Can anyone describe the best method to completely clean the built
in diesel fuel tank on CD 22, CD 25, etc. Over time deposits build
and there should be some method to remove contaminated fuel residue
after pumping.
wtclark@datasync.com
Cleaning diesel fuel tamk
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: Why?, and other considerations.......
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Bill,
I got a little paranoid about the fuel situation last year, too. I was going to remove the tank (CD-30)and take it to a car wash and flush her out, but to remove the tank proved to be an almost impossible task. It penetrates the bulkhead at the aft end of the cabin and it would be a real tight fit to get it out of the lazzerette in the cockpit. So, what I did, was first consider how the primary fuel filter looked after a seasons use. The engine in the CD-30 is a Universal 18, 14HP. It has an electric fuel pump that has a bypass flow back to the tank, so fuel is constantly being recycled through the filters and back to the tank. The filters looked very good, both primary and secondary. I finally decided to, at the end of season, pump out all the remaining fuel I could (about 4 gallons), fill the tank with new fuel, add Stabil, and leave it! In other words, it wasn't broke, so I didn't fix it. Sticky stuff on the bottom of the tank shouldn't hurt anything unless you roll the vessel 360*. And if ya do that ya have even bigger problems than possibly contaminated fuel.
Just some thoughts...of course, if you can easily remove the tank from the vessel, take out the level indicator, and use that as the access point to get the car wash wand into the tank. Of course, make sure the tank is completely empty before ya go to the car wash or the enviro people may get angry!!
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
Bill,
I got a little paranoid about the fuel situation last year, too. I was going to remove the tank (CD-30)and take it to a car wash and flush her out, but to remove the tank proved to be an almost impossible task. It penetrates the bulkhead at the aft end of the cabin and it would be a real tight fit to get it out of the lazzerette in the cockpit. So, what I did, was first consider how the primary fuel filter looked after a seasons use. The engine in the CD-30 is a Universal 18, 14HP. It has an electric fuel pump that has a bypass flow back to the tank, so fuel is constantly being recycled through the filters and back to the tank. The filters looked very good, both primary and secondary. I finally decided to, at the end of season, pump out all the remaining fuel I could (about 4 gallons), fill the tank with new fuel, add Stabil, and leave it! In other words, it wasn't broke, so I didn't fix it. Sticky stuff on the bottom of the tank shouldn't hurt anything unless you roll the vessel 360*. And if ya do that ya have even bigger problems than possibly contaminated fuel.
Just some thoughts...of course, if you can easily remove the tank from the vessel, take out the level indicator, and use that as the access point to get the car wash wand into the tank. Of course, make sure the tank is completely empty before ya go to the car wash or the enviro people may get angry!!
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
-
M. R. Bober
Re: Cleaning diesel fuel tank--Commerical Service
When we bought RESPITE, she had been on the hard for several years, and the fuel had been in the tank even longer. Running that fuel through the onboard filters might have still clogged the injectors, et al. There are commerical services that run the fuel through cleansing machinery to clean the fuel and discharge the fuel at high pressure against the inside of the tank (repeatedly) to scrub the tank. We hired a local service. The cost was reasonable. The work was clean.
I am in Maryland. If that's close enough to your location, e-mail me & I'll look up the name of the company. I believe the name was PETRO-CLEAN.
Good luck.
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330
thebobers@erols.com
I am in Maryland. If that's close enough to your location, e-mail me & I'll look up the name of the company. I believe the name was PETRO-CLEAN.
Good luck.
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330
thebobers@erols.com
-
Mike
Re: Cleaning diesel fuel tamk
Other than the guys who do it for a living, there are few folks who recommend it. I guess if you really had a lot of crud in it, it would make sense. But there's enough motion in boats to keep things stirred up a bit. I recently read that if the fuel runs clear (as opposed to cloudy or lumpy) when you drain some from a line, it's good. Besides, why do we have filters? Seems we ought to let them do their job. Probably the thing to do is run the engine more and use the fuel in the tank. Or switch to a smaller tank. Mike
michaelconniesmith@home.com
michaelconniesmith@home.com
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Chris Reinke CD330
Re: Cleaning diesel fuel tamk
Bill - I used a commercial cleaning service to clean the tank on my previous boat. They are located in CT and did a good job at reasonable rates. If you are in the area drop me an e-mail and I will try and find the contact information.
Good Luck,
Chris
PS - The company owner is an avid boater.
chris.reinke@transamerica.com
Good Luck,
Chris
PS - The company owner is an avid boater.
Can anyone describe the best method to completely clean the built
in diesel fuel tank on CD 22, CD 25, etc. Over time deposits build
and there should be some method to remove contaminated fuel residue
after pumping.
chris.reinke@transamerica.com
-
Dan VanWinkle
Re: Cleaning diesel fuel tamk
I just got back from some courses at the Chapman School of Seamanship in Stuart, FL. An instructor in engine maintenance described a nifty, portable rig for "polishing" or cleaning fuel. One or two Racor filters are mounted, in series, on a piece of plywood along with a cheap pump. The pump is run via boat's battery by wire and alligator clips. The whole rig is carried onboard. A hose from the "in" side of the first filter is lead to the bottom of the fuel tank. Filtered fuel is then lead back to the top of the tank by a hose on the "out" side of the pump. Ofcourse you could use a variety of filters if you needed to. This filtering system can be run for hours to clean or "polish" the fuel. This is a home made version of what can be done commercially. Think how popular you would be at the marina if you make up one of these!
dwinvan@aol.clm
Can anyone describe the best method to completely clean the built
in diesel fuel tank on CD 22, CD 25, etc. Over time deposits build
and there should be some method to remove contaminated fuel residue
after pumping.
dwinvan@aol.clm
-
Matt Cawthorne
Re: Cleaning diesel fuel tank
Bill,
My cd36 tank access may be different than on your boat, but for what it is worth, here is what I did.
Before I learned to use biocide in the fuel my boat's fuel tank got a healthy load of algae. I rarely use more than 1/2 tank in a season so the fuel can get algae if there is no biocide. I removed the fuel gage from the top of the tank. I connected a piece of copper pipe to a flexible hose and then to a water puppy pump. The impeller gets attacked by diesel so a nitrile impeller was used in it's place...or was it Neoprene? At any rate I pumped the remaining fuel into jugs and took them to get recycled. Next I mounted a small brush that was previously tested for resistance to diesel fuel on the end of that copper pipe and stuck it through the fuel gage hole, added a gallon or so of fresh diesel and swabbed it until I got bored. I pumped that fuel out and repeated the process again. By the second iteration things appeared clean. I replaced the filters and the fuel gage and filled the tank with clean fuel and biocide.
It has been 5 years and two moderately rough trips to Bermuda and no problems have surfaced. I do not believe in making a machine to clean the fuel on a small boat. It is cheaper to just recycle it. If you have a Racor filter you can buy a pressure gage that will indicate back pressure.
I use a 3 micron filter in the Racor unit and replace it every year or two. The back pressure gage has never indicated that the filter needed changing. My preference for a 3 micron filter on the first filter in the series is because the Racor filter is easy to change and the engine filter is not. In addition the Racor filter can be changed without bleeding the engine and that is not true for the engine filter.
matt
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
My cd36 tank access may be different than on your boat, but for what it is worth, here is what I did.
Before I learned to use biocide in the fuel my boat's fuel tank got a healthy load of algae. I rarely use more than 1/2 tank in a season so the fuel can get algae if there is no biocide. I removed the fuel gage from the top of the tank. I connected a piece of copper pipe to a flexible hose and then to a water puppy pump. The impeller gets attacked by diesel so a nitrile impeller was used in it's place...or was it Neoprene? At any rate I pumped the remaining fuel into jugs and took them to get recycled. Next I mounted a small brush that was previously tested for resistance to diesel fuel on the end of that copper pipe and stuck it through the fuel gage hole, added a gallon or so of fresh diesel and swabbed it until I got bored. I pumped that fuel out and repeated the process again. By the second iteration things appeared clean. I replaced the filters and the fuel gage and filled the tank with clean fuel and biocide.
It has been 5 years and two moderately rough trips to Bermuda and no problems have surfaced. I do not believe in making a machine to clean the fuel on a small boat. It is cheaper to just recycle it. If you have a Racor filter you can buy a pressure gage that will indicate back pressure.
I use a 3 micron filter in the Racor unit and replace it every year or two. The back pressure gage has never indicated that the filter needed changing. My preference for a 3 micron filter on the first filter in the series is because the Racor filter is easy to change and the engine filter is not. In addition the Racor filter can be changed without bleeding the engine and that is not true for the engine filter.
matt
Can anyone describe the best method to completely clean the built
in diesel fuel tank on CD 22, CD 25, etc. Over time deposits build
and there should be some method to remove contaminated fuel residue
after pumping.
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Cleaning diesel fuel tamk
The point is that the fuel is getting filthy, which will clog up expensive filters, usually at an inopportune time..like coming into the anchorage or marina.
You may be satisfied in counting on what appears to be luck to keep your engine alive, but it is not good seamanshhip to do so. Generally, nature has a way of correcting these situations too.
My recommendation is to keep the tank full, use biocide and waterzorb treatments, and when there seems to be a faster accumulation of dirt and dead microbes in the filters, polish the fuel, or at least drain the fuel, clean the tank and replace the fuel with a fresh supply.
A smaller tank size is not the answer either..as you limit your motoring capability, therefore the cruising range (if you subscribe to the necessity of having two viable sources of power available when away from shore).
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
demers@sgi.com
You may be satisfied in counting on what appears to be luck to keep your engine alive, but it is not good seamanshhip to do so. Generally, nature has a way of correcting these situations too.
My recommendation is to keep the tank full, use biocide and waterzorb treatments, and when there seems to be a faster accumulation of dirt and dead microbes in the filters, polish the fuel, or at least drain the fuel, clean the tank and replace the fuel with a fresh supply.
A smaller tank size is not the answer either..as you limit your motoring capability, therefore the cruising range (if you subscribe to the necessity of having two viable sources of power available when away from shore).
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Other than the guys who do it for a living, there are few folks who recommend it. I guess if you really had a lot of crud in it, it would make sense. But there's enough motion in boats to keep things stirred up a bit. I recently read that if the fuel runs clear (as opposed to cloudy or lumpy) when you drain some from a line, it's good. Besides, why do we have filters? Seems we ought to let them do their job. Probably the thing to do is run the engine more and use the fuel in the tank. Or switch to a smaller tank. Mike
demers@sgi.com