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Originally Posted by uberwgn
I am very curious to see how much water you capture. I'll be checking in with you periodically  |
FWIW - which fuel additive you use (if any) can have a great effect on whether you can capture and drain off any water. If you use no additives you're probably going to be able to capture and drain off water. Stanadyne Performance Formula is one of the few additives that will enhance your fuel filter's ability to remove water. Most other additives will increase the fuel's ability to hold water in a micro-emulsion that can safely pass through your fuel system.
Here's some interesting reading regarding the type of micro-emulsion that Total/Elf, Primrose and FPPF additives use:
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I inquired about how this new Elf Diesel Performance Additive "eliminates" water, and below is the excellent response from one of Elf's engineers. But first some technical vocabulary - I only post this because I looked the words up to confirm I was understanding their meanings:
surfactant = a surface-active substance
oleophilic = having a strong affinity for oils rather than water
oleophobic = lacking affinity for oils
micelle = a submicroscopic aggregation of molecules
Quote:It's not so much that water is eliminated; water is actually emulsified or encapsulated into the fuel and therefore stabilized. This is the way it works:
The surfactant based additive technology enables water, a polar liquid, to be dissolved in hydrocarbon fuels such as diesel and gasoline. The surfactant additive molecules achieve this by surrounding the water molecules with their oleophobic (polar loving / hydrocarbon fuel hating) groups, whilst their oleophilic (hydrocarbon fuel loving) groups point outwards into the bulk of the fuel. Effectively, the surfactant molecules form a micelle with the water molecules at the center. Since the olephilic groups point outwards into the fuel, the droplets formed is soluble in the diesel fuel or gasoline.
Vast numbers of these droplets are formed and held in suspension in the fuel. This is called a micro-emulsion. The micelles formed are very small and not visible to the naked eye. They are able to pass through fuel system and be burnt in the engine without blocking filters or causing any problems. By holding water in the bulk of the fuel in this manner, the additives prevent water from separating at the bottom of the fuel tank.
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Originally Posted by Mister Byrnzoil
yes I really do rinse and re-use my primary filters
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this sounds scary - i don't think i want to know the details...
FWIW - i have a CAT fluids analysis lab just down the road from both my home and office. oil analysis can help you determine and take actions to minimize engine wear. providing your engine with
clean fuel and clean air greatly enhances your oils ability to perform optimally - and do so for an entire extended drain interval. this of course results in better performing, longer wearing engines. knowing this, i never take shortcuts regarding fuel and air filtration. [re: clean air, i recently discovered that the Hengst air filters have probably double the filtration area (twice as many pleats) as the Purolator 123 filter available at my local auto parts chain.]
cheers!