Diesel

Stephen Newell · Nov 17, 2022

I read that diesel only has a shelf life about a year. How do you tell if it's gone bad? I have some that is two to three years old and is as clear as when it was new and has no unusual smell.

Dave H (MI) · Nov 17, 2022

The diesel in my fuel tank is probably about 5 years old now. It got very cloudy after about a year. I put some in a small utility tractor without thinking and it plugged the filter in about five minutes. Very small filter. The larger tractors and the combine I was moving around but not actively working and they have the same fuel in them. They start and run fine on it. Each has a pair of large filters which have not choked on the stuff. To be on the safe side, I am adding fresh to it and running them now. They were pretty low. Now I need to find a use for 100 gallons of old diesel.

rustred · Nov 17, 2022

Maybe this new diesel dont last long, but I know the old Deisel does not go bad. Unless u get the algae in it. I have burned 30 year old diesel in a few different tractors that sat that long. I did notice the old diesel even had its own smell. Adding a conditioner would help also. And quite sure a tractor sitting in a shed out of the sun vs one sitting outside in the sun makes a difference over the years.

Bruce from Can. · Nov 17, 2022

I wish I could just keep diesel in my fuel tank long enough to have to worry about it getting too old. Seems to me, that the more it cost the faster it burns!

rustred · Nov 17, 2022

Also to prove that. A guy had a Minnie 707 sitting in his shed from the 1970s , nice original tractor. I wanted to buy it. So he pulled the old batteries out , still had the 3 long ones in it. Put in one 12 volt car battery. It had a full tank of diesel. All we did was turn it over to verify oil pressure , gave it a sniff of starting fluid and it started just like it was just shut off the day before. If run really good. Then after that he didnt want to sell it cause it was his fathers tractor.

Bruce from Can. · Nov 17, 2022

Life lesson I learned many years ago. When buying any non running tractor, car , truck, lawnmower anything. Never never make it run until the money has changed hands, and it is in your possession. When it doesnt run, owner has little use for it, and wont spend time or money to get it to run. You make it run by doing some simple thing like setting the points, or cleaning the carb before the deal is closed, and they suddenly dont want to sell, or the price just went up. Got burnt once, never again

Stephen Newell · Nov 17, 2022

To tell you the truth the little kubota I have only holds 4 gallons and the diesel in it is the same age. I only use that tractor with a bush hog. Since I got a zero turn I only use the bush hog when I let the place grow up too much.

rustred · Nov 17, 2022

Ya more to it though. I didnt ask him to start it. It was all his idea. Made the deal got a bill of sale , paid 1/3 down rest on pick up. In the mean time he drove it out , washed it, drove it around. Then in the evening called me gave me a cry story he didnt want to sell his fathers tractor. I always thought when something is sold they are not to touch it. But not the case in this deal. I just told him I dont want to be the bad guy here and agreed to sell it back to him. He was at my place early in the morning with the money and I gave him his bill of sale back. I really liked the tractor and thought something fishy about his story. But I told him I am an honest person and dont want to be the bad guy here and when I give my word I dont change it. He other funny thing is he sent me pictures of it washed up. And a video of him driving it around and then it just all just disappeared off my phone. I did not delete it either. That is weird. Unless they can do that ?

Bruce from Can. · Nov 17, 2022

You did the right thing, I dont think his side of the story will stand the test of time. Now he has a running tractor to sell. Dollar signs in his eyes will probably blind him to the fact it was his fathers tractor. But your conscience is clear, you were as good as your word.

wp6529 · Nov 18, 2022

Treat your fuel with a diesel biocide to prevent bacteria growth and keep the tank near full and sealed to prevent condensation issues and it will last far longer than 1 year.

showcrop · Nov 18, 2022

You heard wrong. This comes up here every month and the answer is always the same. Like Rustred posted, it lasts indefinitely unless it gets algae. But if you allow condensation in you have to deal with that.

560Dennis · Nov 18, 2022

Check ph , the 560 ran on old fuel With concentration condition er in it . Sorry dont remember the fuel conditioner but as long as it doesnt have agree or water use it up or mix it in , my thoughts

casecollectorsc · Nov 18, 2022

I bought a tractor with a full tank of fuel. Hadn't ran in 20 years...diesel fuel was fine, ran great.

jm. · Nov 18, 2022

I agree with you I do not know who told him it was only good for a year, I once started a dozer that had been sitting for over 10 years and the fuel in it ran fine.

warbaby · Nov 18, 2022

Absolutely! I might air up a tire, or beat on a wheel to free up the brakes, but fixing anything else (like turning on the fuel!) might nix the sale.

I also dont bring certain friends with me because they like to talk too much. Blurting out such bon mots as ''Oh, he's already figured out the problem and he'll have it running in no time.'', or ''Its worth 3 times that price with just a little work!'' have spoiled a few deals- and the long ride home back home was pretty quiet too- just the sound of the radio and that empty trailer bouncing along behind us...

warbaby · Nov 18, 2022

A have a rarely-used D4 cat that I cant remember who put fuel in it, but I think it was my dad (1926-2008). It still runs great on that tank of diesel.

HOWEVER, the skunky gasoline in the pony start tank is another story altogether!

Stephen Newell · Nov 18, 2022

I guess there is always bad info to be found on the net. I knew about the algae in the diesel but I never heard anything about age. Since the diesel in my tractor has been in there a few years I thought I better ask. Thankyou for everyone that posted.

Stephen Newell · Nov 18, 2022

All you have to do is google does diesel go bad and you can take your pick of experts telling you the shelf life of diesel is measured in months. I knew I could come here for the truth.

old · Nov 18, 2022

A couple years ago I was hired to get a IH 175B back up and running. It had sat about 10 years and needed a COUPLE OF HOSES fixed and a couple batteries. Put in the batteries and tried to start it but the solenoid was bad so I replace that. It fired up and ran just fine on the old diesel that had been in the tank

sotxbill · Nov 18, 2022

I remember reading about military diesel in war storage.. that was 20 years old and still viable. It has to be treated periodically for algie or microbe growth, otherwise, its still being stored. Some areas are having trouble though... It seems the tanks are rusting out before the diesel goes bad, so they have to move it to newer tanks.

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