Any real difference in Deisels?

[danleach]

OK, I know I should know this already but, is there any difference tween the deisel at the gas station and the deisel at the fuel dock. And I mean aside from the color and tax rate.

I have just done a repower and also had my fuel tank cleaned. The guys didn't like the looks of my old fuel and took it all away. I need to get a few gallons into the tank so I can motor away Wednesday...but the local fuel dock won't sell to me by plastic container anymore. I don't know why. So I want to just stop to fill the car, and grab six gallons of deisel from the pump. But not if that's going to be bad for the boat.

So I'm asking my betters. GordMay...where are you when I need you?

[Inthewind]

Diesel is diesel no matter where you get it. The red diesel is not taxed like over the road fuel. Get diesel at a gas station and you will be fine.

[seaclusion]

In the US, diesel from the gas station pump that is colored blue is ultra-low sulfur diesel(now required for highway use). Diesel for off road use and untaxed is colored red and is the typical low sulfur you are used to. Diesel colored brown is taxed and the usual low sulfur.

Will the ultra-low sulfur diesel hurt your engine? I don't know. I have heard it will not but older diesels were designed to be run on low sulfur diesel that has been around for decades. I run on low sulfur diesel from marina pumps.

Richard

[Alan Wheeler]

Low sulfur won't hurt the engine, no matter what age. The way the sulfur is removed also removes some of the aromatics from the fuel. The aromatics have an affect on rubber components like Orings and seals. removing those solvents causes the Orings and seals to shrink and harden and crack. So it has been known for a few older engines to have injector pump leaks. However, it is easy top rectify by replacing the seals with new ones. I suspect Nitrile instead of what ever the old material was.
The removal of sulfur actually helps the engine. It means sulfuric acid does not rot out you exhaust system.

[4900bruce]

I never buy diesel from a marina,
1 You dont know how long that fuel has been sitting in that tank collecting water and the bug .
2 For some reason it costs more from a marina.
I own earthmoving equipment which are fueled from service stations .these diesels run 8 hr days 5 days a week . have never had a problem with fuel.

[adam6]

i'm new to this site and really rusty at sailing. getting back into it in the Bay Area and thinking about cruising. I sure will need to learn about deisels,tho I worked on a lot of cars over the years ,Glad to be here.