Algae in fuel

[RJBKSU]

We have a farm truck we bought in 2017. It is used and has 500,000 miles on it. International with isx cm 870. We fought an algae problem all through harvest adding a treatment called killem to get rid of the crap and changed filters when needed. We add the product at every fill up and try to keep the tanks full as possible. Never seemed to clear up so before harvest this fall we drained both fuel tanks and filled with clean fuel continued using the product at every fill up and we are religious about adding Howes at every fill up also. It helped a little but still have fuel with a black tint to it after we started running it again. Could it be the stuff is on the inside of the tanks and they need to be removed and steam cleaned out or just keep running the product and it will clear up eventually. This is what some people we have talked to have said but i am not convinced. Or is there a better product to use. Thank you for any replies.

[Volvo8873]

(11-08-2018 )RJBKSU Wrote:  We have a farm truck we bought in 2017. It is used and has 500,000 miles on it. International with isx cm 870. We fought an algae problem all through harvest adding a treatment called killem to get rid of the crap and changed filters when needed. We add the product at every fill up and try to keep the tanks full as possible. Never seemed to clear up so before harvest this fall we drained both fuel tanks and filled with clean fuel continued using the product at every fill up and we are religious about adding Howes at every fill up also. It helped a little but still have fuel with a black tint to it after we started running it again. Could it be the stuff is on the inside of the tanks and they need to be removed and steam cleaned out or just keep running the product and it will clear up eventually. This is what some people we have talked to have said but i am not convinced. Or is there a better product to use. Thank you for any replies.

Yes it could very well be the build up of the crud in the tanks.

I dealt with this to the 3rd degree starting out with my first truck and did not even know that diesel had/has an algae or bacteria problem when sitting for so long. When I treated the tanks with Bio Kleen it certainly killed whatever crap was in the tanks but for two months after that my Davco fuel filter plugged up all the time. Quite a bit at first but eventually got better and longer in between. By the end I then noticed when looking in the tanks I could start seeing the alumminum when looking inside the tanks.... THERE WAS THAT MUCH CRAP BUILT UP ON THE SIDE WALLS!!!!

Have not had a problem at all with fuel bacteria/algae since that happened. It was actually much worse than what I explained but I am making it short and to the point.

[smorgan87]

I ended up and drained both my tanks, filled with water and a a packet of chlorine per tank. Let it sit a day, drain and thoroughly coat the insides with phosphoric acid (aluminum brightener). Let sit about 30 minutes rinse and repeat if u see anything besides shining aluminum. Rinse thoroughly once clean and make damn sure u get all the water out. In also drained the davco and soaked in a phosphoric acid solution keeping water out the center hole where the engine pulls fuel from. Rinse thoroughly and make sure u get all the water out. Go parts store and get some power service biokleen fill ur tanks with clean fuel and add a dbl shock treatment. Run the engine for about 20 minutes to circulate the treated fuel into the fuel system and if possble let sit a day. Treat the next 5 tanks or so with that same product and dieselkleen from same company. Its alot of work and rawze will call me absoultely batshit crazy but its what i had to do to get rid the crap. Good luck. Remember to drain the davco ever few hours of run time to eliminate any water its caught.

[smorgan87]

I went thru about 6 bottle of killem and several diesel kleen jugs b4 i reached that point.

[Chamberpains]

Are you absolutely sure your dealing with an algae problem? Did you have the fuel tested to verify? This could be something as simple as asphaltene which there is no way around. Best way to deal with it is 10 micron filters and change them often.