Water in fuel

[merlebo02]

I started filling up my tractor and after a minute or so realized the fuel cap had been left off my fuel storage tank possibly getting contaminated with water. I unscrewed the fuel line on my tractor and draining the fuel tank, what else should I do?

 

[jbrumberg]

Merle- What did you do with the drained fuel? Mr. Funnel® is a fuel/water separating funnel that works as advertised at separating out the water. I use mine with every fill up from my 5G jerry can. There are also diesel fuel additives that remove water from the fuel..

Good luck

 

[Wagtail]

When you re-fill the tank, add the appropriate amount of diesel 'biocide' additive to prevent a biological growth occurring in the future.

That growth could happen either in the storage tank and/or be transferred to any other tank using that fuel.

 

[jbrumberg]

I agree

 

[Tx Jim]

merlebo02
I suppose your storage tank doesn't have a filter with a water trap that has a drain cock? I've had water in fuel tank on my Kubota M7040 & I just drained water seperater on storage tank & tractor a couple of times & added some biocide & fuel conditioner but never drained the tanks

 

[cold1313]

"PIG" (Pig mats, etc) makes a water absorbent sock that you can put into diesel tanks to soak up water only.

 

[Captain Dirty]

There are also diesel fuel additives that remove water from the fuel..Good luck

Those additives hold the water in suspension to be either separated by a fine fuel filter or burned (steamed) off in the cylinders. I would prefer to let the diesel settle in the storage tank and have the water separate. Pull a sample from a drain at the lowest point of the tank to inspect the BSW (bottoms, sediment, and water). The water will be obvious; rust and dirt usually appear as particles; black scum may be algae. Good diesel can be decanted back into the tank using a Mr. Funnel. If there is no good diesel keep draining until the BSW is removed. Hopefully your draw off point is a couple of inches above the bottom of the tank.

 

[LouNY]

I don't know how many gallons of fuel you are talking about.
As has been mentioned many additives for water will try and suspend it in the fuel.
Your location makes my normal way of separating water impractical, freeze and pour.
Many people keep the bottom of thier pickups a couple of inches from the bottom of the tank,
that works for awhile. Then the nasty crap accumulates till you can pull up a good big slug of it.
I prefer to pull off the bottom of my tanks, I use good filters and most of my final tanks have 2
filters inline, one water block and one 10 micron or finer I try to order 5 microns to have on hand.
My home heating oil tank that I installed almost 20 years ago has a 3/8 OD tubing line that runs right to the bottom,
the furnace filters have filtered over a 1000 gallons a year for 10-12 years now it's down to 800 gallons a year,
most years those filters will go 6-8 months before I change them.
The tractor tanks go more then 6 months between changes close to a 1000 gallons.
I need to check the tractor tanks as I don't recall when I last changed them.
All the tanks get a dose of biocide annually.

 

[merlebo02]

The tank I had was 15 gal so nothing lost.. I have replaced that tank with an old 100 gal tank on a trailer my grandfather gave me that I need to clean out.. he said it hasn’t been used in 10 years but it’s been kept in a garage so in fairly good shape.. looking down into the tank it’s doesnt appear to be rusted out.. what’s the best thing to do before putting it into use. I plan on changing out hoses and filters for sure..

 

[BX23S-1]

Do every one of you folks use biocide regardless of what fuel you`re using in your equipment...?
How often are you using it, and what brand do you like to use. Does any of these biocides keep the steel storage & steel tractor tanks from rusting?

 

[Wagtail]

Do every one of you folks use biocide regardless of what fuel you`re using in your equipment...?
How often are you using it, and what brand do you like to use. Does any of these biocides keep the steel storage & steel tractor tanks from rusting?

Well, seeing as you asked, I add about 40ml of "Fuel Doctors" to all of my 20ltr petrol and diesel jerry cans after I refill them. It breaks down water & biologicals to a microscopic level, passing it through filters to be burnt up in the engine.

Unfortunately for you, it is only available in shops here in Aus & NZ. You could order it to be shipped to you (double the price, I reckon) if you want.

 

[BX23S-1]

Well, seeing as you asked, I add about 40ml of "Fuel Doctors" to all of my 20ltr petrol and diesel jerry cans after I refill them. It breaks down water & biologicals to a microscopic level, passing it through filters to be burnt up in the engine.

Unfortunately for you, it is only available in shops here in Aus & NZ. You could order it to be shipped to you (double the price, I reckon) if you want.

And thank you for your reply. I`m just a very old guy looking at all these "magic snake additives" today on the market, and just wondered how many people use all this stuff out there. In the old days, you didnt see all this stuff. If you had water in your fuel, you cleaned out the sediment bowl, cleaned the tank, changed a filter or two, got you some fresh diesel in it, you was good to go. Seems we have more problems today with all this technology, i guess we gotta have a band-aid for everything now.

 

[LouNY]

The problems have always been out there,
but the introduction of low then ultra low sulfur fuel is what has raised the amounts of issues.
Also the newer common rail systems are fussier about fuel quality.
And The number of smaller diesel powered equipment has grown.

 

[ovrszd]

Do every one of you folks use biocide regardless of what fuel you`re using in your equipment...?
How often are you using it, and what brand do you like to use. Does any of these biocides keep the steel storage & steel tractor tanks from rusting?

I've never used biocide. My fuel is always pretty fresh and my tanks are normally full.

 

[BX23S-1]

I've never used biocide. My fuel is always pretty fresh and my tanks are normally full.

Same here too

 

[BX23S-1]

The problems have always been out there,
but the introduction of low then ultra low sulfur fuel is what has raised the amounts of issues.
Also the newer common rail systems are fussier about fuel quality.
And The number of smaller diesel powered equipment has grown.

So basically yes, we`ve always had diesel problems, its just that the problems got alot worse actually.
Lets all take a brief moment to thank Richard Nixon...NOT! The FATHER of the EPA, that allowed all the govt clowns to come in an F the industry all up!

 

[Wagtail]

I've never used biocide. My fuel is always pretty fresh and my tanks are normally full.

I thought that too... until I quite accidentally received a tank full of 'diesel smelling' water whilst haying for friends. The tank was drained and the filter replaced (out in the field), injectors 'cracked' until the 4105 fired back up. She worked fine for another year & a half... and then the biological growth bit me on the arse.

Once it gets in there, it grows. Slowly, but it grows.

A regular dose of biocide is simply cheap insurance.

 

[ovrszd]

I thought that too... until I quite accidentally received a tank full of 'diesel smelling' water whilst haying for friends. The tank was drained and the filter replaced (out in the field), injectors 'cracked' until the 4105 fired back up. She worked fine for another year & a half... and then the biological growth bit me on the arse.

Once it gets in there, it grows. Slowly, but it grows.

A regular dose of biocide is simply cheap insurance.

Oh that sucks!!!

I agree with your philosophy. I've just been lucky.

In my area having a reliable fuel source is very valuable. Pulled a GN trailer on a 4 wheeling adventure down to Oklahoma this Summer. 600 mile trip. I filled my in bed transfer tank before I left and carried enough fuel to make the trip without buying unknown fuel.