# Can I siphon out the old fuel if there is a baffle in the line?



## Eagle One (Feb 11, 2011)

I have almost a full tank of gasoline that has been sitting in my 89 Camaro in the garage for almost a year now. I have a siphon pump but there is an obstruction in the fill line that won't let me get the hose down into the tank. I assume it is either a baffle or screen of some kind. I have heard that you can open up the baffle with a metal rod or something like that but can't confirm that. Is there any way to get this fuel out easily? I don't want to open the fuel line and have it go everywhere and I don't really want to risk burning it through the engine. And, yes, I will plan better next time and use it or add stabilizers. :wink:


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Far safer to add some oxtane booster. some Stable and just burn it out by running the engine.


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## Marty1Mc (Mar 19, 2011)

You should have an electric fuel pump. I would follow the feed line and find the filter. I would disconnect it just before the filter and run a hose from the line to can, clamp the hose. I would turn on the ignition and let the pump drain the tank.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

The restriction is in the filler tube. You could remove the overflow tube from the tank and siphon the tank direct. 
You could jump the relay to keep the fuel pump on (pin 30 to 87), remove and plug the return line to dead head the pump, but the volume it pushes it would take a few hours to drain a tank.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

why? I have over a year old fuel in power generator and it runs fine. if you just can't, add some stabilizer to it, by flushing it down the filler pipe with some gas, and run engine. evenbetter, add a can of Seafoam same time and go on freeway for an hour. have fun.


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## CaptRandy (Nov 9, 2011)

Closed system, fuel should be OK to run.


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## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

ukrkoz said:


> why? I have over a year old fuel in power generator and it runs fine. if you just can't, add some stabilizer to it, by flushing it down the filler pipe with some gas, and run engine. evenbetter, add a can of Seafoam same time and go on freeway for an hour. have fun.


 
I have a generator that stabilizer did nothing to, was sitting with gas in it for just over a year. Had to pull the carb off and clean it for it to work.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Doc Holliday said:


> I have a generator that stabilizer did nothing to, was sitting with gas in it for just over a year. Had to pull the carb off and clean it for it to work.


i have heard that those "stabilizers" do nothing good for the customers. 
and sometimes do bad things.

i had 2 year old gas in my truck, a HOT ROD, that i didn't drive much.
it started and ran as normal.


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## CaptRandy (Nov 9, 2011)

The stabilizer is not the problem, look at a product called Startron, it helps stop phase separation of the ethanol. Ethanol actually attracts and attaches to water and mixes with the fuel. _It scrubs the fuel tank and removes the dirt and impurities from years of use ant that crap goes through the fuel lines into the carbs and deteriorates older fuel lines._


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## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

Fix'n it said:


> i have heard that those "stabilizers" do nothing good for the customers.
> and sometimes do bad things.
> 
> i had 2 year old gas in my truck, a HOT ROD, that i didn't drive much.
> it started and ran as normal.


 
I was once given a 19something Oldsmobile Delta 88. Customer said it was running when he parked it there two years ago, only moved it once when the pavement/parking lot was being tarred about a few months into parking the thing. 

It wouldn't start with the 1/4 tank of old gas in it so I had it towed to my place by way of electrician friend with F-250 and tow strap. I added one gallon of gas and the next day it started. 

Guess the new gas reinvigorated the old. No carb clean needed or stabilizer or anything, just one gallon of new gas.


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

Fix'n it said:


> i have heard that those "stabilizers" do nothing good for the customers.
> and sometimes do bad things.
> 
> i had 2 year old gas in my truck, a HOT ROD, that i didn't drive much.
> it started and ran as normal.


I am not fond of "stabilizers" and like you, have heard nothing good about them. I have bought some old cars in my time, that sat for lengthy periods, and the gas was fine. For my small engines that store for the winter, I simply run the tanks and carbs dry. Never had any issues and with the tank full, they start the first or second pull in the spring.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

I drove an old van today that the gas is more than a year old. I just charged the battery and it started and ran fine. I have an old PU that I start about once a month that the gas must be 5 years old. Just drive it.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

You should be fine to run it. I wouldn't expect to win any drag races, but it'll run well enough to get it all out of there.


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## Eagle One (Feb 11, 2011)

Just want to follow up on what I did and how things went. I was in fact able to get a quarter inch siphon hose to fit through the baffle by prodding a bit. I had given up too easily before when the baffle stopped the hose initially. I then pulled about 3-4 gallons of the old gas out, put it in our other car and filled that up so the mix was about 10 gallons new fuel to 4 gallons old. I then added about 2-3 gallons of fresh fuel to the camaro tank with the old fuel, started it up and ran it to empty and had no noticeable problems. It now has a full tank of fresh fuel.

This is an interesting debate as some people do contend that running the old fuel is detrimental to the car or whatever. Well, based on what others have said in this thread and my own experiences (I have run six plus month old fuel in that same camaro many times before), I think the problem is probably overstated. Adding the fresh 2-3 gallons may have helped (as someone else mentioned above) in this case as well. Whatever the case, I am glad I didn't waste that fuel with prices being where they are today.


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## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

I just have a diesel truck that did used to belong to my friend which he put it in storage for 15 years and he called me to help him to lit it up it was not too bad for 15 year fuel.

( btw that is a detorit diesel engine aka screaming jimmy ) 

The only issue with that engine is the injector rack can get stuck but only found one bad one but otherwise it ran pretty good.

Merci,
Marc


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## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

Me too- stabilizers are, well, in the class of other automotive elixirs with very shady. scant , woeful lack of real scientific proof of their effectiveness. Yes, can cause more harm than good.

I too have had engines sit for many many months only to have them start with no problem. Gas can gunk, though, depending on if its a carb, FI, narrow fuel line, etc.


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