Help, I think that I have no tank screener!
 

Ok so I drained the diesel tank with a minimal mess and remove the large nut. However, when I got it off THERE WAS NO SCREEN ON IT! I either took off another plug on the tank with a hose on it or I am for some reason missing my screen. Below is the pictures. Has anyone seen this before? Am I an idiot who can't tell his plugs apart?

Maybe it broke inside the tank. It is the only large nut on the tank, but your pics are fuzzy.

Here is a better picture of the screen. It doesn't appear to be broken. I definitely did not expect this.

Compare it to the factory unit:

http://img.eautopartscatalog.com/live/E101087062MEY.JPG

I'll bet you can find the place where the screen corroded away.

Thank you for the link I did find the spot. There was a piece left but was very tightly connected.

So I obviously need a tank screen. My tank also was black and slimy inside. I beleive this is an idication of algae am I correct? I do know my car sat in storage for a year or two before I got it. Maybe it developed then.

fungus not algae, algae needs sunlight to survive and grow.

Oh yeah. I remeber I have read that now. Well I have fungus so when I get new fuel lines, fuel filters, and strainer I will be power washing the tank and replacing all lines and filters along with a diesel purge, a valve adjustment, and an oil change.

This turned out like a bigger deal than I expected it to be.

Always a very important correction......:rolleyes:

I wonder where the rest of the strainer is??

deferr,

U can purge, replace and clean all U want but if U don't use a fungacide, the fungus will grow back.

Actually all U need to do is get a fungacide to treat the fungus problem. Biobor is best but very expensive (cost me ~ $80 for a quart, 1/2 was shipping because it is considered hazardous). Try a tractor dealer in your area for a diluted product. Make sure U get a fungacide because only that will work. The diluted fungacide is probably Biobor diluted with a pint of Diesel fuel. U should treat the fuel system twice. And then maybe a "maintenance" treatment once a year.

Its not necessary to replace the fuel lines. This will save U a lot of work! The biocide will clean them but be prepared to replace a few filters. Don't put in new filters until the ones U have in now plug up as the new ones will plug as fast as the used ones. I didn't clean my tank after using the fungacide but I had to replace 4 filters (2 each) in about 2 years. When I stored the car for the winter, I treated the fuel system with Biobor. That way it was working in the fuel all winter.

P E H

Yes you have algae/fungus, whatever---Black crap:eek: . Here is the post on removing the tank and pressure washing.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/92826-240d-fuel-tank-removal-cleaning.html

You will fight this for while. I did my daughters car last year and still replace the in line filter every 6 months or so with it being black. I use slimeX about every other tank and the dead algae/fungus is still showing up.

http://www.powerservice.com/slimex.asp

So just perceiver. But the car runs fine and eventually the in line clear filter will be a nice amber glow when used.

As posted it is not necessary to replace the rubber fuel lines. Save the cost of fuel line replacement for the new ULSD fuel coming this fall. All your lines will leak and weep due to the change in fuel formulation.

Get a new fuel tank screen and install it.


Dave

You might as well not replace the tank screen, unless you believe that there are large gobs of the stuff which will block the fuel line.
I have a couple of holes in my tank screen (screwdriver) and I have not needed to replace the pre-filter before the fuel pump in 12 months, I monitor the fuel filter at each service and the fuel pressure while driving.
But, then again, I do not have an infestation of microbes eating my fuel and crapping in my tank. :D

Dave,

I'm not too sure the manufacturers of SlimeX know what they are doing. They call Cladosporium resinae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa algae. So it appears to me they don't know what they are talking about. How they going to kill something when they don't even know what it is?

I'll stick with Biobor.

P E H

Thank you to everyone for saving me time and $$$. I went to NAPA and asked for Biopor but the guy looked at me like I was from mars. I did find a product by Power Services called diesel 911 it says that it kills microorganisms, d-gels fuel, and "desludges" the tank as they call it.

I bought the product and mixed it with a few small batches of diesel and have run about 7 gallons of this mix through the system. Today all of a sudden I have a much quieter idle. It sounds less metallic, better rythm, and less shaking. I assume this is due to the "desludging". I also checked my inline filter and it now looks like a giant slime ball.

First I will replace my tank screen. I am still going to look for Biopor and like everyone has recommended use about two tanks worth of treatment. Then I will probably continue to use this 911 product (since it is MUCH cheaper). Then once I stop plugging filters I will do a diesel purge.

PS. Did anyone else notice that nasty black goo, slime, crap all over my screen plug. NASTY!!!

deferr,

Note that's it spelled Biobor, just in case U do a search for it.

Biobor is very concentrated: 1/2 ounce to 20 gallons is used an as initial treatment, then 1/4 ounce to 20 gallons. Once the fungus is killed (after the second treatment) continuous use is not needed. I do a maintenance treatment once a year just to make sure all the fungus is killed. So I figure I have a lifetime supply as I only use it in the one car I have that ever had a fungus problem. Fungus doesn't come out of the air, you have to get fungus contaminated fuel.

You may actually have gotten a diluted solution of Biobor. Some companies buy it in bulk and dilute it in Diesel fuel and/or other snake oils and sell it under their brand name.

Sorry I don't remember and can't find where I got the Biobor I have. Maybe a google search will find where it is sold. I do remember it was someplace in PA.

P E H

Don't know who you talked to . But I will let you know of my results. Daughters 240D had a real bad problem. Removed the tank to clean it and started treating the tank and system with SlimeX. This summer I changed the in line filter, it was pretty black. It does take a while to remove all the dead fungus. So far this summer the in line filter has been very clean. The fuel shows a nice golden color and has been that way for some time. So I guess the SlimeX worked well.

Dave