Filling fuel tank at the end of the day

[Gary Fowler]

Here are some pictures of pump intake taken from a fuel tank of a surplus military truck I bought a few years ago. It'll give you an idea of the stuff that grows in diesel when condensation/water accumulates.

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I plan to drain/flush all of my diesel tanks every couple of years after seeing this stuff.

How many decades to you think that accumulation takes into account on that surplus truck. Those things may have had any kind of fuel put in them as military trucks are multi-fuel capable (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, cooking oil, about anything that will burn will work in them. The ones I used when in Army in 1970 had spark plugs and injectors. Fuel filters catch all the crude before it can get near the pump or engine.
I fill my tanks whenever it gets below about 1/4 tank. It may set months with half a tank in it and never any issue with fuel. Havent changed the fuel filter on any of my stuff yet and the ones that have a viewable filter are all clear (red) fuel with not indication of any water or debris. I don't use 5 gallon cans to fill with though, all my fuel is directly out of the storage tank via 12 volt pump and goes thru a 10 micron filter. No contaminates go in and nothing comes out.

 

[kg7il]

I am still using two 5 or 6 gallon fuel cans (Blitz Plastic).
Filling the tank is the last thing I ever want to do.
Really need to get a better setup.

Of Note: Just did my 200 hour service. quite a bit of water in the fuel bowl..about 1/2 the free space between the bottom of the cup and the bottom of the filter. First time I have had that much.

 

[Katahdin]

How many decades to you think that accumulation takes into account on that surplus truck. Those things may have had any kind of fuel put in them as military trucks are multi-fuel capable (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, cooking oil, about anything that will burn will work in them. The ones I used when in Army in 1970 had spark plugs and injectors. Fuel filters catch all the crude before it can get near the pump or engine.

This is a Yanmar forum, most of these guys are using tractors several decades old so I think the pictures are relevant. The pictures are from the in-tank pump, and as you can see the screen is partially blocked. The fuel can't get even get to the filters if it can't get pumped out of the tank. Re Misc fuels, this particular truck was converted to Diesel only (FDC bypassed) in the 1980s and probably only saw only U.S. National Guard duty, so I don't expect it would've had anything but diesel in it for most of its natural life.

The spark plug (there was only one) on the multifuel engines was used only to heat air going into the turbo for cold weather starting. The engine combustion chamber itself does not have any spark or even glow plugs. The shape of the combustion chamber, including a sphere inside the piston, and the way air is swirled into the chamber is what gives the engine its multifuel capability. That and a pretty high compression ratio (22:1).

 

[Car Doc]

If a Yanmar owner adds much fuel at the end of a day he is putting in some serious hard hours waaay more than I ever have. I may fill every couple months if even that. Fwtw my 300g farm tank has plenty of free air space inside I only keep a 150g in at the most but I also have a good filter on it. :thumbsup:

 

[yanmars]

I fill mine at the end of the day. Just so it is ready to go and to reduce condensation issues.

 

[clemsonfor]

I can use 3 gallons a day easy when bushhogging and mowing and or dialing