Hi, anyone have a favorite cost effective method to filter old / wet diesel fuel?

From all of the compressors / light towers and such I've been fixing lately, I've got nearly 55 gallons of the stuff.

The goal would be to run it in the house oil furnace rather than the tractor. I can just pump out fresh diesel from the heating tanks to run the tractor so no need to risk damaging the "can't get parts anymore for that Bosch VA injector pump ".

Thanks

Just draw the fuel off the top so you don't get the water and put it in your fuel tank. Add some biogard to the fuel tank to make sure there's no algae, and just burn it.

Diesel fuel will store for a LONG time. I burned some out of a drum that had been in there for 10 years according to the guy who left it in my barn when I bought this place. It burned just fine.

Unlike gasoline, diesel fuel is nothing but a light oil. It doesn't turn to turpentine like old gasoline.

Good luck with it.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

X2, We burned fuel that had been in the tug's belly tanks for at least 12 years. It was rather dark but burned fine and got us home.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

You did not say down to how many Microns you wanted to filter.
Also not mentioned is if you want to filter inline with a Hose or piping.

One of our Members said He uses a Funnel with a Built in Filter. He did not say how far it filtered down to but that would be nice if you are filling a 5 gal Can or pouring from a 5 gal can.

WVO and Bio Diesel Users use Bag Filters. They have them down to 2 absolute Microns (they can be found on eBay and other sites). But, they can be messy to use because you have to pour from container to container.
Some of them are supposed to be washable; but I have never read how or with what someone is supposed to wash them


There is also a lot of Fuel Tank Filters in the 20-30 micron range like the Gloden Rod type ones. I have seen these mounted on Barrel Pumps.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

My filtering will consist of dumping fuel into a high tank then letting it drip through some sort of filter on it's way to another tank. I can deal with a very fine filter since time isn't a issue as would be a inline system. Separating the bulk of the water would be easy but not what is mixed in. I've seen ultra low sulfur ( green ) diesel get water in it and it remains cloudy even after the tank had been drained. ( I'm dealing with regular red diesel )

In the old days there was a engine oil filter that used a roll of toilet paper, I'd guessing this was a bad idea as toilet paper is designed to come apart when water hits it. I was thinking about a paper towel roll with the center removed to act as a filter since paper towels hold up a bit better. Any other common costs nothing filtering element would be in the table as well.

My main concern with the fuel is algae, I'm thinking if a fine enough filter can be used it won't pass through ( or at least very little of it. )

I was given 50 gallons of fuel that had been pumped out of a sailboat fuel tank. I bought 4 cloth filters 50, 10, 5, and 1 micron. After filtering the fuel I blended it with b-99 at a 50/50 mix.

I had no issues burning it and actually got a slight improvement in fuel economy.

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1987 300TD 309, xxx 2.8.2014 10,000 mile OCI


Be careful of the toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. anonymous

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter won’t mind.” Dr. Seuss

You are speaking of the Frantz Oil Cleaner/Filter and there was another called Motor Guard that used Toilet Paper (from the past).

The Frantz ones are frequently on eBay and cost a bit when sold. The Motor Guard is still being made but is sold as an Compress Air Line Moisture absorber.

There is another that can use Toilet Paper Element is made by Gulf Coast Filters. I think they are still in production and the Make large Big Rig typ Filters that can use Paper Towel Rolls as Elements.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

MOST of the water will settle to the bottom.
put the fuel in a container with a drain on the bottom with a valve, leave the container ABSOLUTELY still with the valve as the absolute lowest point in the tank. the water will collect there, and you can drain it off.
then draw the fuel through a separating filter. pretty simple to say... have fun.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Diesel911, to clean those bags I use White Spirits also known as Stoddart solvent to clean. Just soak over night. Next day gently hand wash bag in warm water and washing powder several times till clean. Hang out to dry.

Thanks for the info>
The Solvent does not eat up Polyester Bag Filters?
If not that is interesting.
Also what is it you are Filtering?

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Now that I think of it, I should have one of the Motor Guard compressed air filter housings floating around. Pretty sure I know where it is too.

Thanks

White spirits also commonly known as 'dry cleaning fluid' so it won't damage the bags.

I filter WVO

Also best to turn the filter bag inside out to soak, clean and dry; rinse with clean water after washing with washing powder; hang upside down to dry, this keeps dirt in the air on the filtering side of the bag (the eventual inside filtering surface).

Glad to be of help.

When I bought my office building it had an old 1550 gallon fuel tank in the basement. I always assumed it was empty. One day I decided to have it removed so sent a worker down to open the access hole to see how much gunk was left in the tank. he came back and said it was full. Nearest I can figure was it had been setting there since the boiler had been converted to natural gas. Best guess was about 40 years.

We took a sample off the bottom and found it was nice and clear though a bit dark in color. First I tried to get a fuel supplier to come pump it but they refused anything more than a year old. They suggested a hazardous material contractor. I thougtht fooey, that stuff is good.

I installed a pump with an ordinary truck diesel fuel filter in line and pumped it into my 91 350sdl tank and drove away.

No issues.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Now THAT is the way to dispose of it!!!!!!!!

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Best "old fuel" story yet.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"