Gas draining idea

Gas draining idea

bmflyfish

Jeeper
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Location
Hoover, Al
Vehicle(s)
Brown 1985 4 speed CJ-7 with the 258, Dana 300, AMC 20 and Dana 30 still with the stock axles.
I need to drop the gas tank on my 85 CJ7 . It probably only has about 3-4 gallons of gas in the tank as we speak, but I wanting to get it lighter since I never have help. I have a Holley Projection kit installed, which means the fuel pump is now an electric pump. When I turn the key to the on position, the fuel pump will energize and quits pumping when the correct pressure is reached. The pump was spliced into the original fuel lines with rubber fuel line back near the tank. I was thinking that I could run additional line from the fuel pump into a gas container and turn the electric fuel pump on and let the fuel pump take the gas out of tank for me. Would this be a terrible idea? Is there something I have not thought of?

Thanks Brian
 
this may be a dumb idea, but I'd just run the gas out of it...making sure I had a spare can at the house. Feel free to correct me if thats a no-no. Thanks.
 
I was thinking that I could run additional line from the fuel pump into a gas container and turn the electric fuel pump on and let the fuel pump take the gas out of tank for me. Would this be a terrible idea? Is there something I have not thought of?

The only bad thing I see about that is you might suck a bunch of :dung: out of the bottom of the tank and plug your filter. But I've done the same thing in the past without any problems.
 
And let's hope you have a filter before that high pressure pump- would not want to suck rust through such a pricey item.

Bush
 
That's the way we do it on boats. We "polish" the fuel, clean the tanks, and pump it back in all the time. Good thinking! Just buy a couple of extra filters in case one gets plugged. Suck out as much :dung: out of the tank as you can. It's easier to get it out through a pump than to clean it out other ways.
 
I need to drop the gas tank on my 85 CJ7 . It probably only has about 3-4 gallons of gas in the tank as we speak, but I wanting to get it lighter since I never have help. I have a Holley Projection kit installed, which means the fuel pump is now an electric pump. When I turn the key to the on position, the fuel pump will energize and quits pumping when the correct pressure is reached. The pump was spliced into the original fuel lines with rubber fuel line back near the tank. I was thinking that I could run additional line from the fuel pump into a gas container and turn the electric fuel pump on and let the fuel pump take the gas out of tank for me. Would this be a terrible idea? Is there something I have not thought of?

Thanks Brian


Just thought that I would point out that your fuel pump should be connected through a relay to an oil pressure sending unit. This will keep the pump from running when the engine is not. A setup like this is a safety consideration. If the vehicle were to get into an accident that cuts a fuel line, the pump will run until the tank is empty if not controlled by the engine through this relay. On a van I used to have, we also gave the relay a 'starter bypass'. So that when the starter was engaged the fuel pump would run regardless of oil pressure, but only when the starter was engaged.
 
Jason S

Good idea - got a schematic? Not sure how you are connecting it into the oil pressure sender.

Thanks
 
bmflyfish: Sorry not trying to hijack your thread. Yes, as installed you can use you installed fuel pump to pump the tank dry. As mentioned, make sure you have a good filter between the tank and the pump. I recommend a clear filter so you can see if it is filling with sediment and so you can see when the tank goes dry. REPLACE the filter after you finish pumping the tank dry. Listen to the pump while you are pumping. If the sound of the pump changes, stop the pump. Then check the tank and the filter. Either the tank will be dry of the filter will the clogged.


Jason S

Good idea - got a schematic? Not sure how you are connecting it into the oil pressure sender.

Thanks

It's been almost 10 years since i installed an electric fuel pump into anything, and I did it then with my father. We did this to a Ford 460, but the basic design is true for any engine.

The wiring side is really not more complicated than wiring a set of driving lights through a relay. It is the same basic schematic. If you use the right pressure switch, you should not have to bypass for starting, which would make the circuit much more complicated.

Making that connection can be the easiest part, and probably would have been clearer if I had done a better job describing it.

You will need a pressure switch. I has to be the of the variety that is 'on' when pressure is above a certain value, and 'off' if it is below that value. Finding the right switch will take some research, and probably a bit of trial and error. I remember the first switch we used worked great until the engine came off of the choke and idled down. Then the oil pressure wasn't high enough and the fuel pump switched off and teh engine died.

One thing to consider is, depending on the control signal voltage requirements of your relay, you might be able to splice the ground wire for the relay into the wire from the sending unit. But, doing so might affect the accuracy of your oil pressure gage.

The actual connection is, like I said straight forward.
If you have an aftermarket oil pressure gage, follow the sensing line to the connection in the block.
If you still have the factory electrical gage, you have to work a little harder to find the connection in the block. Find a wiring diagram for your year and determine the corect wire color for the oil pressure sensor. Make sure you have the oil pressure wire and not the coolant temp wire.

Once you have a presure switch and have found your oil pressure sending unit, determine thread sizes. When you have your thread sizes it's time for a Home Depot trip. You will need a brass 'T', any appllicable adapters (also in brass), and some teflon tape. You wil want to minimize the lengths of tube that you use because the longer that it is the faster the metal will fatigue from engine vibration. Depending on location of sending unit a bracket can be fabricated to support the assembly and minimize vibrations.

Assemble the pieces to form an assembly and connect it to the block. In some cases the 'T' assembly will need to be connected to the block before you install the pressure sending unit and pressure switch. Once the pressure switch is installed, its just a simple matter of wiring the relay and pump.

Something else to consider is, depending on method you use to connect the relay, you could use the relay as a form of theft deterrent. Similar to a kill switch, but more obvious. You pull the relay when you park the jeep and no one will drive it away.

I might be skilled enough in MS paint to scribble up a schematic if you need one. Let me know.
 
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Just do it with your pump. No different than someone running out of gas. Rarely does it cause a problem. The pick up tube has a screen on it.
 
Even on newer cars, they do not run a filter in front of the pump. They rely on the screen in the tank which is just like the old style. Electric pumps have trouble sucking through a filter. It is hard on the pumps and many cars will not even run properly sucking through one. I don't see any reason to go through the trouble of adding a filter just to put more strain on an electric pump. Think about it, the pump draws from the bottom of the tank where the dirt sits even when the tank is full.
 

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