Fuel tank water-grabber

[WBusa]

OK, so I was in the parts dept. of my local Peterbilt dealer today, looking for a size and grade of hose that auto parts stores just don't stock. While the counter boys were busy ignoring me (I guess they could tell I'm not a 'real' trucker) I checked out all the strange products on the racks (think "Pep Boys For 18-Wheelers"). One of them... can't remember the product name... was a fuel tank water grabber. About the size and shape of the roller from a toilet paper holder but with fine screened windows in a plastic frame, and a lanyard attached at one end. Instructions say to clip the lanyard to the filler and drop the tube into the tank, where it should lay horizontally on the bottom and, it is promised, will absorb the water in the bottom of the tank. The package didn't give a clue how it worked, but I'm guessing the tube is filled with something like a silica gel dessicant (like the sand in the "Do Not Eat This Packet" packets)... in which case it should work OK, I suppose, though I have my doubts about what volume of water it could absorb.



Anybody ever use one of these? Kinda seems like a good idea, but then so did the Ronco In-The-Egg Egg Scrambler when I was a kid

 

[barbwire]

Havn't a clue?????

 

[sarj]

I'm in the elevator business and came across something similar as a product promotion. It might have been a little bigger, and designed for hydro oil in elevator tanks, but the first thing I thought about was CTD. I'd be interested if anyone has seen or had any more info on a fuel separator like this. I'm field trialing the product I saw as well. I have my doubts on volume of water as well.



sarj

 

[jcarey]

My thought would be: if the tube is laying horizontally, how do you get it back out?

 

[WBusa]

My thought would be: if the tube is laying horizontally, how do you get it back out?

The lanyard is attached to one end of it... as soon as you start pulling it up, it will go vertical again.

 

[rweis]

It goes verticle, hmmm ok, and if it does not exactely match up with the filler neck for extraction?



On the elevator hydraulic tank they probably have a fairly sizable inspection cover port that you could fish the thing out if need be. Sounds like you would have to drop the tank (Dodge truck) to get the fuel pickup system out if you had to fish the thing out.



When I was trying to figuer out what to do about water in the tank I asked some class 8 guys what they do. They have big water seperator filters. I did the same. Concept was the same, just smaller truck.



You may be the "first one on the block" to use it, GOOD luck.



Just some thoughts,



Bob Weis

 

[WBusa]

You may be the "first one on the block" to use it, GOOD luck.

Whoa, hey... I didn't say I was gonna USE it... just was curious, that's all. As far as I know I don't have a water-in-fuel problem, so if it ain't broke... . Anyway, I got plenty of things that either are broke or will be soon enough... transmission cooler lines, for instance... into the ******* Jan. 4 to get all new lines put in before The Beast turns itself into an 8800 lb. ATF atomizer