No-Spill fueling ideas needed

[number9L]

Ive got a white plastic 55g drum that I use for fuel. When empty I haul it to the gas station and put about 25g in it and use the tractor to unload and carry it to the tack barn I keep it in.

In the drum I use a harbor freight hand (crank) pump with a 1" by 6' full hose. I just pull the tractor into the barn, put the hose in the tank and crank the pump. Problem is, I cat stand at the crank and reach the tank, let alone see down in it. The fuel tank being black doesn't make things any easier either. I've got to pump, check tank, pump little more and repeat. I've only filled the tractor 3 times since owning it, but I can already see this setup sucks.

I need ideas for making some type of indicator device I could attach to the end of the hose and stick down in the tank that would show when the tank is full. Like day some type of stick that would float on the fuel and raise up as the level gets higher. Then I could mark the "full" position on it. I know how/what I want to do, just can't think of what components to use to make it happen.

Any ideas some of you may have would be great.

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[emitchell]

maybe one of those little Styrofoam fishing bobbers with a stick through it and some weight on the bottom to make it stand up right?

 

[stuckmotor]

Can you park so you can see the fuel gauge on the tractor?

 

[Lou66]

you didn't say if it was gas or diesel,, but wouldn't make a lot of difference,, get a piece 36" bamboo they are anywhere from 3/8 to 1/4 thick,, you can get them at lowes or home depot,, put a small screw on the bottom end,, drop it in and mark it when it is full.. it will last several months at a time.. I think they come 12 or 18 teen to package.. I also use them for my tomatoes.. Lou

 

[KPark]

Maybe a monometer type of guage? could tee off from fuel filter with petcock and clear tubing. Not the most graceful of solutions, but. . .

 

[aczlan]

2 options that I have used with sucess:
1. Put the nozzle 2-3" down into the tank and listen for the sound of flowing fuel to go away, then stop pumping
2. Buy an auto stop nozzle (like this one for $40)

Aaron Z

 

[CNC Dan]

cork with a piece of coathanger wire stuck in it. Bend the wire into a tee to rest over the opening of the tank. Watch for the wire to start lifting as the cork starts to float.

OR

measure the fuel level with stick/ruler. Crank pump 10 turns, remeasure. Repeat. Figure out how many cranks of pump untill full. Crank pump that many turns.

 

[The kid]

Did you ever look at a public water reservior tank that had a indicator on the outside showing the internal contents level. Although it compromise a sealed container. It would be easy to make with fishing line or (weedeater line) a large float bobber and a small weight weighing less that the weighted floating bobber. A scale drawn on the side. Do you get the idea.

 

[creekbend]

maybe one of those little Styrofoam fishing bobbers with a stick through it and some weight on the bottom to make it stand up right?

I think you are referring to a "Popping Cork". I used them to fish for Seatrout and Redfish while in Florida.

 

[number9L]

Great ideas all guys. I bought some small (that I could find) fishing bobbers today to use for the indicator. Stripped a welding rod bare and bent it around a PVC pipe in about a 3/4 circle so it "snaps" onto the filler neck and lays down between the threads. Then I went out and filled the tractor but found the hose I've got running off the hand pump is too large to allow the bobbers to fit in the neck with the tube at the same time. I'm going to keep going with this and find something that is small enough diameter to work.

Hmmm......just had an idea....maybe get an extra fuel lid, drill a hole in it to stick the fill hose down in, and another small hole for the welding rod to stick through. Use some type of bobber on the bottom of the rod to raise the rod when the fuel level is right up at the bottom of the neck (or very close to it). 90 degree bend on both ends of the rod to keep the bobber from falling off and the rod from dropping down through the cap into the tank.

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[KYErik]

If you can find an old analog bathroom scale for $1-2 at a yard sale, you could make a little plywood platform for the barrel to sit on it (or at least so that one edge of the barrel sits on it), this way you could tell how many pounds of fuel you had added to the tractor's tank and how many pounds were left in the barrel.

 

[BigE_]

Build a platform for the barrel above the level of the fuel cap. Tap the side of the barrel near the bottom, install your fuel line there, and let gravity do the work for you.

You could also go with a siphon hose through the top to test it out first. You can get a jiggle siphon hose from harbor freight for cheap. Bottom of the barrel still needs to be above the fuel cap for it to work...

 

[number9L]

Solved my fueling concern. I couldn't get the floater idea to work out like I wanted, so I bit the bullet and bought a 12v transfer pump from Northern Tool. Caught it on sale for $119 and then found a $20 OFF coupon online. Cheaper than the HF unit and looks to be a much better unit from what I've seen.

I was tired of loading the plastic 55g drum in the bed of my truck to take it to the truck stop and refill it. Was a hassle, made a mess in the bed of my truck and seemed to get diesel all over me in the process.

I had this trailer just sitting around not being used for anything, so I welded up a cradle out of scrap metal I had laying around. The cradle drops down in between the cross members of the trailer and hangs down 12'' to keep the weight low. Didn't want to hang it down any farther than the axle is off the ground for clearance.

Now I can just hook the trailer up and pull it to the truck stop to fill the drum, and pull it back on my land if I am going to be doing a lot of work with the tractor so fuel is on site.

I got the filter setup from Tractor Supply. Also extended the battery leads out a few feet to reach the tractor easier.

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[BigE_]

Nice setup! I like that little military surplus trailer...

 

[sparc]

Maybe a monometer type of guage? could tee off from fuel filter with petcock and clear tubing. Not the most graceful of solutions, but. . .

I was thinking of this too. I would tie the top in on the top of the tank somewhere, that way you will get a fairly accurate reaading and no worries about spills. Plumbing the top back into the top of the tank will vent the standpipe/level gauge and it will seek the same level as inside the tank. The tubing needs to be something that will hold up to temperature extremes and would have to be placed away from exhaust, etc.

As said not elegant but it would work.


All in all I think the suggestion below is your best (and safest) bet.

2. Buy an auto stop nozzle (like this one for $40)

 

[number9L]

Hooking the battery clips on the battery and trying to refuel wasn't working out so good, so I ordered some 12g SAE connector pigtails and extended the wiring from off the pump about 7 feet. Also installed an SAE connector to the battery and let it hang down out from under the hood a few inches over top of the front axle. Now I can just pull up and plug the SAE connectors together and fuel up.

Had some fenders left over from this project involving a surplus trailer that was meant to haul a genset....

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/282066-military-surplus-farm-trailer.html

The genset trailer was fresh out of rebuild and had all the tools, etc with it in the tool box, so I unwrapped the fire extinguisher and installed it on the bracket on the fender like it was meant to be. Hopefully will never use it, but it's there just in case.

Fenders are WAY too wide for this chassis, but they didn't cost me anything so I put them on anyway.

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[Budweiser John]

For the better part of 40 years I wrestled with the ubiquitous "Jerry Can" always spilling a significant amount on my self and the tractor not to mention those things are heavy. Anyway, at a recent construction auction I picked up a rectangular 100 gal. transfer tank, the type usually put in the back of a pick Up truck. I mounted it on 6x6 wooden skids, replaced the pump with a 110V pump and painted it up with diesel yellow paint. My propane guy also delivers diesel fuel so with a quick phone call I can have off road diesel, the red stuff, delivered and unlike going to the local truck stop don't pay any road tax on the fuel.
The system works like a dream. When it's time to re-fuel, I pull the tractor in the shed, leave the ignition on remove the fuel cap and squeeze the filler nozzle. when the gauge says full, hang the nozzle back on the wall, turn off the pump, replace the fuel cap and return to work never spilling a drop.

Foot note to red diesel. This is strictly off road stuff. Don't get caught using it in your pick up or motor home............