Anyone have good or bad experiences with diesel fuel additives? 10
years ago, the local Volvo dealer recommended using one for keeping
water from building up and bugs from growing in the fuel. My
brother-in-law just bought a boat with a 480 hp Cummins with less than
200 hours on it. Recommendations?

"Bryan" wrote in message
news:mpf5k.7497$kx.416@pd7urf3no...
Anyone have good or bad experiences with diesel fuel additives? 10 years
ago, the local Volvo dealer recommended using one for keeping water from
building up and bugs from growing in the fuel. My brother-in-law just
bought a boat with a 480 hp Cummins with less than 200 hours on it.
Recommendations?

I used to use Biobor for many years with no problems but my fuel company
adds valvetec now (at $4/gallon I should get something....) It is only
good for about 6 mos so if you have a long hot layup you have to re-dose.
Also... if the boat has NOT had the additive in it and you initial dose it
you can clog up a bunch of filters (assuming you have a green tank now) so
I would suggest dosing it, having a 1/2 dozen or so filters ready and don't
go to far offshore in the first week or so. your engine will probably take
2-5 times the fuel it needs and it will return it to the tank so if you burn
1/4 tank of fuel you probably recirced most of the fuel.

Oh... I am assuming you are south.... if not, make sure you ask around the
docks... every area is different.

On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:59:30 -0400, Ed wrote:


"Bryan" wrote in message
news:mpf5k.7497$kx.416@pd7urf3no...
Anyone have good or bad experiences with diesel fuel additives? 10 years
ago, the local Volvo dealer recommended using one for keeping water from
building up and bugs from growing in the fuel. My brother-in-law just
bought a boat with a 480 hp Cummins with less than 200 hours on it.
Recommendations?

I used to use Biobor for many years with no problems but my fuel company
adds valvetec now (at $4/gallon I should get something....) It is only
good for about 6 mos so if you have a long hot layup you have to re-dose.
Also... if the boat has NOT had the additive in it and you initial dose it
you can clog up a bunch of filters (assuming you have a green tank now) so
I would suggest dosing it, having a 1/2 dozen or so filters ready and don't
go to far offshore in the first week or so. your engine will probably take
2-5 times the fuel it needs and it will return it to the tank so if you burn
1/4 tank of fuel you probably recirced most of the fuel.

Oh... I am assuming you are south.... if not, make sure you ask around the
docks... every area is different.

Only thing I would add to Ed's post is check out a fuel polishing system
that involves a day tank to recirculate the fuel if he isn't using it regularly.
http://www.google.com/search?q=fuel+...ient=firefox-a

Bryan wrote:

Anyone have good or bad experiences with diesel fuel additives? 10
years ago, the local Volvo dealer recommended using one for keeping
water from building up and bugs from growing in the fuel. My
brother-in-law just bought a boat with a 480 hp Cummins with less than
200 hours on it. Recommendations?


I use Kathon FP 1.5

http://www.fuelcare.co.uk/m15.htm

FWIW never had any problems with bacterial growth.

Bryan wrote in news:mpf5k.7497$kx.416@pd7urf3no:

My
brother-in-law just bought a boat with a 480 hp Cummins with less than
200 hours on it. Recommendations?



Buy an oil company?

The most important thing you can do for the diesel is to FILL THOSE TANKS
every time you're going to put it away.....leave them FULL and they won't
get water in them. There's no water in the fuel, that's nonsense. There's
water in the AIR breathing in and out of a tank with airspace above the
fuel....

Sun comes up...tank breathes out
Sun goes down...tank breathes in all that wet air that rains on the cold
walls all night....
Sun comes up....tank breathes out
Sun goes down....tank breathes in all that wet air that rains on the cold
walls all night....water droplets slide down wall under fuel to form
water/fuel layer for the algae to grow in.

Algae cannot survive on diesel fuel. They MUST have a water layer under it
to grow. No water, no algae! It's quite simple....

Diesel-fuel-in-a-bottle at $50/gallon isn't the answer. Filling the tank
is!

You'll still need an oil company to feed a 480hp Cummins....(c;

On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:24:36 +0000, Larry wrote:

Algae cannot survive on diesel fuel. They MUST have a water layer under it
to grow. No water, no algae! It's quite simple....

Algae cannot grow in a fuel tank. They are green plants and require
light to survive. Fungus, on the other hand, or bacteria, can.

Casady

"RLM" wrote in message
. ..


Only thing I would add to Ed's post is check out a fuel polishing system
that involves a day tank to recirculate the fuel if he isn't using it
regularly.
http://www.google.com/search?q=fuel+...ient=firefox-a


I would add that polishing fuel in a boat that is not regularly used is just
about worthless unless you take the boat out in some rough water and slosh
it around for a while before polishing or have access to "wash" the tank
internals with a high pressure diesel wand. All the crud and dead
"critters" cling to the walls and baffles of the tank.

The last two diesel powered boats we owned had dual primary Racor filters
per engine with valving that allowed either filter to be replaced while
running on the other filter. It's a setup I would recommend to any diesel
boat owner.

Eisboch

On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:50:33 -0400, Eisboch wrote:


"RLM" wrote in message
. ..


Only thing I would add to Ed's post is check out a fuel polishing
system that involves a day tank to recirculate the fuel if he isn't
using it regularly.
http://www.google.com/search?q=fuel+...ient=firefox-a


I would add that polishing fuel in a boat that is not regularly used is
just about worthless unless you take the boat out in some rough water
and slosh it around for a while before polishing or have access to
"wash" the tank internals with a high pressure diesel wand. All the
crud and dead "critters" cling to the walls and baffles of the tank.

The last two diesel powered boats we owned had dual primary Racor
filters per engine with valving that allowed either filter to be
replaced while running on the other filter. It's a setup I would
recommend to any diesel boat owner.

Eisboch

Thanks, you are correct.

I worked on one boat that had twin in line 6 cyl. turbo charged Cats that
was manufactured across the pond by some, that I suspect, were very small
people. It had a large Racor filter for each engine in line with dual Cat
filters that were mounted on the engine at the default location for truck
engines. One set of Cat filters on the backside against the bulkhead. No
gate valves anywhere.

Not a lot of thought given to maintenance in the manufacturing
side of things has been my experience.

The owner cruised a lot at shall we say, just above rumble so you almost
only hear one engine running in the bay that is normally calm.

After a ROMP in the Gulf it was towed to port. Had a bad case of
slime/fungus attack. Both Racors black in the settling bowls. Both Racors
mounted on the front bulkhead so you had to lie down between the engines
and work overhead. The hot fuel ran down your arms the whole time into a
drain pan off your elbo.

There is a hell.

If it would have had a small day tank, or if you prefer a large filter
with a fine mesh screen that was easily accessible. Then this could have
acted also as a polishing tank. If it is located where it can be cleaned
even in rough water. Then the possibilities of it returning to port on its
own legs would be far more favorable. This configuration was doomed from
the start.

You are indeed correct about the gate valves being set so one filter runs
and if clogged can be shut off from the system and a secondary filter to
take its place.

I've seen a lot of things that were designed, and installed wrong.
Changing the way something is designed as a mechanic can be construed in
court as you becoming the manufacturer and opens a lot of doors to
liability.

My thought is to have a small day tank/fine mesh large filter/water
separator,whatever you care to call it, where it is serviceable even after
the boat rolls over. Therefore, I only provided the link.

Just one more observation. Seems like no one wants filters like these
changed until it is over 90+ in the shade. They want to keep the generator
running to keep the air conditioner going in the cabin while they run a
vacuum cleaner at a site with no shore power available because they were
towed to the nearest port. Of course both engines are hot from getting
them to start and idle but can't understand the lack of power. That's when
they call for help.

They are always in a hurry and have to be someplace else and have not
established an account and therefore are C.O.D..

First thing you hear is I can write a check.

Hell, that's the easy part. Doesn't mean it will clear the bank.

Being retired and leaving this in the past is great.

This was just one morning, I got a million stories like this. I don't
remember the full million but I had a million of them , I'm sure.

I don't recall any tools included in the Ditch Bag thread, That would have
been one of my first considerations. But that's just me.

I'll take my nap in a couple of hours.

Have good day.

HTH

On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:50:33 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

The last two diesel powered boats we owned had dual primary Racor filters
per engine with valving that allowed either filter to be replaced while
running on the other filter. It's a setup I would recommend to any diesel
boat owner.

Absolutely right, along with vacuum gages to monitor the filters.

The advice to have a bunch of spare filters on hand after the first
fuel treatment is also right on the money.

Biobor seems to work pretty well but there is another product called
Pri-D that was highy recommended to me last year by a professional
fuel polisher.