- Thread starter Goose
- Start date
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
I had 5 gallons get some snot in it sitting over winter, must of been algae. It plugged a screen in my funnel, so I chose not to put it in the tractor, my filters are almost $10. Most summer diesel has some bio in it, but any diesel can grow algae if it gets a little moisture. I have some biocide that I add to the tractor tank once in awhile, I guess I should add a little to stored fuel too.
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
My concern would be algae.
I hear it needs sun and moisture to grow. In a plastic jug it would have gotten plenty of sun, and good chance there is "some" moisture in it. In years past the sulfur would control it, but little to no sulfur in diesel now.
I don't know if it is visible. There are tests kits, but that would cost more than the container is worth.
Is it contagious? Don't know that either, but I think I would find the answers first.
I hear it needs sun and moisture to grow. In a plastic jug it would have gotten plenty of sun, and good chance there is "some" moisture in it. In years past the sulfur would control it, but little to no sulfur in diesel now.
I don't know if it is visible. There are tests kits, but that would cost more than the container is worth.
Is it contagious? Don't know that either, but I think I would find the answers first.
john in la
Well-known Member
Steve reread your post and think about it for a little bit.
While it is true algae needs light to grow can you explain how light gets into a metal tank; under a hood because your so called algae also grows inside the tractor fuel tank.
Now you may see that what everyone calls "algae" is really a "bug" and yes bugs can live and multiply in places with no light.
But with that said your concerns are valid.
I would not worry about the age of the diesel; but I would worry about water from condensation in the container causing a "algae" problem.
While it is true algae needs light to grow can you explain how light gets into a metal tank; under a hood because your so called algae also grows inside the tractor fuel tank.
Now you may see that what everyone calls "algae" is really a "bug" and yes bugs can live and multiply in places with no light.
But with that said your concerns are valid.
I would not worry about the age of the diesel; but I would worry about water from condensation in the container causing a "algae" problem.
Technically not algae, but bacteria. Anyway that is one problem you can have. Diesel fuel does break down, not nearly as fast as gasoline, but modern diesel goes bad quicker than it used to. Its not enough fuel for me to run in equipment, I would use it to burn brush pile or even a parts cleaner/solvent etc. If it looks clean, not too dark or discolored, and it's not cloudy then its probably OK.
This new ultraa low sulpher shields water,enhancing bacteria and algea growth.you use a pesticide to kill it in fuel tannks,now pollution? Whats worse burnt pesticides floating in the air or clean running diesel fumes from hi sulpher? This new crap burns slower less power harder starting.the more you burn in a given time,the more you pollute
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
I wouldn't. It's not worth maybe damaging the tractor. I have some in a still sealed container I bought in 2017 I'm going to pitch.
The algie/bacteria you guys are discussing actually lives in any water that may be in the tank, and feeds off the hydrocarbons in the fuel. It used to be prevelant in boats, but rarely saw it in other machines.
We started seeing it all over after hurricane Katrina flooded so many places. Is there a corrolation, who knows for sure, but it's definitely ironic how that went.
It can grow in a hydraulic tanks. Talk about a mess, that creates a mess. If you ever run into that, use the same biocide you'd use in the fuel to kill it off. One I've always had good luck with is Bio-bor. I've used it several times on fuel systems, and once on a hydraulic system, with good results.
As far as the fuel sitting, as long as the container was sealed, there shouldn't be any problems. I've often burned fuel that was several years old in equipment, whether it came from a container, or the tank on the machine. In fact, the fuel in the loader I finished repairing for a guy the other week was at least three years old. It fired on the third or fourth round, and purred like a kitten.
We started seeing it all over after hurricane Katrina flooded so many places. Is there a corrolation, who knows for sure, but it's definitely ironic how that went.
It can grow in a hydraulic tanks. Talk about a mess, that creates a mess. If you ever run into that, use the same biocide you'd use in the fuel to kill it off. One I've always had good luck with is Bio-bor. I've used it several times on fuel systems, and once on a hydraulic system, with good results.
As far as the fuel sitting, as long as the container was sealed, there shouldn't be any problems. I've often burned fuel that was several years old in equipment, whether it came from a container, or the tank on the machine. In fact, the fuel in the loader I finished repairing for a guy the other week was at least three years old. It fired on the third or fourth round, and purred like a kitten.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
I bought an Allis Chalmers HD14 dozer on time that had a Detroit motor in it,had been sitting for over 5 years the owner said.Never touched anything except put in a battery and it fired right up ran good.
Ahh but there's the trouble, the federal government allows 5% biodiesel in regular diesel and gives incentives to do so. Thus nearly all fuel has biodiesel, and when I worked for a fleet which regularly tested our fuel at the lab since we had on site fueling often samples came back as high as 8% biodiesel, not good for shelf life
john in la
Well-known Member
The federal government may "ALLOW" but some states "MANDATE"
Dad and I refurbished a 9570 Northwest crane about 20 years ago. It had been sitting for about 10 years, with about 100 gallons of fuel in a 200 gallon tank. That was the first time we ran into the 'microbe' contamination.
The old MP 21 Murphy started and ran like a dream, until the filters clogged. They drained the tank, opened the hand holes, and steam cleaned it, before filling with new fuel.
A few days later they went to move it across a road that divided the sand pit. Enough new goop had grown in that time that it collapsed about a 3 foot long sock filter to about half it's length, blew the gaskets on the filter housings, and shut them down with the road blocked.
That's when we learned all about this kind of problem, and it was a challenge finding anybody that even knew what a biocide was. When people started having problems after Katrina, it's common now to see the auto parts stores keeping it on the shelf. That's a good thing given the new biojunk they are forcing on everybody now.
The old MP 21 Murphy started and ran like a dream, until the filters clogged. They drained the tank, opened the hand holes, and steam cleaned it, before filling with new fuel.
A few days later they went to move it across a road that divided the sand pit. Enough new goop had grown in that time that it collapsed about a 3 foot long sock filter to about half it's length, blew the gaskets on the filter housings, and shut them down with the road blocked.
That's when we learned all about this kind of problem, and it was a challenge finding anybody that even knew what a biocide was. When people started having problems after Katrina, it's common now to see the auto parts stores keeping it on the shelf. That's a good thing given the new biojunk they are forcing on everybody now.
You only have 3 1/2 gallons? You have doubts about fuel quality? Pour it into a clear gallon jug one gallon at a time and look at it. I might be missing something but don't most of us have outdoor storage tanks where we keep diesel fuel for a year or more? When I put my combine away I fill the tank and then, a few days later, drain some out to check it, and then leave it sit for a year, and then replace the fuel filter and run it for about two weeks and then do the same thing all over again. Every time I take a fuel sample it looks like brand new fresh fuel. Combine is about 18 years old. I do buy "premium diesel fuel". I fail to see a difference in your 7 gallon jug to my 550 storage tanks. On those storage tanks, when they're empty, I pump everything out of them right to the bottom before refilling. I take the waste fuel and burn stumps with it. But it looks good enough to use in a Mercedes.
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