My brother recently aquired an '86 coupe and I am helping him restore it. The gas in the tank is just RANCID (about 1/2 full now since he thought more gas would help). Is there a quick and easy way to empty the tank without dropping it out?
You can use the pump (at risk of damaging it with gummed up fuel from the bottom of the tank), by disconnecting the feed line at the filter and pumping into a can.
Another option is to use a hand pump you can buy at Harbor Freight or similar for about $5, and shove the feed hose for that down the filler neck, then use the hand pump to pump it out through the fill neck.
If there's old fuel that's turned to gummed up junk in the bottom of the tank though, you will need to drop it to clean the tank out.
Originally posted by dobey: You can use the pump (at risk of damaging it with gummed up fuel from the bottom of the tank), by disconnecting the feed line at the filter and pumping into a can.
Another option is to use a hand pump you can buy at Harbor Freight or similar for about $5, and shove the feed hose for that down the filler neck, then use the hand pump to pump it out through the fill neck.
Fiero is hard to siphon etc using fill tube. The 90° bend at tank is why most times. You can carefully remove the big hose at tank fairly easy and siphon/pump at that point.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Fiero is hard to siphon etc using fill tube. The 90° bend at tank is why most times. You can carefully remove the big hose at tank fairly easy and siphon/pump at that point.
I couldn't get the hose past that 90 degree bend either.
On mine I removed the fill hose and pressurized the tank with my Motive brake pressure bleeder. I used a second hose to drain the gas down into a big plastic gas can under the car. Actually, I removed both the fill and vent hoses so I could use rags to plug up the openings. Worked like a charm too; drained an entirely full tank this way. Of course, mine was easier since the tank was almost completely full so I didn't have to pressurize it very much to get it going at the start. I think a half-full tank would take a LOT of pumping to pressurize it.
The gas in the tank is just RANCID (about 1/2 full now since he thought more gas would help). Is there a quick and easy way to empty the tank without dropping it out?
Wimp. Just disconnect everything and carefully drop the tank while you're lying under the car and supporting the tank with your feet and chest etc. Nothing to it, and the gas fumes will make the whole experience a little trippy. And don't light a match.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 05-05-2015).]
I would drop the tank, the fuel pump should be replaced and the tank needs to be cleaned. I would also replace the rubber filler hose and the other rubber tank hoses. All that is part of a restoration. I've done it several times on 2 different Fiero's. I drove the car on car ramps and then jacked up the other end and put car jacks under that end. Pump out most of the gas with the fuel pump and then replace the pump with a new Bosch pump.
This is what our gas looked like. Then you might have to address the fuel lines and fuel filter. It will be TONS easier with the tank and other stuff out.
I agree its worth seeing whats in the tank and every Fiero I have had i replaced the fuel pump once. Easiest drain is to power the pump and let it pump it out of a line into a container.
I agree drop the tank so you can see whats in there and replace the pump, that way you wont have to drop it again soon. Easiest way to drain it in the car is power teh pump and let it pump it out a line into a container.
My brother recently aquired an '86 coupe and I am helping him restore it. The gas in the tank is just RANCID (about 1/2 full now since he thought more gas would help). Is there a quick and easy way to empty the tank without dropping it out?
Although earlier in this thread I called you a "wimp" for wanting to drain the tank before dropping it , I actually do have a serious question for you... Why do you wish to drop the tank? Is the fuel pump not working?
I've resurrected at least three Fieros that had been sitting for years with stale gas in their tanks, and my experience was that as long as the fuel pressure is good, I simply filled the tanks with fresh gas and carried on.
Perhaps I was fortunate that in every case, the tanks were not full of crud, but I just wanted to make it clear that a couple gallons of stale gas is not necessarily going to give you problems.
Used the fuel pump (jumped 12v from fuse box to ALDL plug fuel pump pin), disconnect line at filter imput and flowed into a gas can. Pump was noisy and figured it was on it's way out so wanted to replace it before it left us stranded.
Most times you often just dilute stale gas and maybe add "dry gas."
Many problems come from water or ethanol... If you remove the fill hose as my post above... You can often find the problem by using a small weighted tube to siphon the bottom of the tank into a clear tank/container because Gas will float on water or water and ethanol mix. (Gasohol's ethanol will come out a solution if the tank has water inside, EVAP issues or Cap is Vented. Is a very big problem in Marine engines.) You can use small USB camera etc to look w/o pulling whole tank too.
[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 05-06-2015).]
After reading a lot of suggestions I did the following as I could not access the tank from below. I attached a hose to the fuel filter inlet line and ran the hose to a gas can. Then I inserted an air hose into the fuel filler neck and jammed it with rags to form an acceptable seal. I pressurised the tank and drained a half tank in ten minutes. I did have to hold the rags tight to form a seal on the filler neck. Beats dropping the tank and hotwiring systems.
[This message has been edited by inheritancefiero (edited 03-21-2021).]
Just a note... If the fuel pump is still working, "hotwiring" 12v to the fuel pump terminal of the ALDL port is about as simple as it gets. And if the fuel pump isn't functional (or if the short length of submersible hose has rotted), then the tank's gotta be dropped anyway.
I don't have an air compressor... but if pressurizing the fuel tank to empty it before dropping the tank to replace a dead fuel pump works, great idea!
You can try running the fuel line with a hose to a 5 gal bucket and then wire across the ALDL connector from the fuel pump pin to the ground pin. The fuel pump will turn on and the tank will empty but be careful to not run the pump dry or you can damage it or burn it out. That should work but if you have too much dried varnish at the tank bottom it might not give satisfactory results.
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Just disconnect everything and carefully drop the tank while you're lying under the car and supporting the tank with your feet and chest etc. Nothing to it, and the gas fumes will make the whole experience a little trippy. 
And don't light a match.
