using metho to help water mix with diesel?

Don't know if methylated spirit (basically ethanol) is miscible (mutually soluble) in diesel as it is in petrol. The other concern is that it may reduce the lubricating properties of the diesel to some extent. AFAIK, all the commercial biocides/water dispersants claim to add lubricity to the diesel to protect pump and injector internals. And their pretty cheap, so if you can't physically drain sediment/water from the tank, why not use a bottle say once a year?

I don't think that methanol will mix with diesel, I saw a thing on telly about a trial of dieselahol powered busses in the ACT and they had to use an enzyme to get the two to mix properly.
I was glanced at a story in an air safety magazine (didn't read the whole thing so if I am wrong I am happy to be corrected) and they had a test to see if there was methanol in the fuel by mixing in a measured volume of water into the fuel then measuring the volume of the fluid that separated out of the fuel. The methanol would mix in with the fuel, but would separate out in the presence of water. I can’t remember if it was AVTUR or AVGAS though.

Pathfinder, I was thinking of the metho trick for the people without drains on their fuel tanks, ie non Toyota owners, when I replied to (17224), I have a few tech reps in the oil industry that I can contact ( they are not answering their phones) I will ask the question and post a reply sometime in the future.
An experiment would be to put equal parts water, metho and Diesel in a glass jar and shake it up and if in 24hrs it settles out to two fluids I would say it should not be done and if it did mix I would be very suprised.
Bob

dont know if it would work and I wouldnt advise it because your fuel systm has features to trap water you dont want water bypassing these features - BECAUSE water does not not ignite and it doesnt compress you should know how bad water yhrough your air intake is for a diesal - well it is just as bad through your fuel delivery

try using product called FUEL SET. check out www.liquideng.com.au
worked well for me when i got a tank full of comtaminated fuel.had to replace fuel filter and then run this stuff through for a few tank fulls.used alot in the marine industry.

Be careful - "methylated spirits" is not the same thing as "Methanol". Methanol will help remove the water. The other won't

Bilbo

Methylated spirits will pick up water as well. Use about 20% water in your Metho camping stove and it doesn't smoke.

Can't see why there would be a problem with diesel. Run tank to empty, put in litre of metho, run to petrol station over bumpy road on sub tank then fill with diesel. Sounds logical!?

But in fairness I don't really know so advice is opinion not factual!