Fuel tank & water

luvrbus · September 15, 2018, 07:43:25 AM

I sometimes remove the vent and pull a vacuum on the the tank and remove the plug a trick I learn from changing the main hydraulic control valve on a Gradall with 100 gals of hydraulic fluid above your head

chessie4905 · September 15, 2018, 08:17:43 AM

Little tight to pull the vent on a 41or 49 series GM. The air duct is right in the way. Richard, don't worry about this now. Wait till spring and tank is pretty low on fuel. Then try the plug if you have any talent to hang on to it when fuel gushes out and washes all over your hand and arm. Get a surplus 55 gallon plastic drum. Cut the end off so it just clears bottom of coach. If drums are cheap, do a second one or cut the other end also., so when you drop the plug in the first tub, you can slide it out and quickly slide the second one in while you fish the plug out of the first one. Btw, those drum ends are great for drining coolant at radiator or draining oil. Clean thoroughly after any use though.

luvrbus · September 15, 2018, 08:33:17 AM

Buy a 9 gal mortar tub from HD for 6 bucks the 18 gals tubs are 12 bucks if you loose more than a few gals your in trouble anyways

eagle19952 · September 15, 2018, 09:05:17 AM

Quote from: TomC on September 15, 2018, 05:48:53 AM
Just dump a gallon of Diesel Power Service in and the water will be gone. Good Luck, TomC

only if the pickup tube goes to the bottom ?

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · September 15, 2018, 09:20:06 AM

Quote from: lostagain on September 15, 2018, 07:06:20 AM
If, like you said, you have a drain plug at the bottom of the tank, just remove it. That is why it is there. Simple. Let it flow in a clean container for a few seconds and replace the plug. It will be obvious if there is water or not. It will be a little messy, so wear some gloves and coveralls or old clothes. Nothing "extreme" about it.

JC

Wear safety glasses as it can splash into your eyes and make getting the plug back in difficult. Also park the bus on a bit of an incline so if it runs out on the ground it will not run under your tuxedo.

This another great reason to have a pit like I do. (I mean, I do wish I had a pit).

Small plane pilots drain fuel out of the tank before every takeoff so it is no big deal. Good to drain it into a glass container so you can see what is in there. Not sure about the 747 pilots, never flown one of those BIG birds...yet.

eagle19952 · September 15, 2018, 10:45:44 AM

Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on September 15, 2018, 09:20:06 AM
Wear safety glasses as it can splash into your eyes and make getting the plug back in difficult. Also park the bus on a bit of an incline so if it runs out on the ground it will not run under your tuxedo. This another great reason to have a pit like I do. (I mean, I do wish I had a pit).

Small plane pilots drain fuel out of the tank before every takeoff so it is no big deal. Good to drain it into a glass container so you can see what is in there. Not sure about the 747 pilots, never flown one of those BIG birds...yet.

I fueled Lear jets and Gulfstreams for BP and others...
They used fancy chrystal Double Old Fashioned glasses from the galley.
Even gave me one once.
And some left over sandwiches made from croissants.
over wing fuel. we had a pillow to lay on the wing

luvrbus · September 15, 2018, 11:15:06 AM

Quote from: eagle19952 on September 15, 2018, 10:45:44 AM
I fueled Lear jets and Gulfstreams for BP and others...
They used fancy chrystal Double Old Fashioned glasses from the galley.
Even gave me one once.
And some left over sandwiches made from croissants.
over wing fuel. we had a pillow to lay on the wing

People that own a Gulf Stream can afford it,a good friend in Scottsdale owns a GS650, filling it with fuel would max out my American Express ,6500 gals @ $8.19 a gal was over 50k lol 7000 mile range with 6800 gals of fuel the fuel economy is not the best

chessie4905 · September 15, 2018, 11:28:50 AM

You are assuming the first time he does this, the plug wont slip away from him and roll some where under the coach, while the fuel just keeps pouring out....

Jim Blackwood · September 15, 2018, 11:50:23 AM

"We must be Verry Quiet, we're hunting Wabbits. Huhuhuhuh."

Rabbit holes indeed!

Jim

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · September 15, 2018, 11:55:52 AM

Quote from: chessie4905 on September 15, 2018, 11:28:50 AM
You are assuming the first time he does this, the plug wont slip away from him and roll some where under the coach, while the fuel just keeps pouring out....

Always best to be chewing gum before crawling under just in case the plug gets away.

luvrbus · September 15, 2018, 12:11:29 PM

LOL you are going to get a sleeve full of diesel where you have 20 gals or 150 gals in the take if not careful

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · September 15, 2018, 12:25:07 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on September 15, 2018, 12:11:29 PM
LOL you are going to get a sleeve full of diesel where you have 20 gals or 150 gals in the take if not careful

That is why I like to have a petcock on my drain.

DoubleEagle · September 15, 2018, 05:31:50 PM

I believe I mentioned that I "loosened" the plug on the tank (when I was successful in doing so) so as not to take it out, but to let it drizzle fuel out past the few threads still holding. It takes longer to drain a sample, but it is safer. I do not recommend trying this when it is cold out, because if you bobble the plug, your fingers will get numb trying to get it back in again past the flowing stream (now, how do I know that?).

eagle19952 · September 15, 2018, 06:12:22 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on September 15, 2018, 11:15:06 AM

People that own a Gulf Stream can afford it,a good friend in Scottsdale owns a GS650, filling it with fuel would max out my American Express ,6500 gals @ $8.19 a gal was over 50k lol 7000 mile range with 6800 gals of fuel the fuel economy is not the best

BP dispatched this one Gulf to deliver a proprietary lithium battery for a downhole logger...nothing else. OKC (i think) to Prudhoe.

Iceni John · September 15, 2018, 06:15:27 PM

If I were going to unscrew the drain plug. I would first buy a rubber bung of the right size to tightly fit in the plug hole, and make a stick just long enough to hold that bung up against the tank when it's propped against the ground. Then, if the drain plug should not cooperate, you can easily and quickly jam the bung into the hole and keep it there with the stick while you decide what to do next. Always have a Plan B!

I've thought about putting a Fumoto-style drain valve under my fuel tank, but it would get knocked right off if anything were to hit it, so maybe that's not the best solution.

When I worked as a Helicopter Landing Officer on offshore installations in the North Sea I had to test every pre-fuelling and post-fuelling sample of Jet-A1 with test strips that would turn purple if there were any detectable water in the fuel. Fortunately I never had a bad sample, but if it had happened after refueling the entire fuel load would have needed to be drained out - water in helicopter fuel results in Very Bad Things happening. My bus has a Racor 900FG water separator / fuel filter, but it doesn't have the optional water sensor fitted to it - maybe it would be worth fitting one to it?

John