RE: SIPHON USE
I would like to clarify what my personal experience with a
particular siphon has been, in contrast to the
post discussing a need to suck gas, etc.
I had to experience with siphoning before purchasing a portable,
small siphon shown at this URLs for $5.00:
http://www.shop.com/op/~CUSTOM_ACCESSORIES_36668_6'_Tube_Siphon_Pump-
prod-20376811-27887703?sourceid=298
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/
(vqavqz55ap5dg35525yqlx55)/ProductDetails.aspx?
SKU=8135238&Source=froogle
A "squeeze bulb" sits inline between a long and a short length of
clear tubing. One places the long end in the gas source, and the
short tube into the destination.
I usually initiated gas movement by placing my index finger over
the short tube at the "destination" end of the siphon tube after
first squeezing all air out of the squeeze bulb. Once the air is out
of the bulb, I placed the end into the source of gas, and removed my
index finger from the tube at the destination.
8 times out of 10, the gas would begin flowing from source to
destination pretty steadily. The gas would continue running
without "flaking out" until the source tube was no longer submerged
in gas. Due to the shape of the tank, and poor visibility, it takes
patience and repeated efforts to "place" strategically the tube into
the tank if removing gas from the KLR. We felt that to do that
expeditiously, one would need to affix the siphon tube to some kind
of a "stick" device that doesn't bend much and one could "point" the
siphon tube accurately into the bowels of the KLR tank. I suppose it
would be ideal if such a pointer stick guide had a little led light
on the end so that you can see in there under all lighting
conditions. A problem with this siphon was the tube tends to easily
curl around unexpectedly so that it is actually curled out of the
gas source. If affixed to a "guide stick" one would over come that
curling effect. That was a frustrating part of aiming it.
We did not feel that the siphon was highly sensitive to height
differences between a source tank and the destination tank. We were
pleasantly surprised with its willingness to work. At different
times, we source gas from the KLR tank into a portable gas can on
the ground, from a portable gas tank raised a foot or two above the
KLR tank...and into the KLR tank.
Not once did we need to suck gas or place lips on a tube to get gas
to move out of some eight or ten siphoning episodes on a weekend.
It takes a little patience to wait for the gas to move because that
tube is narrow. While we didn't time it, I would guess that moving
two gallons of gas may have taken not more than about ten or twenty
minutes. We were busy discussing other things and didn't pay special
attention to time.
It seemed to me that having a portable siphon like that could be
quite valuable in emergencies and I felt that if people didn't buy
it because they thought they'd have to suck gas, that would be
unfortunate.
I think that is about my whole spiel.
James/California