Fuel Bug, Fuel Doctor, Fuel fer thought?

I allude to Snake oils that were and are proffered in the Motor Trade.
'This will give you more mpg, make your eng last forever, quieten your knackered eng' etc etc.
Mostly rubbish in My experience.
That's why I am I now wondering why the heck I stuck summat in to cure a prob I didn't have.
Spose it was the fact My mate's boat was fixed, it seems, by the product and the cleansing system.
 
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Not seen any ill effects and it does reduce smoke. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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So You,ve stopped using it then? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Try to help some one out, and all you get back is wise cracks. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

But to answer the question. My old marina started adding the stuff to there tanks, so I did not need to add more. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
No-one cures it ... it's there by deafult anyway. All fuels in the middle distillate range carry micro-organisms. Deisel / Gasoil just seems to be the worst.
Over-use of any "medicine" is unwise and many micro-organisms are able to mutate over time.
We also have to remember that we are talking about Yeasts, Moulds and SRB's - all with differing environmental need to survive, different characteristics.
One method is to vary the "medicine" used, but again use sparingly.
Personally, I believe in prevention not cure. Clean up tank, lines etc. and then dose occasionally to keep all nice. To break up dead micro-orgs that is the brown / dark gunge that all talk about and try burn it in the engine - is IMHO a bad idea. But again that's personal view.
 
Your prevention is the 'cure' I was thinking about!

Your suggestions on various medicines?

Oh by the way, I don't seem to have 'gunge', yes some dirt in the bottom of the Separ type glass filter bowl.
There seems to be very small black particles that feel and look like rubber.

Must be a couple of Months since I checked.
Busy on other peoples boats so not been on mine.

Seems that Your suggestion that the S Oil has disturbed the 'stuff' in the tank and maybe is degrading the rubber parts of the fuel line.
These are probably 24 years old anyway.
So the plan is to renew all pipes etc.
Dunno how to clean the tank yet though.
Massive rebuild job to remove and refit.
That is why I thought of one of the firms that 'Centrifuges' the fuel and sticks it back in.
Only know of 1 firm who does this and I have had conflicting reports! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Had that thought in mind too.
Off to the boat today to start to fix the prob.
First chance.
Peeps cried off sick for Today's and tommorow's stuff.
So a chance at last to tend to My own boat!!

Now where's me sieve? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Forget sieve or normal filters ...

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Had that thought in mind too.
Off to the boat today to start to fix the prob.
First chance.
Peeps cried off sick for Today's and tommorow's stuff.
So a chance at last to tend to My own boat!!

Now where's me sieve? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

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Various ways to do this without resorting to centrifuges.

a) Pump out everything you can and have it blasting back into tank, this will disturb all the crud hopefully in tank and then be pumped out. Pump ? eBay Drill pump about a fiver. It's diesel so should be ok for most pumps and pipes ex DIY shop.
Once you have circulated fuel and got out most crud and fuel. Then take a Pela if you have access to one and connect not the small bore hose supplied, but a larger bore with ally tube in end that is longer than tank is deep - so you can suck in all corners of tank via inspection hole.
All fuel - even the cruddy remains from Pela put into large clear plastic drums and put lid on. Leave to settle.
Once settled - draw of clean fuel and discard dirty bottom.
Take small amount of clean fuel and repeat initial circulation in tank to remove last crud. If you have any stale petrol - add some as well as a "solvent". Be careful that it's not too much though as Pela will not appreciate neat Petrol in it's o-ring seals.
Once tank is clean - filter all fuel back.

or

b) Empty tank completely and have it steam-cleaned. Filter all fuel back.

or

c) Only circulation ? Drill pump, clear plastic piping, domestic water filter with filter you have checked will not dissolve in diesel - the string wound ones are best - you can get these to 5 micron .... Connect up and keep circulating the fuel and watch the pipe ... over time the filter will darken and fuel will get clearer in the clear plastic pipe.
You may have to change filter ... maybe not.

Note : One of these is how I would do it, plus having access to lab I can check result. But I do not give any guarantee or warranty, nor do I take responsibility if it doesn't work for anyone who follows the methods. (Have to say this for obvious reasons).

Finally - Good Luck.
 
Re: Forget sieve or normal filters ...

Brilliant Refueler.
I have a Pela type pump (6.5 litres) I thought I would use to pump out.

Today I inspected the fuel lines , visually, externally.
Drained the fuel from the primary (Racor 500FG S/S) Filter.

The fuel looked OK.
Removed the secondary filter (spin on canister) emptied the fuel into a clear container, this fuel too looked OK.
The filter element itself looked clean too.

The plastic clear bowl of the Racor has some crud in it but a lot less than some I have seen which still run OK.
However there are some bits of black specks about the size of large sugar granuels.
Sorry that's the best description I can give!
Not inspected properly yet. Thought I would take the evidence to a friends clean workshop tommorow and try and analise.

Not a 'guey' mess evident.
The kind of mess I associate with'The Bug'.

As said I only looked at the rubber fuel pipes.
Externally they look rather good!

Examining the top of the tank today, I noticed I could remove the sender for the fuel gauge.
This allows about a 2 inch diameter hole to probe through.

Your tank cleaning process sounds great.
Steam cleaning though?
Please enlighten Me ref the possibilty of some water being left in the tank.
I know you are going to give Me a simple solution that I have overlooked!

Thanks again.
That was a great method you have described.

Flip though it's a long way to Russia to deliver a Sample! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Forget sieve or normal filters ...

Problem as I believe with many rubber pipes are when you have reinforced. That effectively means you have a dual layered pipe. The inner layer when old starts to crack and break up. Similar to large bore exhaust pipe.
If it happens you start to get hard bits in filters, eventually the pipe blocks up with collapsed lining.

To be honest if the fuel looks OK - you can check it's cleanliness quite simply by using a coffee filter paper - yep - seriously, that's good enough to show it up. If the filter is only darkened by the diesel and not crud - a simple suck and clean of tank / lines should be enough.

Steam cleaning is good because of two factors :

a) It removes every trace of micro-org's, dirt, crud and slime.
b) It reverts to water as it cools and drains of well. can be sucked out as well.
c) BUT if vented well at end of steaming ... the heat actually dries the tank.
It all depends of course on access and if tank is removed for cleaners to get at it.
 
Re: Forget sieve or normal filters ...

Look what happens when you go home and login ! Auto login and missus ID comes up !


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Problem as I believe with many rubber pipes are when you have reinforced. That effectively means you have a dual layered pipe. The inner layer when old starts to crack and break up. Similar to large bore exhaust pipe.
If it happens you start to get hard bits in filters, eventually the pipe blocks up with collapsed lining.

To be honest if the fuel looks OK - you can check it's cleanliness quite simply by using a coffee filter paper - yep - seriously, that's good enough to show it up. If the filter is only darkened by the diesel and not crud - a simple suck and clean of tank / lines should be enough.

Steam cleaning is good because of two factors :

a) It removes every trace of micro-org's, dirt, crud and slime.
b) It reverts to water as it cools and drains of well. can be sucked out as well.
c) BUT if vented well at end of steaming ... the heat actually dries the tank.
It all depends of course on access and if tank is removed for cleaners to get at it.

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Re: Forget sieve or normal filters ...

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Today I checked samples of the fuel by No1 Eyeball method.
It certainly looks OK.
There is some garbage in the pre filter bowl.
It looks like pipe degrodation to Me.
Cleaned everything I could strip.
New filts fitted etc.
I am going to run Her again to see what happens to the cleaned bowl etc.
Renewal of the fuel lines seems favourite.
Tiss a complicated fix because of the routing of the pipes.
Behind furniture etc etc /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
The steaming method is now understood.
Thanks for that.
Beware duel indentities! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Forget sieve or normal filters ...

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/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Renewal of the fuel lines seems favourite.
Tiss a complicated fix because of the routing of the pipes.
Behind furniture etc etc /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif......


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Small piece of pipe, clamp new and old together .... (cable ties takes less space than hose clips)... pull new after old ... more or less like you'd replace control cables... works well in most cases, unless you have fuel hose fixings behind there...
 
Re: Forget sieve or normal filters ...

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Today I checked samples of the fuel by No1 Eyeball method.
It certainly looks OK.
There is some garbage in the pre filter bowl.
It looks like pipe degrodation to Me.
Cleaned everything I could strip.
New filts fitted etc.
I am going to run Her again to see what happens to the cleaned bowl etc.
Renewal of the fuel lines seems favourite.
Tiss a complicated fix because of the routing of the pipes.
Behind furniture etc etc /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
The steaming method is now understood.
Thanks for that.
Beware duel indentities! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Silly mistake really .....

Wife and I were insulted seriously on these fora and I stormed off in a hullabaloo ... made quite a scene about it, mainly to see that no-one else was similarly insulted. Wife decided to stay, even though I told her not to.
Posts were pointed out to me, I got into typing for her, even admit using her ID login to answer poor souls fuel / other questions. I was asked by various ofte to come back .... even though I am now happy on another Forum. Finally I relented and here I am.
I switched on ... clicked the start-up icon, forgot it's her default machine and bingo ! Being more interested in her, dinner etc. - didn't note the ID.

So there yer go ...

Anyway - back to your problem ... as another says - surely you can connect new to old and drag through ? Would it be better to use fuel grade clear plastic lines instead of "rubber" ? OK they harden up over time - but you can see what happens in them ....
 
Re: Forget sieve or normal filters ...

Ah! I see, ref the ID.
'Sticks and Stones' etc.
Glad You are about Refueller, in any Guise.

Flip this Forum is too good to miss.
Replies from a boring subject from all corners of Eastern Europe!

Plus great stuff from a bloke who can hold His breath for ages from some place where Haggis are hunted.
Amazing!

Thanks Guys.
Looks like pipe remewal for sure.
Plus a lick out of the Tank.

'It's not what yer know' /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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