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Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - Printable Version

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Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - Pinetown - 03-15-2016

I had two stock trucks hanging around the yard for over two years before being sold.
T370 Cummins ISC CM870/T800 Cummins ISX CM570
They were started at irregular intervals and gradually became harder to start until one day....they just wouldn't.
Opened the fuel systems and this is what I found....Yellow varnish like substance coating everything and inside of tanks.
Cost me new injectors/pumps...the whole nine yards!
Question for the learned...is this Algae or something else?
[attachment=1263][attachment=1261][attachment=1260][attachment=1259][attachment=1258]


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - Nilao - 03-15-2016

I think the black stuff I see in the photo is algae. The yellowish substance is most likely gum.

Here's a link describing the degradation of fuel.
http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp-country/en_au/media/fuel-news/long-term-storage-diesel.pdf


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - in2trux - 03-15-2016

Looks like Parrafin or wax build up.


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - Rawze - 03-15-2016

Definitely paraffin and gum buildup. Some components can be cleaned and re-used with disassembly and a decent acetone bath.

Here in the states, we call that "Lot Rott"


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - yamajason - 03-15-2016

Is there a fuel additive or fuel stabilizer that you would recommend to prevent it? Or would draining the fuel from the Davco Fuel Filter housing and letting the engine run out of fuel and die be a good option?


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - Rawze - 03-15-2016

(03-15-2016 )yamajason Wrote:  Is there a fuel additive or fuel stabilizer that you would recommend to prevent it? Or would draining the fuel from the Davco Fuel Filter housing and letting the engine run out of fuel and die be a good option?

some good fuel system cleaner perhaps?


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - in2trux - 03-15-2016

(03-15-2016 )yamajason Wrote:  Is there a fuel additive or fuel stabilizer that you would recommend to prevent it? Or would draining the fuel from the Davco Fuel Filter housing and letting the engine run out of fuel and die be a good option?

I run Power Service at every fill up. Consider the cost of new injectors,actuators, easy $5000+.

I don't see any advantage to running it out of fuel, hope the filter is doing it's job!
You can just drain down the Davco, there is a purge valve on the bottom, push up and watch the level come down to the top of the base housing or until it starts pissing fuel. We usually fill at the same stop, 300 gallon tanks and run all week.Gotta love milk money!
It helps to know you are buying high quality fuel from a high volume stop. Less chance of water build up in their tanks, even then lower grade crack or crude will have all the junk in it.


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - yamajason - 03-15-2016

On my Honda EB2000i Generator, the manual recommends at the end of generator use season to run it out of gas to prevent varnish build up in the float bowl and jets.

If you drain the fuel from the Davco fuel filter housing and leave the lid unscrewed from the top the engine will run out of fuel and die. Maybe it would help. I sure hate the idea of extended cranking on engines without a priming pump or electric lift pump, especially after hearing many higher mileage Detroit engines spin a bearing during fuel priming engine cranking.


RE: Anybody Recognize this? Fuel System Varnishing (algae) - in2trux - 03-15-2016

Yeah but that's gas and stale gas left in the system gums up jets fast. Add Stabil long before you burn gas out if you're not going to run it for 3-4 months.
Diesel fares better over the same time period.

My IH bus DT466 sat for 5 FIVE! years. Full bottle of PS Silver in 20 gallons of fresh fuel, new batteries and a few huffs of ether and it fired right up.