I did something stupid

[gblj]

I have a 2014 Kawasaki mule, I was filling it with gas and wanted to see how close it was to the top, I took a half inch dowel and stuck it in the gas tank, well the tank is deeper than I thought and it slipped and now it's in the tank, I called the Kawasaki dealer to see if it would be a problem they said NO, what I want to know is what effect gas will have on the dowel.

 

[Vito]

What's the worst that can happen? It will disintegrate and block the outlet. Kind of like pebbles in a tank. Someone did that to my tractor once. Real PIA to remove every to dump out the tank. Of course it was full of diesel fuel.

Vito

 

[wh]

Hmmm. Could you use a camera to see where it is and maybe a flexible grabber to fish it back out.

 

[RedMF40]

It will smell like gas forever. It’s your new fuel gauge. Attach a string to the top for the next time.

 

[RobCons]

Use that tank until its low then use the jaws of death to reach in and grab it. Jaws of death is what I call the flexible tool you press a button on one end the other end opens into a claw.

 

[Non-farmer]

Use that tank until its low then use the jaws of death to reach in and grab it. Jaws of death is what I call the flexible tool you press a button on one end the other end opens into a claw.

Lol, better than my "spring-loaded grabby thing" name.

 

[rustred]

I have a 2014 Kawasaki mule, I was filling it with gas and wanted to see how close it was to the top, I took a half inch dowel and stuck it in the gas tank, well the tank is deeper than I thought and it slipped and now it's in the tank, I called the Kawasaki dealer to see if it would be a problem they said NO, what I want to know is what effect gas will have on the dowel.

nothing nothing nothing will happen, if it worries you remove the tank and get it out. its a common sense thing.

 

[redtom]

Use that tank until its low then use the jaws of death to reach in and grab it. Jaws of death is what I call the flexible tool you press a button on one end the other end opens into a claw.

I always called it the "magic fingers"

 

[Mule Meat]

Depending on which tank you have.
Worse case is the dowel can mess with the fuels float gauge lever in the tank.

If you have an in tank fuel pump. Just remove the pump, reach in and retrieve the dowel rod. Be a good time to change the fuel pump screen while you have it out.

 

[used red MN]

This is a link to an example “flexible grabber” given multiple names above. The arrow gives you more photos.
Example flexible grabber

 

[joeysmith]

Worse I suppose that could happen is it starts growing an a tree breaks out of your tank

 

[m16ty]

I will last intact for a very long time just floating in the gas.

My Mule is a little newer, but on mine you can pop the seat bottom out, remove the in-tank pump, and then reach your hand in there and pull it out. I was inside my tank a couple months ago, tank had a lot of trash in it and I got in there and cleaned it out.

 

[ss55]

I have a 2014 Kawasaki mule, I was filling it with gas and wanted to see how close it was to the top, I took a half inch dowel and stuck it in the gas tank, well the tank is deeper than I thought and it slipped and now it's in the tank, I called the Kawasaki dealer to see if it would be a problem they said NO, what I want to know is what effect gas will have on the dowel.

The dowel will probably hold up longer than the o-rings, diaphragms and fuel lines, especially on an already 11 or 12 year old fuel system. I would wait to pull the wooden dowel out until you service the rest of the fuel system. The dowel will be swollen oversize and will stink like fuel for years so I would not reuse it except as kindling.

 

[37 chief]

I have a 2014 Kawasaki mule, I was filling it with gas and wanted to see how close it was to the top, I took a half inch dowel and stuck it in the gas tank, well the tank is deeper than I thought and it slipped and now it's in the tank, I called the Kawasaki dealer to see if it would be a problem they said NO, what I want to know is what effect gas will have on the dowel.

I'll bet you won't do that again. Stan

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

You pay how much for those dumb things & they don't have a gas gauge?

Mike

 

[gblj]

I have a 2014 Kawasaki mule, I was filling it with gas and wanted to see how close it was to the top, I took a half inch dowel and stuck it in the gas tank, well the tank is deeper than I thought and it slipped and now it's in the tank, I called the Kawasaki dealer to see if it would be a problem they said NO, what I want to know is what effect gas will have on the dowel.

Well I got the stick out of the gas tank, thanks for all your suggestions, a special thanks to RobCons and the Jaws of death, it took two Jaws of death one to lift it to the fill tank hole and another to grab the end and pull it out.

 

[KCTractors]

Well I got the stick out of the gas tank, thanks for all your suggestions, a special thanks to RobCons and the Jaws of death, it took two Jaws of death one to lift it to the fill tank hole and another to grab the end and pull it out.

It is a nice stick!!!!

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

It is a nice stick!!!!

Hang onto it rodents won't chew it!!!!

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

You pay how much for those dumb things & they don't have a gas gauge?

Mike

Mine is a 1994 and it has a gas gauge.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Mine is a 1994 and it has a gas gauge.

OP's probably does too, but it probably doesn't work, and it's just as much work to fix the gas gauge as it would have been to get the dowel out of the tank if OP hadn't been able to snag it with a couple of grabbers.

I've always called them "grabbers" BTW.