Diesel Bug and Marine 16 treatment - is it working?

[dylan winter]

Owww

You definitely have lots of crud.

How much fuel is your tank? Is it possible to drain the tank, into another container(s), flush the tank out at least a little, then put the fuel back in from the top and avoid the crud settling in the bottom? This won't eliminate all of it, but should get the worst. Start with a fresh filter and see what comes thru.

Air leaks, yes they come & go. Air will suck thru a leak that diesel fuel will not drip thru. If you have old copper fuel lines, they have probably become brittle with age (like my knees) and good to replace. You can find industrial fuel hose cheaper than marine, made to the same specs (in the same factory), you already know about going to farm stores instead of yachting stores! But if this is part of your problem, it would probably recur more often.  That you've made a power run recently with no problem is a good sign.

FB- Doug

I did siphon out the fuel and have a look and then put it back while I was in the yard where I bought the boat that looked OK ish

I think that the initial header tank crud is a different colony of diesel buggery.... possibly more severe than the main tank... the marine 16, three tanks of fresh fuel and a good north sea shaking mean that the fuel in the trap now looks clean.

My optimism about a positive outcome remains undimmed

D

 

[NaClH20]

Around here there’s a fellow who had a mobile fuel polishing rig.  It’s a real nice semi-retirement gig for him, as he can set up the system and then just sit and read for an hour or two (actually, come to think of it, he may have sold out and retired entirely now).  Anyway, the way the system works as he described it to me was that he had a pump that recirculated fuel through a series of filters.  The hoses were let loose to bang around inside the tank and knock the crud off.  If I had a similar situation where a tank was left untended for many years, I think I’d have him have a go.  As I understand the conventional wisdom, tank crud, once established, is pretty much impossible to remove other than physically.  A fuel polisher would be easier than cutting enough of a hole to get a scraper in.  My $0.02, for whatever it may be worth

 

[dylan winter]

Around here there’s a fellow who had a mobile fuel polishing rig.  It’s a real nice semi-retirement gig for him, as he can set up the system and then just sit and read for an hour or two (actually, come to think of it, he may have sold out and retired entirely now).  Anyway, the way the system works as he described it to me was that he had a pump that recirculated fuel through a series of filters.  The hoses were let loose to bang around inside the tank and knock the crud off.  If I had a similar situation where a tank was left untended for many years, I think I’d have him have a go.  As I understand the conventional wisdom, tank crud, once established, is pretty much impossible to remove other than physically.  A fuel polisher would be easier than cutting enough of a hole to get a scraper in.  My $0.02, for whatever it may be worth

That is plan b

Making a rig should be fairly cheap

Then plan c

Fit an inspection hatch in the cockpit floor

Then plan d

remove engine and then the tank

D

 

[The Q]

After my boat got diesel bug, I built my own fuel polisher from an electric diesel lift pump, a glass demijohn and a couple of filters some copper pipe and some rubber hoses...

The first few filters came out a lot worse than the ones above...very black..

It took a couple of gallons of water out as well as black sludge.. Every time I go down to work on the boat rather than use it, the polisher gets connected up and left on. The diesel does get treated now as well. not much water comes out now, I guess the previous owner didn't keep the tank full..

 

[py26129]

At the moment not even that

I know how much is in there only when it is brim full

An untenable situation but one that has been tolerated by the three previous owners who have had it since the stainless steel 40 gallon tank was installed

This is a problem yet to be solved.

I can put a plastic site tube in the fuel line close to the tap     that would help me guess but would be in breach of safety regulations

Before I fixed my fuel gauge, Isimply kept a log to determine consumption per hour.  I.e fill the tank.  Keep track of the hours run and RPM.    Refill and do the math.  After a while you will get a very good feel of what your consumption is at different RPM settings.

 

[dylan winter]

Before I fixed my fuel gauge, Isimply kept a log to determine consumption per hour.  I.e fill the tank.  Keep track of the hours run and RPM.    Refill and do the math.  After a while you will get a very good feel of what your consumption is at different RPM settings.

At the moment I have no rpm being recorded on the tachometer

One more job on the list

Not sure where the signal is being lost between the engine and the dial

The boat has a lot of wiring done with house wire ....

D

 

[Ajax]

At the moment I have no rpm being recorded on the tachometer

One more job on the list

Not sure where the signal is being lost between the engine and the dial

The boat has a lot of wiring done with house wire ....

D

I know you're probably dreading all this fettling.  If it helps at all, I think your new boat is pretty neat and it deserves a little care over the winter to take you on your planned journey.  Think of it as an investment in future peace of mind.

You don't really think I enjoyed replacing my transmission and heat exchanger this month, do you?  I did it and I was damn quick about it because my boat is a family member and I don't let family sit around injured, but I didn't really enjoy the work. I enjoyed putting the new transmission in gear and I enjoyed how much smoother and quieter the boat was.

You can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat.

 

[IStream]

I've always loved that saying. As a non-Brit, now married to an Argentine, I can only imagine what you'd have to do to meat to make eating it a penance. 

 

[Ishmael]

I've always loved that saying. As a non-Brit, now married to an Argentine, I can only imagine what you'd have to do to meat to make eating it a penance. 

One of my mother's classic Geordie roasts would answer that question. Not ready for dining until every last drop of moisture was burned out of it.

 

[167149]

One of my mother's classic Geordie roasts would answer that question. Not ready for dining until every last drop of moisture was burned out of it.

can damn near smell the boiled cabbage dude

 

[py26129]

At the moment I have no rpm being recorded on the tachometer

One more job on the list

Not sure where the signal is being lost between the engine and the dial

The boat has a lot of wiring done with house wire ....

D

What Ajax said.  In the meantime you can keep track "by ear".  It will still give you a pretty good idea and some peace of mind re. your fuel consumption.

 

[IStream]

One of my mother's classic Geordie roasts would answer that question. Not ready for dining until every last drop of moisture was burned out of it.

I don't know what a Geordie roast is and even Google seems reluctant to tell me so I'm just going to leave it at that.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Some general notes on this issue:

Without a fuel pressure gauge and filter vacuum gauge, you are guessing what your problems are.

Biocide keeps algae from growing. It can also kill what is already there. The latter function can create a big mess if a bunch of dead algae starts getting loose from the tank walls.

 

[dylan winter]

Some general notes on this issue:

Without a fuel pressure gauge and filter vacuum gauge, you are guessing what your problems are.

Biocide keeps algae from growing. It can also kill what is already there. The latter function can create a big mess if a bunch of dead algae starts getting loose from the tank walls.

I have never owned a boat with either of those

I doubt fitting either would be time well spent.

I agree about the unknown amount of debris yet to fall off the walls of the tank and come rushing down the pipe at the poor unsuspecting filter

However the biocide is supposed to break down the cell walls of the possible 1400 different bacteria and fungi that can comprise the gunk. Something to do with lipids

That is then supposed to pass through the filter

In the meantime...while this experiment is under way....the ever reliable 6 hp long shaft tohatsu sits on the stern biding its time

I will keep you posted

D

 

[IStream]

Would some good Samaritan in Dylan's neighborhood kindly go down to his boat and cut a fucking hole in his cockpit sole?

Thanks from all concerned.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

I have never owned a boat with either of those

I doubt fitting either would be time well spent.

I agree about the unknown amount of debris yet to fall off the walls of the tank and come rushing down the pipe at the poor unsuspecting filter

However the biocide is supposed to break down the cell walls of the possible 1400 different bacteria and fungi that can comprise the gunk. Something to do with lipids

That is then supposed to pass through the filter

In the meantime...while this experiment is under way....the ever reliable 6 hp long shaft tohatsu sits on the stern biding its time

I will keep you posted

D

I have both and would not be without them. When I am headed into the Narrows with 2-3 knots current, a drawbridge, traffic, and no room to sail or anchor I don't want a dead engine to be a surprise.

The vacuum gauge gives me plenty of warning the fuel filter is loading up. The fuel pressure gauge has a red warning light that will come on when the fuel pressure drops below 1 PSI. YMMV, some people don't mind their engine just randomly stopping.

 

[dylan winter]

Would some good Samaritan in Dylan's neighborhood kindly go down to his boat and cut a fucking hole in his cockpit sole?

Thanks from all concerned.

 No holes

I have lived with floor hatches

Spawn of the devil

d

 

[IStream]

 No holes

I have lived with floor hatches

Spawn of the devil

d

Are they spawned that way or fettled into it?

 

[dylan winter]

I have both and would not be without them. When I am headed into the Narrows with 2-3 knots current, a drawbridge, traffic, and no room to sail or anchor I don't want a dead engine to be a surprise.

The vacuum gauge gives me plenty of warning the fuel filter is loading up. The fuel pressure gauge has a red warning light that will come on when the fuel pressure drops below 1 PSI. YMMV, some people don't mind their engine just randomly stopping.

At the moment I can live with the main engine randomly stopping

I am an East coaster, the tidethrough the bar at Felixstowe ferry is an easy 3 knots

The tohatsu is just one tug away from giving me 4 knots through the water. I am always ready to turn around.

The tohatsu reduces the risks from engine failure....as long as the tohatsu starts of course

D

 

[TwoLegged]

 No holes

I have lived with floor hatches

Spawn of the devil

I suspect this is matter of quality.  The Amels all have floor hatches as the only access to the engine room, and there doesn't seem to be a problem.

I'm sure it wouldn't be very hard to create a robust hatch for the Fisher