Empty the Fuel Tank

ihatemybike · Post by **ihatemybike** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:42 pm

I played with Grumpy a little today. Disconnected the fuel filter, attached a hose to the tank side fuel line, unplugged the tank's wiring harness, then with the help of my daughter turning the key and a multimeter figured out which pins are the power and ground for the fuel pump. Rigged up a long wire to plug into wiring harness, attached the other side to a jump pack, positioned the hose in a gas can, and turned the jump pack on. Wahooo, pump does it's job and I fill the gas can 8 times and dump it into Green. I figure I have about 7 gallons left in the tank now and will get pics and video tomorrow.

9dawgs · Post by **9dawgs** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:48 pm

Oh man, bare wires and open gas containers spells disaster!

I would not do this if I were you. Sounds like much potential for a major conflagration. Seriously, it doesn't take a whole lot of spark to set off some gas fumes. I've seen some awesome demonstartions while I was in the military during firefighting training.

phr1$k37 · Post by **phr1$k37** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:10 pm

Balls of Steel!
Err ... no offense but tell the little one to stand far away ... oh with a camcorder as well please
Do be careful.

sfeaver · Post by **sfeaver** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:21 pm

There is a wire in the wiring harness near the battery that goes direct to the fuel pump. It has a plastic connector on it, you cant miss it. You just jump 12v+ to the battery and the pump fires up. I was able to empty my tank completely when I changed my fuel pump.

Scott

ihatemybike · Post by **ihatemybike** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:44 pm

Trust me, I'm being very careful. The side I plugged into the wiring harness plugged fully in with no bare wire exposed, the jump pack side was over eight feet away, and the van was outside with a nice cross breeze for ventilation. At that point my daughter was in for the night and filming was suspended for the day. I'll have to find the connector near the battery.

mikedamech · Post by **mikedamech** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:38 pm

No seriously, use the test wire. It's why GM put it there. I'm on forums where fires are started from costly mistakes like that, I'm talking burnt down shop disasters. If I test a fuel pump out of the tank I always use solvent for fuel.

peter · Post by **peter** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:08 am

On another note, would you mind terribly if I were to propose purchasing a life insurance policy on you? I'd give your family half in case something ever happened...

astrozam · Post by **astrozam** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:51 am

Does anyone have a pic handy of this test wire??

92astro · Post by **92astro** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:30 pm

i don't have a pic, but on my 1992 vin:Z astro if you look at the fuel pump relay follow the wiring harness there is a little garyish wire that has a little connector on the end of it it does not connect to anything should be the same on other years too. FYI the fuel pump relay is next to the a/c blower relay!!

astrozam · Post by **astrozam** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:45 pm

92astro wrote:i don't have a pic, but on my 1992 vin:Z astro if you look at the fuel pump relay follow the wiring harness there is a little garyish wire that has a little connector on the end of it it does not connect to anything should be the same on other years too. FYI the fuel pump relay is next to the a/c blower relay!!

O.k thanks

sfeaver · Post by **sfeaver** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:00 pm

Heres what it looks like, this is found near the battery. The fuse box that is above the battery is in the top of this picture. This is taken on the basement floor, the van isnt here right now

This harness is from a 97, so a different year might be a different color, but the connector will be the same.

Scott

92astro · Post by **92astro** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:41 pm

mine comes from the fuel pump relay harness. mine is a 1992.

Water Boy · Post by **Water Boy** » Fri May 02, 2008 8:49 pm

Worked with a girl in the service department that was always telling us stupid stuff her husband did.

One day, he was transferring gas from the fuel tank to some other tank.
He didn't get much of it transferred because he was using a shop vac

True story.
He survived.
The shop vac was a total loss.

active1951 · Post by **active1951** » Sun May 04, 2008 3:15 pm

Good info about lil wire to pump. Maybe could use that if pump relay went bad, to at least get back home.

Also, I have only drained tank if pump was bad, so I had to do it the old fashioned way, which ain't easy nowadays with that check ball in tank neck. If you are draining with a good pump, why not put hose on fule line and turn ignition to ON, not START, and fuel regulator would not turn off pump since required pressure was never reached?

Water Boy · Post by **Water Boy** » Sun May 04, 2008 4:30 pm

I've used the rag and tubing and compressed air method to "push" out the fuel from a tank.

Chevy & GMC Vans

Chevy & GMC Vans

Empty the Fuel Tank

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