tried a drill transfer pump and got nowhere fast. managed to get a hose down the fill tube and the end got wet, but wouldn't pull anything. might have ruined the pump but ran out of warmth and light to diagnose. I'm starting to think the fuel gauge is lying to me about being full. tomorrow (or the next decent day) I'm going to just crack the gas pump opening and see what happens. If I lose a bunch of gas into a tote, so be it.
on a side note, my spare fuel tank I've been hanging on to for a decade now appears to have a large rust hole in it, so that's one less thing I gotta store. yay.