Fuel transfer pump

[Roger]

My neighbours tractor is a right sod to fill from a jerrycan as the framework for the front lift obscures the fill pipe. As I am the one who usually ends up juggling a bucket of fuel, a funnel and some sink waste pipe from an elevated position I am going to persuade my neighbour to buy a fuel transfer pump but it is not the sort of thing you can send back if it proves not to be suitable. So has anyone got any experience of these things.

The only mechanical one I have come across so far is the £25 one from Screwfix but I have no idea how long it would take to transfer the 10 gallons that is the usual top-up.

There are several electrical ones around, both 12V and 240V which deliver 40 litres or more a minute which would suit me fine but as the prices start at over £100 even for the cheapest I don't want to be wasting my neighbours money unless I have to.

Given the amount of muck we seem to get with the red diesel I also need some sort of filter as I don't think the present arrangement of an old pair of tights over the spout of the funnel will translate too well to a pumped set-up so any pointers.

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the trouble to provide solutions to these minor problems.

[Nick]

For diesel I have seen used a £4-99 drill pump - works fine for about 2 years then gives up apparently - it was to transfer jerry can diesel into the fuel tank with a mains drill - quite fast, about two mins for a 20 litre transfer - could be used with a battery drill but I would expect slower

Nick

[The Medway Handyman]

Machine Mart do loads of different types in all price ranges

[AJH]

I'll see if I need to fill a machine from the bowser tomorrow, they are all fitted with 12V pumps and I've had no reliability problems, I'll look for a make but have no idea of the cost. They take about 20 minutes to transfer 700 litres.

AJH

[AJH]

I had a bit of a short day today ;-)

I couldn't see the make of the pump so I 'phoned Agritek, who make the bowser and all I could get out of them was that the difference in price between a model with an electric pump and one with just a hand pump was 100 quid, so probably a bit expensive for your purposes.

AJH

[Roger]

The message from AJH contains these words:

Thank for going to all that trouble.

[marpate1]

A friend of mine bought the mechanical one from Screwfix to transfer biodiesel from 20L containers - it failed miserably (why, I don't know) as it was designed for barrels (apparently).

I use a jiggle syphon for my biodiesel - but this is likely to be too slow for you. But, I agree that those drill powered ones may be ok for this - especially if you can connect it to the tractor crank :)

Perhaps worth posting to uk.cars.rec.maintenance if not already.

BTW, if you find a solution, please post it as I am looking for an alternative to the jiggle syphon :)

Cheers, Mark

[Nick]

I use a jiggle syphon for my biodiesel - but this is likely to be too slow for you. But, I agree that those drill powered ones may be ok for this - especially if you can connect it to the tractor crank :)

Perhaps worth posting to uk.cars.rec.maintenance if not already.

BTW, if you find a solution, please post it as I am looking for an alternative to the jiggle syphon :)

Cheers, Mark

I would add that the drill pump is not "rated" for diesel / central heating oil, only water I think, so I was not expecting it to last long. However, it did last about 2 years from memory, and I was entirely happy with that, for a fiver and it was OK on transfer rate (with a ? 2850 rpm drill)

Nick

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Roger saying something like:

I've been using one for the past couple of years for biodiesel and vegoil transfer. It's an Italian pump with a bronze housing and impeller, similar to this from Nothern Tool...

with a bit of hose and one of these... I have the cheapy farmer's version from my local mart.

The whole thing, made up by the local pump stockist, cost me around ¤175 and it's been well worth it. I use it for transfer from 50gal barrels to fuel tank - the pump inlet is connected to a 4' long semi-rigid piece of black Alkathene pipe which is fitted with a footvalve and goes down the barrel bunghole; the pump sits on top of the barrel, and simply does its job of filling the vehicle tank via the nozzle.

[Roger]

Thanks all.

I don't think our occasional use will justify an expense of well over £100.

I was tempted by the cheapness of the drill pump but on reflection the need for 240 Volts and a reliable drill as well shifts the balance to mechanical and as things stand at present we will probably go for the Clarke rotary at £25.84 from Machine Mart. It is intended for 45 gallon drums but I think it should work with a jerry can.

I haven't come across a suitable proprietary filter so it looks as is a pair of used tights will continue in service.

[Onetap]

Not having seen the tractor, but front lift, jerry can? Could the front lift lift a full can up above the level of the filler pipe? All you'd then need is a can with a valve on a bottom outlet and a bit of hose.

[Roger]

The message from Onetap contains these words:

Thanks.

Now there's a thought. Let gravity do more of the work.

Yes the front lift will go up to about vertical but your idea would work with the lift at less than vertical. It would even work with the container sitting on the tractor bonnet but getting even 5 gallons up there would probably need the assistance of the lift.

Now where can I source a suitable robust container with a tap outlet, and preferably a handle as well?

There is still the filtering to consider but with another container we could filter while decanting from the jerry cans. If I can't find a suitable container with a tap already fitted then it should be easy enough to fit a hose connector to a plastic container.

[AJH]

One like this on the right?

'll be too slow I think.

AJH

[Roger]

The message from AJH contains these words:

I think you may well be right.

[Nick]

Beer pressure barrel, possibly with a different tap ?

Nick

[Roger]

The message from "Nick" contains these words:

I am not sure how to source a free empty beer barrel. Ironically my neighbour did have one lying around for years but I am sure he has had that cut in two to provide planters in his garden.

I wonder if I can do anything with an empty propane container, but perhaps not. :-)

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Roger saying something like:

Unscrew the top and fill it with water before you cut it. Quite safe, really.

[Roger]

The message from Grimly Curmudgeon contains these words:

Actually I was thinking more on the lines of fixing a second tap. I am not sure what flow rate you would get out if you used the gas valve (or how easy it would be to fill with red diesel using the top entry sans valve) but given the need for a second orifice so air can get in to replace the fluid going out I didn't pursue the idea very far.

Current preferred solution is a 5 gallon water container with a filler cap big enough for me to get my hand through if it doesn't come complete with a tap, but so far no joy. I was in our local substitute for a camping emporium early today but the assistant, apart from casting doubt on the material as a container for diesel, said the one they stocked had too small a filler cap. I didn't believe the notion that a water carrier would deteriorate if used for diesel but did he have a point?

The water carriers with taps that I have seen illustrated so far have all seemed to have puny spouts that have to cope with both the flow of liquid out and flow of replacement air in.