I was reading an old article in the October 2003 issue of Heavy Duty Trucking magazine and they suggested that during routine PM that one should drain a few pints of fuel out of the fuel tank to rid it of water and sludge. I'm assuming that our D-max fuel tanks don't have a petcock to drain water do they? Also, in the same article there is a recommendation to add pint or more of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to the tank at each PM to help remove water. Has anyone done this??

Thanks

Dan..

tons of truckers use accetone in there rigs
i have used it and seen no gains

never drained the tank but i do have a extra filter on the up steam side of the factory filter it has a water seperator on it

btw i would only use a teaspoon or 2 of the alcohol and then run a bit of diesel behind it

Ummmmmm......I see tons of people saying no alcohol. i see many additive companies advertise that they dont use alcohol like its something important. GM states no alcohol.

Now.....I dont know if alcohol is good or bad but I do know that there are many additives that take care of water with out it plus add stuff like lubrication and ctane boost.

Just runn a good additive or run a goood additive every once in a while strong for a tank or 2.

JMO

I would stay away from the alcohol. I'm not a chemist, so I don't understand the full characteristics of the equation, but the bottom line is that the alcohol somehow combines, joins, or otherwise melds with the water and pulls it past the filters and into the injectors, WHICH IS VERY BAD. The water should naturally fall out in the bottom of the filter if it's picked up with the fuel from the tank. That's why there is a water seperator function as part of your filter, and a drain port.

Water in your tank is a problem, but there's little logic in spreading the problem downstream to the filter and injectors. There are several products on the market that are made by quality companies (Stanadyne and Power Service are two I trust). The regular use cetane/lubricity agents are good, but they also make biocides that kill the fungus/bacteria that grow in your tank as a result of water. You can use a shock treatment at first, then a maintenance treatment.

Do it the right way and you won't be disappointed.

Alcohol acts as a dispersant and allows the water to bypass filters and separators just as dnewton said. Big no no.