Soltron vs Diesel Bug Sediments - any good?

[DangerousPirate]

I am still trying to figure out what to do with my tank and how to clean the sludge out of it without cutting the boat open. Someone said to me today that Soltron is better than Marine 16, because it slowly dissolves the sludge, which is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The tank is simply inaccessible, impossible to get to, under the cockpit, behind the engine, no openings other than the tank opening to fill it, no access from the sides or top, no drain at all. I was thinking a chemical dissolvent like acetone or something would simply dissolve the sediments, and I suck it up with my pump before filling fresh diesel and for future tank fillings I would just add some biocide and just suck out water at the bottom of the tank on a regular basis as a preventional measurement.

But if Soltron would dissolve it for me, then I wouldn't have to mess with chemicals. So, does anyone have experience with it? Does it work? Is it worth buying? I already have M16 and chucked a little in a week or so ago.

 

[burgundyben]

You're not gonna like this...

I think the only way to get the inside of your tank really clean is to get inside it.

Cut access.

Remove diesel. Scrub with detergent, use a washing up brush jubilee clipped onto a bit of stick. Hoover out. Dry. Make an inspection hatch.

Make a new removable cockpit sole.

 

[Refueler]

I thought Soltron was no longer sold - having been in conflict with the original Startron brand ?

Startron is basically same product and does work. Obviously for best results its recc'd to suck out as much of the crud as possible before adding fresh fuel + heavy dose of Startron or other Enzyme based additive.

With such method - it will take time to clear all .... so its not a quick 5 minute fix.

There are very few liquids that dissolve the crud ... Acetone .... Isopropyl .... etc are IMHO wasted effort.

Years ago ... guy I knew had a 'blind tank' - days of when tanks were in bilge keels etc. Limited access. We rigged an air hose that could be fed into the tank via the filler pipe. It does not have to be high volume .. made sure it was well in and on the bottom ... then started pumping air in ...(you could in fact recycle the tank content itself if you have another access point ) - this basically stirred up all the crud ... we then syphoned out the fuel with as much of the stirred up crud. Fuel was left to stand ...
More fuel in - air ... syphon .... let stand. We ere even re-using fuel that stood and had settled ..... We kept going until we were getting reasonably crud free fuel out.
Then its max dose and fuel in. Bleed fuel system to clear of any crud and get additive through to filters / pumps.

The fuel we had syphoned out = once settled and decanted - was dosed, stood again ... decanted and returned to tank.

I knew that guy for years before my boat left UK ... he never had any problem again. He gave regular low dose of additive to maintain a good system.

 

[RJJ]

I believe startron and fuel set are enzyme-based.

You can get a "tank cleaner" as well as "fuel additive" but to my read it will work the same way.

It doesn't dissolve the sludge. It aims to break it up into suspension so that it can either pass through the hose and get picked up by the filter, or very small pieces go the engine and are harmlessly burned off. Hence the expectation of several fuel filter changes.

It also inhibits further growth by allowing the water and diesel to mix, so the bug doesn't have an ideal habitat.

 

[Refueler]

I believe startron and fuel set are enzyme-based.

You can get a "tank cleaner" as well as "fuel additive" but to my read it will work the same way.

It doesn't dissolve the sludge. It aims to break it up into suspension so that it can either pass through the hose and get picked up by the filter, or very small pieces go the engine and are harmlessly burned off. Hence the expectation of several fuel filter changes.

It also inhibits further growth by allowing the water and diesel to mix, so the bug doesn't have an ideal habitat.

mmmmmm not quite.

Enzyme based - designed to break down the sludge from dead bio and also its excretions - small enough that it passes through filters and system to burn off in the engine.
The only time it stops at filters - is if the amount of crud is more than additive can handle and fuel has been stirred up in passage etc.

Again - I shall remind that not all bug depends on Water interface ....

 

[westernman]

I am still trying to figure out what to do with my tank and how to clean the sludge out of it without cutting the boat open. Someone said to me today that Soltron is better than Marine 16, because it slowly dissolves the sludge, which is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The tank is simply inaccessible, impossible to get to, under the cockpit, behind the engine, no openings other than the tank opening to fill it, no access from the sides or top, no drain at all. I was thinking a chemical dissolvent like acetone or something would simply dissolve the sediments, and I suck it up with my pump before filling fresh diesel and for future tank fillings I would just add some biocide and just suck out water at the bottom of the tank on a regular basis as a preventional measurement.

But if Soltron would dissolve it for me, then I wouldn't have to mess with chemicals. So, does anyone have experience with it? Does it work? Is it worth buying? I already have M16 and chucked a little in a week or so ago.

I had a bad case of diesel bug.
I managed to clear it with a heavy dose of soltron and couple of filter changes.

It never came back or caused any further issues.

So IMHO yes it does work.

 

[Refueler]

I had a bad case of diesel bug.
I managed to clear it with a heavy dose of soltron and couple of filter changes.

It never came back or caused any further issues.

So IMHO yes it does work.

Is Soltron still available ?

I only ask as I haven't seen on any shelves for long time since Startron commercial action ....

 

[westernman]

Is Soltron still available ?

I only ask as I haven't seen on any shelves for long time since Startron commercial action ....

This was something like 15 years ago. I am in France and it was a hassle to get. In the end I think I got it by mail order from Germany. UK would not ship it.

 

[DangerousPirate]

Is Soltron still available ?

I only ask as I haven't seen on any shelves for long time since Startron commercial action ....

I am not sure if this is the same thing, but on force4 (quick google, probably other places, too) has this: Soltron Enzyme Fuel Treatment | Force 4 Chandlery

I think that's it?

And thanks for the responses, I will suck out the fuel either way, there are only a few litres in there, so I don't mind dumping it, and I did buy tools like 12v air hoses and diesel pumps.

I can try and clear out as much crud as I can, then blow the hoses back into the tank so the diesel can flow, then add Soltron and see what it does. I do have a plastic cup of old diesel standing around, that Idrained from the filter. Will be fun to add the Soltron to that and seehow it copes. One interesting thing is that the Diesel turned from red (I had fresh diesel in there, too) to pee shaded yellow over a bit of time now. Don't wanna know what my diesel in the tank looks like now. Yuck.

Really wouldn't like to cut the cockpit floor open. It's only gonna leak and break anyway. That will only cause so many more problems in the future, I know already.

 

[DangerousPirate]

mmmmmm not quite.

Enzyme based - designed to break down the sludge from dead bio and also its excretions - small enough that it passes through filters and system to burn off in the engine.
The only time it stops at filters - is if the amount of crud is more than additive can handle and fuel has been stirred up in passage etc.

Again - I shall remind that not all bug depends on Water interface ....

That's good to hear. Thank you for being so informative.

 

[Elessar]

I am still trying to figure out what to do with my tank and how to clean the sludge out of it without cutting the boat open. Someone said to me today that Soltron is better than Marine 16, because it slowly dissolves the sludge, which is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The tank is simply inaccessible, impossible to get to, under the cockpit, behind the engine, no openings other than the tank opening to fill it, no access from the sides or top, no drain at all. I was thinking a chemical dissolvent like acetone or something would simply dissolve the sediments, and I suck it up with my pump before filling fresh diesel and for future tank fillings I would just add some biocide and just suck out water at the bottom of the tank on a regular basis as a preventional measurement.

But if Soltron would dissolve it for me, then I wouldn't have to mess with chemicals. So, does anyone have experience with it? Does it work? Is it worth buying? I already have M16 and chucked a little in a week or so ago.

Burgundy Ben is right. In a way. There are companies that will vacuum the tank out, polish the fuel and put it back. And refuler is right of course!


Bugs breed in the fuel/water interface. Then die. Causing sludge.

Soltron disolves the water in the fuel. No good for a flood of water but fine for normal condensation. No water means no bug so it is preventative.

Marine 16 is an enzyme that kills the bug. So expect loads of blocked filters if you have a bad case of bug and use a shock dose of marine 16.

Marine 16 and the other enzyme treatments don’t mix well with soltron I believe.

Regular use of either should keep you bug free. Premier marinas pre dose their fuel with soltron so if you fill there, job done.

When I had a bad case of bug a couple of years ago if was so bad it blocked the pipes before the filters. It was a nightmare only cured by cutting access holes in one of the tanks and vacuuming out the sludge. There was a full 5 litres of sludge per tank. It was like jelly fish and grit. Bergandy Ben was right but only for one tank as the other could be accessed via the filler pipe to vacuum it. So it depends on the configuration. That boat had fillers for port and starboard tanks on the starboard side so the port tank filler pipe was convoluted.

 

[Elessar]

I had a bad case of diesel bug.
I managed to clear it with a heavy dose of soltron and couple of filter changes.

It never came back or caused any further issues.

So IMHO yes it does work.

That wasn’t a bad case then! Mine blocked the pipes so didn’t get as far as the filters. Had to rig up a bike pump to blast the bug back into the tank. I think you a right though that it will work if it’s only a weak/moderate case.

 

[Refueler]

OK .... Red Diesel has a dual addition to it for Customs & Excise :

Red Dye + Yellow Indicator.

This is to find those who try to use such tricks as Fullers Earth etc. to remove the Dye and use in regular engines. The Yellow Indicator can be detected after multiple fill ups even after tank has been empty of Red.

But of course - its all becoming academic now ...

 

[Refueler]

I am not sure if this is the same thing, but on force4 (quick google, probably other places, too) has this: Soltron Enzyme Fuel Treatment | Force 4 Chandlery

Interesting as back a number of years ago - Starbrite took action against Soltron, claiming Soltron was copied Startron.

Post from this forum in 2005 :

Starbrite acquired the rights to market Soltron product from Solpower USA. Solpower is the owner of the formula developed by a renowned Japanese Scientist and has the worldwide rights to this enzyme technology. This is the first any only Enzyme technology that we are aware of. Soltron UK registered the name Soltron for the UK but their formula is not the same as Soltron USA or StarTron. We have asked for information on their claims and formulas but have not received a response. Soltron UK did originally have access to the original enzyme product but that source was cut off when Solpower USA bought the worldwide rights to that formula. We have no idea what they are using as a substitute.

Starbrite is now marketing the enzyme formula, which was the first and to our knowledge only enzyme formula as Starbrite StarTron.

All the nonsense about benzene and toluene in formula is all bunk. Read the MSD's and you can verify. The very first formulas used mineral spirits. All mineral spirits has a trace amount of benzene which is in parts per million. This has no health hazards what so ever. StarTron uses a much higher-grade carrier and it has "0" benzene.

Hope this clears up some of phony information being passed around.

Feel free to go to our website www.starbrite.com

For those people trying to knock our products... we did not get to number 1 worldwide with bad products.!!!!!! The public decides what is good and stays in the market place.

We bought the rights to StarTron when we saw the unbelievable results we got when testing the product. We manufacture many gas additives for ourselves as well as private label for many of the majors. To date I have not seen a product do what StarTron does.

Hope this info helps.

Regards,

Peterd
Starbrite USA

Link : Startron v Soltron

Post #13

 

[rotrax]

Refueller might know, I recently read the contents of the Marine 16 I treated my tank with. The main constituent was Naptha.

Naptha is pretty much derived from crude oil in the cracking process and is not too far away from old fashioned petrol.

A guy in our club adds 5 litres of petrol to his diesel tank and has never had bug.

Truck drivers did the same thing in cold weather to stop waxing.

Just saying......................................

 

[Elessar]

OK .... Red Diesel has a dual addition to it for Customs & Excise :

Red Dye + Yellow Indicator.

This is to find those who try to use such tricks as Fullers Earth etc. to remove the Dye and use in regular engines. The Yellow Indicator can be detected after multiple fill ups even after tank has been empty of Red.

But of course - its all becoming academic now ...

Nope - we can still use red.

 

[pandos]

OK .... Red Diesel has a dual addition to it for Customs & Excise :

Red Dye + Yellow Indicator.

This is to find those who try to use such tricks as Fullers Earth etc. to remove the Dye and use in regular engines. The Yellow Indicator can be detected after multiple fill ups even after tank has been empty of Red.

But of course - its all becoming academic now ...

This is interesting. I drew 3l from the bottom of my tank last week.i left it settle and yesterday I noticed that it was pee yellow.

My tank was emptied and pretty well cleaned, (stick with sponges and cloths ) and since then only road diesel from service stations was put in.

Do you think this yellow colour is related to previous use of MGO (ours was green).

I use some sort of enzyme based additive having had the bug in 2006, which was so bad the pump and lines were completely gummed up after the boat was left in Spain for a few weeks.

As for the OP I'd make up a primitive polishing rig and polish whats in the tank, (or even ad a few gallons more) a few times and use it as a solvent and medium to pull out the crud...

 

[Refueler]

I only mentioned the Red / Yellow matter prompted by the earlier post.

I would not expect the finding of yellow diesel to be from this chemical - as the amount added to fuel is minuscule. It needs a lab test to detect.

Interesting aspect ... I'll chat with my people - see what we come up with.

 

[Refueler]

Refueller might know, I recently read the contents of the Marine 16 I treated my tank with. The main constituent was Naptha.

Naptha is pretty much derived from crude oil in the cracking process and is not too far away from old fashioned petrol.

A guy in our club adds 5 litres of petrol to his diesel tank and has never had bug.

Truck drivers did the same thing in cold weather to stop waxing.

Just saying......................................

M16 ... I have never looked at its components. But Naphtha would have been the 'carrier' - but would have very little to do with the designed action.

Naphtha is a general term as there are many forms of Naphtha.

Adding Gasoline to diesel fuel is an old trick and does work to help keep the Parafins in suspension. It has no action at all for controlling 'bugs'. The use to control Parafins and stop filters getting blocked - was based on the early days before widespread CFPP additives. (Cold Filter Plugging Point). It was carried on by those who still had summer diesel in their tanks getting into winter.

 

[Obi]

It might work. It did for me, but I had easier access.

Electric pump with a pick up hose into tank, extract diesel via a filter into oil drums. Pump out once through filter, then reverse and spray cleaner diesel back into tank. Repeat ad nauseam.