old fuel tank

[commer walk thru]

I'm currently running a marine type tank for my Walk Thru, as it's been sat up for so long (10 years +) - I have posted recently about cleaning out the original tank, but now I'm wondering if would be ok to just drain it completely, refill with new diesel and use again, but adding a Racor type filter (or at least a CAV water separator trap) immediately after it to catch any crap?

Any thoughts/advice appreciated!

 

[Panky]

It could be fine but it's a risk. I would a least give it a good flushing out before you try and see how much crap comes out.

 

[colinthefox]

It's not just the crap that's already inside the tank that's the problem really. It's the bugs that grow on the crap that's already in the tank. As long as there's food in the tank for them, and muck to hide away in, the bugs can keep growing, especially as diesel is now 7% Bio. I think it would be best to start with a super clean tank. There should be a sediment bowl in the fuel system already which will catch water. You would have to think where in the system you were going to put the filter. Putting it between the tank and the lift pump may give problems as it would be on the suction side, (prone to suction leaks...air in the system) and you can't put it in the return line. There is already a filter between the lift pump and the injection pump. Putting a filter in front of it would just result in the first filter catching any muck drawn out of the tank and possibly getting blocked instead of the existing CAV filter. My vote would be to keep the fuel system as standard and clean out the tank.

 

[commer walk thru]

It's not just the crap that's already inside the tank that's the problem really. It's the bugs that grow on the crap that's already in the tank. As long as there's food in the tank for them, and muck to hide away in, the bugs can keep growing, especially as diesel is now 7% Bio. I think it would be best to start with a super clean tank. There should be a sediment bowl in the fuel system already which will catch water. You would have to think where in the system you were going to put the filter. Putting it between the tank and the lift pump may give problems as it would be on the suction side, (prone to suction leaks...air in the system) and you can't put it in the return line. There is already a filter between the lift pump and the injection pump. Putting a filter in front of it would just result in the first filter catching any muck drawn out of the tank and possibly getting blocked instead of the existing CAV filter. My vote would be to keep the fuel system as standard and clean out the tank.

Thanks Colin - will look at taking it off then! - I think the diesel is so old that it predates any bio (!) but guess better safe than sorry.

 

[commer walk thru]

Thanks Colin - will look at taking it off then! - I think the diesel is so old that it predates any bio (!) but guess better safe than sorry.

Have you ever used something like Marine 16 diesel bug treatment? I'm trying to avoid taking it off if I can and I think the main problem will be rust in there...