How do I drain a McKee Craft fuel tank and restart an Evinrude E-TEC 60?
I've got a McKee Craft with an Evinrude E-TEC 60, model E60DPLSA, and suspect the petrol has gone bad. How do I empty and remove the tank, clear the old fuel out and get the engine running again?
Answer
Drain and inspect the tank before deciding whether to remove it, then test the Evinrude E-TEC 60 on a separate tank of fresh petrol. Tank removal depends on the McKee Craft model and deck layout; the engine model E60DPLSA does not identify how the boat's tank is installed.
Check fuel and tank access
Take a sample from the bottom of the tank, where water and sediment collect. Petrol drawn through the engine's supply hose may look clean while contamination remains below the pickup.
Let the sample settle in a suitable fuel-resistant inspection container. Separate layers, droplets beneath the petrol or substantial debris mean the tank needs cleaning. Colour and smell alone cannot tell you whether petrol is usable.
Trace the engine's fuel hose forward. A portable tank can usually be disconnected, unstrapped and lifted out. A built-in tank normally has a deck filler, vent hose, supply connection and fuel-gauge sender wiring. Small inspection plates may expose these fittings but leave too little room to lift out the tank.
Transfer petrol outdoors with the engine cold. Disconnect the battery before opening the fuel system, eliminate ignition sources and use petrol-rated transfer equipment and approved containers.
Drain before removing the tank
Do not copy an inboard diesel tank-draining procedure. Your E-TEC uses petrol, and the tank may have no accessible drain.
- Switch off the ignition, remove the key and label the fuel hoses and sender wires before disconnecting anything.
- Use a petrol-rated hand pump or an appropriately rated fuel-transfer pump. Never use a drill pump, domestic electric pump, wet vacuum or mouth siphon.
- Extract fuel through an accessible service opening where practical. Removing the sender can provide access, but clean around it first and preserve any backing ring beneath its screws.
- Reach the lowest accessible part of the tank. Pumping through the pickup alone normally leaves some liquid behind.
- Collect the remaining water and sediment, then inspect with equipment suitable for a petrol-vapour atmosphere. Take contaminated petrol to a disposal facility that accepts it.
Do not add alcohol or solvents as a cleaning shortcut. A small rinse with fresh petrol can collect loose residue. Persistent deposits, internal corrosion or inaccessible compartments need professional tank cleaning.
Check the tank removal route
Photograph the installation, then disconnect the filler, vent, supply hose and sender wiring. Release accessible straps or brackets and check for bonding wires, sealant and retaining foam before lifting the empty tank.
McKee Craft layouts vary. Some installations have a removable deck panel; others require substantial deck work. Do not cut the deck or dig out flotation foam until you have established the tank boundaries, structural members and intended removal route. Stop if the tank remains trapped after its visible fixings are released.