Vacuum diesel fluid?

[hunt4570]

So I have some stuff in my fuel ( Kubota L3540) , I tried to siphon it out to no avail and I really dont want to pull the tank so I was wondering of I could vacuum it out with my shop vac??? What do you think?

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Why wouldn't siphoning work?? Or pulling a hose downstream of the tank?

 

[ning]

Can you livestream it?

j/k
Probably not advised; the vacuum action may atomize just enough that a spark in the electric motor could cause a fire.

 

[Peter 315]

You can get this drill pump and pump the tank out...https://www.amazon.com/Drill-heavy-...ocphy=9002289&hvtargid=pla-524575713737&psc=1

 

[hunt4570]

Why wouldn't siphoning work?? Or pulling a hose downstream of the tank?

There in lies my problem,the hose downstream of the tank has filter in the tank. It’s clogging up with stuff which is giving me a hard time.

 

[hunt4570]

Can you livestream it?

j/k
Probably not advised; the vacuum action may atomize just enough that a spark in the electric motor could cause a fire.

Yeah, that was exactly my fear with this!

 

[hunt4570]

You can get this drill pump and pump the tank out...https://www.amazon.com/Drill-heavy-...ocphy=9002289&hvtargid=pla-524575713737&psc=1

Yeah, that just might work!

 

[ultrarunner]

I used a electric boat fuel pump with flex hose and length of copper tubing on both gas and diesel…

Both times it sucked up a lot of crud and I was able to reach the sump and tank corners.

 

[old and tired]

Can your shop vac be changed that it can blow? If it can, put the siphon hose into the tank, put your hand over the tank opening and use the shop vac, blowing into the tank to get fuel into the siphon hose...

 

[RayIN]

I have a hand pump/siphon that works well for emptying a gas tank. It took me about 15 minutes to empty the 10G gas tank on my old tractor.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I use this topside oil changer with piece of 3/8" tubing for jobs like this:

View attachment 3199338

https://www.amazon.com/America-5060...mzn1.fos.9fe8cbfa-bf43-43d1-a707-3f4e65a4b666

Easily sucks out the gunk. It's also useful for getting gas out of a vehicle for use in lawn mowers and generators.

There's also a cheaper hand held version:

https://www.amazon.com/Wenzhon-Diff...658&sprefix=top+side+oil,aps,151&sr=8-36&th=1

 

[hunt4570]

Can your shop vac be changed that it can blow? If it can, put the siphon hose into the tank, put your hand over the tank opening and use the shop vac, blowing into the tank to get fuel into the siphon hose...

I can get it to siphon just fine. I just can’t get all the stuff out of the bottom once there’s no more fluid obviously the siphon quits.

 

[mllud]

You can create vacuum using compressed air with a couple of hoses and fittings like a suction sandblaster.
That could also atomize the fuel.

The drill pump would lose prime if the hose is not submerged.
You could put the fuel back in the tank and use the drill pump and drag the hose on the bottom picking up the junk. Filter the fuel and repeat several times.

The. Fuel may suspend the junk helping it get picked up.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I can get it to siphon just fine. I just can’t get all the stuff out of the bottom once there’s no more fluid obviously the siphon quits.

Once the fuel is out of there and the tank has had enough time for the last of it to evaporate, I would be comfortable with using a shop vac to get the crud out.

 

[gstrom99]

I've used something like this, into a portable filter gizmo, then fuel can. Works "OK".

 

[mllud]

I've used something like this, into a portable filter gizmo, then fuel can. Works "OK".

View attachment 3201121

View attachment 3201120

They make a pump like that for cleaning junk on aquarium bottoms. I forgot that I have used mine for diesel.
The impellers allow junk to pass through. Easy to clean if it clogs. pumps used for parts cleaners would work also.
That pump shown above would work if that bottom piece removed I think the filter would clog.
Most of those style pumps are induction with the coil sealed in epoxy. No sparks.

 

[mllud]

When I worked in printing, they used parts cleaner pumps to circulate ink through the printing units. Alcohol solvent but we added M.E.K. to speed drying. I have seen those pumps go through hell and still work. Safe in solvents

 

[alexpops]

DIY fuel polisher should work. Does on boats.

 

[orezok]

#2 diesel has a flash point of 125 degrees. It will ignite until it reaches that temperature. That’s why you have to crank it for a long time if you don’t use the glow plugs in cold weather. Compression has to raise the combustion temperature to above 125 degrees.

While the fuel is completely atomized, it needs the heat to fire off.

I don’t think a vacuum would produce the heat necessary.

YMMV

 

[4570Man]

I’ve vacuumed diesel a few times and nothing happened. The Mythbusters vacuumed gasoline which I probably wouldn’t do and still nothing happened.