Diesel Fuel

[AA3JY]

Interesting...

https://diesel-fuels.com/real-story-of-bad-diesel-fuel/

[rbk]

I’ll add that once it turns you really need to evacuate the entire tank. Even high turn over won’t clear it up (Asphaltenes). Best to do a purge and wipe down every couple of years IMO.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by AA3JY

Interesting...

https://diesel-fuels.com/real-story-of-bad-diesel-fuel/

You do realise that it is an advertorial don't you?

[rbk]

Disagree with any info in there? Pretty standard stuff. Except the magnets, little far reaching if you choose to click the article.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by rbk

Disagree with any info in there? Pretty standard stuff. Except the magnets, little far reaching if you choose to click the article.

Perhaps it's just me but I am always somewhat wary of a list of problems or concerns that MAY affect something, presented as a list along with the solution following each concern. Whilst all the points may be valid on occasion, in this presentation they are offered up with a solution sold by the presenter, in short a list of possibles with a ready solution available from us.
Have to agree about the magnets.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Perhaps it's just me but I am always somewhat wary of a list of problems or concerns that MAY affect something, presented as a list along with the solution following each concern. Whilst all the points may be valid on occasion, in this presentation they are offered up with a solution sold by the presenter, in short a list of possibles with a ready solution available from us.
Have to agree about the magnets.

Haha! I had to go back and see what you were talking about. I have to say that’s poor advertising. Article doesn’t mention if or what it’s selling until the last paragraph. I would wager the article is someone else’s and they scabbed their blurb on at the end, it’s kind of even written differently but hard to tell since the last paragraph is so short.

[thinwater]

Oh dear. They wrote down everything they ever read. As a result, some is right and some is wrong, even laughably so. Not an information source.



(35 years as a refinery engineer)

[rbk]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Oh dear. They wrote down everything they ever read. As a result, some is right and some is wrong, even laughably so. Not an information source.



(35 years as a refinery engineer)

Care to elaborate?

[Simi 60]

Nothing to see or believe here, move along.

[Lepke]

The products are former brand Algae-x before it was absorbed by a bigger company. Algae-x was used by many commercial boats. I used the fuel conditioner and magnet in my current boat for the first couple years. The boat had sat 6 years w/o mothballing. The fuel conditioner worked well. I used the existing old diesel in the 1942 steel tanks w/o issues. My tanks are big enough to walk around inside. When I opened them a couple years later, the tanks were clean, no sludge or water. I cleaned the fuel out of them well enough to weld some deep pits. And I never plugged a filter. I run a 2 micron in my Racors. I use a fuel conditioner every fueling and never have problems. I have twin Detroits that move enough fuel, it's like polishing.

As to the magnet, no idea about it killing organisms, except the tanks were clean. And with old steel tanks, the magnet catches small rust particles instead of the filter.

[Bycrick]

I’d suggest that if magnets of the size used in the "fuel treatment systems" were strong enough to have a biological effect, then the people who wear magnets on their wrists to "treat" arthritis would have their hands falling off.

[steffan]

I have a decision to make about the fuel in my new-to-me boat.

Great Lakes region. Accumulated 90 hrs over the 2016-2018 seasons on a rebuilt Yanmar 3GM30F. Stored indoors since fall of 2018. At decomm fuel was treated and tank topped off. The last time the tank was inspected and cleaned was 2011.

After a sea trial in May boat will get trucked to it's new home, where I will at least change the oils and filters. I have the option of removing all the fuel before trucking, polishing after trucking, or of course doing nothing else.

I'm leaning towards fuel removal before trucking because I have no idea how old the fuel is. Don't have prices yet on removal/polishing but it's only 30 gallons.

Thoughts?

[tkeithlu]

"but it's only 30 gallons."

I think the fuel is still good. 90 hours would have burned 30 gallons easily. The question is do you want to transport it. Why not, if it makes no difference to your shipping cost?

I'm using diesel that's several years old at present, without treatment, but Detroit Diesels are reputed to run on buttermilk. You have a modern diesel that may be choosy about its fuel.

As long as you've got a decent fuel filter, I don't see a reason to go to the trouble of off loading, bottling, and recycling.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by rbk

Care to elaborate?

Not really, since someone will argue every point.

• Inherently unstable. Put some in a glass jar and check back in 5 years. No sludge. It is environmental factors that make it unstable, including water, air, copper, zinc, and bugs. And how stable do you expect it to be? Is there any other fluid you would expect to remain viable in an open container for 5 years? I can't think of one. You need to burn through it every year... obviously.
• Magnets. Easter bunny.
• Biocides. They are not to cure infections, they are to prevent them. Obviously, if you wait until it's bad, there will be dead bodies that require removal. This is unavoidable, no mater what they tell you. Yes, you can detect incipient infections, either with dip slides or by really looking at the filter.
• Water leaks. Yup, this is the main culprit. Most is through poor filler seals. It is not likely to come with the fuel, since they must, by law, filter to 20 microns with a water repelling element.
• Water from air. I would use a silica gel filter. It will remove several ounces per year. Other would argue against it, but there is no down side.
• Additives. They can help... but nearly all information is ancidotal. There is very little 3rd party testing, many of them flat out lie, and there are no ASTM standards for many claims. The most important factor for fuel stability is corrosion protections, since it is the metals ions that promote sludge formation. Google ASTM and standby generator specs (like boats, the fuel gets old) and you will learn that copper and zinc are forbidden.Sail Delmarva: Are We the Cause of Fuel Breakdown?
• Corrosion. Copper and zinc should be minimized, but they can also be protected. Stabil Diesel and Star Tron have done well in 3rd party testing. Some have made it worse.
• ULSD is equally stable. I've done long terms test. I've infected it with bugs. I've done corrosion testing. No real difference. This is fear mongering. Lubricity is a separate factor.

Check your filler. Use an anti-corrosion additive. And burn the fuel every year!! This is really the main reason diesel vehicles don't have the same problems. They use the fuel.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

"but it's only 30 gallons."

I think the fuel is still good. 90 hours would have burned 30 gallons easily. The question is do you want to transport it. Why not, if it makes no difference to your shipping cost?

I'm using diesel that's several years old at present, without treatment, but Detroit Diesels are reputed to run on buttermilk. You have a modern diesel that may be choosy about its fuel.

As long as you've got a decent fuel filter, I don't see a reason to go to the trouble of off loading, bottling, and recycling.

It’s not just the fuel but the unknown of what’s in the bottom of the tank. I would run it down as low as you can pump the rest, check and clean the tank, refill, then you know.