Re: TWL: Diesel stability
Keith asks about his two 350 gallon tanks there is very little fuel usage a
season. When I brought the Cal 46 from Alaska to Florida I had filled my
300 gallon tanks. I ran the engine every month or so, kept the tanks topped
off, added Biobar and Stabrite fuel stabilzer. I sold the boat, and assured
the new owners that the fuel was clean as were the tanks (had been replaced
4 years before). All was well until they got into some rough weather- The
motion broke loose some gunk from the bottom of the tank and plugged up
filters almost as fast as they could change them. The one thing I did not
do, was use the onboard fuel recirculating and filtering system.
On Kieth's boat I probably would add a biocide, keep the tanks full, use one
of the Stabilizers, (Penzoil, Starbrite and valvotec [used to have a
stablizer]. Plus I would add Solturan (enzyme which I am now using) and I
would add a Walbro pump and an extra Racor with 2 micron filter , and
recirculatethe fuel once a month. I would keep the fuel topped off at full.
Before I were to go to sea where I might encounter heavy weather, I would
have the tanks cleaned. A good tank cleaner, will have barrels where he
can store the fuel while he cleans the tanks.
If the tank is clean under where the inspection plate is, then probably I
would not go further. IF it is contaminated, then I would probably have
extra plates added (unless the cleaner can assure you that he is able to
work his pressure cleaning hose thru and around the baffels) so that the
other sections of the tank were cleaned. Is it worth the trouble and
expense? Yes, particularly if you are going offshore.
Regards,
Bob Austin,
30 foot single diesel aft cabin Carver
Pensacola, FL.
added Biobar and Stabrite fuel stabilzer.
IMHO this is the reason the tank gunked up.
My experience, and that of several recent posters, is that simply keeping
the tanks topped is enough for long term fuel system reliability. A
sistership to mine, also 21 years old had to have the tanks cleaned after a
lengthy bout of filter problems. I had the same tank cleaner and fuel
polisher company check my boat while they were at the dock. They checked and
recommended that I keep doing what I was doing as the fuel condition did not
justify cleaning.
The difference? The other boat used biocides, I don't.
Richard
How about any difference in the amount of fuel burned over a period of
years? If you burned significantly more, that could easily account for
the difference since you'd be replacing your fuel more often (and
burning the old fuel faster). In any event, I think the matter of diesel
stability where large quantities are involved is far more complex than a
simple comparison and coming up with one (perhaps insignificant)
difference.
With my 150 gallon total tanks (2 X 75 gallons), which I fill about
every month during the major boating season on the Chesapeake (March
through October) I'm not worried about fuel problems but still use
Marvel Mystery Oil and Biobor with every fill-up.
With regards to another post, in view of my fuel consumption, I couldn't
possibly recoup the cost of putting in a fuel polishing system - there
just isn't any old fuel to deal with and that should be obvious to any
potential buyer. I've been in about the roughest waters that a boat my
size (and crew) can tolerate, and no sludge has ever clogged the filters
as a consequence of "stirring the pot!"
Richard wrote:
My experience, and that of several recent posters, is that simply keeping
the tanks topped is enough for long term fuel system reliability. A
sistership to mine, also 21 years old had to have the tanks cleaned after a
lengthy bout of filter problems. I had the same tank cleaner and fuel
polisher company check my boat while they were at the dock. They checked and
recommended that I keep doing what I was doing as the fuel condition did not
justify cleaning.
The difference? The other boat used biocides, I don't.
--
Bob McLeran mailto://rmcleran@ix.netcom.com
M/V "Sanderling" Docked at Point Patience Marina
Hailing port: Wianno MA Solomons, MD
Hampton 35 Trawler
capnrich@cnw.com writes:
The difference? The other boat used biocides, I don't.
My boat is also 21 years old. I got it about five years ago after it
sat on the hard for two years. Diesel in tank was as clean as what
comes out of the pump. Two years ago I listened to some people on the
list and added Biobor. Last spring my Racor housing was full of black
slimy sludge, but only on the intake side nothing got past the two
micron filter. No problem with engine. Wonder what my tank looks like
inside? No access plate and no sediment drain. Would have to cut into
the boat liner to remove tank. Wished I never heard of additives!!!
George of Scaramouche1, Lake Ontario, Canada
but still use Marvel Mystery Oil and Biobor with every fill-up.
I've posted this before, but with this discussion, I will post again. When
we bought our boat, it was 12 years old with only 600 hours. The PO had
religiously used Biobor. Bringing her down from Staten Island to Fla, we had
H*ll with fuel filters. I had Florida Sludge Suckers in Ft Myers clean the
tanks. When he open them up, he called me & said "I found your problem.
Someone has been using Biobor!" After cleaning them he told me to never add
any additives unless I knew I had a problem, & then, not much. He said if I
detect a slimy substance in the filter, that would be algea, & to only treat
it with a one time Biobor shock treatment, never put it in on a regular
basis. He claimed it just mucked things up. His recomendation was to keep
tanks full & keep water out. His opinion was "no water, no problems". He
does this, & only this, for a living, so I took him at his word. The only
additive I use is Marvel Mystery Oil, as per Bob Smith's instructions.
Brent Hodges
M/V Friendship
43 Albin / 135 Lehmans
Seabrook, Tx
Hello there Shipmates! I am perplexed about the additives. Those of you
that say not to use additives; don't you think the sludge is bound to be a
problem at some point and it is hanging over your head like a sword of
Damocles?
Todd Mains
M/V Pingino
50 Ocean
Portland, Oregon
don't you think the sludge is bound to be a
problem at some point
If the tanks test OK after 22 years, as is my case, then no, I am not
concerned. I read that as continue to do as in the past, cause it works.
As this item has come up again and again over the three or four years I have
been on list, the consistent observation is that those who keep full tanks
and no additives don't have problems, no matter how many or few hours per
year. Inconsistently, those who do have additives regularly have problems.
Of this group, my sense is that those who also run a lot of fuel through,
which implies high hours and more than two fuel filter changes a year, don't
have as much problem.
Those who use biobor on a boat which has been idle for a long period, are in
for a disaster, according to list stories. Maybe this is because the
tendency is to use too much, I don't know.
The muck is a sudden die-off of algae so how much is too much seems a little
moot. Do you want the half-muck or the full-muck deal?
Sometime in 2000, I think there was a post which knowledgeably and
definitely described the biochem involved. The conclusion was, as with all
the real experts, don't use a biocide.
Richard