What about "old diesel"?

[sail sfbay]

Good advice about mixing the old with new diesel. Then check OR replace your fuel filters.

[garyfdl]

I'm also in the "it's fine, go ahead and use it" camp.

Were it me, I'd put in a double dose of additive (Power Service was my favorite when I ran diesel cars) then add 'old' diesel to 'fresh' - a gallon or two at a time, until it's used up.

But that's me, and even I think that's over kill.

[Albinvega27]

Thank you guys for all this feedback. In the afternoon hours I repeateed once again the movie "Down Periscope". So, I thought? Since the guy in the movie says by adding some whiskey to the diesel, he would gain substantial speed increase. I guess its ok, if I add a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label?

[Motorsailer4me]

We bought our new to us motorsailer last August. It had been in heated inside storage in CT for 5 years with full tanks. I had to bring it home to Long Island so we launched it, rigged it, changed all filters and headed home. It ran like a champ. I added Cetane booster. Once we launch this spring before any long trips I may have the 280 gallons of fuel on board polished since the tanks are still pretty much full. Then change filters again of course.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Albinvega27

Y purchased my new "old" boat last year and the owner had deviated the diesel fuel system, as off the "old" tank. During the winter I have drained the "old" tank, washed out and since the boat was 3 years in a temperate storage and sealed, whatever came out (yellow clear and transparent liquid). When I washed the diesel tank with some new diesel and sucking out the whole stuff, what came out was still clear and transparent. Since, I have filled about 5 Gallons of diesel and run the engine for several hours and it runs smooth. But I still have this canister with about 10 Gallons of "old" diesel, transparent and clean.

My question here is: "Should I use this "old" diesel, or not?" I know the problem can be in the particles in the fuel, but if it is completely transparent? Also, the system has new filter I have set in, so - shouldn´t this filter?

What is a general appreciation here? Is it better to discharge the hole batch and put new one, or to be more "environmental and ecology" friendly and? use the "old" one mixed with new diesel?

**** can the old stuff, why take a chance.

[Sailorman Ed]

I bought a boat sunk about 5+ years ago with both plastic tanks full of diesel. When I started draining them, I was surprised it looked good and did not notice any water coming out ( I have yet to completely drain them). I have run all the diesel in my Kubota tractor ( same diesel as used in boats) and haven't had any problem at all. In fact, I have no even had to change the filter. No additives needed, tractor runs great! The boat was underwater for while and I was surprised the diesel had not leaked out thru the vent.

[James M B]

I have used Biobor JF for years in my diesel powered boat, and jet aircraft to deal with algae growth in the fuel. Never had a problem. I get it at TSC (Tractor Supply co).

[Cliffhanger]

I would just get a CAV filter and simply pump the fuel back into the tank through the filter. That ensures you don't reintroduce any water or other crud to the tank. As others have said, as long as you have biocide in the tank you will be fine. Diesel engines will happily run on a variety of fuels, (including old cooking oil - not that I recommend it for a boat) - but it does illustrate that diesel engines are not fussy about fuel in the way that your outboard engine is. They just need clean fuel uncontaminated by water or particles that can clog the fuel pump or injectors.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by Albinvega27

guy in the movie says by adding some whiskey to the diesel, he would gain substantial speed increase. I guess its ok, if I add a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label?

Yeah... no.

Give me the Blue; I'll give you a bottle of Red to dump in.

[Compass790]

Originally Posted by Albinvega27

Thank you guys for all this feedback. In the afternoon hours I repeateed once again the movie "Down Periscope". So, I thought? Since the guy in the movie says by adding some whiskey to the diesel, he would gain substantial speed increase. I guess its ok, if I add a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label?

Laphroaig would be better

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Compass790

Laphroaig would be better

No way! You would end up with smoky exhaust with that as an additive.

Jim

[RaymondR]

The stuff was tens of millions of years old when they got it out of the ground anyway, sitting in a tank for a while should not bother it.

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

The stuff was tens of millions of years old when they got it out of the ground anyway, sitting in a tank for a while should not bother it.

This might sound great, but in reality you don't find refined diesel ready to burn in your yacht-engine in the ground. I think most big cargo-ships use crude oil directly.
And unfortunately diesel can get bad to be risky for your engine when it starts to react with things over time. But then you'll notice it. If it looks like diesel and smells like diesel, you can burn it like diesel.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by Joh.Ghurt

I think most big cargo-ships use crude oil directly.
.

Steam-powered vessels- there are very few any more in the world- generally use a refined fuel oil called No.2 bunker. Big cargo ships, also called in shipping parlance, “motor vessels” because they are propelled by diesel, most assuredly use diesel. I live by a waterway serving refineries that refine as much as 20% of the nation’s crude oil, thus constant traffic of large tankers. It is routine to see them unloading crude oil off the starboard side while taking on diesel fuel from a re-fueling barge on the port side (or vice versa).
Unrefined crude oil is a poor fuel because it has too many impurities, would clog orifices and injectors, has widely varying chemical and physical attributes, is an extreme pollutant, and is inefficient as a fuel.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Joh.Ghurt

This might sound great, but in reality you don't find refined diesel ready to burn in your yacht-engine in the ground. I think most big cargo-ships use crude oil directly.
And unfortunately diesel can get bad to be risky for your engine when it starts to react with things over time. But then you'll notice it. If it looks like diesel and smells like diesel, you can burn it like diesel.

Some of the really light crude oils can be happily burned in a diesel engine as they come out of the ground. An industrial centrifuge is used to remove any water and solids.

There are hundreds of petroleum hydrocarbons starting with methane, CH4, all the way up to solidified tar. The liquid hydrocarbons, at normal temperature and pressure, start about octane which is CH8. In it's ability to form compounds carbon is pretty amazing stuff.