Does Diesel Age ?

[Cotters]

I have owned a 7 year old Broom 38 from new but for the last three years I have been unable to use her and she has been sitting on a pontoon berth with full tanks of diesel with only an occasional turning over of the engines for 1/2 an hour or so. She has only run 300 hours in total from new!

At last, circumstances have changed and I propose to take her to France for an extended holiday of at least 3 months exploring their waterways.

My concern is that I have heard stories of fuel going “off” or becoming contaminated and don’t know what to do. There is over 170 gallons of it so I can't just dispose of it!!

Any advice would be appreciated. Are there any additives I could put in it that might revitalise it or decontaminate it ?

Cotters

 

[gordmac]

I have used old buggy diesel with no problems after treating it with Marine 16, worth talking to them.

 

[tonygibbs]

I believe derv can absorb moisture through time. On a previous boat I owned years ago, there were taps below the tank and filter which allowed any accumulated water to gently drain into an old container.

 

[Wavey]

On a previous boat I owned years ago, there were taps below the tank and filter which allowed any accumulated water to gently drain into an old container.

My Broom has these so the OP's Broom will have too. As to the state of the diesel I have no idea although the boat I owned before was laid up with full tanks for 18 months and I had no problems when it was subsequently used. I have always thought stale fuel was more a problem with petrol than diesel but I have no idea where I got that from.

 

[prv]

I'm fairly sure traditional diesel doesn't age as such. I've heard of someone who was offered all the diesel he could take when an industrial site decommissioned their emergency generators - the tanks had been filled some time in the 70s and never used except for practice drills, and he found the stuff perfectly good in his boat.

The potential issues with an unused boat will be water and diesel bug, both easily checked if there's a drain valve at the lowest point. Drain into a jug or other (preferably transparent) container - any water if present will come out first, then see if the diesel which follows it looks clean. Bug grows at the boundary between water and fuel, so if present some of it should come out the tap with the first diesel. If the fuel comes out clean, you're probably ok.

(Not sure what the longevity position is with bio-diesel though, if the boat happened to have been filled with that.)

Pete

 

[[2068]]

It does age, but not enough in three years to cause you a problem, so long as it is bug-free and water-free.
I'd do a test run in benign conditions first with a couple of spare sets of filters handy, just in case.

.

 

[Momac]

If the tanks are full and there has been little or no space for condensation the fuel should be okay.

If you are concerned you may wish to consider testing a fuel sample for bug . Marine 16 do a test kit.http://marine16.co.uk/acatalog/Fuel_Treatment_Products.html
But I would suggest the money might be better put towards a suitable dose of marine 16 diesel fuel complete (or similar) as a preventative treatment.http://www.marine16.co.uk/cgi-bin/s...PN=Diesel-Fuel-Complete-1-Litre-61.html#SID=5

I would also suggest having the engines serviced.

.

 

[PCUK]

Simple answer - No!

 

[jerrytug]

No it doesn't, I have happily gone across the sea with 10-yr old bunkers. condensation is your enemy.

 

[omega2]

use it!!

 

[oceanfroggie]

Just drain some fuel from the sump of each tank to remove any possible water and also from the water separator filters on the aft engine room bulkhead. They have plastic drain caps on bottom of filter. You can reach both of those by just lifting up the stairs to aft cabin, but getting to the tank sumps requires a small and nimble engineer and lifting some saloon floor panels. Suggest using boat near home port on few occasions to verify all is well before going to France. Carry two sets of spare fuel filters on board just in case and suitable filter removal tool.