draining a petrol tank

[Robotstar5]

Well, I quickly lost interest in preserving the tank so I smashed a hole in the top and dropped a siphon in...focus is full now though

Can't beat the animal approach

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Can't beat the animal approach

Tbh it'd have got the Good news from a screwdriver and a hammer some time ago from me, not like it's ever going to be needed!

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Many years ago a neighbour asked me to follow him to scrap yard with my car and trailer as he was scrapping his car and wanted to keep the new tyres. At yard he got them to lift whole car on fork lift and removed the wheels. Then quickly got out a cordless drill and put a large home in the tank that drained into a barrel. Took just a short while to drain due to size of hole so was finished before yard staff could get to him. Turned out he'd filled tank before the car died and this was at a time where scrap was worthless so they would allow you to drop off a scrap car for free but if they collected then there was a charge.

 

[Wedg1e]

Skim-reading so not sure if this has been resolved... my 1986 Ren 25 had the fuel sender held in to the tank top with a locking ring that was internally castellated; I bent a bit of 2mm mild into a U shape and filed the ends until they fit the castellations. Got loads of leverage on it

 

[Bill Edwards]

Tough, spray on, pick-up bed lining to protect the floor.

Ply lined I suspect, not dry lined as in dot and dabbed on plaster board.

Hi, Yeah you're absolutely right, I wasn't paying attention.

Note to self - 'don't drink and post'

Colin

Makes far more sense now!

 

[BrokenBiker]

There is still fuel in there, but I have sealed it up as best I can for now. I am doing a fairly large round trip Monday so will drain the rest then...couldn't get the pump to go, couldn't get the cap to unscrew...sometimes the simple approach is best...the tank is still fine, I smashed a hole in the cap and ripped the pump out so a new pump would be all that is needed...

Once it's as empty as I can get it I will fill it with water to keep the fumes down before its scrapped

 

[Turbo]

There is quite a lot of theft from heating oil tanks around here and the latest advice from the police is not to lock the lid on a plastic tank! If the thieves come across a locked tank they just use a hole saw & cordless drill to cut a hole in your tank and suck the oil out that way! This renders the tank scrap so it costs you the price of a new tank as well as a fill of oil!
That's a bit like not locking your car so that they can steal your radio without breaking a window!

 

[BrokenBiker]

There is quite a lot of theft from heating oil tanks around here and the latest advice from the police is not to lock the lid on a plastic tank! If the thieves come across a locked tank they just use a hole saw & cordless drill to cut a hole in your tank and suck the oil out that way! This renders the tank scrap so it costs you the price of a new tank as well as a fill of oil!
That's a bit like not locking your car so that they can steal your radio without breaking a window!

A mate with a Mexico used that tactic, worked well for him too...car was nicked twice and each time he found it and just jumped in and drive it home with no damage to doors/windows

 

[colnerov]

It used to be the advice for convertibles as well, a stanley knife across the top and they're in.

 

[Robotstar5]

The issue then is that most insurance policies won't cover if it's not locked...

How does my mate get on with his Series I Land Rover then, no door locks, just reach in and lift the handle to open.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I noticed a house down one of the local lanes has a full metal cage now around their heating oil tank. The cage is substantially bigger than the tank so not possible to reach though the holes to the tank