Diesel bacteria???

[PBcuiser]

Anyone dealt with diesel bacteria/algae before?? Ive been dealing with low power/surging when I got low on fuel for the past few months and finally got around to dropping the tank today. My hypothesis was I was pulling in air mid-way down the fuel pick up. I was wrong.

See pics:

Fuel pick up strainer covered in grey sludge. Has consistency of thick paint. Fuel drained from the bottom of the tank after swirling it around is grey and cloudy. NOT GOOD

Any ideas on how to really clean the tank out? Would it be worth it to clean tank and the coat the inside with tank sealer? Also debating new tank from Mr T or long range tank....

 

[bj70bc]

i think you can get em steamed out
long range tanks are killer tho, i have a brown davis 120l, can get +800km to a tank

 

[Eurasiaoverland]

I used an industrial alkaline degreaser - potassium iodide with ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (which I think is basically hot tank solution). It rinsed out with no scrubbing at all, and mine was far, far worse than yours. You can use laquer thinner but it's far more expensive and the vapours are nasty.

 

[lacalvette]

Bacteria in diesel that I have heard from coworkers, look to be a white layer floating on the top of the diesel.
other form was like gelatin, I once opened a filter that was filed with kind of a jellyfish.

To be safe, you could add aditif in your fuel tank, a microbiocide. We use Biobor Jf a couple time but there others bran.
Start with a high concentration and be prepare to change your fuel filter a couple time.

Something you absolutely don’t want is water and heat with diesel, that combination can lead to bacteria.
(But bacteria is likely to come from the service station? A truck fuel tank is small and fuel does not stays for a long period of time..)

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Although I didn’t realize bacteria was an issue with diesel, we added a product called PRIST to jet fuel.

 

[hj 60]

Add acetone to kill life and get better mileage and less diesel knock, noticable after a few tanks. Mix (liters / 2 x 3 =ml) so (100 liter / 2 = 50 x 3 = 150 ml), also a bit (200ml per tank) of 2 stroke oil for the pump and some atf oil to clean and prevent germs.
I mix it in a liter acetone bottle, so get what you need for 3 or 4 tanks, top of with the oil and add before every fill in easy to see amount (so not like 164 ml but 200 ml)
The acetone also works for gasoline cars if you add a bit more.
Also a bit of sunflower oil will clean the tank (have new filter ready to swap, black sludge will be released)
The additives are expensive because they must be good for the environment.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Although I didn’t realize bacteria was an issue with diesel, we added a product called PRIST to jet fuel.

Jet fuel is diesel. Prist is a carcinogenic nasty chemical used in jet fuel to prevent in fuel icing and also
to reduce development of algae in the fuel. In the tropics algae growth in fuel tanks is a very real concern
if they sit for any length of time. I have one airplane I fly where it's illegal to not add prist with every fueling.

In the north in the past we used methyl hydrate to remove water from fuel to stop ice crystals from developing
in -30C and below.

If the OP has a filter like that, I'd be finding a different fuel source, cause where ever you are getting your
diesel now is not doing the job of keeping their tanks clean.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Jet fuel is diesel. Prist is a carcinogenic nasty chemical used in jet fuel to prevent in fuel icing and also
to reduce development of algae in the fuel. In the tropics algae growth in fuel tanks is a very real concern
if they sit for any length of time. I have one airplane I fly where it's illegal to not add prist with every fueling.

In the north in the past we used methyl hydrate to remove water from fuel to stop ice crystals from developing
in -30C and below.

If the OP has a filter like that, I'd be finding a different fuel source, cause where ever you are getting your
diesel now is not doing the job of keeping their tanks clean.

We added PRIST with every fill up.
I don’t recall if it was recommended by the manufacturer or was simply cautionary.

 

[OM617YOTA]

I've run Power Service Bio Kleen after dumping fuel I later learned was contaminated in my tank. Never had an issue.

 

[cruiserpilot]

We added PRIST with every fill up.
I don’t recall if it was recommended by the manufacturer or was simply cautionary.

Some are. This one is a Reims 406. Ugly little beast. High fliers like any jet powered plane it’s just normal protocol. It’s premixed generally.

 

[Eurasiaoverland]

Here are some pictures of mine:

My BJ60 has spent its life effectively on the equator. The tank had been drained (as part of a full rebuild) for a couple of years when I got round to tackling it. The whole thing was brown inside like a dirty old teapot. The PO had taken the strainer off the tank pipe to stop clogging (ingenious solution!)

I wedged a small glass bottle in the filler hose to act as a view-glass, to see what was being picked up. The alkaline cleaner lifted it off with very little agitation.

Rinsed out with a power washer. There is some surface rust where the microbial colonies were really bad.

I did the same with the metal fuel pipes and have replaced all rubber hoses.

People here use diesel doctor if they are concerned about this. Interestingly, this late-model BJ60, which I believe was only sold in right-handed SE Asia markets has a buzzer on the fuel filter water trap circuit as well as the warning light on the dashboard - it's the only model which has it.

 

[PBcuiser]

Here are some pictures of mine:
View attachment 3783896
My BJ60 has spent its life effectively on the equator. The tank had been drained (as part of a full rebuild) for a couple of years when I got round to tackling it. The whole thing was brown inside like a dirty old teapot. The PO had taken the strainer off the tank pipe to stop clogging (ingenious solution!)

View attachment 3783898
I wedged a small glass bottle in the filler hose to act as a view-glass, to see what was being picked up. The alkaline cleaner lifted it off with very little agitation.

View attachment 3783899
Rinsed out with a power washer. There is some surface rust where the microbial colonies were really bad.

I did the same with the metal fuel pipes and have replaced all rubber hoses.

People here use diesel doctor if they are concerned about this. Interestingly, this late-model BJ60, which I believe was only sold in right-handed SE Asia markets has a buzzer on the fuel filter water trap circuit as well as the warning light on the dashboard - it's the only model which has it.

thanks for the advice and suggestions on next steps. collecting all the gear this week and pile of new filters

 

[BDA130]

Although I didn’t realize bacteria was an issue with diesel, we added a product called PRIST to jet fuel.

Also acts as a fuel icing inhibitor.

PBcruiser, it was recommended to me in my thread to flush the hard lines. I did this with a simple hand vacuum pump and a bottle of SeaFoam.


Edit: I'm also cleaning up a sludge tank but wanted to post in my original thread here if y'all could take a look 2 years without starting BJ70, sludge question - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/2-years-without-starting-bj70-sludge-question.1340756/#post-15524519

 

[PBcuiser]

Also acts as a fuel icing inhibitor.

PBcruiser, it was recommended to me in my thread to flush the hard lines. I did this with a simple hand vacuum pump and a bottle of SeaFoam.


Edit: I'm also cleaning up a sludge tank but wanted to post in my original thread here if y'all could take a look 2 years without starting BJ70, sludge question - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/2-years-without-starting-bj70-sludge-question.1340756/#post-15524519

Yes, I will plan on cleaning them out as well