Naphthalene/mothball in diesel tank as diesel bug prevention?

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vas

vas

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no need to flame me :rolleyes:

heard a discussion of a truckdriver (and boat owner) with a boaty friend of mine. Truckdriver says that he adds a couple of pastilles (small circa 10mm balls really iirc from my youth!) for every 100lt of diesel as a diesel bug prevention measure.

TBH I didn't even know these things still exist (last I saw them was in the 80s)
Is there any truth on this or plain silly?
what do the resident chemists think?

cheers

V.
 
Clancy Moped said:
I've used it to deter rats but never heard of it being used for what you describe.
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My grandma used mothballs all the time in the 70s, everything smelt of them. I remember her giving me a tenner from her dressing table drawer to buy petrol for my trip back to uni. Got it out of my pocket at a garage and everyone stepped back ?

But in those days it bought me enough fuel for my elderly mini to drive from Bedfordshire to Scotland.
 
Well you can put any old stuff in your diesel tank on the recommendation of a truck driver. I would rather put in grotamar or another established bug preventative. I can’t see why a product that repels insects will kill fungi and bacteria. It would not surprise me if the naptha in moth balls will bung up your fuel system.
 
Halo said:
Well you can put any old stuff in your diesel tank on the recommendation of a truck driver. I would rather put in grotamar or another established bug preventative. I can’t see why a product that repels insects will kill fungi and bacteria. It would not surprise me if the naptha in moth balls will bung up your fuel system.
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I thought Grotamar was impossible to get now ? If it is available again a link would be much appreciated !
(Sorry about the hijack Vas !)
 
vas said:
no need to flame me :rolleyes:
heard a discussion of a truckdriver (and boat owner) with a boaty friend of mine. Truckdriver says that he adds a couple of pastilles (small circa 10mm balls really iirc from my youth!) for every 100lt of diesel
as a diesel bug prevention measure.
TBH I didn't even know these things still exist (last I saw them was in the 80s)
Is there any truth on this or plain silly?
what do the resident chemists think?
cheers
V.
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Maybe mothballs based on 1,4-dichlorobenzene would be effective, but cannot comment on the advisability off adding them to your fuel tank.

.
 
vas said:
heard a discussion of a truckdriver (and boat owner) with a boaty friend of mine. Truckdriver says that he adds a couple of pastilles (small circa 10mm balls really iirc from my youth!) for every 100lt of diesel as a diesel bug prevention measure.
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It would be interesting to read the research on this. Can you ask for a few references we can consider.
 
Sandy said:
It would be interesting to read the research on this. Can you ask for a few references we can consider.
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Naphthalene is listed as a biocide so may be effective against diesel bug, I doubt there is specific research or at least publicised research available although you will find research on its use in soils , similarly dichlorobenzene may well be a biocide. As a note of caution such compounds are highly toxic to aquatic life and are probably highly regulated where their use may bring them into contact with it.
 
Fr J Hackett said:
Naphthalene is listed as a biocide so may be effective against diesel bug, I doubt there is specific research or at least publicised research available although you will find research on its use in soils , similarly dichlorobenzene may well be a biocide. As a note of caution such compounds are highly toxic to aquatic life and are probably highly regulated where their use may bring them into contact with it.
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Proper Napthalene moth balls are effective in deterring woodworm.
 
thanks for your views guys, to answer a couple of points made:

1. I'm not planning to use that, I'm using some bug treatment liquid I got here (don't even remember what it's name is), was just asking if anyone has actually heard of that)
2. his surname is definitely not Trump :-p
3. asking a truck driver for research papers on mothball use as a diesel biocide is a bit OTT :D

I can ask him if he's practising this for long (and on the same truck) and how the truck engine is doing if you wish :rolleyes:

cheers

V.

PS. he owns a lovely Cris Craft cabin cruiser from the 70s
 
Refueler said:
I tried to stay out of this thread ...

But I have to laugh at the crap that some do ................ mothballs !!

I have to put that in my archive !!
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Fr J Hackett said:
No you are supposed to put it in your tank apparently.
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It will be of greater benefit to keep moths out of his archive than out of his tank. They can do some damage to old documents.
 
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