Gunk In The Diesel ?

Pgitug · Jun 27, 2015

Talked with a Cummins mechanic today. We talked about diesel fuel additives that protect the fuel in your tanks for long periods of time. He recommends stanadyneadditives.com. In his experience Stanadyne is the best product to address growing algae in the tanks, keeping the fuel healthy and keeping the fuel system on your diesel clean. He suggested staying away from any product that had "Bio" in the name.
At the time of our conversation he was trying to bring back to life a 2003 boat purchased in Florida with only 575 hours on the engines. The stuff coming out of the Racors you could have paved a road with.
Can anyone give credence to his recommendations?

Marin · Jun 27, 2015

I think he's just pushing his favorite product. The most commonly used and recommended in this area by diesel shops and people in the marine propulsion and generator manufacturing industry is Hammonds Biobor. On the advice of friends in the propulsion and generator industry as well as the extremely reputable diesel shop we use we have been adding Biobor to our fuel for the last 17 years we've owned our cruising boat in the PNW.

I'm not going to claim it's the reason because I don't know, but in 17 years I have yet to see anything-- water, gunk, you name it-- in the Racor bowls. And our fuel system is powered totally by gravity. Every tank feeds from its lowest point. There are no pickup tubes or pumps other than the lift pump on each engine. So when a tank is empty, it's empty. Every drop that was in it goes through its associated filter.

So Biobor seems to work as advertised. However I suspect any of the other reputable brands of fuel biocides work just as well.

We also use a fuel lubricity additive but that's for a different purpose.

BlueYonder · Jun 27, 2015

Is the problem algae or asphaltenes? Unless you have water in your fuel, the problem is unlikely to be algae. Stanadyne doesn't make any claims to eliminate algae. I think that is what the "Bio" products are for. If the problem is asphaltenes and fuel storage, Stanadyne claims to stabilize diesel and help prevent asphaltene build up. Cummins also makes an asphaltene conditioner.

Capt.Bill11 · Jun 27, 2015

Marin said:
I think he's just pushing his favorite product. The most commonly used and recommended in this area by diesel shops and people in the marine propulsion and generator manufacturing industry is Hammonds Biobor. On the advice of friends in the propulsion and generator industry as well as the extremely reputable diesel shop we use we have been adding Biobor to our fuel for the last 17 years we've owned our cruising boat in the PNW.

I'm not going to claim it's the reason because I don't know, but in 17 years I have yet to see anything-- water, gunk, you name it-- in the Racor bowls. And our fuel system is powered totally by gravity. Every tank feeds from its lowest point. There are no pickup tubes or pumps other than the lift pump on each engine. So when a tank is empty, it's empty. Every drop that was in it goes through its associated filter.

So Biobor seems to work as advertised. However I suspect any of the other reputable brands of fuel biocides work just as well.

We also use a fuel lubricity additive but that's for a different purpose.

+1 to all that.

Except needing to add anything to the fuel to increase the lubricating ability of diesel. Especially if you're adding MMO. Total waste of money in that case.

Heron · Jun 27, 2015

BlueYonder said:
Is the problem algae or asphaltenes?

I'm betting Asphaltines. Common with old fuel....Read this thread and some of the links inside...

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s32/funky-fuel-filters-19536.html

Old deckhand · Jun 27, 2015

We use Stanadyne and like it for our weather that is very wet. "Stanadyne Performance Formula protects against fuel gelling; lubricates, cleans & protects entire fuel system; increases cetane (resulting in more horsepower, easier starting, and quieter running); reduces smoke; demulsifies water to improve filter/separator efficiency; keeps fuel fresher; is compatible with up to 5% bio-diesel (B5), and is alcohol free."

kulas44 · Jun 27, 2015

"when a tank is empty, its empty" meaning the outlet is a the lowest point possible, meaning any water or crap was pulled out (in VERY small quantities) way before it could be a problem. All tanks should be designed that way. Even better is a small sump.

BruceK · Jun 27, 2015

kulas44 said:
"when a tank is empty, its empty" meaning the outlet is a the lowest point possible, meaning any water or crap was pulled out (in VERY small quantities) way before it could be a problem. All tanks should be designed that way. Even better is a small sump.

with a drain valve in the sump. What a plus that would be. Nigel Calder would approve.

FlyWright · Jun 27, 2015

The FAA feels strongly enough about preventing microbial growth in all FAA operated aircraft that they treat all turbine powered aircraft jet fuel with BioborJF on a regular basis. It's the same stuff I use in my boat and will continue unless and until I hear from a reputable source that it's no longer effective. I don't have as much experience with it in my boat as some others here, but I'm convinced from its use in aircraft I've operated that the stuff does what it claims to do.

I don't add Biobor JF to fuel pretreated with ValvTect additives.

BioborJF

Xsbank · Jun 27, 2015

Professional polishing. Get all the crap out of your tank and not worry about it for another 20 years.

Old deckhand · Jun 28, 2015

Interesting that Biobar MD was brought to market and has similar additives as Stanadyne. This is what Biobar recommends for marine diesels. The U.S. Airforce uses Stanadyne. GM and Ford only approved diesel additive is Stanadyne.

O C Diver · Jun 28, 2015

I don't use any additives. They address a problem (algae & asphaltenes). Better to prevent them. The dive boat fuel tank that I had built has a 4" round 3" deep sump that the fuel is drawn from. Fuel sits in the tank for 7 months between seasons. No water collects in the tank so there is no algae. The fuel is consumed in the tank 60 to 80 times a year, so any asphaltesnes are flushed out through the racor 1000. The fuel vent is tucked up under the gunnel to prevent any water from getting in. The oring is replaced on the filler cap annually. All of these steps can be replicated on a trawler with the possible exception of fuel turn over. Fill your tanks just before using the boat to keep the fuel fresher. Only take on the fuel you need plus a generous reserve if you are only doing short trips. Carrying fuel for a year or more is just asking for problems. Lastly, use your boat!

Ted

FF · Jun 28, 2015

"Stanadyne Performance Formula protects against fuel gelling;

Fuel ,gelling is caused by using summer diesel and then traveling to an area where the fuel will be exposed to freezing conditions.

The wax in the fuel requires an antigelling chemical to not go solid in fuel lines and filters."

Not much of a problem for most rec. boaters.

Pgitug · Jun 28, 2015

So far it sounds like Biobor is #1 with Stanadyne coming in at #2. If I read the comments correctly Biobor is more towards dealing with water caused bacteria and algae. Where Stanadyne is aimed at keeping the diesel dry and the engine fuel system components clean. I wonder if you can use both? I appreciate everyone's input. It's one of the ways to learn things about this boating stuff. For me anyway.

bayview · Jun 28, 2015

IMO nothing will stop old fuel from coalescing junk. The secret is to either polish the fuel or run on low tanks and change filters often because the engines return more fuel to the tank than they burn, self polishing.
The reason for low tanks is that the dirty fuel will be cycled much faster than if it diluted with clean fuel. In 15 years in FL I only filled the tanks when I was going on a long trip. Never added anything to fuel. It is just unnecessary waste of money.

Heron · Jun 28, 2015

O C Diver said:
I don't use any additives. They address a problem (algae & asphaltenes). Better to prevent them.

Ted

Sometimes you inherit a problem from the Previous owner that was
never addressed as did I. The OP seems to be in this category...

5 years and 300 hours on this fleetgaurd filter that came out of my boat.
Due to multiple filters and the size of this one, surprisingly the boat ran perfectly. Cheap insurance here to clean up the Asphaltene mess..All filters running clean now..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G4TWBDA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Old deckhand · Jun 28, 2015

FF said:
"Stanadyne Performance Formula protects against fuel gelling;

Fuel ,gelling is caused by using summer diesel and then traveling to an area where the fuel will be exposed to freezing conditions.

The wax in the fuel requires an antigelling chemical to not go solid in fuel lines and filters."

Not much of a problem for most rec. boaters.

I agree with this post. One should use choose an additive based on local conditions.

boatpoker · Jun 28, 2015

It is absolutely impossible for algae to develop in a diesel fuel tank...... period.
If there is water in the tank or filter bowl, there are some forms of bacteria that may form at the diesel/water interface but NOT algae.

River Cruiser · Jun 28, 2015

Stanadyne is a manufacturer of fuel injection systems, I use their performance plus additive once a year when filling up. I figure anyone in the business of building pumps and injectors would know what additive would work the best without doing any harm.

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

FF · Jun 29, 2015

"change filters often because the engines return more fuel to the tank than they burn, self polishing."

Thois is only true with certain style injection systems.

A DD may pump 10X the fuel burned thru the fuel filter system , but most early Bosch style (injector pump , steel delivery tubing) only return internal leakage or a gallon or so an hour ..

Keeping water out , or far better removable ,is the key to clean fuel, no bugs.

MurrayM · Jun 29, 2015

O C Diver said:
Carrying fuel for a year or more is just asking for problems.

Here's some shots of our Racor bowl starting from when we purchased Badger. (Was tied to the dock for about 3 years with full tanks prior to purchase...was fired up every month or so in the slip).

First photo: 2013...gunk to the centrifuge.
Second photo: 2014...gunk halfway to the centrifuge. Third photo: this is how it looks in 2015...no more gunk!

kulas44 · Jun 29, 2015

What ??? Algae cant grow in diesel ? Dont tell everybody, it'll just be our secret.

Marin · Jun 29, 2015

boatpoker said:
It is absolutely impossible for algae to develop in a diesel fuel tank...... period.
If there is water in the tank or filter bowl, there are some forms of bacteria that may form at the diesel/water interface but NOT algae.

This is correct. The growth ("bugs") that can occur at the water/fuel interface in a diesel fuel tank is bacteria, not algae. Algae needs light to grow. Precious little of that inside a fuel tank.

FlyWright · Jun 30, 2015

Microbial growth is a more accurate term than algae.

Marin · Jun 30, 2015

FlyWright said:
Microbial growth is a more accurate term than algae.

Probably more accurate than bacteria, actually.....

Baker · Jun 30, 2015

I guess this Is one advantage of owning a planing boat that uses a lot of fuel. My Marina has Valvtect and I run through it quite often. My engines pump about 5 times more than they use so they self polish as well. My filter bowls sparkle a bright clear red!!!

LarryM · Jun 30, 2015

Actually, there are two major groups of microbiological contamination in diesel fuels; bacteria and fungi.

Bacteria are single-cell organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus.

In contrast, fungi do have a defined nucleus. The nucleus is the organelle which contains most of the cell’s genetic material.

Below are lists of the bacteria and fungi most commonly recovered from diesel fuel and associated water in fuel tanks and distribution systems.

Bacteria
Pseudomonas species
Flavobacterium species
Sarcina species
Desulfovibrio species
Desulfotomaculum species
Hydrogenomonas species
Clostridium species

Fungi
Hormoconis resinae (formerly classified as Cladosporium)
Fusarium species
Candida species
Aspergillus species

In some instances it can be important to differentiate between bacteria and fungi because they are structurally very different, and respond to treatment differently.

I believe most simply refer to them as "Bugs" though

FF · Jun 30, 2015

I believe most simply refer to them as "Bugs" though

You bet esp since the treatment is the same,

Get the water out of the tank!

Gunk In The Diesel ?

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