Oil & Fuel Fuel Transfer Strategies

[PineRidge]

I used to fill and transport 6 of the plastic fuel jugs but all the juggling, transporting, & lifting got old real fast.

Went out and found a used 275 gallon home heating oil tank and mounted and plumbed it to a 110 volt pump in the pole barn.

I take advantage of off-road bulk pricing when the 275 gallon tank is filled and fueling the TC-40D amounts to backing into the pole barn, starting the electric pump, and waiting for the automatic nozzle to let me know when the tractor tank is full. Yeah I know, lazy.

Anyone need any of the small diesel storage tanks? I got a few lying around not being used.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm in the city limits and any above ground tank using gravity is not approved. A 55 gallon drum is OK with a pump, for the fire regs...don't ask my how I know

 

[hdbikercouple]

i got an 35 gal desiel fuel tank from a old dump truck plumbed in a filter a rubber line on the outlet side an a ball value and air hose quick chuck in old drain plugs. use the loader to put it in the trailor ot go to the fuel station. to fill the tractor just hook the air comp. to it with 5 to 8 lbs. pressure

 

[OkeeDon]

I use the tractor a lot, and go through 5 gallons on a typical day. So, I got a standard, cheap 55 gallon drum from my fuel distrobutor ($20 new, free for used ones), bought a filter, hose and fill nozzle, and use gravity feed.

I stand the drum up in the back corner of my pickup and strap it tight, drive 6 miles to the distributor and fill it with off-road diesel, then when I get back to the property I lay the drum over on it's side, roll it out to the FEL bucket, then lift it up to the refueling platform and roll it off.

I don't have a picture of the wooden platform we buillt for it, but attached is the temporary structure we used for the first week or so until we built a more permanent rig. At least it shows the drum, hose, vent, etc.

 

[v8dave]

I use three 5 gallon plastic jugs. I try to refill them when I only have one left full. Since I have a Diesel pick-up truck, I fill 'em up when fueling the truck. It doesn't require a special trip to the filling station, just so long as I remember to put the jugs in the pick-up bed. Just don't carry the jugs in a cosed passenger car. You'll never get rid of any Diesel spill smell.

This year I put a fuel oil heater in my shop with a 275 gallon tank. I use non-taxed Diesel fuel (red) for the heater and now for the tractor too. At the moment I fill the 5 gal jugs from a gravity feed spigot. But that will be replaced with a pump and hose to directly fill the tractor tank. Based on this winter's use, I figure to use a tank of Diesel per year to heat the shop. That will keep me from having the Diesel go bad and me from swinging up those five gallon jugs over the Kubota's hood.

 

[Larry_T]

I use a 55 Gal. blue plastic drum. A guy gave me A. Arco air pump. I put A filter on it and hose and it works great.

 

[PineRidge]

I first read about using air instead of an electric pump from a post made by have_blue.

Interesting idea, and a good way to save some money if you have an air compressor handy.

 

[rswyan]

Mike,

I installed a male air line quick coupler into the 1" bung in the 55 gallon drum I was using for my fuel storage. Run the regulator on my shop air lines down to 5 psi, hook a line to the quick coupler on the tank, stick hose in the tractor's fuel tank and open the shutoff valve on the hose and away you go - it works very well. If I had known how well I could have saved the $90 I spent on a good GPI hand pump at TSC. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'd say the only thing you have be careful of is the pressure - dunno what a 55 is rated for, but I'd think that 5 or 10 psi is within safe limits. I always uncouple the air line immediately after I close the valve.

When I'm done I cover the end of the QD with a plastic automotive vacuum cap. It's amazing to me how much pressure that vacuum cap will keep in the tank with just a friction fit.

 

[jmc]

Alton and Randall,

Any sign of water from the compressor in your fuel?

John

 

[Highbeam]

A quick pie,r, squared calc gives a 2 foot diameter barrel an end area of 452 square inches. Ten PSI gives you 4500 pounds of force from compressed air. Figure the crimp on the end of that barrel holding the thin lid on is withstanding enough pressure to lift up a full sized truck.

Further, if the bottom blows out and the thing launches into the air, it will leave a huge volume of diesel sprayed everywhere. It will look like one of those air/water rockets we used to use as kids.

I followed the same logic and tried to pump water out of a plastic pickle barrel. The barrel with the threaded on lid blew its top off when water only began to squirt. My first hand experience tells me that air pressure for squirting anything out of a barrel is risky. Good idea though.