Old Diesel?

Doc_Bob · Jun 12, 2006

I have a tractor with "old diesel" in it. 20 gallon tank with 14 gallons old diesel. How old? Not really sure how old, just old. Is there anything I should or could do with this tank of old diesel? Should i worry? Algae? Anything? I added 6 gallons of new diesel today and drove the tractor for 2.5 hours. ran fine.
Bob

California · Jun 12, 2006

I would say just keep watching for crud on the fuel filter, and run that tank near-dry to use it up before refueling.

If you don't have hard starting you are better off than I was. I bought this thing with fuel so old it had stained a 'bathtub ring' in the plastic tank. And it had caused the previous (short time) owner to wear out the starter.

Doping that fuel with Power Service restored it and made the tractor start acceptably. The next tank with fresh fuel revealed an easy starting and sweet-running engine.

dmccarty · Jun 13, 2006

You might want to add a fuel conditioner to deal with any water or bacteria in the fuel. Or drain it. Even with fuel at $3 a gallon I would be very tempted to drain the fuel rather than use it. I had a fuel problem that clogged up my lines and filter. The aggravation and work time lost was not worth $60 worth of fuel.

But since its running you might be ok. Mine died ASAP due to the crud in the fuel. I'm not sure if my fuel problem was due to bacteria or water getting into the fuel. I put in fuel conditioner, flushed the lines, and replaced the filter to get the engine to run.

I can't remember if I drained out the fuel or how much was left in the tank. I know I added fuel to the tank.

If this happened to me now I would drain the tank, refill with fresh fuel, put in a fuel conditioner, flush the lines and change the filter.

Later,
Dan

Doc_Bob · Jun 13, 2006

( You might want to add a fuel conditioner to deal with any water or bacteria in the fuel. Or drain it. Even with fuel at $3 a gallon I would be very tempted to drain the fuel rather than use it. I had a fuel problem that clogged up my lines and filter. The aggravation and work time lost was not worth $60 worth of fuel.

But since its running you might be ok. Mine died ASAP due to the crud in the fuel. I'm not sure if my fuel problem was due to bacteria or water getting into the fuel. I put in fuel conditioner, flushed the lines, and replaced the filter to get the engine to run.

I can't remember if I drained out the fuel or how much was left in the tank. I know I added fuel to the tank.

If this happened to me now I would drain the tank, refill with fresh fuel, put in a fuel conditioner, flush the lines and change the filter.

Later,
Dan )

Thing runs like a champ, so that is good news. What kind of diesel fuel conditioner? Any name brands that you like?

Draining the fuel sounds like a good idea. How will have to see how much work it will be, but as you said, less trouble to do it now rather than after things get clogged up!
Bob

MikePA · Jun 13, 2006

What kind of diesel fuel conditioner? Any name brands that you like? 
Threads on this same topic in just the last month or so....
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Doc_Bob · Jun 13, 2006

Thanks!
Bob

MikePA · Jun 13, 2006

You're welcome. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just trying not to be a wasteful American and starting up a brand new thread when there are plenty of good, existing ones. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

dmccarty · Jun 13, 2006

Bob,

Used Power Service. I can't remeber if it was the white or gray bottle. I likely used both. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Usually have one bottle to treat the tractor fuel. I know I dumped it into the tank. When that did not work I went and bought the other stuff a tried it. I know it helped.

What you are looking for is the stuff that handles water in the fuel as well as bacteria. There are a couple of good brands which I'm sure are in the lists that Mike provided.

Later,
Dan

Doc_Bob · Jun 13, 2006

( Just trying not to be a wasteful American and starting up a brand new thread when there are plenty of good, existing ones. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif )

You make me smile! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Bob

California · Jun 13, 2006

( Just trying not to be a wasteful American...)

That's why I suggested burning that bad diesel as fuel, if at all possible.

It's really wasteful to dispose of it legally - ie deliver it to the county's hazardous waste transfer station where they seal it in an expensive drum and truck it three states away to a specially lined landfill.

I was surprised how much junk is allowed in fuel specs in my operator's manual. The entire contamination specification:

"... For maximum filter life, sediment and water should not exceed 0.10 percent."

That's about an ounce of crud, enough to fill the filter bowl outside the filter element, for every 10 gallons of fuel. Far more than I expected to see. There must be some really bad diesel sold in some parts of the world.

So long as this tractor isn't hard to start, I think keeping an eye on the filter and maybe changing it after consuming the bad fuel is all that is needed.