Water paint in my diesel

If this stuff has built up in a diesel tank and remains there after sloshing about at sea is it really going to suddenly wash off in diesel ??

This is probably the stuff that is being referred to. It was in my tanks and was firmly applied to the surface but could be washed off. It was firm to poke a finger nail into but easily dissolved under finger pressure and probably body heat. I washed some of it off with diesel residue in the tank. It did not dissolve away but remained muddy with fine silt textured bits. I called in a contractor to clean both my tanks.

IMG_4994 by Rival Sailor, on Flickr
 
This is probably the stuff that is being referred to. It was in my tanks and was firmly applied to the surface but could be washed off. It was firm to poke a finger nail into but easily dissolved under finger pressure and probably body heat. I washed some of it off with diesel residue in the tank. It did not dissolve away but remained muddy with fine silt textured bits. I called in a contractor to clean both my tanks.



IMG_4994 by Rival Sailor, on Flickr

Thats the very stuff but considerably thicker on my tank maybe 2-3mm. My steamer didn’t touch it but the acetone turns it ( and my brain) into a sticky but removable mess. I stated that it wasn’t dissolvable in diesel purely based on the fact that it was still there after emptying the diesel out. Apologies for misleading the experts.
I am wearing a good mask but the head down arse up position makes it hard to maintain a good seal. At either end ?
I’m off to the lakes and hills for an effort at completely ignoring the silly season tomorrow morning. There is no internet, phones,television or other distractions so i may be able to study for my coastals theory in peace. Thanks for all your help and patience with my badly explained questions.
For those of you who can’t run away Happy Christmas
 
It's axiomatic that chemists cannot cope with circumlocution mixed with hyperbaton mixed with allegory. Don't worry yourself about not being able to work out difficult sentences. If you go back to your Janet and John books the process will become much clearer over time.

(I know that you would add a smiley icon as exculpation for having an unjustified go at someone, but I am not playing picture games. You were very rude to the OP).

I had major problems reading Janet and John, my apparent reading age was a year behind... Right up until my teachers expressed concern to my parents who thought that my being able to read dinosaur book with words half the width of a page might be a better indicator. Whaddya know, overnight my reading age went from a year behind to a few years ahead.
 
I had major problems reading Janet and John, my apparent reading age was a year behind... Right up until my teachers expressed concern to my parents who thought that my being able to read dinosaur book with words half the width of a page might be a better indicator. Whaddya know, overnight my reading age went from a year behind to a few years ahead.

Yeah but ..... dinosaur books don't feature any hyperbaton whereas Janet was at least suitable for an occasional masturbaton. :ambivalence:

Richard
 
When it comes to cheap solvents, petrol normally needs to be tried?

Otherwise, try detergent or degreaser?

In the long run, avoid storing large quantities of fuel unless you have to.
And make sure there is no yellow metal (copper, brass, alloys) in the fuel system as they are said to catalyse the formation of 'TBS'.
 
When it comes to cheap solvents, petrol normally needs to be tried?

Otherwise, try detergent or degreaser?

In the long run, avoid storing large quantities of fuel unless you have to.
And make sure there is no yellow metal (copper, brass, alloys) in the fuel system as they are said to catalyse the formation of 'TBS'.

Not disputing what you say, but is this a result of biofuel? I, probably like many here have had copper fuel lines for decades without any problems.
 
Not disputing what you say, but is this a result of biofuel? I, probably like many here have had copper fuel lines for decades without any problems.

ULSD fuel is apparently the biggest factor, but bio fuel plays a part too, as does contaminated fuel. Another factor, which doesn't affect many boats, is the very high pressures and heat in common rail systems.

My fuel lines are also copper and nearly 40 years old.
 
My problem, which lw395 eluded too, was storing far too much fuel, 2 x large diesel tanks; blue water quantities for coastal sailing. The end result was a large volume of fuel that simply never got used. It was also not circulated because I don't have fuel return lines, something I am wondering if I should change. Even at the moment with one tank decommissioned I am still carrying too much fuel. I understand that new fuel specifications mean that diesel does not have a long shelf life. Also, it appears that only having a quarter tank or so, may be better as it would be replaced more often and that condensation is really not the issue everyone used to think it was. I have good access anyway for drawing off the sump contents.
 
ULSD fuel is apparently the biggest factor, but bio fuel plays a part too, as does contaminated fuel. Another factor, which doesn't affect many boats, is the very high pressures and heat in common rail systems.

My fuel lines are also copper and nearly 40 years old.

Good, I still have access to proper marine diesel with lots of sulfur, and no bio.
 
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