Draining water from fuel tank?

[Parker2]

Has anyone put some kind of valve in place of the drain plug on the m35's fuel tank? Any info and ideas would be appreciated.
I am replacing my fuel tank because of rust and I dont ever want to have to do it again. I want to be able to drain the water on a regular basis.

Thanks,
Allan

 

[Keith_J]

There is no "sump" on the tanks so the effectiveness of a water drain would be based on the level of where the vehicle is parked. Any projection on the bottom of the tank might be a problem in serious off-roading which is why there is no specific drain.

Since the priming pump doesn't extend to the bottom, water collects. Most of it is from humidity which condenses out when the temperature falls. Keeping the tank full is the best prevention.

Complete draining and cleaning (a 55 gallon drum with transfer pump works well) is far better

 

[Parker2]

It's expensive, but I am thinking of putting this in the drain if they have the correct size. I have one on my Dodge oil pan and have been pleased.

EZ CHANGE DRAIN PLUG - 22MM ('94-'01 DODGE)-Dodge Cummins Diesel Truck Accessories – Geno’s Garage

 

[2Deuces wild]

Change the cap for a new one, Keep the tank full, Use water remover additive, Get good fuel from a place that sells a lot of it, AKA truck stops They have a quick turn over in there tanks and less likey to have water in them.

 

[Jake0147]

Many fuel tank drains don't have a sump, this one included, which makes a drain pretty ineffective. Among my makeshift tools I keep at work is a cheap inline electric fuel pump (exteral, not tank mounted) with a filter and hose attached that I run from a booster pack. I actually have two, one is dedicated to fuel only. That contraption filters anti-freeze for re-use, collects chunkies as you transfer fuel out of a tank for service, drains resivoirs, fills resivoirs, pretty much anything you want except gear lube, provided you're not in a terrible hurry.
One of the many things they are great for is getting into the CORNER of a fuel tank where a drain plug could never be effectively located. In the case of an M35 if I suspected water in the tank, or if I wanted to remove a couple of gallons of the "wettest" fuel in the tank as a PM on a regular basis, I'd back the left rear wheels over something I didn't want any more (a couple inches is all that's needed), remove the strainer from the filler neck, and stick the hose right to the lowest part of the tank. Which incidentally, I can now inspect provided the fuel is actually diesel fuel. That's actually a common task, because the cowboys at work who drive our tow trucks like to drive around with the fuel caps dangling from the tether chain all winter.

 

[tm america]

my tank has a drain on it from the factory it's a big square drive plug .i wouldnt put anything else there cuz it will surely catch offroad and rip the fuel tank apart then youll have a big problem. if you dont want to use the drain thats there you can get a hose and a fuel pump take the strainer out of the tank park the truck where there front is lower than the back stick the hose to the bottom turn the pump on it will suck the water from the bottom of the tank. when you see fuel not water coming from the hose just turn of the pump

 

[littlebob]

I would only do it on a truck I didn't plan to take off road. I can visualize a complex
setup with guards and everything, but if you just get it level and check it every 6mo
or so, you should be OK if you keep it full most of the time.

 

[wsucougarx]

I would recommend just monitoring and draining your primary fuel filter on a regular basis. That'll give you a good indication of what's going on in your tank. Initially upon recovery, I drain out all my tanks completely and give the inside of the tank a good clean and keep clean until good clean diesel comes out of the tank's drain hole. After that, just keep a check on the diesel flowing out of the petcock on the primary fuel filter housing.

 

[Divemaster920]

Jake0147 wins...for best answer.

 

[cranetruck]

Yes Mike, checking the primary water separator/filter frequently is a good thing.
An improvement to the fuel tank drain is to install a magnetic plug, since rust particles are death to the FDC and IP internals.
For the record, I like to point out improvements made on the m656 series trucks (which Ford was hoping would replace all deuces and 5-tonners), the fuel tanks were aluminum and the drain plugs had magnetic inserts. The plugs also had a small channel milled into it, so that samples could be taken without having to remove the plug entirely, just loosened a bit.

 

[dabtl]

On my second deuce I has some water in the priimary filter each time I checked last year. I went to the jatonka spin on filters as rapidly as possible to catch the rust that must form as a result of the water. I also added stabilizer to remove water and an algae killer to eliminate that also. My thinking is the algae must also hold water or live in water.

The last two times I checked the primary filter, there was no water. I must be doing something right, for a change.

 

[Keith_J]

On my second deuce I has some water in the priimary filter each time I checked last year. I went to the jatonka spin on filters as rapidly as possible to catch the rust that must form as a result of the water. I also added stabilizer to remove water and an algae killer to eliminate that also. My thinking is the algae must also hold water or live in water.

The last two times I checked the primary filter, there was no water. I must be doing something right, for a change.

Actually, it is bacteria. Algae need sunlight. And they need water to live, yet feed on the diesel.

Unless you leave the cap off, most water comes from the air. It is condensed out when the temperatures drop, then sinks to the bottom of the tank.

 

[dabtl]

I just call it yucky stuff. I am a lawyer not a biologist.

At any rate, eliminating it seems to have helped with the water and fuel purity. But, then I am not a chemist either.

 

[trog]

If there is water in the bottom of a fuel tank, then there is also a little water dissolved in the fuel, so after draining the water, the fuel is still wet, and makes rust and grows bacteria. So, a fuel preservative that sequesters water is needed. Good advice above by 2DeucesWild. No wonder her hubby gave her a backhoe, ha ha.

Also, wet fuel is bad for injection pumps, if they sit awhile.

 

[Jones]

In addition to keeping your tanks topped off and the system vents closed; you might try adding alchohol to your fuel.
Alchohol has the odd property of bonding with water, allowing it to mix with the fuel and be run through the engine and out the tailpipe.

There are also chemical 'sponges' out on the market. They consist of a fuel resistant plastic mesh tube with water absorbing polymer crystals inside. You attach the tube to the fuel tank cap retainer with it's cord and clip and drop the unit into the tank. It rolls around as you drive and the crystals absorb any water they come in contact with. When it's done it's job you just pull it out, discard and replace with a fresh one.

 

[wdbtchr]

Actually there is a form of algae that can grow on the interface between the water and fuel oil. I can't recall the name but I bought a bottle of the algaecide the kills it some years back when I got my M51A2. I had been sitting for several years with a full tank at the Forestry yard. It causes the filters to be covered with a lumpy black coating very quickly blocking them. This algae is a big problem for huge commercial storage tanks.

On another note they also found algae that grows on the bottom of the ocean around the hot steam vents that gets it's energy from the volcanic heat as an energy source.

 

[dabtl]

There are also chemical 'sponges' out on the market. They consist of a fuel resistant plastic mesh tube with water absorbing polymer crystals inside. You attach the tube to the fuel tank cap retainer with it's cord and clip and drop the unit into the tank. It rolls around as you drive and the crystals absorb any water they come in contact with. When it's done it's job you just pull it out, discard and replace with a fresh one.

Who makes these chemical sponges and where are they available?

 

[Divemaster920]

Dessicant Absorbs Water, Not Oil

 

[cranetruck]

Thought I had uploaded the note on "water sensitive" paste on a stick from a PS magazine, but must have left it out...anyhow here is the commercial version of how to find water in your fuel:
How to Check for Water in Fuel in a Pontoon Boat | eHow.com

 

[cranetruck]

If you have the space, a Racor filter housing can be installed with water repellent filter elements of various micron ratings (to the right in the image)....used on HEMTT trucks among other.