ians
Well-Known Member
Was the fuel like the below, this is the deposits from my separ filters after picking up some bad fuel,
[image]
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[image]
Diesel sludge - here to stay?
- Thread starter guydickinson
- Start date
1317
Member
Investigate "Baja" funnel/filter. Most US cruisers use them. Racor made mine.
jerryat
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Investigate "Baja" funnel/filter. Most US cruisers use them. Racor made mine.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yep, that's what all our diesel is filtered through as it enters the tank. Fuel filters at year end are spotless. We also treat the fuel with the recommended dose of Startron - the 'official' successor to Soltron - which is made by the Starbrite company. We double dosed as recommended, to clear a mild case of 'black bug' a couple of years ago, and there's no sign of it returning as yet.
We had to chabge the primary filter a couple of times in the following six weeks, but after that, as I say above, the fuel/tank is completely clear.
Fingers crossed!!
Investigate "Baja" funnel/filter. Most US cruisers use them. Racor made mine.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yep, that's what all our diesel is filtered through as it enters the tank. Fuel filters at year end are spotless. We also treat the fuel with the recommended dose of Startron - the 'official' successor to Soltron - which is made by the Starbrite company. We double dosed as recommended, to clear a mild case of 'black bug' a couple of years ago, and there's no sign of it returning as yet.
We had to chabge the primary filter a couple of times in the following six weeks, but after that, as I say above, the fuel/tank is completely clear.
Fingers crossed!!
rich
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
the 'official' successor to Soltron
[/ QUOTE ]
says who!
the 'official' successor to Soltron
[/ QUOTE ]
says who!
ms1
Well-Known Member
finn sailor has the key.
Its the marine fuel suppliers. Thats why our boats are racked out with fuel filtration units and moisture alarms and what have you ... in many cases the fuel we use is contaminated before it even goes in the tank. If in doubt lug in some fuel from a roadside filling station - never heard anyone say that they used 'road-fuel' and got the bug.
Its the marine fuel suppliers. Thats why our boats are racked out with fuel filtration units and moisture alarms and what have you ... in many cases the fuel we use is contaminated before it even goes in the tank. If in doubt lug in some fuel from a roadside filling station - never heard anyone say that they used 'road-fuel' and got the bug.
guydickinson
Well-Known Member
Is there a way of making the difinitive diagnosis that it is the fuel "bug" and not tars and contaminants like Fisherman and vyv_cox suggest???
ians
Well-Known Member
The above picture is bad fuel from a non regular supplier, these were the filters after a rough journey of 120 miles.
I am now changing the filters every 50 hours depending on the type of journey that I have done, if its been rough they get changed at every stop just to be on the safe side.
Just another point, the above sludge I expermiented with and put in in a container and added diesel then gave a dose of fuel set, after 2 days the sudge went quiet solid which I didnt think was good.
I am now changing the filters every 50 hours depending on the type of journey that I have done, if its been rough they get changed at every stop just to be on the safe side.
Just another point, the above sludge I expermiented with and put in in a container and added diesel then gave a dose of fuel set, after 2 days the sudge went quiet solid which I didnt think was good.
jimbaerselman
Well-Known Member
See my reply on 'fuel additives'.
Bilgediver
Well-Known Member
Whenever I have seen bugs it is a light creamy colour and a distinctive sweetish smell.
I dont feel this black gunge is mud but would suspect that it is fuel contaminated during delivery by being put in tanks which have previously contained another product.
It would be interesting to see if there is any sort of common denominator regarding the incidents and if it was my boat I would even check the fuel to see if it was what I was told I had bought.
There are many grades of diesel through gas oil and there seems to be a grey area where what comes out of the bunker barge is not the same as comes out of the diesel pump at Tesco and I know which I d prefer.
I dont feel this black gunge is mud but would suspect that it is fuel contaminated during delivery by being put in tanks which have previously contained another product.
It would be interesting to see if there is any sort of common denominator regarding the incidents and if it was my boat I would even check the fuel to see if it was what I was told I had bought.
There are many grades of diesel through gas oil and there seems to be a grey area where what comes out of the bunker barge is not the same as comes out of the diesel pump at Tesco and I know which I d prefer.
guydickinson
Well-Known Member
Are any of the filters advertised on the UK chandler websites any good or should it be a Baja only?
double_ender
Well-Known Member
Just to add to my earlier post describing the contamination as tea leaf like, I have been using the Fuel Set additive for about 4 years. Maybe this helped or hindered the problem!
michael_w
Well-Known Member
I've got a Baja filter and it certainly stops the muck. Always gets used if there is any doubt about the cleanliness of the supply. Only drawbacks are it makes filling up very slow and needs careful cleaning afterwards.
ians
Well-Known Member
Malcolm
You are proberbly right, I have moved away from fuel set now and are trying out marine16
Unfortunatly to remove and clean my tank is major surgery, there is only a small hole in the top of my tank which I have drained fuel out of, but this does does not get the dregs out of the bottom of my tank.
the only thing that gets it out is going out when its reasonbly rough and churning the fuel up
My set up is a 620 litre tank with QL magnetised seperators followed by separ seperators then primary filter
The QL filters work very well.
Ians
You are proberbly right, I have moved away from fuel set now and are trying out marine16
Unfortunatly to remove and clean my tank is major surgery, there is only a small hole in the top of my tank which I have drained fuel out of, but this does does not get the dregs out of the bottom of my tank.
the only thing that gets it out is going out when its reasonbly rough and churning the fuel up
My set up is a 620 litre tank with QL magnetised seperators followed by separ seperators then primary filter
The QL filters work very well.
Ians
PeterGibbs
Well-Known Member
I think the thread is steering away from the point, that fuel supplies and therfore on board tanks are all contaminated to a degree. It becomes a problem when conditions permit it to bloom. Elminating algae or other organisms is not possible in an open air container, as tanks are.
In my earlier posting, and based on 20+ years operating in European waters, I pointed to on board filters as the key defence, plus avoiding all tanking points where throughput is likely to be low and contaimination likely to be higher.
It's the story of the hambuger stall - more likely to get food poisoning in a 5 star restaurant than a stall that serves 100's of burgers a day!
Additives clearly work in vitro, but I do not see conclusive proof they beat filtration.
And what do commercials do to guard against contamination? Soltron by the tonne? I think not. Straining fuel through nylons will remove large particulates but not contamination itself.
When the on board tank is heavily contaminated, there is only so much you can do. All of us carry more contamination than we think -possibly even more than we suspect.
PWG
In my earlier posting, and based on 20+ years operating in European waters, I pointed to on board filters as the key defence, plus avoiding all tanking points where throughput is likely to be low and contaimination likely to be higher.
It's the story of the hambuger stall - more likely to get food poisoning in a 5 star restaurant than a stall that serves 100's of burgers a day!
Additives clearly work in vitro, but I do not see conclusive proof they beat filtration.
And what do commercials do to guard against contamination? Soltron by the tonne? I think not. Straining fuel through nylons will remove large particulates but not contamination itself.
When the on board tank is heavily contaminated, there is only so much you can do. All of us carry more contamination than we think -possibly even more than we suspect.
PWG
Gunfleet
Well-Known Member
I hope you took the precaution of taking the wife out of them first. Fullers earth (aka cat litter) cleans fuel too, if you can find a way to pass it through.
duncanmack
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Was the fuel like the below, this is the deposits from my separ filters after picking up some bad fuel,
[image]
[/image]
[/ QUOTE ]
That is identical to what I found with one of my recovery trucks several years ago. Diesel bug.
Was a sod to get the right stuff to finally kill the little blighters, and then lots of filter changes.........
Was the fuel like the below, this is the deposits from my separ filters after picking up some bad fuel,
[image]
[/ QUOTE ]
That is identical to what I found with one of my recovery trucks several years ago. Diesel bug.
Was a sod to get the right stuff to finally kill the little blighters, and then lots of filter changes.........
Bejasus
Well-Known Member
below is the link to a fuel cleaning rig that can be fitted to a boat(we have one) and does not take up to much room. It consists of a connection from your fuel tanks suction and returns though your return line. On the way it passes through magnets, a centrifuge and a filter. There is a small pump on a timer and a series of valves to divert the fuel from it's normal routing, through the system.
This is likely to be no different to what anyone you call out will have, although theirs may be a bit bigger.
Algae-x
This is likely to be no different to what anyone you call out will have, although theirs may be a bit bigger.
Algae-x
guydickinson
Well-Known Member
On closer inspection today, the sludge this year (1 year after last clean-out) is more like a fine paste. No actual bits. Wonder if that's because the "bug" is in the early stages - or could it be some other impurity?
ongolo
Well-Known Member
Hi, I had similar trouble 4 weeks ago. Have dual circuits, so was able to switch over when my filters were blocked. Digging around for a cure and to find some biocide, I discovered that bugs grow in galvanized, stainless and steel tanks, BUT NOT IN ALUMINIUM TANKS.
We haver a 6 wheeler 450 HP Tatra truck that took part in an Paris- Dakar rally some years ago. A year ago, we got fuel problems in one of the two tanks only, same fuel, same source, same age. Black smudge and flaky stuff. One of the tanks is galv steel, the other aluminium. Further investigation showed, thatr american trucks that have aluminium (or must I say aluminum??) tanks don't have a problem ever.
But then, I don't think, trucks with their constant heavy consumption have much of a problem. The Tatra on the other hand stands most of the time.
Some reports say, aluminium pots can cause or accelerate alzheimers, others dispute that. Maybe there is something to it and the diesel bugs know that?
In any case, should I need new tanks, now or whenever, they will be aluminium.
Regards
Ongolo
We haver a 6 wheeler 450 HP Tatra truck that took part in an Paris- Dakar rally some years ago. A year ago, we got fuel problems in one of the two tanks only, same fuel, same source, same age. Black smudge and flaky stuff. One of the tanks is galv steel, the other aluminium. Further investigation showed, thatr american trucks that have aluminium (or must I say aluminum??) tanks don't have a problem ever.
But then, I don't think, trucks with their constant heavy consumption have much of a problem. The Tatra on the other hand stands most of the time.
Some reports say, aluminium pots can cause or accelerate alzheimers, others dispute that. Maybe there is something to it and the diesel bugs know that?
In any case, should I need new tanks, now or whenever, they will be aluminium.
Regards
Ongolo
Russelldf
New Member
Prob simplest solution is Fuelmag's easy to fit bio-cleanser - no chemicals and all bio sludge problems stopped quickly.