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| The most common reason for marine diesel engines in general, and recreational trawler diesel engines in particular, to fail to run is associated with "bad diesel fuel." The things that make the diesel fuel bad generally have nothing to do with the original quality of the fuel. The problems come about because of the condition of the fuel we buy and what happens to the fuel when it gets stored, sometimes at the suppliers' facilities, but most often in our own vessels. It is very popular today to think that something you can pour into a fuel tank will take care of your fuel problems. There is a large body of experience, including my own, to indicate that any pour-in solution only treats some of the symptoms, but that's not the real problem with this procedure The problem is that while the immediate symptoms may vanish, this cure begins to create its own set of problems. If you kill the bugs, their dead bodies will cause problems sometime in the future - they just become part of the jelly that wants to collect at the bottom of the tank, and we know where that leads. If you emulsify the water in the tank, it still goes through your injection pump and injectors, and will lead to a whole new set of problems. It is generally agreed that water in the fuel tank causes all sorts of hell. The experts tell us that algae is born, lives, multiplies, and dies in the surface between the water and diesel fuel. These critters and their residue are a major source of trouble. The moral is: no water, no algae. Most of the water gets into our tanks by water condensing on the inside surface of the fuel tank and less often on the surface of the diesel fuel itself. This occurs every time the temperature of a surface is below the dew point temperature of the air to which it is exposed. The most common means to prevent condensation in fuel tanks is to keep the tanks full. If they are full, there is no air in them so no condensation can occur. It is especially important to keep the tanks full when the boat is idle for a period of time. MarineLube will completely filter/Polish your fuel just select "Request a Free Quote" |
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