How long will diesel keep???

[John White]

How long can you keep diesel in a vehicle before it goes bad? A few years ago I bought a truck that was not running. Don't know long it sat. I finally put a camshaft in it (that's why it wouldn't run) got it running but smoked like crazy Not knowing better called a diesel garage and they said on that particular engine the injectors could be bad or valves need adjusting. So I took it to them and after $500. worth of work told me it had bad diesel in it. Changed it and was ok. Recently bought a Kubota diesel generator at a auction, started but smoked like crazy and temp would start to climb. I bid on it and got it because every one else was afraid. Got it home, that was the first thing I did was drain the fuel out. Put a new fuel filter on it and it runs great. I use only when power is out. I start it every 30 days and let it run for awhile. How long can I leave the fuel in it before it goes bad. I can drain it and use it in my truck and put fresh fuel back in it.

 

[CobyRupert]

Don't know about the diesel, but know my furnace fuel oil tank was last filled in 1997. The furnace runs about 5 times a year, no problems. Hate to hear that thing start knowing the current price to replace that 87 cents/gal fuel being burnt.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

It will store for a year if tightly sealed and treated with diesel Sta-Bil. Diesel will sludge in the presence of water, so if there is any water in the tank you have a problem. Condensation will ruin diesel. You can rescue old diesel by running it through a good filter.

 

[Pete Judd]

I am running my tractor on fuel out of a diesel RV that was parked in 1990. I just filter, and it seems good to go. Wow 23 years old.

 

[TnAndy]

It will store for a year if tightly sealed and treated with diesel Sta-Bil. Diesel will sludge in the presence of water, so if there is any water in the tank you have a problem. Condensation will ruin diesel. You can rescue old diesel by running it through a good filter.

I personally store 6-8 55gal drums of diesel (and about the same of gasoline) and rotate thru them as long as 5 years old with no problems. I use PRI products (gas & diesel) which beat Stabil hands down, IMHO. PRI claims it will rejuvenate fuel that is 20 years old, and based on my experience with it, I can believe it.

Buddy of mine in Alaska reports using drums of diesel from WW2 that was 50 years old at the time.

 

[dmccarty]

I just used five gallons of fuel I bought last year. It has been sitting in a five gallon jug outside on the north side of what we call the barn. I can't remember if I put fuel conditioner in the fuel but I think I did. The five gallons was just fine when I was mowing some trails last week.

Later,
Dan

 

[Coyote machine]

Totally depends on condition of storage, so forever or slightly less.:confused3:

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have about 500 litres of Diesel (Regular Sulphur) left over from my Y2K doomsday stash. It just never got rotated after that. It probably has conditioner in it. It's nasty and black and doesn't even burn well when put on a brush pile! Maybe I was sucking water off the bottom with my siphon hose. I'd love to use it up especially since it has sulphur, but I have been having so much diesel related trouble that I not dare put any in a machine.

 

[kubota23]

I have a175kw diesel generator at the shop that suits on a 500 gal steel fuel tank. The whole unit suits inside a non heated building and the fuel had been in it for at least 12yrs. I was worried about it since the generator had to be able to run when needed so I pumped 300 gals out and had 300 gals fresh put back in. The driver of the fuel truck tested the old and said it was perfect and recommended I pump the old back in and use it. I'm using it in my Kubota at home with no issues.

 

[paulwestski]

I second the PRI fuel conditioner products.
I stored 300 gallons of diesel for five years in 55 gallon drums outside. The fuel burned just fine in my equipment and trucks.