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Old 21-12-2011, 17:21   #31
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

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Old 21-12-2011, 17:24   #32
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeepFrz View Post
A good read.

Source Of Diesel Fuel Problems

Edit: those who think that the recirculated fuel from the engine return line is fuel polishing should read this.

This has nothing to do with putting water into one's fuel tank. It's about algae bloom in one's fuel; totally unrelated.
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Old 21-12-2011, 17:28   #33
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

Way back when I was in boatbuilding school, one of our wooden boat projects was a classic thirty-something foot steam launch. It was a great build, and the old codger we built it for was a retired Boeing engineer who built the steam engine himself. He was a hoot! But all I can say about steam engines is, holy crap they're dangerous! Steam burns hurt bad...
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Old 21-12-2011, 17:35   #34
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

Be realistic. Your engine can be replaced for about $10,000. Try hard to save $50 and save as much diesel as possible. This is the true spirt of sailboating.

Or

Drain the whole tank, clean and service filters, etc. and then try again.

Harley
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Old 21-12-2011, 18:07   #35
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

I don't know, that seems like over-kill. In the real world, water gets in fuel all the time. The problems that would require fuel polishing and filter replacement, etc, only occur if the water remains in there for a long period of time.

In this case, he caught it right away, and the water was most likely filtered drinking water. If he pumps or drains it out of there promptly, there's no real need to polish the fuel, as the critters haven't had time to grow.

The existing fuel pickup in the tank doesn't quite go all the way to the bottom of the tank, so some water will remain in the tank regardless, unless you suck it out with a hose. A couple of bottles of diesel water remover should absorb the little bit of water that remains, and the Racor will catch it if it doesn't.
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Old 21-12-2011, 18:18   #36
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

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Originally Posted by oldjags View Post
I don't know, that seems like over-kill. In the real world, water gets in fuel all the time. The problems that would require fuel polishing and filter replacement, etc, only occur if the water remains in there for a long period of time.

In this case, he caught it right away, and the water was most likely filtered drinking water. If he pumps or drains it out of there promptly, there's no real need to polish the fuel, as the critters haven't had time to grow.

The existing fuel pickup in the tank doesn't quite go all the way to the bottom of the tank, so some water will remain in the tank regardless, unless you suck it out with a hose. A couple of bottles of diesel water remover should absorb the little bit of water that remains, and the Racor will catch it if it doesn't.

You'd be surprised how effective the hose on a stick method is at getting all the gunk out. I've done some plastic tanks which you could see through like this (gasoline in small powerboats), and it's interesting to watch when you can see through the tank walls. The trick is to make sure it's had time to settle out nicely and don't agitate it at all. I agree with this post, polishing is probably overkill. Unless it already needed to be done.
I've even done a long 1/4" hose on an electricians fiberglass flexible "fish" to go in the deck fill when there was no inspection plate. Works great!
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Old 21-12-2011, 18:33   #37
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

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You are very lucky to know what happened. You have lots of good advice for getting the water out. A real good technique involves pressurizing the fuel tank. Don't bother, you and your tank are not set up for it (check with builder though).

The reason behind letting no water or moisture get into your diesel. Water does not compress compared to diesel or oil or kerosene or even gasoline (which is why gasoline will not work in a diesel, gas can't compress enough to go boom). Your diesel compresses the sprayed fuel droplets in somewhere around a 20:1 compression. Your gasoline engine has a compression less than half that, about 9:1. Water in the diesel will blow the heads apart. Some water in the gasoline will "boost" the power of the gasoline engine. That is an old technique of a power booster, JC Whitney made a fortune off those.

All of this means to watch your water separator carefully - after you have your tank drained and cleaned of water. Water vapor will condense, the reason to keep tanks full.
Huh??
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Old 21-12-2011, 18:34   #38
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

You need my scrubber now. Just bypass the filter until the water quits flowing, then back to the filter.


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Old 21-12-2011, 18:53   #39
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeepFrz View Post
A good read.

Source Of Diesel Fuel Problems

Edit: those who think that the recirculated fuel from the engine return line is fuel polishing should read this.
It is quite clear from reading this scientific (sounding) treatise that absolutely NONE of our engines will start the next time we need them. If by some chance they do start, they will produce clouds of dense black smoke and develop little power, followed by total failure.

While some of the claims might be factual, the overall impression is a blatant commercial scare-you story designed to sell you their gizmos.

I'm not impressed...

Cheers,

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Old 21-12-2011, 19:03   #40
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

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Originally Posted by delmarrey View Post
You need my scrubber now. Just bypass the filter until the water quits flowing, then back to the filter.


.

DF is right, you should move the filter to the intake side of the pump. And add a water separator so you're not just pumping filtered water back into the tank.
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Old 21-12-2011, 19:05   #41
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

Jim you hit the nail right on the head. The company providing those scare tactics sell some of the best snake oil money can buy.
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Old 21-12-2011, 19:08   #42
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

On some rigs, like mine, you can shut off the fuel supply on the manifold to the engine and turn on a fuel pump, which will cause fuel to be run through the regular intake and separators and then back through the return line. No extra gear required, no messy hoses, etc. It takes forever to do a whole tank like this, it's a maintenance thing. Easy to set up though, and you just let the pump run for a few days here and there and your tanks stay clean. I have 30 yr. old SS tanks and they look bright and new inside, never see a drop of water in my separators. Obviously regular use helps too, as do good fuel additives. I know theres a ton of threads on this here, and people have come up with all kinds of innovative solutions.
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Old 21-12-2011, 19:10   #43
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

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DF is right, you should move the filter to the intake side of the pump. And add a water separator so you're not just pumping filtered water back into the tank.
The filters do have a petcock at the bottom for water extraction. And I would have to install it backwards so as not to collapse the paper element. Filtering material enters thru the center, pass thru the filter, then exit the canister/mount.
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Old 21-12-2011, 19:18   #44
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

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Originally Posted by Slowpoke View Post
... and would appreciate advice on what to do next. A full tank of 45 gal capacity now contains about 1/3 fresh water and the rest diesel. Obviously not a bright thing to do but would like to try to be smarter about fixing the problem. The engine has not been started. Can the water be pumped out through the deck fill? Do I need to drain the tank dry (remove all contents), or is it safe just to pump out the water portion and let the Racor water separator take care of any remaining residue?
Thanks!
My suggestion would be to get a bunch of five gallon jugs and a Topsider oil change container like I did:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: REMOVING DIESEL FROM THE FUEL TANK
It has a clear hose so you can see when the water stops and the diesel starts. Think it might be best to empty the fuel tank completely and donate it to somebodys home heating system. That's what the person who took my old diesel fuel when I converted to electric propusion did with the fuel. Less damage than trying taking a chance running it through your engine IMO.
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Old 21-12-2011, 19:35   #45
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Re: Accidentally put water in diesel tank ...

I am staggered,reading this thread, how quickly the 'misinformation' shows up!!
Its almost amusing,but,in reality, a little scary !!!
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