Change Oil and Filters Beginning or End of Season

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Colin Stone

...
I'm using HVO 100 drop in diesel replacement. No sulphur at all, so virtually no acidic combustion products. Plus cleaner smoother running and a bit more power. Also immune to bugs and really long tank life - 15 years.

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil [HVO - the 100 suffix refers to 100%] is a biofuel, made from waste, such as animal fat, or processed vegetable oils.
HVO has a REDUCED Sulphur content [below 10ppm, per EN15940]; the same as Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel Fuel [per EN590].
HVO 100 has very similar storage, and aging properties, as standard fossil diesel fuel.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Our first analysis at 127 hours, 1 year 4 months including our delivery from Ft. Myers to Annapolis, suggested 200 is OK. Recent analysis at 225 hours (1 year 3 months including a winter trip to Charleston and back) suggests 300 is OK for next time. Analysis isn't pointing out any abnormal levels based on time intervals.

Adding a bit of comment about sampling and analysis... With smaller engines, the cost of analysis can seem like almost more than the cost of an oil/filter change. Or maybe at least at similar decimal points...

OTOH, if analysis highlights something critical -- e.g., high saline content, which may imply sea water intrusion -- the early warning can save an engine from premature destruction. That'd generally be considered a good thing, and would usually justify the cost of analysis.

Always changing oil and filters without that analysis could seem to mask an impending problem... perhaps for long enough that the problem becomes more destructive.

-Chris

[Colin Stone]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil [HVO - the 100 suffix refers to 100%] is a biofuel, made from waste, such as animal fat, or processed vegetable oils.
HVO has a REDUCED Sulphur content [below 10ppm, per EN15940]; the same as Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel Fuel [per EN590].
HVO 100 has very similar storage, and aging properties, as standard fossil diesel fuel.

I don't think you are correct. I'm using Neste HVO100. I'm well aware of what the letters and numbers mean.

https://www.neste.be/en/neste-my-ren...ct-information

Excellent storage properties
Neste MY Renewable Diesel can be stored over long periods of time due to the purity of the product. It does not attract water, which means there is zero risk of product quality deterioration or microbial growth with proper handling and storage. It has excellent stability, which provides for outstanding storage properties.

When I first started using it in 2021, the website had 15 year storage life.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Colin Stone

I don't think you are correct. I'm using Neste HVO100. I'm well aware of what the letters and numbers mean.

https://www.neste.be/en/neste-my-ren...ct-information ...

I may be [somewhat] wrong, but that's not exactly what NESTE says, in their "Renewable Diesel Handbook" [1], a little longer [more conplete], and more technical publication, than their marketing literature.

Diesel and gasoline fuels are hygroscopic, therefore the fuel will absorb and hold water, often caused by condensation.

Although HVO doesn’t absorb water itself, stored HVO is still susceptible to the same microbial and water issues, as seen in stored #2 diesel.
Fuel storage tank condensation will still result in free water being introduced into the fuel tank, however it does not become emulsified with the HVO fuel. Instead, the free water, that is in the tank, will phase separate, and form a layer of water, that rests beneath the fuel.

As outlined, in the 'Neste Renewable Diesel handbook' [1], HVO fuel carries a risk of microbial growth that is similar to that of fossil diesel fuel.

Neste recommends that “good maintenance, cleaning and dewatering of containers and tanks regularly is essential to avoid contaminations” and suggests that “microbial growth may cause issues with long storage periods”.

If free water is not removed from the tank, microbial growth will proliferate, in the same ways it does, as in fossil diesel fuel.

[1] Neste Renewable Diesel handbook [pages 18-20] ➥ https://richmond-hall.weebly.com/upl...l_handbook.pdf

[Colin Stone]

There is no such thing as fuel tank condensation. It is a complete myth. See https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3938279 - posts 52 and 58 - and see post 46. #58 is a pic of the first fuel draw taken from the water drain of my white HVO tank for the first time in many years - at least 5 and probably nearer 10. No water, or indeed anything else.

Anyway, back on topic. Oil analysis is pretty good value compared to the cost of oil and filter, certainly for me. 17+ litres oil and a sizeable expensive filter.
And as my last analysis shows, using HVO100, acids have used up only 0.9 mgKOH/gm TBN in over 400 hours, starting from 11.0. When I was using standard diesel, I would have been told to change the oil at around 400 hours as TBN would be down to around 5.

[Hartleyg]

For us, it makes sense to do the oil & filter in the fall before layup, as in the spring, we'll be busy getting all those winter projects completed, fresh paint smeared on, etc. and its one thing we won't have to do.


FWIW, we have a bit over 6K hours on our 25yo Yanmar, and because my wife attended a diesel maintenance class this fall and they recommended an oil analysis, we did one - first time ever. It came back that everything was dead normal, nothing out of line (nice to know) - our changes the last few years have averaged out at about 250 hours per (though we always do an oil & filter prior to layup) and we always change the primary fuel filter at the same time (10 micron).



Hartley
S/V Atsa

[gonesail]

given a choice .. better to do the oil before the boat is going to be stored for the winter.