Diesel question

[Thumbcocker]

I have a diesel tractor that purrs like a kitten. (Ford 3000). I recently acquired an Oliver Super 55 that had been sitting for years. All the fuel lines were full of black goo and there was a ball of black goo about the size of a grape fruit in the fuel tank. The Oliver is at the mechanic for an overhaul so it is not the issue.

I have put a couple of tanks of gas station diesel through the Ford. I am now told this is a bad idea. I have access to "real diesel so I will cease using the bio stuff.

The question is what to do with the Ford? Should I siphon out the gas station diesel? Is there an additive I should put in? Any advice appreciated. Thanks

[rancher1913]

if its going to sit all winter you might want to at least put some howes diesel treat and let it run and mix otherwise I would not worry about it. by the way you do know that the ford injection system does not use the engines oil as a lube, it has its own reservoir and needs regular changing just like the engine. the bio diesel crap is more of a problem in hotter temps like summer because the bio stuff starts to grow and you end up with a situation like your oliver. even the real diesel has a percentage of bio in it.

[Petrol & Powder]

Thumbcocker, I'm not sure you are operating under good information.

Your statement, "I have put a couple of tanks of gas station diesel through the Ford. I am now told this is a bad idea. I have access to "real diesel so I will cease using the bio stuff." - leads me to believe that you think "gas station" diesel is somehow different than diesel.????

Diesel is diesel.
The term biodiesel refers to diesel substitute normally derived from vegetable oil but if you get right down to brass tacks, all diesel is "bio diesel" but some of it is 4 million year old "bio" diesel

There are some problems associated with bio diesel but most "gas station" diesel is not what is commonly called "bio diesel".
Gas station diesel, truck stop diesel, farm supply diesel, etc. is DIESEL.
And by the way, home heating oil is diesel, albeit with a higher wax content than road diesel. Marine diesel is diesel without the road tax. Off road diesel is ........wait for it........dyed diesel without the road tax.

People have a tendency to complicate this stuff. There really isn't as much mystery to diesel fuel as some claim.

So, unless the fuel in your tractor is somehow contaminated, just use it up as you see fit.

[BudRow]

I had a Case diesel backhoe for 30 years. I ran nothing but K-1 Kerosene in it. Never had a problem in any weather or all the years I owned it.

[Petrol & Powder]

When it gets cold, I'll mix some kerosene in with the diesel fuel to help it flow and prevent gelling.

The U.S.. military runs kerosene (actually JP-8) in a lot of its diesel powered equipment. This simplifies logistics but the engines run a bit hotter and the kerosene doesn't provide as much lubrication for the injector pumps. These issues are outweighed by the simpler logistics in combat zones as it reduces the need for separate fuels in the supply chain.

[rockrat]

Been using "gas station" diesel for decades. I do put diesel treatment in the barrel when I buy the diesel. No problems so far.

[Screwbolts]

The Black Goo is Black Algae, that grows in diesel Fuel. They do make an algaecide specifically to kill it. If you do not treat the Oliver's fuel system with the algeacide you will not get rid of it. Rebuilding the engine and new fuel filters will not rid you of the algea problem, you must kill it with algeacide sold by fuel suppliers.

The only difference in "gas Station diesel" and off road diesel / home heating oil is the red dye in off road fuel/heating oil to show it has been sold less road Tax.

If Gas station diesel was bad for your diesel tractor just think of all the diesel vehicles that use it. lol litterly, LOL, ROTFLOL

Ken

[rbuck351]

What screwbolts said.

[Evoken]

I run the same diesel in my tractors that I run in my truck. The "real" diesel around here is dyed and offroad use rated. It is dirty. Since I began using highway diesel in the tractors my glass bowl filters stay cleaner.
Like others have said, some treatment wont hurt either type anyway and helps clean the system up. Most of the treatments are just white kerosene I suspect anyway. Sometimes I will put a jug of cetane booster in the truck if I suspect I got dirty/weak fuel.

[Plate plinker]

Treat with a quality additive to kill algae and add cetane. Done! Higher levels of fresh biodiesel supposedly will grow algae faster.

[Tatume]

There is one important difference between current diesel and the diesel fuel older vehicles were designed to use. The sulfur content is lower. Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) was introduced into United States in 2006, earlier in Europe. ULSD produces less harmful emissions. It also has reduced lubricity, and will cause some engine seals to shrink.

[Tatume]

The algaecide you need to keep your fuel system clean is available at most marinas and farm supply stores, as well as parts store such as NAPA. It is also available at Amazon and Walmart, but be careful to avoid swimming pool algaecide. When your diesel engine is in regular use algaecide is not needed. When it sits for a substantial length of time and accumulates water, then you need the algaecide. The algae grow on the water/fuel interface. They live in the water and eat the diesel fuel. The black goo is the dead bodies of the critters.

[MaryB]

Local farmer just got busted for running off road diesel in his pickup truck. He was bragging about it online in a forum and someone ratted him out to the feds... hefty fine and pay back taxes for 30 years of road use at 100,000 miles a year that he puts on his pickups, service records were pulled from the dealership and his purchase records of a new truck every 2 years showing the trade in mileage of the old one!

[WebMonkey]

gas station diesel (at least at my station) is highway 'legal' diesel and the 'other stuff' is 'for off-road use'.

an emission thing rather than a made from corn thing.

[SweetMk]

I have "some diesels",,,



They are all for hobby use (not for making money)

My trick to keeping the fuel system clean,, is pretty simple, and I have been practicing it since 1982;

Keep the fuel tank topped off, especially in the winter.
Repeated temperature cycling (hot, cold, hot, cold,,,,,,,,,,,,) will draw moisture into the tank if there is air in the tank.

The liquid fuel can not thermally expand and contract as much as gaseous air does.

The algae needs moisture to grow,, fuel alone will not allow it to grow,,
(at least it will not grow in my moisture free fuel tanks!! )

Now, my system will not stop water from getting into the tank, if the water is purchased with the fuel.
For that, I have a special "filter-funnel",,

Supposedly, it works to separate the water from the fuel,,
I say supposedly, as in my case, after five years of use,
I have never seen any water left in the filter funnel after fueling a tractor.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

IT is a VERY fine screen, I can attest to that.
Even though it does not get very cold in Virginia,, the funnel "gelled" while using it on a cold day.
The fuel just stopped going through the funnel.
I waited for a slightly warmer day, and the fuel and funnel worked correctly.,,



That same diesel ran perfectly in the tractor, even at a lower temperature,, so the gelling only occurred at the filter screen.

[drizler]

Local farmer just got busted for running off road diesel in his pickup truck. He was bragging about it online in a forum and someone ratted him out to the feds... hefty fine and pay back taxes for 30 years of road use at 100,000 miles a year that he puts on his pickups, service records were pulled from the dealership and his purchase records of a new truck every 2 years showing the trade in mileage of the old one!

Lesson learned DONT SAY THAT SORT OF STUFF ONLINE. I swear, people need a Miranda rights warning banner to sign onto those things .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bmi48219]

Thirty yrs ago off road diesel / #2 heating oil cost 70 cents per gallon delivered in July, but price doubled once the snow came. We would fill our 400 gallon in ground tank in July but needed 600 gallons to stay warm all winter. You could find K-1 at some gas stations for a buck a gallon year round. So I’d haul K-1 in 55 gallon drums to finish out the winter. Later I was given a 1,000 gallon in ground tank. That solved the home heating issue. After I purchased a JD diesel tractor I bought a 300 gallon tank on a stand to set next to the barn. Wound up putting a combo water separator-filter on it. Never had an algae problem with either tank.
I think condensation, especially in infrequently used mobile equipment, is the biggest cause of fuel algae. That’s why they recommend keeping your tank full.

[Dsltech1]

By gas station diesel I assume it was a 10-15% bio-blend? And by real diesel you mean a non blended fuel?
A older fuel system probably won’t have any issues. Common rail fuel systems do not handle dropout well. With the bio-blend fuel after 30 days or so the fatty acids from the bio-diesel will begin to dropout. At first that only increases the potential for algae growth as the fatty acids absorb water like a sponge. Over longer periods that drop out will turn into a sticky red substance and smells similar to turpentine. I have yet to find a cleaner or solvent that will touch the red dropout that eventually forms. I have a couple pics. One is a gear pump on a high pressure pump. I can’t upload it. The other is a filter body from another failure. There’s some stabilizers that claim to prevent the dropout but I have no personal experience with them. Again a older fuel system probably won’t have any issues. Newer common rail system will usually see pump and injector failures once the fuel is old enough that the red dropout appears. 6 months is the earliest I‘ve seen dropout appear. Said dropout isn’t algae as some have mistaken it for. It cannot be treated with a algaecide. You will only see this with bio-blend fuels.

[leadeye]

I wonder what diesel will look like under the new green deal.

[MT Gianni]

I wonder what diesel will look like under the new green deal.

If Europe is our goal as being green we will be all diesel and no gasoline. Most cars and trucks in Europe are all diesel.