Water in the fuel is responsible for most diesel problems when they sit for too long. Usually it comes from condensation - water is more dense, so it sits under the diesel and that makes it the first thing pulled into the filter. Can also grown slime...
Worst of all is trying to crank one with water in the fuel and it doesn't start so a guy leaves it for another year. All the cranking did was move water into the injector pump, injectors, and cylinders where it corrodes all those things. Next year the repair bill is staggering - and it was all not necessary,
Diesel mechanics don't have the problem because they are way too experienced to ever crank a diesel that has been sitting a few years without first draining the fuel, line, clean the fllter container and replacing the filter - then bleed at the injectors. And that is at a minimum. Any evidence of water while doing those things means stop right there and disassemble to clean up the fuel sysem BEFORE attempting to crank it over.
Yes, the additives help. Biocide against slime, and alcohol against water. But those are stopgaps for short term storage under a couple of years so that you don't have to go farther and take it all apart and clean it all up before cranking.
Even with the biocide and alcohol additives in the tank You still have to drain the old fuel & additives, clean the lines, replace the filter and bleed the system before cranking.
Just do it. Sounds to me like that old farmer knows all this... any mechanic does too.
rScotty
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