Brown stuff in diesel

[Mike_Kanzer]

I noticed that when I fill the tractor from a 5 gallon diesel can there is fine flecks of brown material on the funnel filter screen. The diesel has powerservice white bottle additive in it and sometimes is probably 1-2 months old. Is this algae? I am going to try to reduce the time the fuel sits at home. Wonder if I need to add some time of product to treat algae build up in the fuel? Any ideas? - Mike

 

[ToadHill]

I had some similar globs in my tank when I cleaned it, and it looked like algae to me.

 

[Texasmark]

I use a diesel enzyme treatment Starbrite from Starlight (I think) company out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. They make it for gas and diesel. Looking up the MSDS it has some petroleum products but does not list the enzymes. I buy diesel 150 gallons at a time in 55 gallon drums and treat each fill up per their directions. Have been using it for about 5 years and the last time I changed over my pump to a full drum, I looked down into the almost empty drum I was vacating and the contents were red tinted (farm diesel) but otherwise crystal clear. Have had zero fuel problems.

HTH,

Mark

 

[phiferpharm]

It could be some type of jelling. It plays havoc with your tractor- I've had to drain and clean my fuel tank several times and I use both Diesel additive and a straining funnel. Now I'm so fed up with injector issues, I am waiting for delivery of a new tractor tomorrow. It seems like once it gets into the tank, it is a real bear to get it all out or desolved.

 

[Foxtrot08]

It's called 'mother' - a mixture of Bacteria, Dirt and Water that globs up in diesel fuel, typically on the bottom of a tank.


Do you have a home tank, or just get a 5 gallon can from a local store?

If you only get 5 gallons at a time, I would change where you buy your fuel from.

If you have a personal tank you use, it can be treated easily.

 

[radioman]

It could be some type of jelling. It plays havoc with your tractor- I've had to drain and clean my fuel tank several times and I use both Diesel additive and a straining funnel. Now I'm so fed up with injector issues, I am waiting for delivery of a new tractor tomorrow. It seems like once it gets into the tank, it is a real bear to get it all out or desolved.

gelling? in PA this time of the year? I dont think so. I think it most likely rust falling off metal tanks. I'd replace the filter and cut it open and inspect.

a good look will tell you if you got a bug in tank or just rust/water.

 

[5030]

Reddish brown particles are algae. Treat the fuel with a bio-cide in your storage container and the tractor according to bottle directions for the add amount.

I use Powerservice Bio-Kleen myself.

Change the tractor fuel filter AFTER treatment and AFTER the engine has run for a bit. Dead microorganism's killed from the biocide will clog the works inside the engine. The dead algae will become little hard bits in the fuel.

pre-treat your fuel to keep the alage from growing in the first place.

 

[Foxtrot08]

Power Service has developed something to use in conjunction with Bio-Kleen so that you don't have change the filters as much.

CLEAR-DIESEL® Fuel & Tank Cleaner: Fuel Polishing Formula ? use to clean and maintain a fuel system.

Clear Diesel, from what their reps told me, is supposed to break down the bacteria so it can just be burned off.

 

[phiferpharm]

gelling? in PA this time of the year? I dont think so. I think it most likely rust falling off metal tanks. I'd replace the filter and cut it open and inspect.

a good look will tell you if you got a bug in tank or just rust/water.

Gotcha- probably using the wrong term. The stuff that was in my tank looked like brown gummy bears.

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

Thanks for the input guys. The clear diesel additive sounds like a good thing to try and I am going to switch where I buy my diesel fuel from. I use 5 gallon cans to fill up with so maybe it is coming from the gas station. So far I haven't had any engine probelms ( knock on wood) but I think I will change out the fuel filter after I use the algicide/ additive for a while. - Mike

 

[Fordlightning]

Algae normally makes the fuel smell nasty. Like someone has sh** in it . Recommend changing fuel station. Water in fuel most likely started the algae. I would drain tank and clean, clean the cell used to fuel tractor.

I work at Chevy dealer. Work on a lot duramax. Seen it so many times, my guess 90% time it was bad fuel from the station. Have had to r&r clean fuel tank, clean llines, etc. Have had 2 that the algae plugged all the injectors, required replacing them all. Moral story is get fuel from known good station. Perferrably one that moves the fuel. Only one station in my little town is known to have good off road diesel, and 2 for on road.

 

[radioman]

Thanks for the input guys. The clear diesel additive sounds like a good thing to try and I am going to switch where I buy my diesel fuel from. I use 5 gallon cans to fill up with so maybe it is coming from the gas station. So far I haven't had any engine probelms ( knock on wood) but I think I will change out the fuel filter after I use the algicide/ additive for a while. - Mike

In my humble opinion, I don't think you need to go to the extreme of biocide since all you use is 5 gallons cans. biocide is good for long term storage and prevent corrosion. I wonder if it plastic or metal? if it plastic and can look clean other then specks on bottom of can then my original suspicion is rust from fuel station tanks since you dont seem to store large amounts yourself am I correct? If it a metal can you are using- I'd check your can, or still suspect fuel station.

I would still go ahead and replace your fuel filter. If you are seeing specks in screen before going in, the smaller stuff can plug the filter sometime down the road.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Most 5 gallon diesel containers I've seen are translucent yellow plastic. Which means light can pass through it; and where there's light, there's algae. I store my container in the back of the garage where there's very little light, if any. Better still would be a flammable storage locker which usually doesn't let in any light at all.

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

Radioman-
Yeah they are the yellow plastic cans, so if it is rust it is coming from gas station. There isn't a huge amount of visible flecks. Just some on the bottom of the cans and on the funnel filter screen. Definitely going to change stations and fuel filter.