Perfect Fuel
New member
I replied to another post concerning diesel fuel clogging filters and issues with dirty fuel and thought a bit of clarification might help. I just joined this forum because I was reading some misinformation about diesel fuel and filters.
I don't want this response to be conceived as a spam note.
My business is keeping diesel fuel clean. I do this for some of the largest corporations in the world, including one's that make yellow and green diesel engines and related generators.
Diesel fuel goes dark because of a process called re-polymerization. This happens because diesel fuel contains fuel that has been "cracked". Cracked fuel has carbon molecules that have a positive and negative charge. The molecules chain together over time. This chaining action slowly results in dark fuel. As the carbon chains become larger, they settle to the bottom of the tank as sludge. If water is introduced into the tank via condensation, moist air or simply a loose leaking fuel cap, microbe activity begins. Algae is not possible in a fuel tank because algae requires light to grow. However a microbe loves water and will flourish in a tank with moisture. Another issue with water is microbes give off a discharge that lowers the Ph of the water, thus turning the water to acid. Not good for tanks and lines.
If a tank gets sludge in it, a fuel additive will only help marginally. The tank needs to be properly cleaned; the fuels polished and then keep a good quality additive in the fuel (Nanolube or Algae-X AFC 705 work well).
Fuel filters, when rated have a spec. to catch 50% of the material at a specific micron size. A 10 micron filter (a micron is 1 millionth of a meter) will catch at least 50% of everything over 10 micron's. Fuel sludge will clog a filter very quickly if the fuel pick-up sucks sludge.
When fuel is dark, the engine will be more difficult to start because re-polymerized fuel does not blend well with oxygen. Thus difficult starting, and excessive smoke occur.
Modern diesel engines run very tight tolerances in the pumps and injectors. Dirty fuel going through these parts acts like sand. The removal of virtually all sulfur from modern fuels (15 PPM) also requires the fuel to be clean as the fuel now acts as the lubricant for pumps and injectors instead of the sulfur.
Bottom line, keep the fuel clean or it will destroy a good engine quickly.
Sorry to get longwinded here.
Email me for more info if you like. I am happy to share.
I don't want this response to be conceived as a spam note.
My business is keeping diesel fuel clean. I do this for some of the largest corporations in the world, including one's that make yellow and green diesel engines and related generators.
Diesel fuel goes dark because of a process called re-polymerization. This happens because diesel fuel contains fuel that has been "cracked". Cracked fuel has carbon molecules that have a positive and negative charge. The molecules chain together over time. This chaining action slowly results in dark fuel. As the carbon chains become larger, they settle to the bottom of the tank as sludge. If water is introduced into the tank via condensation, moist air or simply a loose leaking fuel cap, microbe activity begins. Algae is not possible in a fuel tank because algae requires light to grow. However a microbe loves water and will flourish in a tank with moisture. Another issue with water is microbes give off a discharge that lowers the Ph of the water, thus turning the water to acid. Not good for tanks and lines.
If a tank gets sludge in it, a fuel additive will only help marginally. The tank needs to be properly cleaned; the fuels polished and then keep a good quality additive in the fuel (Nanolube or Algae-X AFC 705 work well).
Fuel filters, when rated have a spec. to catch 50% of the material at a specific micron size. A 10 micron filter (a micron is 1 millionth of a meter) will catch at least 50% of everything over 10 micron's. Fuel sludge will clog a filter very quickly if the fuel pick-up sucks sludge.
When fuel is dark, the engine will be more difficult to start because re-polymerized fuel does not blend well with oxygen. Thus difficult starting, and excessive smoke occur.
Modern diesel engines run very tight tolerances in the pumps and injectors. Dirty fuel going through these parts acts like sand. The removal of virtually all sulfur from modern fuels (15 PPM) also requires the fuel to be clean as the fuel now acts as the lubricant for pumps and injectors instead of the sulfur.
Bottom line, keep the fuel clean or it will destroy a good engine quickly.
Sorry to get longwinded here.
Email me for more info if you like. I am happy to share.