55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel

   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel #51  
Sorry to hear you had trouble.

Two suggestions for future:
1. All fuel tanks need a shutoff valve.
2. Water separators should be protected.

Yes I know it's easy to say afterwards.
 
   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel
  • Thread Starter
#52  
The manual shows how to pinch it off.... (think of a clothes line pin) Two pieces of metal with a finger wingnut on them and you simply compress the supply line. This is easy to do if you HAVE the part which of course, I don't... and don't mind crawling under there while it's literally raining fuel all over you.

The fuel was coming out of the tank under gravity pressure, hitting the smashed glass bowl and base that holds it which then acted like a diffuser so the fuel was bouncing everywhere.

I was reaching blind trying to unscrew the base so I could take it all off.... knowing there was broken glass there (didn't shatter the glass window bowl, only knocked about half of it out) so that kept me slower & deliberate.

The unit itself is above the frame line so not likely to hit something however, when said something reaches up.....well.... it can evidently get to it.

The vines I was pulling down were maybe eight inches thick and over the years, have simply covered the 2-3 walnut trees that are clumped together making a very ugly, somewhat dreary looking area. (think of a scary movie where you have these clumps of trees and maybe one of them moves and eats you lol)

I got a vine caught (intentionally) to the loader as I was driving forward to try to pull it down and it fought back so much it actually held its ground, my front wheels slid on the ground circling back as my rears kept trying to power forward.

I had cut most of these vines a year or two ago and figured they'd be very weak by now. Seems I was wrong and they lashed out at me for trying to pull them down by smashing my sediment bowl.

Now that I think about it.... these same vines cost me a bar on my 16' (or whatever length it can extend to) pole saw. I was cutting one, it got pinched and on working the saw out, it turned the bar into a dogleg. I didn't have a backup at the time so had to buy two new bars.....and now this.
 
   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel #53  
I got a vine caught (intentionally) to the loader as I was driving forward to try to pull it down and it fought back

I had cut most of these vines a year or two ago and figured they'd be very weak by now. Seems I was wrong and they lashed out at me for trying to pull them down by smashing my sediment bowl.
Not as serious as your experience but I was clearing a downed apple tree in the orchard, and ripped the wire off the oil pressure sensor down by the oil filter. It was spooky driving back to the barn with the 'No Oil! light glowing bright. Funny how reasonable thought (not a problem) and instinct (shut down immediately!) can conflict.
 
   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel #54  
On two occasions, a friend gave me 100 gallons of furnace fuel (200 gallons in total) from two different 200 gallon furnace oil tanks. It had lots of water in it from decades of absorbing air moisture. Pouring one gallon into several clear plastic containers (100-DVD cases) and letting it settle for a day worked well. Carefully pour off the fuel to separate the water out. My 45 HP Kioti (before DFP) burned it with no apparent detriment.

I didn't buy fuel for several years. In Canada that's $1000 worth of diesel fuel. Having said that, there is always a risk in burning any fuel.
 
   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel #55  
No trouble at all as I would see it. Especially if there is little air space in the container.

But that begs the question in my mind. You hear fuel cans popping and expanding/contracting with temperature changes. Some massively bloated. How does a 55 Gallon drum handle these changes?
They usually leave room for expansion.
 
   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel #56  
Neighbor says he's got a 55 gallon drum of diesel that is "full of fuel" BUT is (I forget) maybe up to 10 years old.... maybe he said 5-8. None the less, it's not what you might call fresh from the pump.

I've never seen the drum
He's a good guy (so not trying to pull any fast one)
He does NOT have any use for diesel. Apparently it was left behind when they had a bulldozer out on their 40'ish acres doing work and it was left over from the job.

I could probably use that up between now and the fall just cutting the farm and/or doing backhoe work.

You know know as much as I know (forgot to mention the implication is it would be free to me if I could use it)

Side note, I could use the drum too, presuming it's metal and could work as a burn barrel.

So.... do you trust old diesel like this? Do you dump some conditioner in it and then look at it? I've never been faced with old diesel. I can use it to start my fires but it will last me 5 years or more so don't like that idea.

No idea how to approach this. Moving it might also be an issue unless the lid can lock down on it.

Thoughts?
I'd use it in a new York heartbeat. Iv used old as and older, still rolling. Or if you still afraid, put three gallons of old and couple gallons new and run it. I'd use it as is. I've run gas so old that it wouldn't burn with a lighter. Just add a little new with it. Gas pickup trucks don't run too well on diesel, but can get you to the station.
 
   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel #57  
I'd use it in a new York heartbeat. Iv used old as and older, still rolling. Or if you still afraid, put three gallons of old and couple gallons new and run it. I'd use it as is. I've run gas so old that it wouldn't burn with a lighter. Just add a little new with it. Gas pickup trucks don't run too well on diesel, but can get you to the station.
The interesting thing here, is that there are 10's of thousands of diesel filled 55 gallon drums around the world, that have been sitting for YEARS!
They simply get used as/when needed.
 
   / 55 gallon barrel... "full" of old diesel #58  
People making a lot of something out of nothing, mostly!

I put drain cocks (ball valves) on all my tanks and put a plug in the valve. You aren't messing about with a plug with fuel behind it. The danger with that is is makes a longer thing to shear off.
 
 
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