Diesel Problems Help

Poor Farmer 830 · Mar 31, 2012

I have a John Deere 830 that we recently restored, We keep it in a heated shop all winter long, the other day we went to start it and it wouldn't start, I pulled the sediment bull and it was damn near full of what looked like tar. I was told that its an algae that grows inside diesel fuel tanks when they sit. I have a John Deere R that sits right next to it and runs the same amount and it doesnt have a drop of algae in it so I dont understand what causes it. Does anyone have any ideas on how to remove the nasty stuff. I really hate the thoughts of removing the tank beings how everything is painted. I have found gasoline to cut some of it but I was curious if bleach or anything else would dissolve the stuff. Im open to any suggestions or any input on what to do.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 31, 2012

simple green and (also) 409 works good to disolve grease. I've never seen what you are talking about. Sounds pretty nasty....

Tx Jim · Mar 31, 2012

If it's Algae then you'll need a fuel conditioner with biocide. algae is caused from moisture int the diesel fuel

Texasmark1 · Mar 31, 2012

Don't know what your time line is but there are numerous fuel treatment products that claim to work on it to different degrees. Shelves of auto parts stores are full of them.

Starbright out of Florida uses enzymes for gas and diesel. I have been using it for about 5 years in my stowage tanks and they are spotless.

HTH,
Mark

Bill(Wis) · Mar 31, 2012

"830 that we recently restored." What did you do to the fuel system including the tank as a part of this restoration? Did biodiesel enter into the picture? Actually, fresh biodiesel will clean the system better than gas. Have you looked inside the tank?

MSD · Mar 31, 2012

Get some E-85 gas. That will take tar off the inside of gas tanks also.

Poor Farmer 830 · Mar 31, 2012

I had the tank boiled before i restored it and it was spotless. I will check the local auto parts stores and see what they have and ya i looked into the tank and it looks like it has been lined with tar.

Michael Soldan · Mar 31, 2012

Algae grows in water..therefore you have water in your tank..and it doesn't take much. I use gas line deicer which is ethyl alcohol,dump a bottle of that in the tank and it will take care of algae and the water will mix with the alcohol and burn off through the system.I put a bottle in each tractor two or three times a year and in cold weather the tractor that we blow snow with gets some in each tank of fuel.The drug store will have it if you can't find it at an auto supply

Tony in Mass. · Mar 31, 2012

I had a thread on here a few weeks ago- tar looking filters in a home heating system. Algae came up by several people on here, but I showed it to 2 different fuel pro's, who both said we don't have algae often above the long island sound/New York city latitude. And- it was used oil- and not all #2, one filter had brass filings in it. Now that the warm spell is over, this oil is thicker than pure #2- the burner skips a few seconds again.
If your tank was perfectly clean last year, whether it is algae or motor oil dump, its a rip off at the pump either way.
Hopefully, it clogged the filters so bad you are just airbound. Dump the fuel out of the tank and wash it again, change the filters and wash the canisters- and see if re- bleeding the lines gets her going again. Good luck!

Jon Hagen · Mar 31, 2012

Drain / clean the tank and get a biocide to kill bacteria and algae. You need to "shock treat" that infested fuel system, then go to the maintenence level treat. I use Power fuels brand Bioclean.
Most auto parts stores have it.

The sulfer in the old high sulfer fuel pretty well took care of the problem, but now with ULSD and biodiesel you need to treat the fuel.

phil25 · Mar 31, 2012

from reading your posting , you are looking at the actual "poo" of the fuel bugs, which live in the fuel/water interface where the two contact each other. The stuff will stop any engine, quickly when its sucked into filters, so hopefully the pump and injectors were saved, probably were.
The killing agent is a"bioscide?" known to cause problems when in maintained skin contact, the consumer grade stuff is safer but still a hazard, might take a couple of doses to kill the bugs themselves, and a few filter cleanings to get the final remains.
just trivia that might help.

Diesel Problems Help

Poor Farmer 830

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Anonymous-0

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Tx Jim

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Texasmark1

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Bill(Wis)

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MSD

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Poor Farmer 830

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Michael Soldan

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Tony in Mass.

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Jon Hagen

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phil25

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