Tool of this week

[Wrknrvr]

      So this is a prototype and first of my manufacture.

 

      I am different from Henry as I go from first thought to immediate production.   To be used on Monday if the weather permits.

[Wrknrvr]

The tool of this week is designed to be attached to this filter, for its intended use. By the means of a clear flexible tube.

[Wrknrvr]

[Wrknrvr]

So this is a filter from my truck. I do believe it is supposed to be a light tan color.

This is apparently not good.    I have been told to cut a filter apart before so to see what is happening.

  On Saturday morning there was no one outside in the campground, as it was chilly for South Carolina. So I cut the first filter apart and found this.

 

  So I am putting together a pump with a filter system to recycle the fuel that is in the tank, along with fuel treatment.    That tool I made is to push and pull along the bottom of the tank at the end of the clear tube. So i am hoping that the wire will rub the bottom of the tank and help dislodge as much as possible. If there is anything there.

   Will keep informed. 

   Yes the filter was changed not long ago. This filter is the first of two filters in the system. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Wrknrvr

[ms60ocb]

You have me puzzled on your first picture. Is that the input or output? I'm betting it is pump input to try collect algae out of a diesel tank.  The wire wrap is to scrape/collect algae and rust from tank sides and filter as required. 

Clay

 

[Wrknrvr]

You win.     

  Your thoughts are what I am trying to do. It is the intake for the pumping system. I think the wire will help with the collection of what ever it can. With the steel plate it should hold the end on the bottom. I have tried it on a flat hard surface and it acts like it should work. Also with the steel plate off the bottom just a bit, I hope the suction will pull some from under it. The clear tubing is strong enough to rotate the direction of the end. Hope it works.

   So I was working on it this am . Have pump hooked up to its discharge line. Have a hook to hold the fuel discharge nozzle in the tank. Had a lot of tools and stuff out thinking I can see how it will work. The fuel filter in the picture has had just a screen installed in place of the filter.    Just to see if a bunch of stuff would come through the system and plug up the 10 micron filter immediately. So  I was hoping to test the system today.

 

   But I got a text about 10:15 this am. Campground is have a free meal at the site across from my truck.

    Better be good and put stuff away.   So will get back to it tomorrow am.

[ms60ocb]

Growing up as a farm boy, baling wire was used for many things. Your kluge reminds me of things I did before Dad let me use the welder. Thinking outside the box!

Clay

[Wrknrvr]

Polishing fuel has been interesting.

 Polished is on the left 

unpolished is on the right.

so I am now going to pull treatment and fuel trough the fuel lines and first filter with a small 12vdc pump.

It needs to sit for several hours after the treatment is in all places it touches, to do its thing.

  With treatment in new fuel filters I will try to start the truck tomorrow am.   Unless I get it all back to get it all back together today

Edited June 1, 2023 by Wrknrvr

[SuiteSuccess]

So you are just cycling the polished fuel back into the tank rather than out into diesel cans or jugs, am I correct?

[Wrknrvr]

    Yes, you are correct as for recycling the fuel back into the tank.

 

    Since I am in a campground and no real connection to anyone around here. This is the best I can do. The pump I am using pumps 10 +- gallons a minute. Although the pump has a 50 percent duty cycle, it can cycle a fair amount of fuel in say 8 hrs. I taped a chart on the side of the truck so I can keep track of what I am doing. I think I accomplished 8 pump cycles today. The filter is a 10 micron and with the transparent bowl I can watch what is happening. Late today I could tell the filter is starting to plug as the sound of the indicates it is working harder. Also watching the amperage on the pump also.

    With the fuel line hooked back up to the ecm check valve and through the first filter,  I am pulling fuel through that part of the system with small 12vdc pump.  It needs the treatment to be in the system 8 hours to do its thing. At least that is what the treatment people say.

   Am hoping to try and start the truck tomorrow by lunch or a little later.

   I would rather be fishing.

Edited June 1, 2023 by Wrknrvr

[Darryl&Rita]

I think I suggested polishing about 3 weeks ago. Just sayin'.

[Wrknrvr]

    I did not understand how fast the filters could plug with stuff. Yes I can do stupid stuff at times. 

    Just saying    The pictures really show how stupid I was. I will admit it out load.

      I will admit more stupidity tomorrow. 

[lappir]

Had a conversation with a "Trucker" today about Bio Fuel. He refuses to use it because they have started putting "Animal Fat's" as part of the Bio. He remarked it adds an acidity to the fuel and lot's more bacteria and such causing the "Black Mold" you may be experiencing.  His solution is straight #2 diesel and he adds a quart of non detergent 30 wt motor oil to every 100 gallons of fuel. Burns hotter, cleaner and lubricates better. Said it even quieted down a noisy Detroit motor causing the owner to have a concern that it was too quiet. 

The guy has a story for everything so I'm taking it with a grain of salt. 

 

Rod

[Wrknrvr]

    I told you I can be stupid, and more than once.

 

    About 8 years ago I installed a diesel fired Aquahot unit in our fifthwheel. So once a year I change the nozzle and filter on that unit.

    Then when I change filters on our truck and pour the fuel out of the filters  into a small clear container.  When the fuel has settled down in the container, I just pour the clear fuel into the Aquahot fuel tank.

 

   Yea I can be doubly stupid at the same time.   Go ahead and laugh.

 

   So now I will polish the fuel tank for the Aquahot system.

[Wrknrvr]

     Back at the beginning of April I did polish the fuel. With a small, say 8 gallons a hour pump.

   Fuel looks nice. I can see the bottom of the tanks.      But I had no idea where the stuff was hiding. Yep, it was just wanting to find a filter to plug. And it did? It’s been hiding there every since.

   I have 4 filters that I took off the truck so far. I am going to take them with us to Montana. Will see what is inside them. And report back on my findings.

 

    Sorta like a Elmer Fud and Bugs Bunny cartoon episode.

 

    In the bright side of this, I hope others can learn from my experience.

 

 

[SuiteSuccess]

Would you be so kind as to list the model of 12 volt pump(s) you are using.  This is a great idea.

[jenandjon]

On 6/1/2023 at 8:03 PM, lappir said:

Had a conversation with a "Trucker" today about Bio Fuel. He refuses to use it because they have started putting "Animal Fat's" as part of the Bio. He remarked it adds an acidity to the fuel and lot's more bacteria and such causing the "Black Mold" you may be experiencing.  His solution is straight #2 diesel and he adds a quart of non detergent 30 wt motor oil to every 100 gallons of fuel. Burns hotter, cleaner and lubricates better. Said it even quieted down a noisy Detroit motor causing the owner to have a concern that it was too quiet. 

The guy has a story for everything so I'm taking it with a grain of salt. 

 

Rod

The old truckers had lots of tricks that wont work on todays trucks. My Dad was an owner operator when I was kid. I have been around trucks and truckers all my life. To sit and listen to all the things they did just to limp home is incredible. In the old days you had to have some mechanical skills especially in winter because you get into some life threatening situations. 

They didn't believe in diesel treatment. In the winter they put a gallon of gas in the tank. Dad would put oil in the tank sometimes. I don't remember why.  But, I do remember him saying if you ever get in a predicament where you are sucking air and the truck stop is only a few miles away dump all your oil jugs in the tank and you will get there. Probably. 

You have to realize that the trucks Dad drove and the trucks today are very different. The old mechanical Cummins, Cats and Detroit's would run a practically anything. 

The old school guys wont use Bio fuel. They had lots of trouble when it first came out. I even shy away from it today. We got some on the farm one year and we had one jelled up tractor after another all winter. It was a disaster. Never again. If I run a cross a Bio blend on the road and its all they have AND its hot out I might get some to get me down the road.  

[mike5511]

Bio is the best lubricant out there. But you need to run it out and not let sit long. And if your fuel system is dirty, it will clean it out….and stop up your fuel filters. Many of the truck stops going west from Missouri use the bio blend. You never know how much though. The little sticker only has to say 5-20%. I always ask the percentages but have to just trust them for the answer. I’ve read that all diesel now has a little in it for lubricity reasons, especially for the older motors. Butbthey don’t have to post it unless it is 5% or higher. 

[rickeieio]

So, eventually we'll have clean, sparkly systems and the plugged filter problem will fade into the sunset.

Well, we can hope.

[Jaydrvr]

On 6/2/2023 at 8:07 AM, SuiteSuccess said:

Would you be so kind as to list the model of 12 volt pump(s) you are using.  This is a great idea.

There are hundreds of them on Amazon, or your local auto parts or farm supply will have them. Prices are from $10 to hundreds of dollars. I just used an old one I already had to polish my gas tank. Here's a representative one from Amazon. Biltek 12 Volt Fuel Oil Transfer Pump Diesel Kerosene Biodiesel 12V DC 10.5 gpm Pumps https://a.co/d/7QpHAQs Jay

P.S. Also, Harbor Freight has them, but you don't want one of the high volume ones for this project. Carter is probably the classic brand for old hot rodders.. Carter Universal Electric Fuel Pump Automotive Replacement 12V (P4070) https://a.co/d/atOueAO

Edited June 4, 2023 by Jaydrvr

[Wrknrvr]

   Today there is 2 plus inches of vacuum on the fuel system. That I believe says that I have the air leaks in the system solved.

    I used a small 12vdc pump from a local automotive store, of say 5+ gallons a hour to polish my fuel the first time I had algae, or what ever it was. It has a R12Racor filter before the pump. During the first treatment cycle, it did not plug the filter? But the fuel looked clean.

     So I started the truck. It acted fine. It would take throttle a few times. It was not normal, but it was really close for say 400 feet of travel. Turned around and parked the truck. It was back to smoking when given throttle again.

    Lots of reading, talking and working.

 

  The main thing that pointed to understanding and hopefully correcting the situation, was being told to check the vacuum on the fuel system.

 

  Darryl told me to check the vacuum on the system. Immediately I knew there was a problem. I did not know what. But a Cummins n14 should have about 6” of vacuum when idling. There are many variables in there. But mine was pulling 12”+ vacuum. That is about the point of power loss, due to  fuel separation.   That is a big statement.

    I just found a very good article on fuel filtering and vacuum. I will try to post a link to it.

     

  I have never heard of checking vacuum on a diesel fuel system.

 

    

Edited June 4, 2023 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

    Now a big lesson I have learned from this is to use a big enough pump to flow enough fuel to filter the fuel. That small pump system did not plug the filter once. 

   I did not know that the algae would grow again so fast in the fuel tanks.

   I did buy a 12vdc fuel pump from Harbor Freight. 10 gallons per minute. I also installed a Goldenrod 10 micron filter with a transparent bowl before the pump. So far it has plugged two of the 10 micron filters. Will be pumping again today. I apparently have collections of dead stuff hiding in the fuel system. For the fuel system treatment after the tanks I disconnected the fuel line from the engine filter and hooked the small volume 12vdc pump to pull fuel with treatment in it through as much of the fuel system as I could. Did that for several times, as to leave the treatment sit an exterminate the stuff. If possible.

   Also start the engine and run it a few minutes to get the treatment into the rest of the fuel system. Did that several times yesterday.

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Wrknrvr

[SuiteSuccess]

1 hour ago, Jaydrvr said:

There are hundreds of them on Amazon, or your local auto parts or farm supply will have them. Prices are from $10 to hundreds of dollars. I just used an old one I already had to polish my gas tank. Here's a representative one from Amazon. Biltek 12 Volt Fuel Oil Transfer Pump Diesel Kerosene Biodiesel 12V DC 10.5 gpm Pumps https://a.co/d/7QpHAQs Jay

P.S. Also, Harbor Freight has them, but you don't want one of the high volume ones for this project. Carter is probably the classic brand for old hot rodders.. Carter Universal Electric Fuel Pump Automotive Replacement 12V (P4070) https://a.co/d/atOueAO

Thanks Jay

[Darryl&Rita]

Posting for Vern:Filters

Edited June 4, 2023 by Darryl&Rita

[SuiteSuccess]

3 hours ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Posting for Vern:Filters

Daryl. Didn’t link. Saying can’t find server. Could you please repost?