Stinky fuel tank anyone?

[Guest]

Openend the filler yesterday to take on diesel, and the stench nearly knocked me overboard! Ideas, please, panel. Is this a symptom of the dreaded bug, or have I been putting fuel in the holding tank all this time? Depsol, is this one for Soltron? Really? Does the bug smell bad?

 

[DepSol]

What sort of smell is it. Rotten eggs, stagnant water type smell. How full are your tanks, how much water in your seperators give me as many clues on your fuel system where you fuel up and how much.

Also any changes in performance. Need as much info to be able to tell otherwise its a wild stab in the dark. If you ever have any doubts about your fuel just double dose it with Soltron or your preffered additive.

Dom


My boats going back in the water ;-)

 

[ToMo]

Dom, Dom...I'm in despair!....whats with the "or your preffered additive" line?...this is not good salesmanship! - must I drag you kicking and screaming back on the course? <G>
TôMö

 

[DepSol]

No not at all, some people out there hve there favorites which have stood them in good stead for many years altho not as good as the mighty one it still has done the job.

If they have been using one for years thats fine but if you suddenly discover you have problems then quickest method is to double dose it with Soltron.

Dom


My boats going back in the water ;-)

 

[ToMo]

Aah...thats my boy! ;o)
TôMö

 

[Guest]

Rotten eggs. Tank was 3/4 empty, no idea about the seps as she's just been serviced and the filters changed. Performance is bang on, but I did get a badly blocked engine filter last season. Always fuel up in Yarmouth, IOW at around 27p/litre FWIW. I double dosed with StarBrite biocide (all I could find at the time) at the start of this season.

 

[DepSol]

Sounds like a Sulphur build up in your tank. Only way that came in was in your fuel. If you can double dose the tank with Soltron this will help. High Sulphur is really bad for the engine as it ends up entering the engine oil via blow by gasses and destroys your engine oil leaving little or no protection for your bearings and internl workings of your engine.

Also check the content of Starbrite biocide as this may have reacted with the sulphur in the fuel causing it to stink even more than usual.

Difficult to say without seeing it but as a word of advice always keep your sulphur levels low wherever possible.

Dom


My boats going back in the water ;-)

 

[Geoffs]

Rotten eggs, hydrogen sulphide - yuk. As Dom says dreaded sulphur in fuel. However not necessarily a major issue. The sulphur, as Dom says, is burnt, producing sulphur dioxide, and ends up in the oil as sulphuric acid. A modern heavy duty diesel engine oil, as no doubt recommended by Volvo, will have acid neutralising additives. As long as the oil is changed regularly, sulphur levels shouldn't be a problem.

Sulphur is not condusive to good combustion, and will promote black smoke. Not sure, but I think some bugs concentrate sulphur in heir nasty little bodies, no doubt Dom can advise, so Soltron will undoubtably help.

It is not always easy to know how much sulphur is in fuel taken on board. But sub 30p won't be low sulphur. Need to go to outlet like MDL for low sulphur, but you'll pay 35 to 40p.

Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'

 

[DepSol]

Thanks for that more clear and concise explanation Geoff this info is always best from someone who has been in the business and fully knows his trade unlike a part timer like myself.

I will have to read up on he bug/sulphur thing as we do not get high sulphur fuel here it is not something I would have come across.



Dom


My boats going back in the water ;-)

 

[Geoffs]

I doubt that anyone has to worry about high sulphur fuel. Even the heating type gas oil, which will be what is taken for under 30p, conforms to BS something or other with regard to sulphur content. It's just not low sulphur, which will be a lower number of parts per million.

Graham's fuel may have been sitting in the tank for a while, hence H2S, eh Graham?

Residual bunker fuel, taken on by big ships, can be well over 1% sulphur. That is nasty stuff, but dirt cheap, $50 a ton in some parts of the world I believe.

Hey, glad to see your footnote hase changed to 'My boats going back in the water'

Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'

 

[DepSol]

Yep launch soon be in the next 10 dys time ;-)

Dom


My boats going back in the water ;-)

 

[Guest]

1/4 of a tank left in over winter (I know, I know, but there's always going to be one last decent weekend, isn't there?), 300+ litres fresh and double dosed with biocide in May, 300+ litres taken on Sunday (405 litre tank). So what's in there was reasonably fresh - two months old-ish. Anyone know where I can get S*ltr*n over here? Dom - can you post the stuff?

 

[Geoffs]

I get my Soltron from a place in Christchurch. If you troll back over posts (October last year I think) you should find address. If you can't, I can dig out. From memory outfit is called Kayfour Environmental Services

Found it


Kayfor Environmental Services
Stony Lane
Christchurch
Dorset BH23 7LQ

Tel: 01202 476902


Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Geoffs on 23/07/2002 22:40 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

Well, b*gger me! That's 1/2 mile from where we're moored. Thanks, Geoff, I'll get round there in the next day or so...

 

[gtmoore]

If you don't have any joy from there I got mine mail order from Craythorne & de Tessier (www.cdet.co.uk).

Gavin

 

[burgundyben]

Shamrock Chandlery...

...also have Soltron in stock.

Bloody good chandlery too btw.

Ooo, good evening officer.........