# Pump for removing old fuel



## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

Can anyone recommend a battery powered pump to clean out the old fuel from my ope and small gennys. I searched Google and the usual stick D battery pump shows up which I have and I use for filling kero heaters but it leaves a lot in the bottom of a five gallon can. I am looking for something a small engine mechanic could recommend that would scavenge all the fuel from a tank or as much as possible.

Thanks!


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

I think harbor freight has a battery pump, for a garden hose but could be adapted down to a smaller hose 


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Noma 10/29
Cub cadet 5/26 conv to 8/26
Toro 8/24
Husqvarna st230p


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

Like a drill powered pump? Probably would work but I would think it would be a too messy and fast to move gasoline. It would be cool if there was something out there like a tiny 1-2 gallon wet vac that was intrinsically safe enough to pull gasoline if that makes sense.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

I have a mityvac fluid evaluator plus. It’s fantastic. Suck out gas, oil, whatever and pump it out into ...whatever... 

It will suck a fuel tank completely dry.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

+1 on the Mityvac Fluid Evacuator Plus MV7201; I have two of them and they work great!


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Yikes, I'm sure the Mityvac is nice, but that's kind of a more serious price range. 

Thanks for the HF pump reference! I didn't realize they sold one. I've considered those on Amazon, but they're more like $15. At $10, and then a 20% coupon, maybe I'll give one a shot. I have a siphon pump, which I like, but I'm sure there are advantages to a battery one. 

Oil is something that always gives me "trouble", though, I never want to use a pump for oil, figuring it'll then be messy and oil-covered forever. I should maybe just get a cheap one and dedicate it to oil (or at least oil + gas). 

Oh, or any for anyone else as ch.... "frugal" as me, D batteries may be annoying. They're expensive, and most stuff these days uses AA or AAA, so those are what I have on-hand, including as rechargeables. 

Be aware that you can get plastic adapters that will let you use AAs instead of a D (or a C, for that matter). These allow using 1 to 3 AA batteries (you decide, depending on how much capacity you want) instead of a D: 







https://www.amazon.com/Whizzotech-Parallel-Battery-Adapters-Converter/dp/B01M3QAXHR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1546783507&sr=8-1-spons

These could quickly save you some money, and reduce the types of batteries you need to keep on hand, especially if you already have good AA rechargeables. Low-self-discharge (LSD) NiMH are great, like Eneloops, or less-expensive alternatives. They will discharge less than 10% per year, so you can charge them, then have them sitting in a drawer, ready to go.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

I use a cheaper than dirt siphon hose with a primer bulb BUT I zip tied an 1/8" steel rod about 6 inches long to the suction end. This gives it some weight and lets me direct it to the low spot.


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

Spectrum said:


> I use a cheaper than dirt siphon hose with a primer bulb BUT I zip tied an 1/8" steel rod about 6 inches long to the suction end. This gives it some weight and lets me direct it to the low spot.


This is the method I've always used. I always just used 1/4 hose. Adding the rod for weight and stiffness is a good idea, simple but just never occurred to me. I will be using the rod in future. Thanks.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I've used a coat hanger, bent straight, zip-tied to my cheap & crappy siphon tube & primer. It acted like a handle, letting me aim the tube where I needed it. But that siphon & bulb was so crappy (PVC tubing always wanted to coil again, especially in the cold) that I stopped using it. Some better tubing & bulb would probably make it work pretty well.


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

I use that D battery stick pump to transfer diesel into the garage heater. Great for that purpose. The batteries last all season and it transfers fuel pretty fast. But that is the one that leaves a lot of residual fuel in the tank / can.

The Mighty Vac looks awesome. Not cheap but looks like good quality and I want to get the tanks empty. 

I also saw this setup:

https://www.gastapper.com

I like the idea of fueling up the generator from my truck then being able to drain the unused fuel back to the truck. Best price I found was $89. Anyone use one?


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## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

Back when I worked on boats I used a low pressure (for carbs) external fuel pump to drain tanks. The ones nowadays can be cheap as $10 and hooked to a car battery which I always had around. Your typical jump box today would probably fit the bill for powering. I mounted mine to a piece of wood and had an inline filter.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Yeah, Harbor Fright has a little hand pump thing that I've used for gasoline. It's definitely a throw-away piece of equipment. However, even after a few years and a couple of uses, it is still working. Maybe $5 ?


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

RedOctobyr said:


> I've used a coat hanger, bent straight, zip-tied to my cheap & crappy siphon tube & primer. It acted like a handle, letting me aim the tube where I needed it. But that siphon & bulb was so crappy (PVC tubing always wanted to coil again, especially in the cold) that I stopped using it. Some better tubing & bulb would probably make it work pretty well.


 Try putting a finger over the discharge when you release the bulb. It makes up for any check valve leakage.


I have a nice little and piston pump from Tractor Supply that's been in the package for years just in case. So far I haven't been motivated to use it.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Spectrum said:


> I use a cheaper than dirt siphon hose with a primer bulb BUT I zip tied an 1/8" steel rod about 6 inches long to the suction end. This gives it some weight and lets me direct it to the low spot.


Cheaper than dirt is just a hose. You mean I can get a primer bulb on the hose? I no longer have to taste gasoline?


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## wil (Jan 1, 2014)

I make my own LOW/NO COST siphon bottle.
Parts list: 1 Gatorade Bottle, 1 long and 1 short length of fuel tubing. (Tygon works too, it will get eventually get hard from the fuel)
Drink the Gatorade. Punch two holes in the cover of the bottle. Make these holes smaller than the tubing. Put the two pieces of tubing through the holes

To use: Screw the cover on the bottle. Put the long tube into the fuel. Cover the top of the short tube with your finger. Squeeze the bottle. Release. 

Voila! instant suction tube and container. Watch fuel fill the bottle. Don't let the bottle get too full!


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

That battery stick pump posted earlier isn't recommended for gasoline if you read the packaging. Just posting for informational purposes only, not trying to start a discussion on it.

I use an adapter for pop bottles I bought off Ebay for bleeding brakes or sucking brake master cylinders empty before removing them or starting to bleed brakes. It would also work with a vacuum gun for sucking fuel or using your lips to suck it into the bottle with the bottle below the tank to let it siphon without having to get a mouthful. Or as suggested plug one line and just squeese the bottle and try to let the bottle suck the gas in.
The adapter is cheap. Presently $3 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Accessories-System-Generator-Bottle/dp/B06X3SMHNP


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

This pump from TSC is excellent...I've had it for a few seasons:

all of the hoses are still supple
pump/check valve still work perfectly
inline filter to catch any debris

GasTapper Power Equipment Siphon


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:iagree:

For 15 bucks that's not bad. Only thing I'd do is add a bit of metal brake line or metal tube of some sort for weight on the end going into the tank. :2cents:

.


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## knklehd1 (Feb 17, 2016)

I have this one works great never an issue.

https://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use-transfer-pump-63144.html


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> :iagree:
> 
> For 15 bucks that's not bad. Only thing I'd do is add a bit of metal brake line or metal tube of some sort for weight on the end going into the tank. :2cents:
> 
> .


That arachnid-looking red doo-dad is intended to hold the rigid hose in place ....but I like the "set-it-and-forget-it" approach with something rigid+heavy a little more! :icon-cheers:


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> That battery stick pump posted earlier isn't recommended for gasoline if you read the packaging. Just posting for informational purposes only, not trying to start a discussion on it.


I swear that I *did* actually read your second sentence  But I pulled up the manual for the Harbor Freight battery pump: 
https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63847.pdf

It lists compatible fluids as "Gasoline, Water, Oil, other Non-Corrosive Liquids". 

Did you see different info elsewhere? It's certainly not worth messing around by creating sparks near gas, using equipment not meant for that purpose. 

This has been an interesting discussion, with a lot of interesting approaches and products shared, thanks! It has my wheels turning.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

RedOctobyr said:


> I swear that I *did* actually read your second sentence  But I pulled up the manual for the Harbor Freight battery pump:
> https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63847.pdf
> 
> It lists compatible fluids as "Gasoline, Water, Oil, other Non-Corrosive Liquids".
> ...



Sure, ruin a possible funny youtube video with you're warning.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

RedOctobyr said:


> This has been an interesting discussion, with a lot of interesting approaches and products shared, thanks! It has my wheels turning.


So my wheels turned for a bit, and I made my own crude MityVac-style unit. Not as nice, of course. But it should be able to transfer any liquid, as the liquid only flows through one tube, and into a glass jar, never through the pump itself. There's nothing electrical, so igniting fumes shouldn't be a concern. And mess is minimized, since the pump stays clean. 

I used a $7 Harbor Freight Multi-Use Transfer Pump: 
https://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use-transfer-pump-63144.html

Along with a glass quart wide-mouth Mason jar, and some plastic bulkhead-style 3/8" barbs. You can get larger Mason jars too, at least 1 gallon. 

The pump has a built-in checkvalve, so it holds the vacuum, between pumps. 

I drilled 2 holes in a Mason jar flat lid, using a step drill, and installed the barbs through those holes. They fit the tubing that's included with the Harbor Freight pump, though it's a bit snug. 

You connect the one tube from the jar to the liquid you want to suck out. The other tube goes from the jar to the HF pump's In port. 

As you actuate the pump, it draws a vacuum in the jar, which sucks the liquid in through the tube. But as long as you stop before the liquid reaches the level of the barb fittings (almost at the top of the jar), no liquid gets transferred out of the jar. So the only things that get dirty/wet are the tube to the liquid, and the jar itself. The outlet tube and the pump stay clean. 

The inlet tube could be anything you wanted, it only has to attach to whatever fitting you put on the jar, so it doesn't need to be the tubing that comes with the pump. 

I started with the Mason jar to see how it worked. It did a good job of drawing water out of a bottle, as a test. 

Mason jars are glass, unfortunately. But they're fairly robust, and common, as are the lids, and they can handle vacuum. A strong plastic jar (maybe like a Nalgene bottle) with a suitably-wide lid would also work. I have a 2 gallon bucket that I will also set up for this. The container needs to seal tightly, and be rigid enough to handle some vacuum. The lid needs to be wide enough to accommodate 2 fittings. You might also be able to use a spaghetti sauce jar, or something similar. 

This is not as good as a MityVac. But using stuff I had around, the most expensive part was the $7 pump, which I needed anyhow (my old one had rusted up and failed). If using the 2 gallon bucket, instead of a quart jar, this would have enough capacity to pull the oil out of my car. 

This eBay seller has 10mm (3/8") bulkhead fittings, $6 for 2: 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brass-Bulkhead-Fitting-Hose-Barb-Pipe-Tube-Connector-Fuel-Aquarium-Boat-Reducing/222283592651?hash=item33c12273cb:m:mNdvPeNWiosvu69wwbGygBQ:rk:12f:0


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

That is awesome! I did get a gastapper kit. I haven’t used it yet. But the home brewed mightyvac is really cool.


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## SnoThro (Feb 20, 2016)

Most cheap pumps aren't rated for fuel and will die a quick death and the manual jobbies that claim to be rated for fuel just don't last. You can do what RedOctobyr did with the canister and purchase a vacuum pump for one nipple and put an intake hose on the other. Works fine and no fluid ever goes through the pump.


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