View Single Post
Old 05-13-2022, 06:31 AM   #12
sunchaser
Guru
 
City: Carefree, Arizona
Vessel Name: sunchaser V
Vessel Model: DeFever 48 (sold)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,186
Quote:
Originally Posted by koliver View Post
Do you think it is just coincidence that my Racors suddenly got cleaner when they took out the sulphur?
Keith
As lower S diesel fuels entered the market place a few decades ago large fleet commercial users indeed noticed less crud building up in the fuel filters. Not only was that a noticeable happening but in large underground mines where Diesel engines were used the Donaldson exhaust filters saw a cleaner exhaust as well with less "soot" build up and less measurable atmospheric particulate matter.

Then as lower S fuels became commonplace worldwide engine manufacturers raised their oil change intervals in fact providing charts showing S Vs oil change hours. For instance my nearly two decade old manual has a Cat recommendation of 400 hours for intervals using diesel with less than 10 PPM and as memory (foggy) serves me 200 hours for S levels escalating above many 100s PPM.

Commercial users turning over millions of gallons of diesel per year found tank farms with less crud in their filtering and centrifuge systems as well as lower S fuels entered the market place. Today's diesel tank farms, not anecdotal, are the recipients of not only the benefits of cleaner and lower S fuels but also diesel fuels exhibiting less moisture and another dozen types of trash and elements.

My boat tanks, well into their second decade, are very clean like yours. My diesel fuel filters showed crud at the initial change likely due to Chinese high S fuel from the initial fuel in all four tanks. Each filter change thereafter the filters have been pristine, again like yours. Only possible degradation of the elements provides me a reason to change the Racors.

I'm into my sixth decade of monitoring diesel fuel filters from a variety of standpoints. Yes, your noticeably clean filters are due to lower S and better refining procedures.

BTW, I well remember dirty fuel at Mexican docks from half a century ago, the Baja filter was well named. And the Mason jar test looking for water and if found triggering a lower valve on the fuel tanks to assist in ridding the tanks of water hose water.
sunchaser is offline   Reply With Quote