Old fuel

rozett · Apr 13, 2002

The previous owner of our farm left a 200 gallon tank about half full of diesel that he used for his Kabota. I don't know exactly how old it is, but we've owned the place for 18 months.

So my question is.... should I trust this fuel in my tractor? Are there any precautions I should take or additives I should use. Or should I just try to get rid of it? If I do use it, I will get one of those funnels discussed elsewhere here, that seperate out any moisture or particulates that may have contaminated the tank.

Actually, I am going to sell the tank and get it out of here. I'm not really sure why he had it. I have to believe it would have taken him years to use that much fuel in his small B-series.
Thanks....//bruce

Thomas · Apr 13, 2002

If it was I..I would get rid of the fuel,for no telling what maybe laying in the bottom of the storeage{metal??} tank,plus there a good chance the fuel might have jell more than once w/your Maine cold temps.

Darren · Apr 14, 2002

Diesel fuel is just an oil. It's the same as number 2 heating oil and the stuff they use in jet aircraft. I'm using diesel
that's about three years old. I've run older heating oil in my truck that came out of a free 250 gal tank.

Another time I found 500 gals. of kerosene in a 2000 gal. skid mounted tank I bought. The stuff was at least five years old and still good. If the tank has a bottom drain, I'd drain off a quart of so to see if any water was in the bottom. Get rid of the water and use the fuel.

If you have a water separator on your tractor, I wouldn't even bother draining the tank. If you're really concerned about the quality, there is a product called PRD for extending the life of diesel. Supposedly PRG for gasoline will restore stale gasoline.

cp1969 · Apr 14, 2002

I don't know how long it takes, but diesel fuel will go bad over time due to stuff (bacteria?) growing in it. I hauled a few truckloads of bad diesel out of a standby power plant that used it. They have no idea when they will need it or how much will be needed, so they just kept a huge tank of diesel on hand. After so long, if it hadn't been used, they got rid if it and replaced it with new stuff. I would have thought if there was an additive that would eliminate this problem, they would have used it.

As I said, I have no idea how old this fuel was. It could have been ten years old for all I knew, but it was NASTY. Good diesel is straw colored; this stuff had a lot of black in it.

RoyJackson · Apr 15, 2002

Diesel fuel is just an oil. It's the same as number 2 heating oil and the stuff they use in jet aircraft. I'm using diesel

Jet fuel has more in common with Kerosene then diesel.

BrokerBob · Apr 15, 2002

I would probably not use in in a diesel engine. Just can't be certain what's in there. Injection system is fairly high precision hardware. I would hate to risk damage or cause excessive wear. On the other hand, I would not hesitate to use the fuel in in my oil burner (assuming you have oil heat). Worst you could do is clog up a burner tip.

ekrampitzjr · Apr 15, 2002

Fuel tanks do corrode over time if nothing is added to the fuel to ****** corrosion, and even if the diesel fuel is the right color, you may have rust and other debris in the bottom of the tank. If you take the chance and use it, run the fuel through a filter as you pump it into your tractor or other equipment. A paper towel in a large funnel is better than nothing, and you may be surprised at what you'll catch.

By the way, additives to kill bacteria and fungi in diesel fuel and related fuels are available. The military uses them extensively. I don't have a brochure handy, but I believe either Amsoil or Red Line offers such a product.

For my Mitsubishi, I buy the best diesel fuel I can find, which is 47-cetane Amoco, no more than 5 gallons at a time. I also use a diesel fuel conditioner, usually Mr. Moly's Dieslip or Red Line's. In a pinch I'll use NAPA's or PS, which are widely available locally. By not buying in bulk, I maintain fresh fuel in good condition.

Old_Wanker · Apr 15, 2002

Try this TBN thread for a good discussion

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=oil&Number=53581&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1>Contaminated Fuel</A>

This should work although this is a first try. Not too shabby for an Old Wanker if it works first time!

Darren · Apr 15, 2002

From what I've heard the algae only grows in the hotter areas. The PRD I mentioned will act as a biocide. Again if you have a water separator, which has its own filter in addition to the tractor filter, you're not taking a chance.

As one poster said, if you've got algae you'll know it. The filters handle the dirt. Racor's filters on the separators go down to 2 microns and the unit also pulls the water out. I don't care how fresh the fuel is if it sits in a vented tank, you can pick up water.

I'm curious how many of those folks that are super careful with their fuel have a water separator? Water is the surefire killer of injectors and self lubricated injection pumps over time. Guess what water does when it hits a hot injector? The way I see it, if you've got the filtering capability and a way to remove water, nothing is going to get to the fuel system that doesn't belong there.

I wouldn't run algae contaminated fuel but only because you'd be forever changing filters. A little rust or dirt in the bottom of the tank isn't going to get near the fuel system if you have the right filtering.