Old(ish) diesel - what to do with it?

[mrming]

About to pull the 18 year old Beta engine out of our Fulmar and send it for a refurb, mainly to get it blasted and repainted, but also a chance to replace auxiliaries, shaft seals etc.

I haven’t had a proper look at the fuel tank yet as it’s in behind the water tank. Once the engine is out, I can get access and ascertain its type and condition. If it’s the original mild steel one I will replace it with a plastic tank from TekTanks.

In preparation for this we have just pumped out 40 litres or so of diesel which has been in there since last season.

I’ve owned the boat since 2018, have been out in some big seas, and have never had a blockage in a fuel filter, but as I haven’t seen inside the tank, I couldn’t say with absolute certainty that it’s clean in there. The fuel that came out looked clean. The very last bit that went in the second jerry can possibly looked a little browner, right at the end.

I’ve stuck the diesel in two jerry cans in the garage for now. Question is, what do I do with it?

A) Find somewhere to dispose it
B) Stick it in the car

I’m not a diesel expert and am reluctant to go with B in case I introduce any bug that might be present to my car.

What does the panel think?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

If you strain out lumps and settle out the water its probably fine fuel. Not so many volatiles to have lost unlike petrol so just add diesel conditioner and injector cleaner and off you go though possibly best in boat not car

Its pretty wasteful and polluting to simply dispose of it

 

[38mess]

It will be fine. If you can filter it into cans would be good, I've very rarely had to drain water off any of my boats, but worth checking.

 

[crewman]

If it is red diesel do not use in the car. If caught your car can be seized by HMRC

 

[bedouin]

I'd just run it through a filter to get rid of any grunge and water and then provided it looks fine just put it back in the fuel tank.

Diesel doesn't go off the way petrol does.

 

[Refueler]

If I was keeping original tank - I would take about 5 litres and use it as a wash for tank ... syphon out and likely dump.

If not - then I would just filter the diesel - add some Enzyme Additive and store in cool dark area with good sealing cap - till new tank in place and ready to use. Put it in the new tank after filtering again.

You would never believe how long diesel / gas oil can stay in large transit tanks ... makes boat tanks look like instant turnovers !!!

 

[mrming]

Thanks for the responses all. It’s not red diesel but I think the advice to filter / treat it and put it back in the boat sounds good.

 

[Thistle]

Thanks for the responses all. It’s not red diesel but I think the advice to filter / treat it and put it back in the boat sounds good.

You may never have put in red diesel but can you guarantee that no-one else has, ever? The red dye is incredibly persistent .... as are HMRC when they start looking for it. If they find any of the dye in your car it can become a very expensive lesson.

 

[Boater Sam]

You may never have put in red diesel but can you guarantee that no-one else has, ever? The red dye is incredibly persistent .... as are HMRC when they start looking for it. If they find any of the dye in your car it can become a very expensive lesson.

I would not worry about a small contamination with red, the delivery trucks and hoses are used on both fuels and petrol as well, its a minute amount same as what is in your tank.

 

[harvey38]

Put it back in the tank using a Mr Funnel funnel, that will filter out any crud and water ensuring only decent diesel goes back in.

 

[Refueler]

You may never have put in red diesel but can you guarantee that no-one else has, ever? The red dye is incredibly persistent .... as are HMRC when they start looking for it. If they find any of the dye in your car it can become a very expensive lesson.

In fact the actual part they test for to confirm use of Red - is a Yellow Marker.

Red Diesel is dyed Red as a visual indicator. Some daft people say use Cat Litter, (Fullers Earth) to filter out the Dye ... but actually this is 'covered' by Customs and Excise - by the Yellow Chemical marker which you cannot remove.

 

[Refueler]

I would not worry about a small contamination with red, the delivery trucks and hoses are used on both fuels and petrol as well, its a minute amount same as what is in your tank.

The difference is VOLUME.

Compare a typical boat tank size and any residual RED ... mixed with a full fill up.

Now consider a Road Tanker .... even with its 5 or 6 separate compartments. Just a bit bigger don't you think ? Plus most Road Tankers do not swap product often due to the blends of fuels on market now. Take a gander at a Road Tanker and you will see marker plates FIXED to the tanker part indicating fuel blend to fill with ...

 

[Boater Sam]

No need to shout. I have no trouble hearing you.


Tankers mixing diesel red and white is common, we used to have garages, The OP has not put red in his tank and if he has passed many gallons of white through any previous red will be well diluted.
The haz marker plates on tankers are often in slots so that they can be changed.

 

[Refueler]

No need to shout. I have no trouble hearing you.


Tankers mixing diesel red and white is common, we used to have garages, The OP has not put red in his tank and if he has passed many gallons of white through any previous red will be well diluted.
The haz marker plates on tankers are often in slots so that they can be changed.

I am not talking Haz Marker plate ... the fixed Product plates up on the walkway of the tanker. You may have had garages ... but having run Inspectors in Tanker loading bays for many years ......

 

[Boater Sam]

I am not talking Haz Marker plate ... the fixed Product plates up on the walkway of the tanker. You may have had garages ... but having run Inspectors in Tanker loading bays for many years ......

Well, good for you.

 

[Dantp]

We filtered our diesel (with our primary fuel filter) and put it in the car. Saved us buying enough Jerry cans to store it.
We don't have a very fancy new car though which would have changed things.

 

[Beneteau381]

About to pull the 18 year old Beta engine out of our Fulmar and send it for a refurb, mainly to get it blasted and repainted, but also a chance to replace auxiliaries, shaft seals etc.

I haven’t had a proper look at the fuel tank yet as it’s in behind the water tank. Once the engine is out, I can get access and ascertain its type and condition. If it’s the original mild steel one I will replace it with a plastic tank from TekTanks.

In preparation for this we have just pumped out 40 litres or so of diesel which has been in there since last season.

I’ve owned the boat since 2018, have been out in some big seas, and have never had a blockage in a fuel filter, but as I haven’t seen inside the tank, I couldn’t say with absolute certainty that it’s clean in there. The fuel that came out looked clean. The very last bit that went in the second jerry can possibly looked a little browner, right at the end.

I’ve stuck the diesel in two jerry cans in the garage for now. Question is, what do I do with it?

A) Find somewhere to dispose it
B) Stick it in the car

I’m not a diesel expert and am reluctant to go with B in case I introduce any bug that might be present to my car.

What does the panel think?

Put it in a couple of jerry cans and I will pick it up and use it

Seriously, diesel doesnt degrade that quickly, empty it in to some jerry cans, let it stand and carefully decant it back in to your new tank.

 

[fisherman]

I lost 450 lts into the bilge. I pumped it into 200lt drums, then after a few months settling, syphoned into 20lt cans, through a pair of tights 120denier. There was a lot of solids and muck in it. Then I used it.
BUT dinosaur Ford dorset.

 

[Zing]

I use so little diesel I have gone as long as 4 years without renewing. It was fine. I think you are fretting too much.

Remember it’s a fossil fuel and was made from marine organisms that last lived over 2m years ago, so what’s a year in the tank in that context?