[C38] filthy (like really filthy!) old diesel fuel

[D. R. Strong]

Russ:
Your enemies in old fuel are water, black crap (a melange of mysteries), 
and algae. When the fuel tank went south on Discreet Charm, we pumped 
the really filthy old fuel into 5 gal carboys with a 12 volt fuel pump 
from NAPA (ca $75). I then---on a wide deep pile of  diesel fuel pads, 
way away from the water ---poured the fuel through what is known out 
here as a Baja fuel filter. The one I used had a small filtering area 
and as a result had to be cleaned many times per gallon, but it did 
remove lots and lots of water and globs and globs of black crap (which I 
was told by the wise old guy on the dock was what happened to the algae 
when I added the anti-algae fluid).  I stored the filtered fuel 
overnight in glass gallon bottles, with revealed the last bits of 
pollution and allowed me to decide when enough filtering was enough. The 
resulting fuel was clear and clean, and I put it into my new tank with 
not problems ensuing.
     I subsequently found reviews on the internet that said that the 
$30ish pour-through fuel filter from West Marine was by far and away the 
best, because it removed all=all=really all of the water and because the 
filtering area was large.  By that time I was done with the job and have 
not tried the WM filters.  The diesel fuel pads are a necessity in this 
kind of operation. They are cheap and soak up virtually all spilled 
fuel, even from the bilge where it floats on water.
regards, Don

Duff, Russ (R.W.) wrote:
>
> OK, what do you guys think? For various reasons, my boat hasn't been 
> used for the last two seasons. It sat on the hard last summer, and in 
> a slip the summer before without ever going out. Basically it has been 
> unused since summer of '05. Do you think I will have a problem with 
> the old diesel fuel (I don't think I added a preservative to it; I 
> can't remember, and I don't know what the fuel level is), or do you 
> think it will be ok. I am located in south eastern Michigan on the 
> west end of Lake Erie. Thanks.
>
> Sincerely,
> *Russ Duff*
> Catalina 38, Hull #112
> "AVANTURA"
> Lake Erie
> Grosse Ile, Michigan
> RDUFF*/ /**/AT/* VISTEON*/ /**/DOT/* COM
>
> AVANTURA */AT /*COMCAST */DOT /*NET
>
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-- 
Donald R. Strong
Professor
Section of Evolution and Ecology
University of California Davis
95616
530 752 7886

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