Preserving diesel fuel in transfer tank

[S854]

I’ve been driving my MF135 Deluxe for about five years… the first three years I lifted countless 5 gallon Jerry cans to fuel up… then I got a deal on a 33 gallon transfer tank…

the old Fill-Rite pump works great (the tank came off a 1984 Nissan pickup which was used at a local airport so I’m guessing the tank is about 30 years old…)… first thing I did was install a particulate filter between the pump and hose… filled up with red diesel and poured some two stroke oil in the tank then ran the nozzle in a loop to the tanks fill port… I let the pump run for about ten minutes to mix in the lubricating oil and also to clean any gunk out of the hose…

Been working great for a litt over a year now…

THEN I DID IT… went and bought a new tractor (Kioti 2610 HST)… the dealer suggested I purchase a dedicated, plastic fuel container so I can be sure to alway have fresh, clean fuel in my new toy… “New engines are expensive” he says… and the warranty doesn’t cover owner abuse (read: “bad fuel”)…

Which got me to looking into how modern ULSD “deteriorates” in storage… condensation inside the tank breeds “diesel bugs” which can wreak havoc on my new tractors fuel system… or so I’m lead to believe…

i don’t drive the Massey a lot.. didn’t go through an entire 33 gallon tank this last year… I’ll probably use more with the new tractor but i don’t want to screw it up… and I REALLY don’t want to go back to schlepping 5 gallon fuel cans…

At this point I’m seriously considering adding a second “water” filter in the circuit then recirculating fuel through the tank from time to time to keep the condensation out and the bugs trapped in a disposable filter…

Am I being overly paranoid?

 

[jyoutz]

I’ve been driving my MF135 Deluxe for about five years… the first three years I lifted countless 5 gallon Jerry cans to fuel up… then I got a deal on a 33 gallon transfer tank…

the old Fill-Rite pump works great (the tank came off a 1984 Nissan pickup which was used at a local airport so I’m guessing the tank is about 30 years old…)… first thing I did was install a particulate filter between the pump and hose… filled up with red diesel and poured some two stroke oil in the tank then ran the nozzle in a loop to the tanks fill port… I let the pump run for about ten minutes to mix in the lubricating oil and also to clean any gunk out of the hose…

Been working great for a litt over a year now…

THEN I DID IT… went and bought a new tractor (Kioti 2610 HST)… the dealer suggested I purchase a dedicated, plastic fuel container so I can be sure to alway have fresh, clean fuel in my new toy… “New engines are expensive” he says… and the warranty doesn’t cover owner abuse (read: “bad fuel”)…

Which got me to looking into how modern ULSD “deteriorates” in storage… condensation inside the tank breeds “diesel bugs” which can wreak havoc on my new tractors fuel system… or so I’m lead to believe…

i don’t drive the Massey a lot.. didn’t go through an entire 33 gallon tank this last year… I’ll probably use more with the new tractor but i don’t want to screw it up… and I REALLY don’t want to go back to schlepping 5 gallon fuel cans…

At this point I’m seriously considering adding a second “water” filter in the circuit then recirculating fuel through the tank from time to time to keep the condensation out and the bugs trapped in a disposable filter…

Am I being overly paranoid?

I have a 30 gallon fuel caddy and I just keep it inside the barn and add diesel power treatment to the fuel. Seems to be working. You can also add a biocide treatment if you’re concerned about bacterial growth.

 

[grsthegreat]

I went and got a new fuel filter for my 2010 DK45. Its like a $10 paper filter that fits into glass fuel bowl. Sales man showed me the new fuel filters for current model tractors. $250 monstrosity. New machines cant handle even slightest impurity i guess. Ive had a 50 gal transfer tank for at least 5 years. Dont add anything. I use entire thing up over summer, then fill it with winter blended fuel. Never have had gelling or bacteria growth.

 

[jyoutz]

Also, consider buying a Mr Funnel for fueling your tractor.

 

[seville009]

Just as an aside, I would not consider bad fuel to be “owner abuse” that would void a warranty. You could do all that you plan to do, then buy fuel somewhere that, as far as you know, is good, but turns out to be bad.

 

[Hay Dude]

I think your dealer is FOS.
There’s nothing paranoid about being very cautious about filtration, though.
You think a farmer is filling a farm tractor with a 150 gallon tank with “dedicated plastic containers”? Heck no, he is filling it with a 100 gallon to 1,000 gallon fuel tank mounted on a truck. Some buy oil delivery trucks to store & transport all the fuel they need.
And those engines have just as sensitive fuel systems.

Just keep your fuel tank clean and screw on new filters often and you will be ok.

 

[RjCorazza]

I’ve been driving my MF135 Deluxe for about five years… the first three years I lifted countless 5 gallon Jerry cans to fuel up… then I got a deal on a 33 gallon transfer tank….......
Am I being overly paranoid?

Better to be overly paranoid with diesel fuel than complacent.
I store 55 gallons for generator use that is kept in a shed. (2) inline filters - particulate followed by water blocking. I treat the fuel with PS White and a biocide for good measure.

I have thought about cycling the fuel through the filters once a year, but the available port in the drum is too small for the nozzle. I may come up with a solution to that and run the electric pump once in a while for good measure.
My daily fueling tank is a truck mounted transfer tank that is also filtered for particulates and water. That fuel gets treated with PS Silver or White, but no biocide. I also drop a water absorbing snake in the tank once in a while to confirm there's no water accumulating. In the past 20 years I have yet to discover water. I think the most frequent fuel problems occur from:
- poor or no filtration
- source contaminated
- outdoor tank storage

For light fuel use, the suggestion of using a Mr Funnel filter is a good one. They filter out large particulates, and do not pass water. I have reclaimed contaminated fuel using one. That contamination involved 250 gallons of free fuel I got, and I screwed up using the last 20 gallons or so. It was a royal pain.

 

[S854]

I would think a tractors fuel filter is its last line of defense… to keep all the bad things out of the injector pump… why else would it be there?

The Kioti uses a water separator type Filter…. I can easily drain accumulated water out the bottom any time I want…

What I’m not sure of is how big the bacteria are that sometimes grow in the fuel? Are they small enough to make it past the fuel filter membrane? That would be absurd!

Clogging a fuel filter with the goo the bacteria generates is one thing… that’s manageable… why all the internet hubbub about the goo ruining an engine? The horror stories I’ve found aren’t from web boards… they’re on commercial websites… there can‘t be that many snake-oil salesmen trying to get me to invest in their wonder cure for the diesel bug…

The biocides I’ve seen are a temporary fix… dose the fuel tank, wait eight hours then fill up… repeat every six to eight weeks…

On a separate, related note… condensation inside the tank seems to be where the bug rises… that water rests on the bottom of the tank… how do I tell if I actually have a problem? …and if I do have water in there… how does one get it out?

 

[duffer]

I have a 275 gal plastic tote (4' cube) that I have filled once a year. I use bio-kleen to keep the bacteria at bay. Treat it on a "maintenance" dose every 3 months (uses like 4 oz). Been doing that for 4 years and have yet to have any problems. I keep the tote inside my uninsulated garage/barn along with the tractor. That helps with keeping down condensation. (no dew or frost).

Also keep the tractor full of fuel during your fall/winter/spring months when temps are volatile from day to day.

 

[nyone]

Goldenrod makes water separation filters and housings that are clear with a bottom drain. I suggest you put one on your fill pump.

I have a 275gal heating oil tank that was filled in 2020 and is still 3/4 full. No water and no contamination. I treat the tank for algee every year and the machine every other fill up with power service.

A 25hp tractor isnt going to burn much fuel so a few 5gal jugs isnt the end of the world.