diesel bug?

Saltlick · Dec 28, 2014

I've just been given 80-90 litres of petrol/diesel mix - the product of multiple mis-fuels from a garage. The first 20 or so litres was a nice clean yellow like fresh fuel should be but the other 60 is black.

Now given that this is the product of a few different cars,I'm assuming that there's either some diesel bug contamination our there's old engine oil or just general fuel system filth mixed in there. I believe all four containers were pumped out of the same drum - so the top 20L must have been clean. That doesn't sound so much like diesel bug does it?

biketeacherdave · Dec 28, 2014

Saltlick said:
I've just been given 80-90 litres of petrol/diesel mix - the product of multiple mis-fuels from a garage. The first 20 or so litres was a nice clean yellow like fresh fuel should be but the other 60 is black.

Now given that this is the product of a few different cars,I'm assuming that there's either some diesel bug contamination our there's old engine oil or just general fuel system filth mixed in there. I believe all four containers were pumped out of the same drum - so the top 20L must have been clean. That doesn't sound so much like diesel bug does it?

no deisel bug clumps together forming a think goowey liquid

Saltlick · Dec 28, 2014

Cool, I'd heard it grew into a thick film on top, so as this looks like neither, I'll just assume it's general grime. Off to the filtering I go then.

Thanks...

Iann · Dec 28, 2014

im not exactly sure how the diesel bug comes about
The only dealings ive had with it is when a motor has been stood a long time. .mostly with little fuel in the tank and then it forms around the pick up tube causing a hole heap of pain
There may even be diesel bug in alot of fuel wot is just pumped through the system and burnt.not having chance to form

thats my golden rapped chocolate 2Ps worth

TheQ · Dec 28, 2014

I got diesel bug in my motorboat, it's a hazard when the boat sits all winter and condensation gets water into the tank.
You get black goo clumps at the interface between water and diesel, some of which then sinks to the bottom.
I built a diesel polisher which circulates the diesel through a filter and the and a water settling chamber (demijohn). I then added diesel bug killer.
After that the diesel was good to use.

So if you can see there is no water, giving the fuel a good filtering should do the job.

fanatic · Dec 28, 2014

Enzyme cleaner

Thor1950 · Dec 28, 2014

TheQ said:
I got diesel bug in my motorboat, it's a hazard when the boat sits all winter and condensation gets water into the tank.
You get black goo clumps at the interface between water and diesel, some of which then sinks to the bottom.
I built a diesel polisher which circulates the diesel through a filter and the and a water settling chamber (demijohn). I then added diesel bug killer.
After that the diesel was good to use.

So if you can see there is no water, giving the fuel a good filtering should do the job.

won't having the tank full to the top stop most of the problems?

fanatic · Dec 28, 2014

Thor1950 said:
won't having the tank full to the top stop most of the problems?

Not if anaerobic

Saltlick · Dec 28, 2014

Thanks chaos - very festive Ian

chrisstdt · Dec 28, 2014

I beleive (was told by a guy trying to sell diesel treatment at work) it forms when storing diesel for 6 months or more but it should filter out fine

if its just black it could be engine oil as i had a pajero with a bad seal in injection pump and it used to suck oil from timing case and return it to the fuel tank making the fuel black

biolandy · Dec 28, 2014

Run it through several thicknesses of J cloth in a funnel-just be very careful what is at the bottom is not water-dip a piece of tissue in it and see if it will burn cleanly without spitting-only a small bit mind

Paul_cavanna · Dec 28, 2014

Diesil bug actually lives in any heavy mineral oi=l

BE CAREFULL

as some people have a reaction to it and it causes period esq nose bleeds as it can live on people as well. this i know far to well with hours of work with my head in a bucket of my own blood.

if it IS bug. honestly ditch is as the stuff to kill it will cost more than the fuel if its only a few liters.

Saltlick · Dec 29, 2014

Hmm..! I can leave it out in the sun(!) for a while to see if any growth happens and the filter and carry on if not or just bacteriacidally treat the batch anyway? It's 60 litres that I've got here, but the next lot that comes in will be stored in the same drum until I collect, so could also become 'infected' as such.

What's a good test to determine if it's present or not?

TheQ · Dec 29, 2014

Thor1950 said:
won't having the tank full to the top stop most of the problems?

The tank in my motor boat is very flat and has a large top surface the trip back to the moorings, from the boatyard where I fill up, is enough to expose this. Lifting a jerry can from the dinghy to get it into the boat to top up would be very difficult and possibly dangerous to me for my back or falling overboard.

Thor1950 · Dec 29, 2014

TheQ said:
The tank in my motor boat is very flat and has a large top surface the trip back to the moorings, from the boatyard where I fill up, is enough to expose this. Lifting a jerry can from the dinghy to get it into the boat to top up would be very difficult and possibly dangerous to me for my back or falling overboard.

see if you can find a product like this.Bio Kleen Diesel Fuel Biocide | Power Service

Farmers use that in there above ground storage tanks, some of there tanks are a few thousand gallons.

I use 2 of there products and are very good

Datatek · Dec 29, 2014

Thor1950 said:
won't having the tank full to the top stop most of the problems?

Most but not all if the diesel doesn't slosh around to mix the condensation.

SpringDon · Dec 29, 2014

Datatek said:
Most but not all if the diesel doesn't slosh around to mix the condensation.

As mentioned previously, the fungus lives in the interface between the water and fuel so it doesn't matter how full the tank is. Treatments are either biocides (killing the spores and fungus) or detergents (to disperse the water).

Datatek · Dec 30, 2014

SpringDon said:
As mentioned previously, the fungus lives in the interface between the water and fuel so it doesn't matter how full the tank is. Treatments are either biocides (killing the spores and fungus) or detergents (to disperse the water).

From long experience with boats, I can assure you that keeping the tank brim full greatly reduces the problem. I also always keep the tanks full on my diesel road vehicles especially in winter.
My information is that it is Bacterial growth and not a fungus.

Thor1950 · Dec 30, 2014

Datatek said:
From long experience with boats, I can assure you that keeping the tank brim full greatly reduces the problem. I also always keep the tanks full on my diesel road vehicles especially in winter.
My information is that it is Bacterial growth and not a fungus.

We noticed that when they started to put 20% soy bean oil in diesel. Also caused problems in older diesels with seals in the pumps and injectors.

SpringDon · Dec 30, 2014

Most common is cladosporium resinae which is a mould or fungus. Keeping the tanks full will reduce condensation thus reducing the environment in which it lives, so yes it will help.

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