Hi folks:
This may seem trivial, but I suspect I am heading for fuel problems because of it...I have trouble using up all the fuel in the tank. Last year, I only used about 10 gallons the whole summer. I filled the tank and stored it that way over the winter, and this summer have been running it, but have only used about 3 gallons so far. I really don't have the time to just go out and motor for several hours for several days to use it up....my CD27 with the 2GM 13HP just plain sips fuel, even at 2,800 RPMs. Does anyone around the Narragansett Bay area pump out fuel, clean tanks, and replace with new fuel? Has anyone ever done this? Does anyone else have this problem? Winds are so predicatable and frequent on Narragansett Bay that I seldom have to even turn the motor on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Clay Stalker
CD27 Salsa #247
Bristol, R.I.
cstalker@cheshire.net
Diesel Fuel Woes
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Bill
Re: Diesel Fuel Woes
Clay, I have the same problem. Put in 10gal starboard tank and 5 in the port tank; still have 13 gallons left. Worried about starboard tank fuel. Hope someone can answer questions. BillClay Stalker wrote: Hi folks:
This may seem trivial, but I suspect I am heading for fuel problems because of it...I have trouble using up all the fuel in the tank. Last year, I only used about 10 gallons the whole summer. I filled the tank and stored it that way over the winter, and this summer have been running it, but have only used about 3 gallons so far. I really don't have the time to just go out and motor for several hours for several days to use it up....my CD27 with the 2GM 13HP just plain sips fuel, even at 2,800 RPMs. Does anyone around the Narragansett Bay area pump out fuel, clean tanks, and replace with new fuel? Has anyone ever done this? Does anyone else have this problem? Winds are so predicatable and frequent on Narragansett Bay that I seldom have to even turn the motor on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Clay Stalker
CD27 Salsa #247
Bristol, R.I.
meislandbill@yahoo.com
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John M Freeman
Re: Diesel Fuel Woes
Clay,
First off..a very good thing to worry about. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With that said, how old is the fuel in the tank? I do alot of work on yachts down here, and am always getting requests to "scrub" the fuel, and questions on why the engine smokes etc. Diesel has a few properties that gas doesn't, and these are what you need to combat. Depending on how long the fuel has been on board, you may need to treat it with an algecide, believe it of not algae grows in diesel fuel. The algae grows because of another quality of diesel fuel, it sweats. That is the reason it is always good to keep the tank topped off, reduces the amount of condensation that can form inside the tank. That brings us to another quality of all petro fuels, over time they lose their volatility. I would reccomend a good fuel treatment with a water displacer and algecide in it. A cetane booster might help too. If the fuel is that old, keep one or two extra fuel filters on board as spares, you'll need them. The best medicine would be to replace the fuel at the beginning of the season, but of course that depends on how much fuel she holds and how old it is. Contrary to popular belief, and alot of this is info is passed on by the people that perform the service, fuel scrubbing does not increase fuel performance and volatility. What it does do is super filter it. If the fuel is old, it is old, not much will change that. I guess I have rambled enough, if you have any questions, feel free to e me, capn_jack68@yahoo.com.
John M Freeman
S/V Nanook
CD25, #287
capn_jack68@yahoo.com
First off..a very good thing to worry about. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With that said, how old is the fuel in the tank? I do alot of work on yachts down here, and am always getting requests to "scrub" the fuel, and questions on why the engine smokes etc. Diesel has a few properties that gas doesn't, and these are what you need to combat. Depending on how long the fuel has been on board, you may need to treat it with an algecide, believe it of not algae grows in diesel fuel. The algae grows because of another quality of diesel fuel, it sweats. That is the reason it is always good to keep the tank topped off, reduces the amount of condensation that can form inside the tank. That brings us to another quality of all petro fuels, over time they lose their volatility. I would reccomend a good fuel treatment with a water displacer and algecide in it. A cetane booster might help too. If the fuel is that old, keep one or two extra fuel filters on board as spares, you'll need them. The best medicine would be to replace the fuel at the beginning of the season, but of course that depends on how much fuel she holds and how old it is. Contrary to popular belief, and alot of this is info is passed on by the people that perform the service, fuel scrubbing does not increase fuel performance and volatility. What it does do is super filter it. If the fuel is old, it is old, not much will change that. I guess I have rambled enough, if you have any questions, feel free to e me, capn_jack68@yahoo.com.
John M Freeman
S/V Nanook
CD25, #287
capn_jack68@yahoo.com
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Larry DeMers
Re: Diesel Fuel Woes
Clay,
This is a problem for most sailors..the boats sail afterall! So maybe I can tell you how we handle it here on Superior anyway. I typically burn 20 gals a year max., usually less. This is in small doses and we have to carry our own fuel into the marina, so I tend to grab Off-Road fuel in a 6gal jerry can, and put that in when the gauge shows 1/4 empty. So I am really doing the same thing you are..putting new fuel in with the old. I also use a Biobar additive to kill off biologicals, and I use a water emulsifier made for diesel fuel and a fuel extender for long term storage of fuel (what you are really doing).
These three steps seem to keep our fuel fine. So far this year, no black junk in our Racor fuel separator (dead bugs make this black goo that sticks to virtually everything once started).
I would suggest then that you continue using fuel at your normal rate, but add fuel to top the tank off when down 1/4 tank or so..just to keep the free area within the tank at a minimum..this free area is the area that forms droplets of water (condensation), ergo, if there is a minimum of exposed fuel tank to form water, there should be then little water formed. Since the bugs live at the water/fuel interface, you will be making their living conditions rarer and so you should have fewer of them to worry about.
About every third year, you may want to have the fuel "Scrubbed". Here the fuel is pumped from the tank out to an external filter series, then back to the tank..repeatedly until the fuel is clean. There are folks that do this for you..or you can build a setup yourself. I added a pump and bypass valves to my system so that I can recirculate about 35 gal./hr. thru my Racor and Fram filters. taking out all water and impurities to 1 micron.
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
demers@sgi.com
This is a problem for most sailors..the boats sail afterall! So maybe I can tell you how we handle it here on Superior anyway. I typically burn 20 gals a year max., usually less. This is in small doses and we have to carry our own fuel into the marina, so I tend to grab Off-Road fuel in a 6gal jerry can, and put that in when the gauge shows 1/4 empty. So I am really doing the same thing you are..putting new fuel in with the old. I also use a Biobar additive to kill off biologicals, and I use a water emulsifier made for diesel fuel and a fuel extender for long term storage of fuel (what you are really doing).
These three steps seem to keep our fuel fine. So far this year, no black junk in our Racor fuel separator (dead bugs make this black goo that sticks to virtually everything once started).
I would suggest then that you continue using fuel at your normal rate, but add fuel to top the tank off when down 1/4 tank or so..just to keep the free area within the tank at a minimum..this free area is the area that forms droplets of water (condensation), ergo, if there is a minimum of exposed fuel tank to form water, there should be then little water formed. Since the bugs live at the water/fuel interface, you will be making their living conditions rarer and so you should have fewer of them to worry about.
About every third year, you may want to have the fuel "Scrubbed". Here the fuel is pumped from the tank out to an external filter series, then back to the tank..repeatedly until the fuel is clean. There are folks that do this for you..or you can build a setup yourself. I added a pump and bypass valves to my system so that I can recirculate about 35 gal./hr. thru my Racor and Fram filters. taking out all water and impurities to 1 micron.
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
Clay Stalker wrote: Hi folks:
This may seem trivial, but I suspect I am heading for fuel problems because of it...I have trouble using up all the fuel in the tank. Last year, I only used about 10 gallons the whole summer. I filled the tank and stored it that way over the winter, and this summer have been running it, but have only used about 3 gallons so far. I really don't have the time to just go out and motor for several hours for several days to use it up....my CD27 with the 2GM 13HP just plain sips fuel, even at 2,800 RPMs. Does anyone around the Narragansett Bay area pump out fuel, clean tanks, and replace with new fuel? Has anyone ever done this? Does anyone else have this problem? Winds are so predicatable and frequent on Narragansett Bay that I seldom have to even turn the motor on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Clay Stalker
CD27 Salsa #247
Bristol, R.I.
demers@sgi.com
-
Boyd
Re: Diesel Fuel Woes
Hi Clay...
After a lot of frustration with poor engine preformance and replacing 2 primary filters after each only ran 2 hours, I built a portable fuel polishing system. It is basically a version of the one Larry has on his boat. I have always used biocide and water absorbers and still got a large bug bloom.
It consists of a racor filter and an electric fuel pump mounted on a board. I open the fuel tank by taking out the fuel gauge and pump the contents into jerry cans. I use a short piece of copper pipe on the end of the hose so I can get to the bottom and all corners of the fuel tank. I then pump the fuel back out of the jerry cans into the tank with the system. Double filtering leave the fuel pretty clean.
I use the system to put new fuel in the tank also. I think we get a lot of junk in new fuel...rust and dirt.. so filtering the new stuff should help also.
My engine stuttered, would not exceed 2000 rpm and was hard to start. Not fun when working my way into the inlet and under the bridges..
Boyd
boyd@wbta.cc
After a lot of frustration with poor engine preformance and replacing 2 primary filters after each only ran 2 hours, I built a portable fuel polishing system. It is basically a version of the one Larry has on his boat. I have always used biocide and water absorbers and still got a large bug bloom.
It consists of a racor filter and an electric fuel pump mounted on a board. I open the fuel tank by taking out the fuel gauge and pump the contents into jerry cans. I use a short piece of copper pipe on the end of the hose so I can get to the bottom and all corners of the fuel tank. I then pump the fuel back out of the jerry cans into the tank with the system. Double filtering leave the fuel pretty clean.
I use the system to put new fuel in the tank also. I think we get a lot of junk in new fuel...rust and dirt.. so filtering the new stuff should help also.
My engine stuttered, would not exceed 2000 rpm and was hard to start. Not fun when working my way into the inlet and under the bridges..
Boyd
Clay Stalker wrote: Hi folks:
This may seem trivial, but I suspect I am heading for fuel problems because of it...I have trouble using up all the fuel in the tank. Last year, I only used about 10 gallons the whole summer. I filled the tank and stored it that way over the winter, and this summer have been running it, but have only used about 3 gallons so far. I really don't have the time to just go out and motor for several hours for several days to use it up....my CD27 with the 2GM 13HP just plain sips fuel, even at 2,800 RPMs. Does anyone around the Narragansett Bay area pump out fuel, clean tanks, and replace with new fuel? Has anyone ever done this? Does anyone else have this problem? Winds are so predicatable and frequent on Narragansett Bay that I seldom have to even turn the motor on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Clay Stalker
CD27 Salsa #247
Bristol, R.I.
boyd@wbta.cc
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Olli Wendelin
Re: Diesel Fuel Woes
Clay,
You might consider draining the fuel at the beginning of the season and filling with fresh fuel. Put the old fuel in your heating oil tank.
Haven't really had this problem myself. With the high currents in the area I usually burn about 20 gallons a year on my CD30.
Olli Wendelin
BLUE MOON
Charleston, SC
You might consider draining the fuel at the beginning of the season and filling with fresh fuel. Put the old fuel in your heating oil tank.
Haven't really had this problem myself. With the high currents in the area I usually burn about 20 gallons a year on my CD30.
Olli Wendelin
BLUE MOON
Charleston, SC
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Chuck
Re: Diesel Fuel Woes
Its to late now but I have know several owners who drain the tank in the fall and use the fuel in their oil burners.Boyd wrote: Hi Clay...
After a lot of frustration with poor engine preformance and replacing 2 primary filters after each only ran 2 hours, I built a portable fuel polishing system. It is basically a version of the one Larry has on his boat. I have always used biocide and water absorbers and still got a large bug bloom.
It consists of a racor filter and an electric fuel pump mounted on a board. I open the fuel tank by taking out the fuel gauge and pump the contents into jerry cans. I use a short piece of copper pipe on the end of the hose so I can get to the bottom and all corners of the fuel tank. I then pump the fuel back out of the jerry cans into the tank with the system. Double filtering leave the fuel pretty clean.
I use the system to put new fuel in the tank also. I think we get a lot of junk in new fuel...rust and dirt.. so filtering the new stuff should help also.
My engine stuttered, would not exceed 2000 rpm and was hard to start. Not fun when working my way into the inlet and under the bridges..
Boyd
Clay Stalker wrote: Hi folks:
This may seem trivial, but I suspect I am heading for fuel problems because of it...I have trouble using up all the fuel in the tank. Last year, I only used about 10 gallons the whole summer. I filled the tank and stored it that way over the winter, and this summer have been running it, but have only used about 3 gallons so far. I really don't have the time to just go out and motor for several hours for several days to use it up....my CD27 with the 2GM 13HP just plain sips fuel, even at 2,800 RPMs. Does anyone around the Narragansett Bay area pump out fuel, clean tanks, and replace with new fuel? Has anyone ever done this? Does anyone else have this problem? Winds are so predicatable and frequent on Narragansett Bay that I seldom have to even turn the motor on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Clay Stalker
CD27 Salsa #247
Bristol, R.I.
Refill of course with clean fuel.
I have been using 20% soy fuel with good results. The only problem is that there are no local suppliers so I had to have 5gal shipped in but at the 20% mix this will last me at least 3 seasons.
cgombeyski@aol.com
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Larry DeMers
Re: Diesel Fuel Woes
Boyd,
Good adaptation of the rig I built into DeLaMer. The only thing that I would caution you on is that the black gooey stuff (essentially dead bugs, and what is plugging up your filter when it gets clogged) attaches itself to all surfaces in the fuel system..including the hose to the filters. Using the exterior polishing method will not remove this part of the problem. That's why mine is installed permanently, operating easily with the throwing of two valves and a toggle switch. It uses the ships plumbing for as much of the process as possible, scrubbing the junk out of them too.
Admittedly, if the black gooeys are really bad in the hose to the filter, the only true solution would be to R&R the hose. No amount of scrubbing will get all the black stuff off the hoses if they are really bad. So my philosophy is to scrub often..1-2x a month for an hour or so, while at dock. It takes nothing as far as power goes (we're plugged in), and removes any contaminant there.
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Lake Superior
demers@sgi.com
Good adaptation of the rig I built into DeLaMer. The only thing that I would caution you on is that the black gooey stuff (essentially dead bugs, and what is plugging up your filter when it gets clogged) attaches itself to all surfaces in the fuel system..including the hose to the filters. Using the exterior polishing method will not remove this part of the problem. That's why mine is installed permanently, operating easily with the throwing of two valves and a toggle switch. It uses the ships plumbing for as much of the process as possible, scrubbing the junk out of them too.
Admittedly, if the black gooeys are really bad in the hose to the filter, the only true solution would be to R&R the hose. No amount of scrubbing will get all the black stuff off the hoses if they are really bad. So my philosophy is to scrub often..1-2x a month for an hour or so, while at dock. It takes nothing as far as power goes (we're plugged in), and removes any contaminant there.
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Lake Superior
Boyd wrote: Hi Clay...
After a lot of frustration with poor engine preformance and replacing 2 primary filters after each only ran 2 hours, I built a portable fuel polishing system. It is basically a version of the one Larry has on his boat. I have always used biocide and water absorbers and still got a large bug bloom.
It consists of a racor filter and an electric fuel pump mounted on a board. I open the fuel tank by taking out the fuel gauge and pump the contents into jerry cans. I use a short piece of copper pipe on the end of the hose so I can get to the bottom and all corners of the fuel tank. I then pump the fuel back out of the jerry cans into the tank with the system. Double filtering leave the fuel pretty clean.
I use the system to put new fuel in the tank also. I think we get a lot of junk in new fuel...rust and dirt.. so filtering the new stuff should help also.
My engine stuttered, would not exceed 2000 rpm and was hard to start. Not fun when working my way into the inlet and under the bridges..
Boyd
Clay Stalker wrote: Hi folks:
This may seem trivial, but I suspect I am heading for fuel problems because of it...I have trouble using up all the fuel in the tank. Last year, I only used about 10 gallons the whole summer. I filled the tank and stored it that way over the winter, and this summer have been running it, but have only used about 3 gallons so far. I really don't have the time to just go out and motor for several hours for several days to use it up....my CD27 with the 2GM 13HP just plain sips fuel, even at 2,800 RPMs. Does anyone around the Narragansett Bay area pump out fuel, clean tanks, and replace with new fuel? Has anyone ever done this? Does anyone else have this problem? Winds are so predicatable and frequent on Narragansett Bay that I seldom have to even turn the motor on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Clay Stalker
CD27 Salsa #247
Bristol, R.I.
demers@sgi.com