Gray mud or paste in sediment bowl

JoeVT

Member
I found this mess in the fuel system of my SH. it has been sitting for a while. Wondering what caused it. Fuel also turned to a dark amber.
 
When unleaded gas first came to be I always added a lead substitute to the gas. I let a couple of tractors set too long and the lead substitute settled down and it was just like putty on the bottom of the tanks. What a job to get it out. No more lead substitute.
 
Happened to my brothers tractor. He primed the gas take and when he sprayed on the gray primer, some shot into the filler neck as he had the cap off. No issues til it sat for a year, then sediment bowl and carb were full of gray sludge.
 
Yeah, wish I was the one that invented "lead substitute" back in the day. What a scam he had...

Just for those who weren't following along with the home game, there is no lead in lead substitute, and it was never needed in the first place!

But yeah, your gas has gone bad. If you put any snake oil potions in the gas like lead substitute or ethanol eliminator, they have settled out.

That reminds me, I really should run the rest of that 5 year old gas out of my SH. It's starting to look a little dark, but the tractor still starts and runs just fine with it.
 
There is no need for gas to get old or start to deteriorate after 90 days with some of the fuel stabilizers we have today.I have two stabilizers that gas at 2 1/2 years is still good.
 
(quoted from post at 08:52:07 11/08/17) No snake oil in the gas or tank liner. Thanks for the replys

Sounds to me like maybe you have some "friends" that might have poured something into the tank. Wouldn't be the first time something like that happened.
 
It's just old gas. Never noticed it till they started mixing it with ethanol. Settles in carb as well. Mess to clean up.
 
(quoted from post at 08:17:42 11/12/17) It's just old gas. Never noticed it till they started mixing it with ethanol. Settles in carb as well. Mess to clean up.

I've never seen old gasoline turn into gray sludge. Yes, it does turn color and get a nasty odor, but it doesn't turn into sludge.
 

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