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Transferring Diesel from tank to can(s)

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I need to remove about 10 gallons from our diesel tank. Recently noticed a small seepage from (my guess) a hidden welded seam along the bottom.
Local 'ace' *welder sez he can try to patch it once it is really really clean. Really Really Clean....
:rolleyes:

My only thought so far is to either buy some sort of commercial hand pump or maybe plumb up my spare 12 volt 'Facet" lift pump.

This will involve removing the tank from the boat, and it must be empty when all hoses are disconnected and it gets tilted about 45 degrees to ease it out of the settee location.
I have several spare yellow "jerry' cans in which to store the fuel.
If you all have a cheap suggestion for pumping, do let me know.

*No joke, he is highly regarded, and when I called him he said he would try a repair and there would no charge if the weld will not 'take'.
(In 2008 dollars, this tank was a bit over $700. so a less expensive fix is preferred.)

As the lady used to say on SNL: "It's always Something!"
:)

Thank you.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I ran into this when I had 30 gallons in the tank and needed it empty for installing inspection ports.

My attempts at a siphon didn't work (tank fuel level too close to sole level), and a $10 drill pump gave up after 10 ounces. A small oil hand pump was ridiculously slow.

I should have sprung for a diesel transfer pump, but they 're expensive. $100 range or more, as I recall.

I bought an $80 vacuum oil pump which finished the job, and which works very well for oil changes. You may already have one. It was slow, but filled the 5-gallon jerry cans* eventually. Which I then ran to the local oil recycling station.

A diesel transfer pump would be nice to have--even nicer to borrow.

*The story behind "Jerry cans" is fascinating and provocative: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerrycan
 
Last edited:

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Plumbing your spare facet pump should be fairly straightforward, I would hazard to guess. Perhaps a couple of brass fittings and some small rubber fuel line. These items don’t need to be Marine grade because they will only be used for a limited time and with your direct observation. Put the pump on a board and wire up a couple of leads with alligator clips to connect to battery terminals and you are in business. The pump can lay down at pretty much any angle or attitude.
 

JSM

Member III
Went through this exercise two years ago on my 34-2 when I had to remove the tank to have it cleaned and re-weld some of the mounting tabs. I purchased a cheap 12v diesel transfer pump (Harbor Freight has one for less than $50) . After removing the fuel gauge from the tank I was able to easily pump the fuel into jerry cans.
It works so well that I now de-fuel the boat for storage every fall.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
i've used the vacuum pump like the one below to suck out fuel:

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west...MI4cH_wKGn5AIVjMVkCh1piQKnEAQYASABEgLfofD_BwE

it's on sale for 55 right now.
Thanks for the sale price alert - prompted me to buy it today.
I've been through 4 of these in 3 years:
Big-
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Americ...ay&sprefix=manual+vacuum+pump,aps,146&sr=8-51
Small -
https://www.amazon.com/America-2005...um+pump&qid=1567098963&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

- separate units for pumping out the bilge, and for oil changes:
But the main seal fails and the metal tube rusts. I'm looking forward to an all-plastic one!
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
I need to remove about 10 gallons from our diesel tank. Recently noticed a small seepage from (my guess) a hidden welded seam along the bottom.
Local 'ace' *welder sez he can try to patch it once it is really really clean. Really Really Clean....
:rolleyes:
//
This will involve removing the tank from the boat, and it must be empty when all hoses are disconnected and it gets tilted about 45 degrees to ease it out of the settee location.
//
*No joke, he is highly regarded, and when I called him he said he would try a repair and there would no charge if the weld will not 'take'.
(In 2008 dollars, this tank was a bit over $700. so a less expensive fix is preferred.)

As the lady used to say on SNL: "It's always Something!"
:)
Thank you.

I think I've been in denial about a likely tank leak for most of this year - been seeing more and more 'oil' in the bilge water. I haven't taken the time yet to try to trace it to it's source, but it accumulates without running the engine, so it's probably not gonna be a fuel line or fuel filter leak. I'll be keen to see what you find out about your tank ... and the fix that you choose.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
New Fuel Tank???

If a new fuel tank is needed, this is the place to get it, if he will ship it to you and if he hasn’t retired yet. This shop made many of the originals for Ericsons. Cliff does great work, too, and it’s reasonable.

Berry Sheet Metal
764 Newton Way #B
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
tel: (949) 548-3613
 
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