Zen and the art of draining a petrol tank (aka the best £2.99 you'll spend)

[Tigerrrr.......]

My wife has a Honda CBR125R. Bought new on 1.3.05. Done less than 400 miles. Time to drain the fuel to stop it going gloopy.

Options were to run the bike dry (not a good idea as all the gloop goes through the carbs), top up with fresh fuel (but the gloop is still in the tank), disconnect the fuel line and drain (potential for a mess!) or syphon using a plastic tube.

Decided to syphon. Went to Halfords. They don't sell plastic tubes, but I was told to visit the pet store next door and get a tube for draining fish tanks.

Went one better and bought a £2.99 syphon tube with a hand pump to get the drain started. Took the end filter nozzle off, stuck the tube into my tank, and a couple of squeezes later the petrol was flowing into my bucket.

30 seconds later, job done, no mess, very happy customer as the syphon tube did exactly what it said on the tin.

Just need to take the petrol to my garage for safe disposal.

Sometimes in life it's the cheapest, simplest things that put the biggest smile on your face.

Any similar stories?

[StreetHawk]

Hope there aren't any crooks reading this... ;-)

[Lozzo]

We use a hand pumped syphon thingy to drain the race bike's tank between races, before filling with just enough fuel for the next race. They cost 3 quid and are worth their weight in gold three times over.

[Stig]

I've always used the good old fashioned hose pipe. Raise the tank to a level higher than the receiving receptacle, suck, and bobs your uncle, all the fuel is gone from your petrol tank. Amazin.

[Bluepete]

Would it work on the forks for changing the oil? Or is the oil to heavy.

[Jester666]

Youd never get all of it out with a syphon. Far better to remove the forks and drain a la Haynes manual.

[Lozzo]

I've always used the good old fashioned hose pipe. Raise the tank to a level higher than the receiving receptacle, suck, and bobs your uncle, all the fuel is gone from your petrol tank. Amazin.

A syphon pump is worth the 3 quid just to avoid a gobfull of petrol just the once.

[timwilky]

I love petrol breath.

[jumjum_0214]

Petrol dont taste too good.

[Dangerous Dave]

They cost 3 quid and are worth their weight in gold three times over.
+ 1

[yorkie_chris]

Just need to take the petrol to my garage for safe disposal.

Why not do the usual thing and just set something on fire? :-P

[Stu]

I could live with paying £3 for a syphon (sorry Jamie I hadn't already!) but throwing a bucket of petrol away would hurt my heart too much!

[arenalife]

I've always used the good old fashioned hose pipe. Raise the tank to a level higher than the receiving receptacle, suck, and bobs your uncle, all the fuel is gone from your petrol tank. Amazin.

Bob's your uncle, a mouth full of rotten dinosaurs hehe

[TEC]

.....but throwing a bucket of petrol away would hurt my heart too much!
Yeah wondered that as well, why not just pour it into own bike and burn it off that way, if worried about being stale then just use a pint per tank till gone

[yorkie_chris]

Makes sense, the water and crap will sit in the bottom.

[Stu]

Yeah wondered that as well, why not just pour it into own bike and burn it off that way, if worried about being stale then just use a pint per tank till gone

Makes sense, the water and crap will sit in the bottom.
What you trying to say YC? that it won't mix so pint per tank won't work ie ****e will just accumulate?

[yorkie_chris]

Water and fuel won't mix, so if you use a pint of the old fuel, from the top of the container, mixed in with a tank of fresh then it probably won't hurt anything.

Probably.

[rob13]

Where can I get myself one of these hand pumps? I have a full tank of liquid gold which I was gonna keep for 6 months then sell for an astronomical profit

[Mark_h]

Just be careful you don't go getting the really cheap ones from the pound shop. Some plastics turn into floppy goo when they are exposed to petrol.

If you've got a spare half gallon is great for the lawnmower or cleaning the worse sticky road-tar from your bodywork if you've not got a can of paraffin kicking about.