To TREAT or NOT To TREAT

[Pblais]

It looks like #2 heating oil(reddish in color too.).

That would be off road diesel. They dye it red so the truck drivers won't fill up their own tanks with it. They would do it gladly if they thought they could avoid the fines. Dyed fuel indicates no road taxes were assessed on the fuel. So while you go to the truck stop those truck drivers are scratching their heads wondering what other foolish things you might be up to.

Any fuel you can tell is bad by only looking at it is already so bad it probably won't burn. All diesel is the same when it is made some gets dyed and some does not. It's only a problem if it sits for extended periods.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Yanmar recommends using the FPPF products. http://www.fppf.com/searchbyTransportation.asp

I use FPPF "Killem" biocide everytime I put fuel in the tank. Here in the Caribbean, the provenance of diesel is usually questionable, at best. As others have stated, keeping water out of the tank in the first place helps suppress algae/bug growth. I made a dipstick out of a piece of 3/8" copper tubing and attached it to a fuel hose with squeeze bulb, the kind you can buy as a replacement for what came with your outboard motor fuel tank. I stick the copper tube down to the bottom of the tank and squeeze until some diesel flows up into a clear container.

Instead of copper tubing can this be done with a clear tubing. Glass would not be my first choice b/c of breakage. Is there some kind of plastic that would work? I tried attaching clear flexible tubing to a stick but It didn't work.

[Jackstee]

Hi Alan
A quick one on the magnet thing.

I've been an engineer in hotels now since I left the Navy ( a long time ago) As such I have had trial runs on a lot of these type of things for domestic water and funny enough I can get a good result in one building and nothing in another building 200 meters apart. Never got to find out why.
Something about different particals getting different electrical/magnetic charges and coagilating, so being caught in a particle filter.

Steve

[Charlie]

What about baja filters. Does anyone filter their diesel prior to putting it in their tanks. I remeber delivering a baot back from Cabo and that was alway a priority. Especially when you saw how they measured the diesel. A rusty 55gal drum.

[DWT]

Just a heads up on Diesel additives;

After buying my boat, and about 100 hours of running, the injector pump on the diesel engine started to develope leaks. I removed it and sent it off to be repaired.
The repairman called me back and asked if I was useing an additive to the fuel? I said that I was not but the preveous owner might of. He explained that it is important to use no more than what is required because the additiove will eat out the seals in the pump. I could see the PO saying to himself "well if a little is good, alot should be great" and just pouring in the whole bottle in to the 18 gal. tank. Well it is not, and it cost a few hundred buck to have that pump rebuilt.

David
30' Morgan 69
CarolAnn

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Charlie

What about baja filters. Does anyone filter their diesel prior to putting it in their tanks...

Absolutely!!!
'Tho there's now several cheaper micro-filtre funnels that (reportedly) do just as well.

See:
Deck-Fill Fuel Filters ~ Practical Sailor magazine
Fuel Filter Article

“The expensive Baja filter, oft-mentioned in these pages, did very well in these tests but West Marine's new Teflon-based filter did better for less, by means of a simple water-separating scheme.”

P.S. test results summary in chart form:
http://www.practical-sailor.com/news...-22-Value2.pdf

[MidLandOne]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Does anyone filter their diesel prior to putting it in their tanks.

I always use a fine ss kitchen strainer placed in a funnel and always check the clarity of the fuel before any goes into the tank.

But we have reliable fuel supplies, in less reliable places I would certainly filter it better.

[windsweptms]

The best to ensure you do not water in your fuel tank is to change the O-ring on your diesel fuel deck inlet. I change all O-rings on all my deck inlets every spring. regards, niels