Water in gas tank. Help.

[mchizhik]

Left the gas cap off after refueling, and yes I know I'm an idiot. Help. I only can think of taking off the sender for the gas gague, and siphoning out the bottom of the tank. (as the water should be on the bottom.)
 Is there an easier way? chemical additive??


Any input would help. and yes I know.....
Thanks all.


bngh

[Luna Sea 5]

my opinion, put in an additive..  run the boat but empty your water separator every 10 minutes or so.  The separator is made to catch the water that is in the gas, so....  let it do its job.... so since you have alot of water in the tank, just empty the separator as often as possible until you think all the water is out.  After a while, take the gas/water in your separator and dump it in a clear container and let is sit for a while.  If there is water in the gas, you will be able to see it separate, clear as day. 

[SouthPaw]

If you have a lot of water there isn't any chemical to help you. the best you can do is physically remove the water to the best of your ability and then add dry gas to remove what you can't get at. Dry gas won't work for large amounts.

[mchizhik]

I have a faulty gas gauge, which i think is the sender, so it has to come out anyway. As long as I drain it while it is out, and add the dry gas, and drain the fuel filter, it there anything that i probably have damaged, or sould everything be ok. The motor is a 89 4.3 merc raw water cooled. Thanks for all your help. 

[SouthPaw]

Being a four stroke engine you have a lot less risk than with a two stroke. After draining and the dry gas you may have some sputtering but no long term damage.

[Luna Sea 5]

did you run it with the water in the gas

[mckee17]

THERE ARE TWO PRODUCTS WHICH SHOULD HELP.  MDR E-ZORB EMULSIFIES THE WATER INTO THE GAS WHICH THEN BURNS THRU THE ENGINE.  STAR TRON ENZYME TREATMENT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED.  I WOULD USE BOTH AND DOUBLE THE RECOMMENDED DOSE.  I HAVE BEEN USING THE STUFF IN MY BOAT FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS, ON ACCOUNT OF THE E10 GAS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF WATER SEPARATION.

[IrishAyes]

Just to analyze this.
You refueled and left the cap off...did you FILL the tank?
If so, how much did you use?
How did the water get into the tank? Rain water? Water you shipped over the side when you were running? Condensation?
Perhaps there is not a lot of water in the tank and an additive would work.

If there is a lot of water in the tank and you need to replace the sending unit anyway. Let the boat sit for a few days, the water will settle to the bottom. Remove the sending unit, place the hose from a siphon on the bottom of the tank and start the flow. When you see a change in color/density you may then be to a point where you have mostly pure fuel. The rest of the water that is still mixed with the fuel can be run thru the motor with an additive.

Does this make sense to any of your mechanics out there? 

[Pops Soul]

Just to analyze this.
You refueled and left the cap off...did you FILL the tank?
If so, how much did you use?
How did the water get into the tank? Rain water? Water you shipped over the side when you were running? Condensation?
Perhaps there is not a lot of water in the tank and an additive would work.

If there is a lot of water in the tank and you need to replace the sending unit anyway. Let the boat sit for a few days, the water will settle to the bottom. Remove the sending unit, place the hose from a siphon on the bottom of the tank and start the flow. When you see a change in color/density you may then be to a point where you have mostly pure fuel. The rest of the water that is still mixed with the fuel can be run thru the motor with an additive.

Does this make sense to any of your mechanics out there? 

That makes a whole lot of sense Joe 

[Luna Sea 5]

Just to analyze this.
You refueled and left the cap off...did you FILL the tank?
If so, how much did you use?
How did the water get into the tank? Rain water? Water you shipped over the side when you were running? Condensation?
Perhaps there is not a lot of water in the tank and an additive would work.

If there is a lot of water in the tank and you need to replace the sending unit anyway. Let the boat sit for a few days, the water will settle to the bottom. Remove the sending unit, place the hose from a siphon on the bottom of the tank and start the flow. When you see a change in color/density you may then be to a point where you have mostly pure fuel. The rest of the water that is still mixed with the fuel can be run thru the motor with an additive.

Does this make sense to any of your mechanics out there? 

im no mechanic, but it make alot of sense.  depends on the amount of water.  water and fuel will separate when sitting.. syphon the tank from the bottom... should remove all the water, plus some fuel..

[wb]

The fuel pickup tube should not go the the VERY bottom of the tank for just that reason- invariably there is a small amount of water that will sink to the bottom (actually it is the gas that floats to the top.)

If the sender is comng out anyways try the siphon trick-- you may do better with a small diameter hose like 1/4" or 3/8" ID nylon pneumatic tubing. It will take longer but you will be able to just get right from the very bottom and if its clear tubing you may not get a mouthful of gas  bngh

[wingshooter]

syphon the gas from the bottom, save it and use it for your lawnmower,,,then run it and keep emptying the separator,,,,,engine will sputter and run rough but will eventually run good once youre water free,,,,

dont forget to change the spark plugs when youre back to good gas only

[Treebeard]

I agree with the the idea of siphoning from the bottom, and then using an additive.. I will offer one more suggestion as learned from experience.. Have a buddy in another boat handy if possible the first time out.. The motor may seem to run smooth while hooked to the hose, but when a load is applied when in gear and pushing the boat, you may find it then begins to choke and die. You could also run fine until the seperator becomes saturated, then begin to falter.. As Luna said, you could drain it, but it may take a while to re-start it afterwards..so maybe a good idea to have a spare battery on hand..

[mchizhik]

 


THANKS EVERYONE. ALL BETTER A WHILE AGO....TO BUSY FISHING TO REMEMBER TO REPLY AND THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE INFO. NO LONG TERM DAMAGE THAT I CAN TELL(KNOCKING ON WOOD). THANKS AGAIN