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Thread: Fuel polishing

  1. #11

    Re: Fuel polishing

    Quote Originally Posted by SKYCHENEY View Post
    It will burn. I know a guy who found an old underground tank at a contractors yard. The fuel was about 30 years old. They had it tested and the lab said it was okay. They filtered it, added some cetane boost, and burned in their trucks without issue. These were not new engines that require ultra low sulfur fuel, but older, pre-emission engines.
    Cheyenne mountain which was the famous NORAD underground facility that was always depicted in nuclear war movies has limestone caverns filled with millions of gallons of diesel. The fuel had been pumped in in the 50’s. Up until the Obama administration when the facility was shut down and NORAD moved to Peterson AFB the generators were run weekly. And that fuel was 50+ years old.
    "DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" - BEN FRANKLIN




    Endless Summer
    1967 50c 12/71n DDA 525hp
    ex Miss Betsy
    owners:
    Howard P. Miller 1967-1974
    Richard F Hull 1974-1976
    Robert J. & R.Scott Smith 1976-present

  2. #12

    Re: Fuel polishing

    After a year of dealing with dirty tanks (professionally polished a couple of times).
    I added access hatches to clean out my tanks. The baffles went side to side and top to bottom with only triangle openings on each corner. Opening up 2 hatches per tank gave adequate access to brush clean them.
    10 + years and no problems since.

  3. #13

    Re: Fuel polishing

    Quote Originally Posted by Play'N Hooky Too View Post
    Do you know if the baffles extend the full height of the tank or are they open at the top?
    The baffles I’ve seen have a v cut in the center and all four sides. So there is a strong attachment point to the top bottom and sides. These baffles have to be strong so that the fuel sloshing around in rough weather doesn’t break them loose. It’s the crap on the bottom that you want to get out. From what I’ve seen the stuff stuck to the top sides and baffles is a stick gooey crud that isn’t going to come out with polishing.
    "DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" - BEN FRANKLIN




    Endless Summer
    1967 50c 12/71n DDA 525hp
    ex Miss Betsy
    owners:
    Howard P. Miller 1967-1974
    Richard F Hull 1974-1976
    Robert J. & R.Scott Smith 1976-present

  4. #14

    Re: Fuel polishing

    Just pumping the water and crap from the bottom helps. That’s pretty easy to do with a piece of copper pipe some flexible hose and a small pump. Done bother filtering it, just trash it. Yes there will be more stuff trapped in remote corners but at least the bulk of it will be cleared out. The piece of copper allows you to suck at the very bottom, lower than the pick ups. Repeat after every run for a while
    Pascal
    Miami, FL
    1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
    2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
    2007 Sandbarhopper 13
    12' Westphal Cat boat

  5. #15

    Re: Fuel polishing

    Secondhand story from my technician, but he was once called in for a DD powered standby generator where the fuel was so old the engine wouldn't start. Hooked up a small container of fresh fuel and it fired right up. Once it was warmed up and running it would burn the old gack, but it wouldn't light up cold.

    Since the OP hasn't clarified I'd say 4-5 years old, dump some additive in it and see what it does. 45 years old?,... Keep my number handy for when you need new injectors.
    --- The poster formerly known as Scrod ---

    I want to live in Theory, everything works there.

    1970 36C375

  6. #16

    Re: Fuel polishing

    Quote Originally Posted by Avenger View Post
    Secondhand story from my technician, but he was once called in for a DD powered standby generator where the fuel was so old the engine wouldn't start. Hooked up a small container of fresh fuel and it fired right up. Once it was warmed up and running it would burn the old gack, but it wouldn't light up cold.

    Since the OP hasn't clarified I'd say 4-5 years old, dump some additive in it and see what it does. 45 years old?,... Keep my number handy for when you need new injectors.
    Sounds like back in the French fry oil craze. They started on diesel but switched to the fry oil once running. It was a strange thing to walk past a Mercedes diesel and it would smell like MacDonalds
    "DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" - BEN FRANKLIN




    Endless Summer
    1967 50c 12/71n DDA 525hp
    ex Miss Betsy
    owners:
    Howard P. Miller 1967-1974
    Richard F Hull 1974-1976
    Robert J. & R.Scott Smith 1976-present

  7. #17

    Re: Fuel polishing

    Quote Originally Posted by rsmith View Post
    Sounds like back in the French fry oil craze. They started on diesel but switched to the fry oil once running. It was a strange thing to walk past a Mercedes diesel and it would smell like MacDonalds
    Right. They did that because the fry oil had to be well over 100° just to flow. And woe unto you if you shut the engine down on fry oil instead of flushing it with diesel. Once it cooled down it would glue all the injection components and you couldn't get it to pump anymore. But this stuff was so stale it just refused to ignite.

    Also, the fry oil had a tendency to be hygroscopic and the water was rough on injection components as well.
    --- The poster formerly known as Scrod ---

    I want to live in Theory, everything works there.

    1970 36C375

  8. #18

    Re: Fuel polishing

    Thanks all for the advise.

    Yes, its 4+ year old fuel.

    I did suck a bunch of yick out of the bottom of the tank with a pipe, and pump, and a racor. I ran about 50 gallons.

    The boat seems to run on the fuel.

    i'm thinking of doing one complete punp out, and seeing how it is.

  9. #19

    Re: Fuel polishing

    A half horse gear type pump with two antique Detroit fuel filters (at 20 micron) in series for 1/2 hour on each tank. Fuel went in BLACK and returned to the tanks as RED.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQDnMrjybw Thats 5 year old fuel with seawater and fuel algae feces in the tank. Thats the black gunk. Running the rivers from NOLA to Chicago was a breeze, like make 2 filter changes, but a little rolling around on the lake loosened up the junk making a polish job necessary.
    Last edited by yachtsmanbill; 08-20-2022 at 06:06 PM.
    yachtsmanWILLY

    I used to think I knew everything until I found the experts HERE; Now I know I dont know SQUAT



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