Bad tank of gas

[Marshall 357]

Looks like I am going to pull the tank and do it right.Clean it out and replace the fuel pump too. Thanks for the help,I guess the is no eazy way to fix it. AHHHH!

 

[Jack Flash]

Originally posted by Capt Steve:
A little thread drift here..what's new? Spottedog brought up an interesting point. I am told that most fuel pumps (electric), reside in the fuel tank itself. Allegedly running your tank down to empty, or very nearly empty can lead to the fuel pump overheating, thus shortening its life dramatically. It seems that the pumps are cooled by the surrounding fuel. Anybody else heard this?

Yeah, that's how they are designed now. Something about it's easier to push the fuel from a pump in the tank than to pull it with an engine-mounted fuel pump. Now that fuel pumps are electric, (ie, don't need to run off the camshaft like they did when they were mechanical) they can be mounted anywhere.

Owner's Manuals advise that you risk damaging the fuel pump if you let the gas tank get too low.

 

[badam0112]

I had that happen about 20 years ago. It was water in the gas for my situation. I had to drop the tank, drain it and change the fuel filter several times before it finally ran right again. It was a nightmare.

 

[Spotteddog]

Along with Jack,
A mechanical pump capable of that level of pressure and volume consistantly from the cranking phase, then throughout engine speed ranges, would be excruciatingly expensive as well as unreliable? Cheap and effective is why they use the ones they do now. Excuse me, I meant "cheap" because it's typically done at the car owners out of warranty and out of pocket expense. So cheap to the designers. But "cheap" it ain't! Nor fun?

 

[rburg]

Originally posted by Spotteddog:
Water is the most typical contaminant. Since water is heavier than the gasoline, it sits near the bottom of the tank. And, since the pickup for the fuel pump is also near the tanks bottom, the first material being sucked into the system is what's at the bottom.

Which can be used to your advantage if you run out of gas and aren't real far from home, a filling station, or a safer place to leave your ride. You just take a leak into the fuel tank (hey, some other fool will most likely be cleaning it out, and you don't need to tell him what he's playing in.) Depending on how much water is already in the tank, introducing a cup or two of heavier than gas liquid (urine) will raise the fuel level so the electric pump can pick it up and deliver it to the engine.

If it gets you to a filling station, buy premium because it probably has more alcohol in it. That will tend to take the "water" into solution and allow you to burn it.

Also, running your tank low isn't as serious in cold weather as it is in hot weather. Still not good. Best practice, keep your tank above a quarter full. Fill it at that point.

 

[Jack Flash]

I may be doing wrong, but the wild price fluctuations of the recent past have got me filling up every time I see a station with a reasonable price. (Or at least what passes for a reasonable price these days.) Even if I am only down a few gallons, I top up anyway. This has the side benefit of negating any fears of damaging the fuel pump due to low fuel levels.

When I was dating a lot (in my younger days), I noticed that women tend to let their fuel tanks get so low, you would swear they were running on fumes. I guess they thought that you don't need gas till the guage is on "E". (I say "I guess" since to this day I can't say that I understand how women think!

)

 

[Marshall 357]

I got to agree with you there. About women that is LOL.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Originally posted by rburg:

Originally posted by Spotteddog:
Water is the most typical contaminant. Since water is heavier than the gasoline, it sits near the bottom of the tank. And, since the pickup for the fuel pump is also near the tanks bottom, the first material being sucked into the system is what's at the bottom.

Which can be used to your advantage if you run out of gas and aren't real far from home, a filling station, or a safer place to leave your ride. You just take a leak into the fuel tank (hey, some other fool will most likely be cleaning it out, and you don't need to tell him what he's playing in.) Depending on how much water is already in the tank, introducing a cup or two of heavier than gas liquid (urine) will raise the fuel level so the electric pump can pick it up and deliver it to the engine.

If it gets you to a filling station, buy premium because it probably has more alcohol in it. That will tend to take the "water" into solution and allow you to burn it.

Also, running your tank low isn't as serious in cold weather as it is in hot weather. Still not good. Best practice, keep your tank above a quarter full. Fill it at that point.

Dick-is this something you read about in "Kentucky Mechanic" or something you know about 1st hand???

 

[Jack Flash]

Originally posted by CAJUNLAWYER:

Originally posted by rburg:
Which can be used to your advantage if you run out of gas ... You just take a leak into the fuel tank ... Depending on how much water is already in the tank, introducing a cup or two of heavier than gas liquid (urine) will raise the fuel level so the electric pump can pick it up and deliver it to the engine...

Dick-is this something you read about in "Kentucky Mechanic" or something you know about 1st hand???

Well, depending on the source of the urine, it could well have a higher percentage of alcohol than an equivalent volume of gasohol!

 

[uzisandfloozies]

"bad gas" is usually from low octane. this can occur from the fuel being either old, or contaminated. low octane leads to detonation, which can damage your pistons.

i would immediately top off the tank with 93 octane, and add some octane boost also.

if available, top off with racing fuel, which is like 105 octane. dont use aviation gas. it is 104 octane, but has a lot of lead in it, which will destroy your catalytic converter.