Diesel tank fill below deck?

[johnjuliano]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Been to a lot of marinas where the attendant is NOT allowed to fuel, Owner must, and is therefore responsible for spill fines.

I’ve never been to a marina in the US or Canada (I haven’t sailed in Ontario), where I wasn’t REQUIRED to fill the tanks myself.

[surazo]

Hi Group . I need some advice .I have a diesel tank with 700 liters without use the last 4 years .No water in it but I have some concern about to use it ,but is a huge amount of money .Any suggestion about an aditive or other aconditioner ? Thanks

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by surazo

Hi Group . I need some advice .I have a diesel tank with 700 liters without use the last 4 years .No water in it but I have some concern about to use it ,but is a huge amount of money .Any suggestion about an aditive or other aconditioner ? Thanks

OK, I’ll bite. But more info needed.
What kind of tank? Material?
Doesn’t it have an access port? Big enough to stick your arm in?
What makes you concerned?

My first bit of advice is to do a pressure test and see if it holds air. We forget the PSI required, pretty low.

[surazo]

it's a inox tank ,Two of them in middle of the boat .I have access port not big enough for my arm but enough to make some extraccion diesel test and to use a pump to test any evidence of water accumulate .
My concern is abpiut the degadation of it burn point that could produce same damage in pistons and rings . Idon't know nothing about posible presence of microalgaes..Thanks

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by surazo

it's a inox tank ,Two of them in middle of the boat .I have access port not big enough for my arm but enough to make some extraccion diesel test and to use a pump to test any evidence of water accumulate .
My concern is abpiut the degadation of it burn point that could produce same damage in pistons and rings . Idon't know nothing about posible presence of microalgaes..Thanks

Try typing that last paragraph again please. Slower.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by surazo

it's a inox tank ,Two of them in middle of the boat .I have access port not big enough for my arm but enough to make some extraccion diesel test and to use a pump to test any evidence of water accumulate .
My concern is abpiut the degadation of it burn point that could produce same damage in pistons and rings . Idon't know nothing about posible presence of microalgaes..Thanks

Hi, I would polish the fuel several times through a 30 micron filter and use the best locally available additive. I use a product sold here as fuel doctor, has worked well for me, but something available locally to you is what you need. Check with other boaters and fishermen.

[hpeer]

Ok, totally missunderstood the origional post. I thought you had a 700 liter TANK with structural problems you were concerned with, not 700 liters of old fuel. Got it. Yes just polish or run a couple of passes through filters as noted, with additive if available.

[surazo]

My concern is about the degradation of the combustion point that could cause same damage in pistons and rings. I do not know anything about the possible presence of microalgae. Thank you.

[surazo]

Thanks Uncle Bob and hpeer .I will do that.I will recirculate the diesel trough a 30 micron filter and seek the fuel doctor composition .

[Peterbreit]

I helped bring a Hylas CC 45' from Florida to NC. I was surprised to see the 2 fuel tanks are below the floor boards in the main cabin. We had to run the hose in the main cabin to fuel up. Not very convenient and smelly. I believe the 50' Hinckley has a similar arraignment.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Peterbreit

...Hylas CC 45'...We had to run the hose in the main cabin to fuel up....I believe the 50' Hinckley has a similar arraignment.

No way on the Hinkley. And the Hylas had to have been modified by an amateur.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by surazo

Hi Group . I need some advice .I have a diesel tank with 700 liters without use the last 4 years .No water in it but I have some concern about to use it ,but is a huge amount of money .Any suggestion about an aditive or other aconditioner ? Thanks

In the best of conditions diesel is good for two years. Filtering bad diesel doesn't make good diesel. Polished bad diesel is clean bad diesel. Fuel stabilizers keep fuel from going bad but don't fix bad fuel. It might work but you're taking a chance.

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

In the best of conditions diesel is good for two years. Filtering bad diesel doesn't make good diesel. Polished bad diesel is clean bad diesel. It might work but you're taking a chance.

Permit me to disagree a little bit.
I was on a nuc sub. We did have a diesel "just in case". For the life of the sub, no one remember refueling. That sub was over 15 years old when decommissioned and scraped.
No refueling, diesel always started and ran under load.
So long as there is no water in the fuel, diesel engines are not that particular.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

In the best of conditions diesel is good for two years. Filtering bad diesel doesn't make good diesel...

Not so. It lasts for many years.

Diesel does lose cetane, over time, but there are treatments which can be added to increase the cetane rating.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Not so. It lasts for many years.

Diesel does lose cetane, over time, but there are treatments which can be added to increase the cetane rating.

A cursory Google search will reveal the facts.