Oil & Fuel Fuel problems (algae)

   / Fuel problems (algae) #1  

rxk9394

New member
Joined
Dec 29, 2008
Messages
15
Location
Weld County Colorado
Tractor
L3010 and M7950
This isn't intended to be a question thread but will hopefully help somebody in the future with the same issue I just got done dealing with.

Back in mid-November I was wrapping up the last of my mowing with my Kubota M7950 when it just up and quit on me in the field like the fuel was quickly shut off. I dragged it back to the shop and did some simple troubleshooting before assuming the worst (like the injection pump went south on me).

I then proceeded (struggled) to get the Rhino SE-10 off of the lifeless tractor and drag it onto my trailer for the drive to drop it off at the nearest Kubota dealer.

The service-shop called after a couple of days and said they'd found algae in the fuel system but they were able to clear the lines out and it was now running. And that they'd seen a few cases similar to this lately.

So I picked it up, topped off the fuel tank with some fresh fuel, doubled up my usual additive (Power service Diesel fuel supplement) and optimistically went back to mowing to try to finish that job up. It ran for about 2 hours then quit exactly the same way...So I dragged it back to my shop and started to work on it myself.

Long story short, I had to drain the two tractor tanks and disassemble and clean all of the fuel lines from the tank thru the seperator to the fuel pump and up to the fuel filter housing, put on a new fuel filter and buttoned everything back up. I then said some kind words to the tractor gods and hoped like heck I wasn't going to have to pull the tanks and have them boiled out.

I then emptied out all the fuel in my transfer tank and steam cleaned it out, and finished with a trip to the county hazardous waste drop-off. All told about 6-8 hours of time total.

Funny thing is, I always religously bought my red-fuel from the local co-op and added the appropriate additives. I did buy the tractor used 4 years ago so I suppose the bugs could have been there even before I got it...

So far, after about 8 hours in the field I don't seem to have any more issues (knock on wood).

So the moral of this long and sordid tale is that if you are troubleshooting a fuel issue, you may want to consider algae as a possible culprit.

But, before you end up facing what I just did and if you want to add a few more additives to your fuel arsenal, here is what you need:
- Power-Service Clear-diesel, Bio-Kleen, and the trusty standard supplement.
- and the Longer-Diesel-Life and Star-brite Water absorber just for good measure
- and a brand new golden-rod water-block fuel filter on your transfer tank



fuel additives.jpg


Hopefully this will be informative to some of the group out there as well as giving me a chance to repay a small portion of the great reference material I have found here...and share some misery all at the same time.

Good luck and stay safe out there,
Rex
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #2  
Algae can happen to anyone if their fuel sits for a while. My workplace has two 75000 gallon storage tanks for emergency diesel generator operations. About 10 years ago both tanks got algae so bad that it wouldn't filter out even with a biocide added. Both tanks had to be emptied, cleaned, & refilled with new fuel. The old fuel was stored in tanker trucks & eventually burned in our boilers. MikeD74T
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #3  
Thanks for the heads up...I didn't think that algae would survive in diesel :eek:.
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #4  
This is a great lesson to learn for anybody who has thier own fuel tanks. That really sucks to having to pay the dealer to half fix the problem only to have it happen again. At least you paid for thier knowledge.:rolleyes:
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #5  
Interesting; never had a problem with algae or known anyone who has, but I may have to give the whole situation a second look.
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #6  
I was just like TripleR until a year ago when my Brother started having problems. He farms and uses a 500 gallon tank on a trailer to purchase his fuel. He bought a used 4wd tractor and not long after purchasing it quit him like described by the rxk. After a lot of grief and discussion with the local JD dealer mechanics he decided he had algae in the tractor tank. He assumed it was there when he bought it. Shortly after another tractor quit, then another, then his backhoe, finally his combine quit while harvesting wheat. Final decision, his fuel tank was contaminated and spread it into all his equipment. Biologically it slightly disturbs me that there is a living creature that can survive in diesel fuel...... The local mechanic says modern diesel fuel is gentler on the environment and made more naturally which allows this contamination. Still disturbs me. :confused:
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #7  
I was just like TripleR until a year ago when my Brother started having problems. He farms and uses a 500 gallon tank on a trailer to purchase his fuel. He bought a used 4wd tractor and not long after purchasing it quit him like described by the rxk. After a lot of grief and discussion with the local JD dealer mechanics he decided he had algae in the tractor tank. He assumed it was there when he bought it. Shortly after another tractor quit, then another, then his backhoe, finally his combine quit while harvesting wheat. Final decision, his fuel tank was contaminated and spread it into all his equipment. Biologically it slightly disturbs me that there is a living creature that can survive in diesel fuel...... The local mechanic says modern diesel fuel is gentler on the environment and made more naturally which allows this contamination. Still disturbs me. :confused:

Yeah, it could be the newer diesel. My father in law owned a bulk distributorship for, gasoline, propane, and diesel and would have eighty to one hundred thousand gallons of diesel on hand at any one time and never had contamination problems and didn't use any additives, but he had a constant turnover except during the winter months, but he sold the business to another relative a few years ago and I never asked him if there were problems with the newer formulations. We live about a half mile from the business and have been driving down there to fill our bigger equipment up and store no more than fifty gallons in plastic containers. We just picked up a 300 gallon tank as we are now using a bobcat, backhoe and some other equipment on a project and may need to start taking precautions. A friend owns a construction company and I will see what he is using, but the OP had some good advice it seems.
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #8  
I continually hear about algae in diesel fuel but it makes no sense. I would think algae would need light. I think it must be bacteria or other microbes. There are plenty of bacteria that can live off of petroleum products by existing at the surface or at the water/organic interface.

But, surprisingly, i have been wrong before (or so I am told) :)

Ken
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #9  
I just saw these facts this morning :

If water enters your fuel system either through condensation or vents, it can causes bacteria growth. Many species of bacteria, mold and fungus can grow in diesel fuel but not algae.

Algae growth in fuel is a misnomer for the problem.

What looks like algae may be in fact asphaltene.

Asphaltene is a chemical problem inherent in diesel fuel and not biological contamination.

Unless you drain your tanks 100%, you always have old fuel in your tanks. This old fuel most likely has one of two problems, biological or chemical.

Consider these facts.

FACT: ALL fuel producers admit that diesel fuel is inherently unstable. This instability causes diesel fuels to form sludge and or insoluble organic particulates. Both asphaltene compounds (sludge) and particulates may contribute to build up in injectors and particulates can clog fuel filters plus add to the service issues common to diesel engines.
See: www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/diesel/L2_2_7_fs.htm

FACT: Diesel fuel contamination problems have two different areas to consider, biology and chemistry. On the biology side is "Fuel Bugs" and on the chemistry side is "Asphaltenes". Thinking you have a biological problem and treating it with a biocide when in fact you have a chemical problem will not solve the problem.
"Asphaltenes" aka diesel sludge is the most common chemical problem and the most misdiagnosed problem in diesel fuel. Asphaltenes are brown and slimy and resemble algae. BUT Asphaltenes are not algae. NO ALGAE GROWS IN DIESEL FUEL. The natural chemical process that goes on in diesel fuel as it ages creates Asphaltenes. The asphaltene molecules will tend to precipitate out of the fuel over time and settle on the bottom of the tank. Once picked up by the fuel pump filters clog and engines stop.
Those that call diesel sludge algae are misinformed and not knowledgeable on the subject and are mis-diagnosing the problem.
"Fuel Bugs" aka bacteria and fungus, primarily Cyanobacteria, in diesel fuel are the other problem but less prominent that Asphaltenes.
Most diesel users have very little knowledge of this costly problem. There are over 100 types of Fuel Bugs that can live in diesel fuel. Fuel Bugs feed on the oil in the fuel and use the water in the fuel for their oxygen supply. They grow in your fuel at different rates and can easily cost thousands of dollars in damage to each contaminated vehicle.

It is imperative to determine if a fuel problem is biological or chemical based.


FACT: University of Idaho scientists have conducted tests to determine the timeline and percentage of degradation of stored diesel fuel #2. The results of this testing was that the petroleum diesel fuel #2 degraded 26% after 28 days of storage. See: Petroleum and Environmental Engineering Services
Masoud Mehdizadeh, Ph.D. fueltechinc.com

Studies conducted by National Biodiesel Board under accelerated storage conditions also proved that sediments are formed. The formation of these sediments are increased in the presence of water and dissolved oxygen. [See: "Fuel Facts" National Biodiesel Board, Jefferson City, MO; Frankenfeld, J.W. "General Features of Sediment Formation in Model Fuel System," Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Res. Dev. 1983, 22, 608-614].

Once diesel fuel begins the process of breaking down and sedimentation formation the fuel will create Asphaltene, cluster up, fall out of solution, and settle to the bottom of fuel tanks creating a sludge.
As the fuel further deteriorates, it darkens, produces a foul odour, and often causes diesel engines to smoke.

This is a direct result of the early-stage fuel clustering passing through the filtration systems and into the combustion chamber. These clusters cause greater difficulty as they increase in size, failing to burn correctly, thereby exiting the system as unburned fuel in the form of smoke. This problem is exacerbated as the clusters eventually reduce the fuel flow to the point of clogging the filters.

Filtration does not solve the core issue.

The source of this info was found here : Diesel Bug test kits
 
   / Fuel problems (algae) #10  
2 cycle mix, gasoline or diesel. In my mind, storage of fuel, for me, is a just enough, just-in-time kind of deal. From boats to lawn mowers, from tractor to weed whipper, from chain saw to leaf blower, they all seem to benefit from clean and fresh fuel. I absolutely detest fighting stale/contaminated fuel issues.
 
 
Top