I cut into my old fuel filter and it is almost as black as a used oil filter. There is a light coating on the top that ressembles rust but isn't attracted to a magnet. I have been using Lucas Fuel Treat but I am thinking of changing to something else. I must have picked up some algae somewhere. The truck doesn't sit still very long as it is a daily driver. In fact I just did a 570 mile road trip Tuesday pulling 11,000 pounds without a problem.

 

I have had that before. It got delivered to my bulk off road fuel depot once. I went through a few filters in my boat and backhoe. Any heavy equipment supplyer or marine store will have the good algae fuel treatment. If I remember right the first treatment is strong to shock it and then the regular mixture is for maintanence. Its the same bottle just has different mixture directions for shock and regular levels.

 

That's just asphaltines. Basically tar in the fuel, nothing to worry about.

 

I agree

If you had an algee growth you would know it because you would be plugging the filters and/or be down on power.

 

So-called "algae", like water in the fuel, usually is already in the tank and just gets stirred up at the pumps; the engine shuts down a couple miles down the road and a most likely innocent fuel stop gets the blame.


It really isn't algae, as algae must have sunlight to survive, but it is a living organism that multiplies exponentially within the water/fuel interface that exists in ALL fuel tanks, to one degree or another.


Although the name is wrong, for simplicity sake, I will just call it "algae".


My twenty-three-year-old tanks over the years had gotten infested with algae, causing me many headaches and plugged filters.

The gook trapped in the filters looked like wet tobacco leaves and cardboard pulp.


I read up on the situation for weeks and didn't begin to scratch the surface, but I have sort of became a self-proclaimed expert on the subject.


There is tons of information on the subject, especially in the marine/boating forums.


One thing that really stood out in my findings was a general consensus that the so-called microbicides and algae killers did virtually nothing in ridding the tanks of algae, and in fact, stimulated the growth.


What I found works for me is a line-up of filters PRIOR to the lift-pump that consist of, in the order that the fuel travels through them, clear see-thru GoldenRod filter with a deep reservoir for gook to settle in, a LUCAS glass-bowl sediment/water trap, a genuine New Zealand De-Bug magnetic algae killer, and a see-thru plastic inline filter as a last line of defense ahead of the screen inside the piston lift-pump.

For now, the fuel leaving the lift-pump goes through an FS1221 in the stock location.


The algae most likely is still living within my tanks and probably always will be, but any gook must run my gauntlet of filters before shutting me down.

 

Years ago, an old truck-driver/diesel-mechanic acquaintance had a can-opener gizmo that would peel the sides from a fuel- or oil-filter, exposing the insides.


Can someone point me in the direction of one of these gizmos ??

Thanks.

 

Here's one.

http://www.tavia.com/cat13.html

Google "oil filter cutter" and take your pick. The aviation industry uses them alot but they are expensive to buy from aviation sites.

 

We fought algea with all of our logging equipment and one Chevy Kodiak Service truck. That is one tough battle and aggrevating. Lost a heap of money fighting it. Lucas makes a algea treatment too. If you could get your fuel tank off and pressure wash it, it would help.

 

I'm hoping this is a case of contamination from a fuel storage tank in Churchville MD. I changed filters and so far I haven't seen any more pressure drops. I usally buy fuel from stations that have high volume sales. This was a "Mom and PoP" off the beaten path and I may have gotten the junk off bottom of the tank. The trip home I was towing with a lot off wieght on the back axle so the truck was bouncing more than usual. If I need to replace the filter again soon I will let u'all know.

 

One of these would be a big help when having to fuel from questionable sources :


http://www.fourwinds-ii.com/v2/?c=mrfunnel&i=003


Scroll down and click on the demo/video.


A flexible hose would need be clamped on the snout in order to allow the funnels use on bed-side filler-necks.


I have one of those on my wish-list.

 

I would be worried about the pickup screen in the tank after that. As long as the pressure is holding good, it probably didn't stick to it.

 

From my time in aviation what it's called is Surfactant - Surface active agents. It lives between the fuel water interface and draws its needed oxygen from the water. Pressure washing of fuel tanks with a hot water pressure washer is the best way to get rid of it.

There are several products that will get rid of it Biobor is one but there is one that can actually mix with it so that it can be burned. The main problem is the fact that it can disarm fuel filters and allow water into your IP.

Bob