Fuel diversion?
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techno
New member
I got caught in a rare snow storm when I was offroad once and tree's were falling down all over the road. I ran out of fuel for my chainsaw so I disconnected the fuel line at the carby (not in my 4runner then) and cranked the engine over to squirt fuel into a container, then used that to continue cutting my way out of the forest.
I imagine you could set up something similar, but I'm not exactly sure where the fuel line goes to for our fuel injected systems.
I imagine you could set up something similar, but I'm not exactly sure where the fuel line goes to for our fuel injected systems.
Can you do it? Sure. Can you do it safely? Depends on your engineering skills.
The fuel pump has plenty of capacity to supply the engine and a small generator, so you could just put in a tee in the supply line between the fuel tank and the engine. However, the fuel pump cranks out fuel at about 50 psi. You'd need to regulate that down and then put in some sort of a float valve on the generator supply tank to keep it at the right level.
Done carefully it could work, but it would take good design to prevent spills and a fire hazard.
Do you really need to run a generator while driving? How about a heavy duty inverter running off the 12V system. It would be a lot safer. Where will you put the generator so as to keep noise and fumes out of the passenger compartment?
The fuel pump has plenty of capacity to supply the engine and a small generator, so you could just put in a tee in the supply line between the fuel tank and the engine. However, the fuel pump cranks out fuel at about 50 psi. You'd need to regulate that down and then put in some sort of a float valve on the generator supply tank to keep it at the right level.
Done carefully it could work, but it would take good design to prevent spills and a fire hazard.
Do you really need to run a generator while driving? How about a heavy duty inverter running off the 12V system. It would be a lot safer. Where will you put the generator so as to keep noise and fumes out of the passenger compartment?
TechWrench
Senior Member
Why not just carry a small, 1-2 1/2 gal tank with you.
Thanks for the reply.
First, thanks very much for your thoughtful reply.
I realize now that my initial post wasn't clear. I don't want to use the generator while traveling. I have a small travel trailer, which doesn't have a good place to store my small generator or a small fuel can. I intend to use the generator when camping, with no access to electric power. My generator has a good fuel valve that allows me to store it in my 4R while traveling, without allowing gas fumes to escape into the vehicle. However, I don't think I can find a fuel can with the same properties. Of course I don't want to have fuel vapors in the vehicle.
So I simply want to collect fuel once at the campsite, when the 4R is NOT moving, not even 'running'. I would then transfer that fuel to the generator fuel tank, outside of vehicle and trailer. However, I didn't realize that the fuel injection system generates 50 psi. That's a lot of pressure; perhaps it's unreasonable to try to collect it.
Thanks again for the feedback.
gm350reratliff
New member
A lot of RV's that share a fuel tank have a separate line plumbed into the fuel sending unit that doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the tank just for generator use. The purpose of a shorter generator suction line is that you can't run your vehicle totally out of fuel. You could possibly do something similar with the 4runner sending unit and use a low pressure/low volume in-line fuel pump. The one possible issue I see with this would be a possible evap emissions code when pumping fuel for the generator if the 4runner engine was off.
TechWrench
Senior Member
OK, going back to the OP's 1st post, he mentions that you can't siphon fuel from the tank. I haven't actually tried it on my 4Runner, so I can't speak from experience with this vehicle, but I am wondering why siphoning is not an option? I know the fuel inlet hose take several bends before it reaches the tank, but other than the flap valve in the filler tube, why couldn't you use a flexible hose and s siphon pump to remove fuel from the tank? I am thinking maybe a small diameter hose, wrapped in a stainless mesh, should be able to be coaxed down the inlet hose to the tank. If it can be make to work, this would be a much simpler answer to the problem.
I haven't tried to get a hose into the tank on my T4R but I have tried on my Suburban that needs a new fuel pump and has a full tank of gas, it has a 4 foot rubber hose with several turns in it and it's not possible to get a fexible hose passed even the frist turn becasue the fexible hose will not allow you to push it passed the first turn much less to several other turns, you may be able to get it passed some of the turns with a more stiffer plastic tubing but getting it all the way into the tank may not happen with all the turns you have to get it passed.
From looking at the following linked diagram the T4R has a tube and then a rubber hose as well, the tube has a 90 degree sharp turn and then a maybe a 45 degree turn then you will have the hose with at least one turn in it before you get into the tank, this maybe even harder than the one on my Suburban even though it a bit shorter to the tank.
If it's possible to get a hose/tubing into my Suburban or the T4R I would think it would have to be a stiffer but still semi fexible plastic tubing, I will be trying this on my Suburban sometime soon before giving in and dropping the tank as much as I can to try and get most of the gas out to do the fuel pump.
https://toyotaparts.mcgeorgetoyota....e/fuel-system-cat/fuel-system-components-scat
TowMeOut
New member
Sounds like your best bet is to re-examine your trailer storage options. Rotopax are all the rage but are crazy expensive. They have a wide variety of brackets though so you can fasten them to the exterior of most any vehicle.
I've been looking hard at marine fuel tanks for storage/transport. These are blow molded and seamless so there's less chance of them springing a leak. They're low profile so they should ride much better on a roof rack or maybe the tongue of your trailer. They're made to take some abuse (the bottom of a boat isn't a very nice environment). They also come in a lot of different sizes.
We're planning a trip for later in the year where it will be a very good idea to bring along a chainsaw. I'll likely only need to bring at most a gallon of fuel but again this creates problems since I don't have a very good place to store it either. A small tank on my roof rack along with an expandable luggage bag might be just the ticket. This will give me some extra "just in case" fuel. A tiny bottle of two cycle oil and I'm all set.
Overall, I'd stay far away from monkeying around with your fuel lines and fittings. That just sounds like a good way to accidentally introduce a failure point.
I've been looking hard at marine fuel tanks for storage/transport. These are blow molded and seamless so there's less chance of them springing a leak. They're low profile so they should ride much better on a roof rack or maybe the tongue of your trailer. They're made to take some abuse (the bottom of a boat isn't a very nice environment). They also come in a lot of different sizes.
We're planning a trip for later in the year where it will be a very good idea to bring along a chainsaw. I'll likely only need to bring at most a gallon of fuel but again this creates problems since I don't have a very good place to store it either. A small tank on my roof rack along with an expandable luggage bag might be just the ticket. This will give me some extra "just in case" fuel. A tiny bottle of two cycle oil and I'm all set.
Overall, I'd stay far away from monkeying around with your fuel lines and fittings. That just sounds like a good way to accidentally introduce a failure point.
TechWrench
Senior Member
Again, I haven't actually tried it my self, but my thought was that if the tube/hose had a mesh wrapping around it (like the reinforced hoses used for washing machines), there might be less friction between the hose and the rubber fill hose. And if it is flexible enough you could twist the hose while inserting it, which might allow it to make the turns.
Just thinking out loud about how I would try it, if I had to.
TowMeOut
New member
Found this video and some others while researching the subject on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mGeb9s6yFE
Looks like most modern cars have an anti-rollover fuel shutoff device. It's basically a hard plastic ball that wedges into a tapered tube if the vehicle flips to seal the filler hose/neck. The device in the video comes with a very thin hose that can just barely sneak by this ball with a bit of effort. Overall it looks like a huge pain. With my luck I'd get the darn thing snagged in there then couldn't put the gas cap back on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mGeb9s6yFE
Looks like most modern cars have an anti-rollover fuel shutoff device. It's basically a hard plastic ball that wedges into a tapered tube if the vehicle flips to seal the filler hose/neck. The device in the video comes with a very thin hose that can just barely sneak by this ball with a bit of effort. Overall it looks like a huge pain. With my luck I'd get the darn thing snagged in there then couldn't put the gas cap back on.
TechWrench
Senior Member
Guess I am showing my age. It's been a LONG time since I had the need to siphon gas from a tank. Did not know about the roll over valve in newer vehicles. The youtube link shows how a special kit, designed for siphoning newer style tanks works. Looks like it might work but at what cost?
There were some other videos that described various methods using the vehicle fuel pump by jumping out the fuel pump relay and letting it pump the fuel out into a container via a hose installed after the fuel filter in the engine compartment or using the fuel injector rail on the intake manifold. I don't see why one of the those methods could not be made to work on the 4Runner. I will need to do some research on fuel pump relay location and best place to tap into fuel line in the engine compartment. That's what I like about these forums. I can learn something new almost any time I visit.
There were some other videos that described various methods using the vehicle fuel pump by jumping out the fuel pump relay and letting it pump the fuel out into a container via a hose installed after the fuel filter in the engine compartment or using the fuel injector rail on the intake manifold. I don't see why one of the those methods could not be made to work on the 4Runner. I will need to do some research on fuel pump relay location and best place to tap into fuel line in the engine compartment. That's what I like about these forums. I can learn something new almost any time I visit.
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Yes, this is the concept that attracted me, using the fuel pump to pump fuel into a collection bottle. But I'm such a novice, I don't know the location of the fuel pump, or where to "T" into the line, or the location of the relay. HOWEVER, as was posted above. apparently the fuel injection system operates at a high pressure, which I don't think I want to enter.
I want to thank everyone for your thoughtful replies. I continue to consider my options. As suggested above, I may simply carry a one gallon fuel can on the trailer tongue, strapped above my storage box that's in front of the propane tanks.