for fuel. I also have a manual siphon as backup.

 

[LiftyK]

I was introduced to small one litre fuel flasks. They have a great non-spill valve on the end that makes it easy to pour petrol. If you can't find a large tank, maybe 10 * 1 litre flasks could be a fallback plan.

Now I've gone electric, I no longer have the pleasure of using these fuel flasks. GoOutdoors sell them. Here they are: https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/products/trangia-1l-fuel-bottle-red-115040?variant=55607732339014
Naturally they cost much more than when I bought mine .