No laughing allowed

[Wrknrvr]

I       If 

Edited August 13 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

  If you remember the spring of 2023 I had found lots of algae in the fuel tanks.  Lots of problems with cleaning the tanks. Fuel treatment ended up clean a few air leaks in the fuel lines.   Yep lots of problems.

 

   But the tanks were clean. I have not driven the truck much since getting back to Montana.   I have been watching the tanks for signs of algae.   Never seen one speck.

   So I need to drive 400 miles to east central Montana. Getting everything ready to go. So yesterday I decided to change the fuel filters.  Took the first one off.  Then I thought to pour the contents into a container.   Little buggers are in the fuel filter.???

 

   Look into the tanks and there are hundreds of little buggers in there.

   So I had picked up some treatment.

   Got my old pump/ filter system out . Pumped it clean yesterday. While pumping I added treatment. After about a hour the tanks look great. Went and drove it for say 60 miles and added fuel before driving very far.

 

all is good. Going to leave this morning. Look in the tanks. That could be a problem?

   Apparently driving flushed buggers loose from above the fuel level.

   I said no laughing allowed.

  Going pumping again.

 Although there is only about 1/3 of the volume as yesterday morning.

  Have good day.

[spindrift]

Are you sure it's algae and not the hoses disintegrating?

[Lou Schneider]

Time to polish the fuel.  Google "DIY fuel polishing" - it's done all the time for diesel powered boats and involves running the fuel through a series of progressively smaller filters.   You can set it up using a filter canister, several progressively finer filter elements and a circulating pump.  We did it at least once a year at mountaintop emergency generators where the fuel sat for long periods between uses.

[Darryl&Rita]

He's polishing, Lou. Again. He sat too long in SC, and got infected. The low miles since then haven't put enough fuel through the system to completely wipe it out.

[rickeieio]

Am I wrong that algae is like slimy blobs ( technical farmer jargon) in the fuel, rather than dark particles on the bottom?

Years ago, I had algae in two tractors.  It was quite the nuisance.  It was like dark cotton balls drifting around in the tank.

[Wrknrvr]

   Last year when I spent the winter in South Carolina. I did have those blobs like you are talking about Rick.  They were really hard to get cleaned out. I had bought a 12vdc transfer pump and put an inline filter in the system. It probably took 6 or more filters over a few days to get it cleaned out.

   But these things(Buggers) are separate little bugs ( algae)?

[Wrknrvr]

   Maybe I have a different type of infection.

 

   Just like humans get different infections.

 

   Never thought of that before?

 

   Thanks for your comment Rick.

 

   Maybe someone with more knowledge could explain this subject more.

 

   These things were spaced out on the tank sides. Got the tanks clean in about 2 hours each of pumping. Went filled the tanks to 3/4.    That gave the ability to shake the fuel back and forth. Drove about 50 miles. Got more stuff loose.    Pumping again seams to have gotten more loose. Then drove forwards and backwards to slosh the fuel around.

   Got just a tad bit more out.

  So I will see how the trip to eastern Montana today goes.  Finally did put new filters on the engine.

Edited August 14 by Wrknrvr

[Darryl&Rita]

I wonder if the little critters are a result of any treatment left from the last go-around with them. Possibly keeping them from being active enough to mass. Or just the beginning stage, "larval" stage, even.

[DanZemke]

10 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Am I wrong that algae is like slimy blobs ( technical farmer jargon) in the fuel, rather than dark particles on the bottom?

Mine looked similar to Wrknrvr's but they were in my filter and tanks.  Perhaps yours had longer to grow?

[spindrift]

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here, but are we absolutely sure this is algae?  I've seen algae before and what I've always witnessed is a more "snotty" looking substance.  Particles like the ones in the picture can signal combustion gasses getting into the fuel.  How's the truck running? 

[DanZemke]

I'm not certain, but here's what my Racor Diesel Biocide label says: "Can be used to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in distillate and residual fuels."  No mention of algae on the label.

I thought algae required light to grow. But a google search indicated that some single cell algae can grow without light, but it appears to require sugar, not petroleum to grow.

I think algae became slang for the crud in diesel tanks MANY years ago.

 

[Wrknrvr]

This is what it looked like a year ago?

[Wrknrvr]

All I know is that it should not be in your fuel.

 

it was in my first filter also.

[mike5511]

That looks like the stuff that stopped up my filters after running out to the west coast and filling up twice with 20% bio diesel. Cleaned the system up real good. Haven't had any problems since, but I put Biobor jf in every time I fuel and try not to buy fuel with more than 5% bio in it.

[Wrknrvr]

   I left for eastern Montana on Wednesday, drove 500 +- miles.

 

   Drove back on Friday. Over 400 miles.

 

  Those black things are all gone.

 

   Never missed once.    Since the installation of the new wiring harness, it runs better than has since we bought it in 2007.

 

  So were those little things?

[Hewhoknowslittle]

Just a question 

How does your Davco look after the trip? All that stuff went somewhere. 
I must be very lucky in my days as I have never had this fuel related issue but I always fill up my tanks when returning home from a trip. 
 

 

[Wrknrvr]

My truck does not have a Davao filter system on it. What you are seeing is the filter installed in my fuel polishing system.

   I have a 10 gallon per minute transfer pump and filter to cycle the fuel out of the tank, then return it to the tank so it stirs the fuel up. Then filters the fuel.

 

i will post a picture of the system tomorrow.

[Wrknrvr]

   The yellow colored picture with the stuff in it, is from my first fuel filter that I dumped out when I first noticed the stuff in my tanks. 

   Also that yellow colored photo is fuel with the stuff just poured into a white jug. So I could see what it was.

[noteven]

What a nuisance Vern

Edited August 22 by noteven

[Big5er]

Am I the only one that wants to run out and look in my fuel tanks?

[rickeieio]

2 hours ago, Big5er said:

Am I the only one that wants to run out and look in my fuel tanks?

I'm afraid to....

[Wrknrvr]

    I was supposed to leave for a trip by my self on last Monday. Looked the tank just to see the fuel levels.

    I was definitely more shocked than any of you.   I did not schedule any work, planned an interesting trip to go fishing. And sightseeing.

   What the blank? Go inside and tell the wife???

    This stuff was just small flat like things. And lots of them?

    I put treatment in to shock the fuel as directions on the bottle. Polished the fuel for say 3 hours on each tank. Drove the truck for 20 miles. Pulled the first filter of and dumped it out. Just a few of those subjects came out.

   Installed a new filter.

   Drove about 1000 miles. Truck ran great.

 

 

   Just read my oil sample report.

  No problems. 
 

   What ever they are, they are different from last year’s attack.

   So the funny part is.    If you remember, I was one that added vegetable oil to my fuel for years. Filtered used cooking oil. Then for years I bought veggie oil at Costco. Just mixed like 3 percent into the diesel fuel.
 

   In the future should I look in or not? 

[ddm502001]

Biologics, can be Algae, Fungus or Bacterial. Seen that a LOT in close to 50 years active wrenching.  Generally Heavy Equipment that sits considerably long periods or as noted Marine gets to be a concern.  Water as Moisture condensation/collection in tanks or from poorly stored fuel at stations can lead to these infiltrations as all tanks are vented they can draw in said biologics as heat and cool that causes them to 'Breath'.  

[Wrknrvr]

    Today I am going to look into a 55 gallon drum that I use to operate my Auquahot heat unit in my fifth wheel.   
 

   I have time today and some treatment left over from the truck. Either there is, or there isn’t.  If there is I will polish that fuel also.

 

   So should I look?

 

  Or not?