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Diesel fuel goes bad over time. Just like gasoline the fuel is not
stable. There are ways to test it but to my knowledge it means sending a
sample to a lab. Besides sludge and solids accumulating there's some green
mold/fungus that grows in it. They make fuel conditioner with biocide to
make it last longer but a "few years" is longer than any of them would say
they would protect fuel. Your symptom sounds like a plugged fuel filter.
If you don't have a water separator and fuel filter on your tank I'd add
those and change the filter on your tractor. Get good filters rated for
the lowest particle size you can. Injector tolerances and tiny and even
very small particles will cause them to fail. Ag equipment isn't designed
to as tight a tolerance as on-highway because they didn't have to meet the
strict emissions standards as early, but skimping on filter costs will
result in much higher costs in repairs. On of my favorite lines from some
Triumph shop manuals starts "It is false economy to reuse (some part I
don't remember)" So paraphrasing... "It is false economy to use cheap
fuel filters on a diesel engine."
Regarding using the old fuel it all depends on how much you want to spend
on filters and repairs versus disposing of the $150 worth of diesel you've
got in the tank. The rule of thumb is to not have more than six months
supply on hand. Older engines will be more tolerant of it than later
(last 10-15 years) engines. That's why the guys that were cooking their
own biodiesel from french fry oil wanted engines from before the 90s.
Ben Zwissler
bjzwissler@gmail.com
812-343-5533
Columbus, IN
On Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 7:46 AM eric--- via Shop-talk <
shop-talk@autox.team.net> wrote:
> Does anyone know of a way to tell if diesel fuel has gone bad?
>
> Here is my situation. I have a large diesel fuel tank for my tractors on
> my property (so I don't have to buy 'over the road' diesel.) The fuel in
> there has been there a few years.
>
> My newest tractor (a small 25hp subcompact) started acting funny. At full
> throttle, it seems to sputter a little.
>
> Could be a fuel problem, but I would love to test the diesel somehow. Or
> is there a way of looking at the filter on the tractor? Or another test to
> do?
>
> Related follow up, if the fuel is bad, and I have about 50 gals in a 250
> tank. Can I just add fresh fuel to it, or do I need to drain out all the
> bad first? What would be a good bad/good ratio to dilute the bad fuel?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> "Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational
> being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph
> Waldo Emerson
> -Who is John Galt?_______________________________________________
>
> Shop-talk@autox.team.net
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation $12.96
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk
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>
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Diesel fuel goes bad over time.=C2=A0 Just like gasoline t=
he fuel is not stable.=C2=A0 There are ways to test it but to my knowledge =
it means sending a sample to a lab.=C2=A0 Besides sludge and solids accumul=
ating there's some green mold/fungus that grows in it.=C2=A0 They make =
fuel conditioner with biocide to make it last longer but a "few years&=
quot; is longer than any of them would say they would protect fuel. Your sy=
mptom sounds like a plugged fuel filter.=C2=A0 If you don't have a wate=
r separator and fuel filter on your tank I'd add those and change the f=
ilter on your tractor.=C2=A0 Get good filters rated for the lowest particle=
size you can.=C2=A0 Injector tolerances and tiny and even very small parti=
cles will cause them to fail.=C2=A0 Ag equipment isn't designed to as t=
ight a tolerance as on-highway because they didn't have to meet the str=
ict emissions standards as early, but skimping on filter costs will result =
in much higher costs in repairs.=C2=A0 On of my favorite lines from some Tr=
iumph shop manuals starts "It is false economy to reuse (some part I d=
on't remember)"=C2=A0 =C2=A0So paraphrasing... "It is false e=
conomy to use cheap fuel filters on a diesel engine."<div><br></div><d=
iv>Regarding using the old fuel it all depends on how much you want to spen=
d on filters and repairs=C2=A0versus disposing of the $150 worth of diesel =
you've got in the tank.=C2=A0 The rule of thumb is to not have more tha=
n six months supply on hand.=C2=A0 =C2=A0Older engines will be more toleran=
t of it than later (last 10-15 years) engines.=C2=A0 That's why the guy=
s that were cooking their own biodiesel from french fry oil wanted engines =
from before the 90s.</div><div><br></div><div><br clear=3D"all"><div><div d=
ir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature"><di=
v dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div>Ben Zwissler<br></div><a href=
=3D"mailto:bjzwissler@gmail.com"; target=3D"_blank">bjzwissler@gmail.com</a>=
<br></div><div>812-343-5533</div>Columbus, IN<br></div></div></div></div></=
div><br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=
=3D"gmail_attr">On Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 7:46 AM eric--- via Shop-talk <<=
a href=3D"mailto:shop-talk@autox.team.net";>shop-talk@autox.team.net</a>>=
wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px =
0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><font si=
ze=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif">Does anyone know of a way to tell if diesel
fuel has gone bad?</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif">Here is my situation.=C2=A0 I have=
a
large diesel fuel tank for my tractors on my property (so I don't have
to buy 'over the road' diesel.) =C2=A0The fuel in there has been th=
ere
a few years.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif">My newest tractor (a small 25hp su=
bcompact)
started acting funny.=C2=A0 At full throttle, it seems to sputter a little.=
</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif">Could be a fuel problem, but I wou=
ld
love to test the diesel somehow. Or is there a way of looking at the filter
on the tractor? Or another test to do?</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif">Related follow up, if the fuel is =
bad,
and I have about 50 gals in a 250 tank.=C2=A0 Can I just add fresh fuel
to it, or do I need to drain out all the bad first?=C2=A0 What would be
a good bad/good ratio to dilute the bad fuel?</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif">Thanks!</font>
<br><font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif"><br>
<br>
"Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a ratio=
nal
being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph
Waldo Emerson <br>
-Who is John Galt?</font>_______________________________________________<br=
>
<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:Shop-talk@autox.team.net"; target=3D"_blank">Shop-talk@aut=
ox.team.net</a><br>
et=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br>
Archive: <a href=3D"http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk"; rel=3D"norefer=
rer" target=3D"_blank">http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk</a> <a href=
=3D"http://autox.team.net/archive"; rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">htt=
p://autox.team.net/archive</a><br>
<br>
alk/bjzwissler@gmail.com" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://autox=
.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/bjzwissler@gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
</blockquote></div>
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