Fuel Transfer Tank

   / Fuel Transfer Tank #1  

DUMBDOG

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2002
Messages
1,068
Location
Central ND, Central FL
Tractor
NH 1630 W-7308 FEL/ Kubota L4630GSTC W-LA853 FEL WQ/A-CC 2544
This spring I purchased a 100 gallon steel transfer tank and pump. It ran dry on Saturday, filled it up on Sunday and tried to hand pump some diesel into the tractor as it was on empty. After about fifty or so pumps, nothing comes out. Check the literature that came with the pump and it was no help.

Pulled out the pump and no pipe was attached. It was obvious that the pipe was laying on the bottom of the tank. So I go and get one of those cheapy magnets that extends out of the toolbox and was lucky after about a half hour to get the pipe up to the top two or three times, but the pipe always came up in the middle of the pipe with no way to grab it. Figured that I would need a helper and went and took a wire hanger, cut it to grab the pipe but about this time the extension piece of the magnet next to the handle comes apart, fix this so that it will not come apart again, then the next piece comes apart and the magnet is now at the bottom of the tank and unobtainable.

Run to town, find another magnet, but it does not work as it is not as powerful as the one replaced or as stated on the package. Go to the shop and find one of those gadgets that my brother brought down that is supposed to extend your reach to pick up things, that has two suction cups on it, but the suction cups keep slipping off of the pipe. Take off one of the suction cups off and somehow fasten the magnet to one side.

With the modified reach extender and a coat hanger finally was able to get the suction pipe out of the tank and through the 2 inch hole on top. Total time expended in this process is four and one half hours.

When I reattached the suction pipe to the pump a pipe wrench was used. Will this hold now or should I use Loctite?
 
   / Fuel Transfer Tank #2  
I'd guess it will hold... but if you have loctite.. use it.. whatever makes you feel better.

Soundguy
 
   / Fuel Transfer Tank #3  
Dumbdog

Bonehead here. Your story sounds like it comes right out of my (to be published) book of Bonehead experiences!

What remains in the tank? The magnets from the "grabber" and anything else? Anything that might dissolve?
 
   / Fuel Transfer Tank #4  
4 1/2 hours to retrieve a $6.00 piece of steel pipe?????? You need to change your user name to "thriftydog"!!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gifHowever, who am I to say that you didn't pick the correct name the first time... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Fuel Transfer Tank
  • Thread Starter
#5  
It was not the price of the pipe, but the sound that I knew it would make banging around it the tank whenever I would drive the pickup. There is nothing I hate worse than driving along and then some type of noise and then you have to stop and see what came loose. I did leave the magnet with the broken handle in the tank, it and the handle are all metal and will not hurt anything and it will stay stuck on the bottom and will not rattle around. The only pipe that I had available in the 1 1/4 inch size was galvanized and I was not sure how that would react to the diesel after having to replace a hydrant after 4 1/2 years. See my post in County-By-Net under water for the details on that one.
 
   / Fuel Transfer Tank #6  
You might want to get that galvanized pipe out of there. Diesel and galvanized metals don't get along well together.
click here If you don't want to read all of the article scroll down to the part on contamination and read the last paragraph.
 
   / Fuel Transfer Tank #7  
Had no idea that this is a mobile tank...... I was thinking that it was stationary at the location of the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I agree, I woulnd't want it rolling around either...
 
 
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