Gas tank drain plug?

[b5blue]

 I'm thinking of replacing my tank and while I'm at it installing a drain plug on the new one. With today's crap fuels it might be better to drain the system if it's gonna sit for any length of time. Opinions? Ideas?     (I'm thinking of using an oil pan bung and plug flat on the bottom of the tank.)

[terrible one]

I've thought of that before, it would definitely come in handy for draining the fuel pre or post sitting as well as if you had to drop the tank for any reason. I sure can't see it doing any harm because if you bottom something out on the tank you've probably got other problems   Now that you are replacing tanks, I would go ahead and do it  

[Charger-Bodie]

I say go for it too. Just make sure you get one that awont be a problem later with leaks. Lot of junk out there these days.

[Darkman]

Yes definitely do it! I'm build a custom tank and it will have a drain plug!

[maxwellwedge]

I use an electric fuel pump hooked to a battery charger to empty the tanks.....I don't trust a drain plug in that thin sheet metal with a "thin" liquid like that stuff they call gas these days.

[tan top]

I use an electric fuel pump hooked to a battery charger to empty the tanks.....I don't trust a drain plug in that thin sheet metal with a "thin" liquid like that stuff they call gas these days.

yep me too !! electric fuel  pump to empty tank      ,
did think about a drain plug though at one stage !! but decided against it for a couple of reasons   

[b5blue]

I use an electric fuel pump hooked to a battery charger to empty the tanks.....I don't trust a drain plug in that thin sheet metal with a "thin" liquid like that stuff they call gas these days.

Where/how is the best way from your experience? Off the fuel line? Now that my car is up and running one reason to drain, drop and dry the tank was during welding on the car.

[maxwellwedge]

 just put a long enough hose on the INLET side of the pump and stick it down through the fuel filler tube. Connect the other end to your neighbors Ricer.

[b5blue]

    I think I may have had my tank drained that way for me a few times in the past!

[johnnycharger]

I though the drain on my 70 was factory....

[b5blue]

Pic. of drain?   

[tan top]

sure i read somewhere that police package B-bodys had a drain tap in the bottom of the tank !  
think it was for helping stranded people that were out of gas ?? ,

[johnnycharger]

Here you go.

[ACUDANUT]

sure i read somewhere that police package B-bodys had a drain tap in the bottom of the tank !  
think it was for helping stranded people that were out of gas ?? ,

Yea, right...That is the craziest thing I have ever heard.

[b5blue]

Thanks for the photo! 

[Rolling_Thunder]

I say do it...    then let me know where it's parked   

[Paul G]

You guys realize these cars need gasoline to run dont you? 

[ACUDANUT]

 What do you mean. BTW no Politics.
""A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."
Gerald Ford (14 July 1913 – 26 December 2006) , the 38th President of the United States. Presidential address to a joint session of Congress (12 August 1974)"

[Paul G]

Why are you intent on draining your tank? It needs fuel to run. Aint going anywhere with a dry tank. Fuel lasts a long time, even when stored, even longer with stabilizer.

It's a quote from the 38th president of the United States. Whats that have to do with politics?

[terrible one]

10% Ethanol breaks down/ seperates after 30-90 days. I can think of more reasons to spend the $5 for a bung and plug and weld it in while you are already replacing the tank than I can think of not to.  

[bull]

Pump what you can out and then put 5 gallons of real gas (zero ethanol) in the tank for winter startups.

[tan top]

sure i read somewhere that police package B-bodys had a drain tap in the bottom of the tank !  
think it was for helping stranded people that were out of gas ?? ,

Yea, right...That is the craziest thing I have ever heard.

yeah  i know  what your thinking  !!     i've been searching   through some old mopar mags  , thinking thats where i read it     think it was for if a car run out of gas in a dangerous place ,  the patrol officer was able to drain a gallon of gas from his tank to get the car on its way ,  sure thats how i'm, remembering it    if not !!  i have drempt this up ,  & i'll go & wait   for my bus  

[b5blue]

  "Part" of the reason is there will be times in the next 2 years I'll be welding back there, the other is it may be sitting idle during my slow ass paint prep sanding and priming operations.
  Having to have had to drain what I was sure was "a couple of gallons" turn into 9 gallons of stale fuel (More than 4 years old.) that I had to buy "legal" gas cans to put it in to take to the county disposal facility to drop off was a pain in the butt. (After storage waiting for engine rebuild.)
  The "new fuels" actually absorb water as the alcohol in the mix holds it and it's clear that from sitting in my system for 9-10 months "something" when wrong with a new fuel pump. (?)
  So A: Empty tank is easier to drop dry out and handle and B: If I find I need to I can drain fuel and burn it in my Jeep to prevent it going stale in the Chargers system. (The jeep burned what was in the tank OK when mixed with new fuel.)   

[ram68]

I see your point for storage reasons.  However, if your doing it because you will also be welding, remember an empty tank with fumes is far more likely to explode should it encounter a spark.  Sounds like the tank would be out of the car, so for that purpose and storage I say go for it.

[ACUDANUT]

10% Ethanol breaks down/ seperates after 30-90 days. I can think of more reasons to spend the $5 for a bung and plug and weld it in while you are already replacing the tank than I can think of not to.  

Where did you get this info ?  I have ran 2 year old Gas with 10% and never had a problem. 

[Paul G]

A tank of gas lasts me months with no problems.

[terrible one]

10% Ethanol breaks down/ seperates after 30-90 days. I can think of more reasons to spend the $5 for a bung and plug and weld it in while you are already replacing the tank than I can think of not to.  

Where did you get this info ?  I have ran 2 year old Gas with 10% and never had a problem.  

This is based on my experience with gas going stale after a semester in school (About 3 months, but this was just in a 5 gallon gas can in the shop area, admittedly different than a mostly sealed fuel tank), in addition to the fact that ethanol is hygroscopic and will bond with water molecules more readily than the gasoline molecules. Of course there are plenty of factors that contribute to how long it takes for E10 to break down, this is just what I consider a good period to go by. But the fact is that ethanol attracts water and once there is enough of it it will seperate from the gasoline and bond with the water, it's called phase seperation, which you can read some more on here: http://fuelschool.blogspot.com/2009/02/phase-separation-in-ethanol-blended.html

[ACUDANUT]

My father just told me he had a problem with his gas in a 5 gallon can (after 6 months of storage)..Seems strange because there is not alot of air left in that small tank to allow deterioration.??

[Tilar]

You could easily add a "T" somewhere in the fuel line that is plugged and when you are ready to drain the tank, Hook up an electric pump where the plug is and suck it out. That way you don't have to worry about a thin tank leaking where you modified it.

[b5blue]

  I mostly want to do it to know it's bone dry if/when I drop it for trunk repairs or knowing it will sit for more than 2-3 months. The fuel that sat since last Oct. burned OK when mixed 50-50 with new in my Jeep. Now that the car is back on the road I'll not let it sit for more than 5 days without running it for now. I'm saving up for a new high quality tank and will buy a new drain bung. It's going to be awhile before I get to it. (Keep in mind the plan would be to drain it when it's darn near empty.)

[terrible one]

My father just told me he had a problem with his gas in a 5 gallon can (after 6 months of storage)..Seems strange because there is not alot of air left in that small tank to allow deterioration.??

Agreed, and that is probably a big factor, how full the gas can/ tank is . . . I know one thing, I'll never forget the smell of rotten gas 

[b5blue]

  The tank will drain itself if you disconnect the feed line to the fuel pump, extend it out to a container and use siphon action buy keeping the end of the extension bottomed in the container. That's how I verified free flow from the tank to the fuel pump and removed 5 gallons.
  The problem is the fuel pickup still leaves a good measure of fuel in the tank. That last gallon or so would rot faster due to all the air in the tank. The drain would remove the very last bit if placed correctly.