Old fuel still good?

[DennisDW]

Hi Freinds,
I have two quick questions; first does anyone know of the fuel filter part number for my perkins 4.154 (fram, napa, etc), and is old -13years- clean diesel still good? It would be hard to get rid of 80 gallons of fuel, not to mention the cost of replacement.

The filter on the engine is a spin on type.

Thanks,
Dennis

[Astrid]

Should be PG 2656613. As far as the fuel goes, how old is old and what type of diesel is it?

[DennisDW]

Hi Astrid,
Is that part number perkins specific or is it another brand?

Probably is marine diesel and it's only 13 years old.
Dennis

[Astrid]

That is the Perkins reference number. If you have a particular supplier such as Napa you should be able to cross reference.

Perkins, fuel, filter, filters, part, parts, diesel, engine, 2656613

If that one doesn't seem to be the one you are looking for, browse through the others
Filters

The fuel question is difficult to answer and depends on what process was used when it was refined and mixed. More modern EPA compliant fuels have shorter shelf lives than some made 20 years ago. Also if the fuel has been treated with stabilizing agents and has been polished and cleaned to remove bio-contamination, particulates and water, it might still be usable.

http://www.fueltechnologiesinternati...l-storage.html



I would install a second, in-line filter between the fuel tanks and the engine as a matter of course; this will help your engine mounted filter from being overwhelmed. Ideally, a third filter, run parallel to the first inline filter, with valves so you can switch between the two would be even better.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by DennisDW

Hi Freinds,
I have two quick questions; first does anyone know of the fuel filter part number for my perkins 4.154 (fram, napa, etc), and is old -13years- clean diesel still good? It would be hard to get rid of 80 gallons of fuel, not to mention the cost of replacement.

The filter on the engine is a spin on type.

Thanks,
Dennis

13 year old diesel.

Has it just been sitting 13 years? What is the environment it has been sitting in - i.e. in the boat tank on the hard in average 80 degrees and 40% humidity is different than, say 90% humidity. Also temperature swings from day to night, if high, encourage condensation and water.

You could find a local fuel supplier and have a sample tested - maybe similar in cost to the 80 gallons of diesel, I have no idea.

Has any of this diesel been used at all in the last 13 years or really just sitting in a tank somewhere.

You may consider pumping it out, letting it settle, eyeballing it for water/sediment etc. and diluting it with fresh - i.e. add 5 gallons to each new 80 gallon load you put in the boat.

But you'd need a place to store 80 gallons for a while.

[Astrid]

Truly, 13 years is a long time for diesel. I should hate to have to depend on fuel that old, and since Murphy's Law has not been repealed, to the best of my knowledge, one could almost expect the fuel to cause the engine to quit just when you need it the most.

[Jim Cate]

There have been many reports of very old diesel being used with no ill effects. If it were me, and the fuel was clean I would give it a try under benign conditions (like at anchor or in your berth) and see if it works normally.

If it seems to run ok, and it is really clean (so no clogging of filters) what do folks think is going to happen?

Cheers,

Jim

[hummingway]

There was a fellow around here a couple of years ago, stillraining, who worked with heavy equipment. He believed old diesel would work fine. He posted a video of himself starting up a machine that had sat for a long time, though I'm sure it wasn't 13 years. I'd want to make sure that the tank was free of water and the stuff that comes with it before trying anything.

[boden36]

If it is clean and does not look much different from new fuel, I would try it and see what happens. At the moment our fuel is about that age and still works perfectly well, but looks darker than new fuel.
What I like to do is if the engine will be standing for a month or two, draw from a tank of clean new fuel for a while before shutdown, so that old fuel is not sitting in the injector system. ( We have a system of taps so that we can either draw from the keel tank or from a loose hose that just drops into any convenient fuel can)
Regards,
Richard.