Dirty Diesel. Would you use this?????

[MarkJ]

Hi Folks

We picked up some gerrys (5 galls / 20 litres) of diesel in the Pacific.

I still have about 4 of them and they are dirty. see the photos below.

I would prefer to toss them out and buy new fuel but the disposal cost is very high! The marina here wont touch it!

I have used this fuel and its been OK. My RACOR has a 2 micron filter and it isnt dirty.

The Yanmar guy told me to use a 10 micron filter from now on, but I still have a new spare 2 micron filter.

There is no water in the fuel, if it looks like there is in the pics its just the bottle.

Would you:

1) Use the dirty fuel now and change the filters when its used?
2) Pay to ditch the fuel and buy new, clean fuel?
3) Just use the fuel as normal and to hell with Yanmar - if the boat works thats fine


Thanks for your help

Mark

[MarkJ]

Another shot

[Ex-Calif]

My boat partner picked up some "bunker" fuel here that looked like oil it was so black. The bum boats and ferries use it. Normally we jerry auto diesel from the Shell station.

The boat ran fine on one tank of it although it smoked a bit.

I'd use your fuel. You're gonna find a lot worse when you get up around these parts - LOL...

BTW - Do you store in "clear" plastic jerries or grey? I'd get grey ones if you don't have 'em. The sunshine really helps things grow.

PS - I don't have tons of experience with old fuel so as with all things here, wait for a few more comments before deciding your course of action.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

BTW - Do you store in "clear" plastic jerries or grey? I'd get grey ones if you don't have 'em. The sunshine really helps things grow.

.

Yellow gerrys and they are kept below in one of the aft lazarettes. I normally have 8 filled which doubles my tankage

Thanks for your advice... I do expect to find me some squeaky clean fuel when I visit you!

Mark

[captjcook]

I guess that I am not seeing the "dirty" from the pics. there are several funnel filters (Baha is one) I have a different brand. When in doubt I always filter fuel. In the US road fuel is golden color and off road (marine) is red. Personally I would filter it and have no problem putting it in my diesel truck, probably in my boat! Maybe you could borrow a Baha. I also use a diesel stabilizer to keep growth down in my tanks, I have had great luck with Stanodyne.

[Celestialsailor]

If you filter it with 10 microns, it should burn fine. Any chance of pre-filtering it?

[irwinsailor]

That fuel looks great compared to the fuel that I have been burning.

I would use it in my boat as long as it runs through my filters first.

[MarkJ]

Thanks everyone for your advice.

If I buy a Baja filter it would just go straight through. I dont have any other type of pre-filtering but I guess being able to throw away the current filters is the same

I'll shove it in and see what happens!

If the boat blows up like a New Years Eve firework I'll bill the lot of you!


Thanks


Mark

[Nauticatarcher]

Fuel looks fine to me, if worried just mix it with fresh fuel and use it up

[Kanani]

Mark,

I once used diesel fuel that I found in some old WWII bunkers on Palmyra Island. It was at least 40 years old at the time and it worked fine. It was browner than what your picture shows. It didn't seem to effect my fuel filters either.

[donradcliffe]

That fuel looks great compared to the coffee looking stuff I got off a Brazilian boat. I wouldn't worry about using it, as long as you keep the biocide level up and the water out.

The best fuel I ever saw was in Aden, Yemen--it came with a printout of its impurities, and was as clear as fresh water.

[David M]

Its been so long since I have seen diesel that is not dyed red that I would not know what normal diesel looks like.

[SkiprJohn]

I would strain it through some Mr. Coffee filters if you think there might be particles in it. It looks clean to me. I have a diesel tractor, had a diesel truck and my boats engines have all been diesels. If you get it through a baja filter then it will run fine.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[Maren]

I would say if you are particularly worried, filter it and then dilute it with a lot of diesel you aren't worried about.

[thinwater]

First, I would agree with the group - use it.

However, if you want to recycle it, any used oil recycler should be glad to have it, and the marina is probably getting paid for their used oil. If there are questions about the recyclability of deisel, contact the National Oil Recyclers Association (www.noranews.net) for information.