Tricks for catching fuel drained from FCC

[AirTool]

I want to drain and collect the gas and water from my FCC bowl. Also, I don't want to make a mess and spill fuel everywhere.

Can anyone suggest tricks for easily loosening the drain plug and collecting the fuel all at the same time e.g. 2 liter bottles, tupperware, etc. I know gasoline eats through many plastics...so need to be careful there.

I'd like to drain the bowl but not change the filter until I've burned last year's fuel. Even if I change the filter, still need to catch the drainage.

Also, I have the banded bowl, not the spin on....so no problems planned with that.

AirTool

[Quinner]

RE: Tricks for catching fuel drained from FCC

It's always a good idea to drain B4 layup not in the spring.

[AirTool]

??? Tricks for catching fuel drained from FCC

Please forgive me for waiting until after winter. A handy way to catch the fuel would make this easier...and I would do more frequently.

A valve would be nice, but it would probably leak.

Another poster suggested never taking the drain connection loose...just take the bowl off.

I'd just like to see what's in there before I run the E10 through it.

[LT206]

I like to take a length of waterhose (or some other type of hose and run it through the drain hole in the boat to some type of catch pan - then unscrew the drain plug and hold the hose up to the draining fuel to catch it and direct it to the catch pan. You still spill some fuel, but a well placed rag will keep it from getting everywhere.

Don't understand why you want to drain the bowl without changing the filter though. I'd just wait until you're ready to change the filter to drain it.

[AirTool]

I like to take a length of waterhose (or some other type of hose and run it through the drain hole in the boat to some type of catch pan - then unscrew the drain plug and hold the hose up to the draining fuel to catch it and direct it to the catch pan. You still spill some fuel, but a well placed rag will keep it from getting everywhere.

That's a good idea....I'll clamp the hose to a funnel to increase the catch area. I'll run the hose to a plastic bottle that won't dissolve. Might put a small piece of mesh in the funnel to catch the plug.

Any better ideas?

Don't understand why you want to drain the bowl without changing the filter though. I'd just wait until you're ready to change the filter to drain it.

In this case it is not that important to me. But I was interested in how much water was in there from last year. (Actually, from whenever. I'm the second owner and I don't know if the filter was ever changed.)

Also interested in how much water was in the tank I left half full of gas...in a humid environment. Now I already topped off the tank and burned down half last weekend. I could go ahead and just change the filter but wanted to use last year's fuel first. I'll probably burn the fuel down and just drain the bowl and change the filter. In the future, though, I'd like an easy way to drain the bowl and check for water.

.

[SquamInboards]

The funnel w/ hose attachment into a small pan will work fine. I always use an oil-zorb pad too - it's a synthetic fabric pad about 18" square and 1/4" thick - you could probably pick up a package of them at an auto parts store. These things are sponges for gas and oil based anything, and you can put one in the pan to keep gas from splashing, and one under the FCC and funnel arrangement to catch any drips, they work great. A cheap aluminum baking pan with one of those in it works perfect - you may even be able to get the whole thing under the FCC by bending down an edge, then bending it back, and if you use the pad, you don't have to worry as much about spilling when you take it out because all the gas is contained in the pad. Just be careful disposing of the pads, that's the tricky part.

[DanielC]

I use a container thar orginally held cottage cheese. It is flexable enough to squeeze into place under the FCC, but I usually have to put the plug back in, and drain the cottage cheese container into another can, one or two times.
Look for a "PP" on the bottom of the container, or a "5" inside the recycling symbol. I beliece this plastic is polyproplene.
This plastic also works for mixing small quantities of gelcoat.
DO NOT USE "PS", polystyrene, it will melt almost as soon as the gas hits to bottom of the container.

[JUST-IN-TIME]

i use a zip lock bag after i loosen the bolt
then i unscew the bolt through the bag