Is this ALGAE ? Pic of my dad's fuel filter....
 

Hey,

We didn't bother changing the fuel filter on my fathers new acquisition because I thought that the filter was just this dark originally. I read somewhere about ALGAE so I decided to change the filter to a nice clean fresh see through filter. I decided to open this one up and sure enough it had some type of mildew that was black in color. It actually reminded me of oil somewhat.... Here are the pics..

If that is algae then that means I need to get some type of algae "be gone"... where would I go about getting this ?

Thanks and here are the pics

CLICK ON PICS FOR LARGER VERSIONS

If that's is algae it's been killed, because living algae will be a whitesh color. If the car is like 123 cars you will need to pull the fuel strainer out of the bottom of the tank as it may need cleaning also.

Get some Biobor, any marine store should have it. But before you put anything in your tank get 1/2 a dozen spare fuel filters, because if their is a lot of algea you will go threw filters like crazy!

mine was just like that. i always wondered why

Kamil,

No its not algae, its fungus. Autozen informed me that it is a fungus not algae. I did some research and found that he is correct. So we should start calling it by the correct name: Fungus.

A biocide is the only additive that will kill the fungus. Biobor is a brand name of a biocide you can use. Diesel Doctor is no longer available and was made from Biobor. Biobor is not approved for on road use by the EPA so its hard to find but you can find it at some marinas. You also can find where it is available by doing an online search.

If you don't kill the fungus and just clean it out of your tank and replace the filters, It will eventually reappear.

P E H

Try Bio Kleen by Power Service, works great. One once to 20 gallons for shock treatment and 1/2 after that for maintance. A 16 oz bottle has lasted me two years and I've shocked several cars and use it about every 3 rd fill up. Follow the link.Power Service

PEH,
You are a true gentleman. I enjoy playing chess with you. Any time you put me in a check position as I have with you, you will here me say" I stand corrected:.

OLD NAVY,
What was your rating?

Kamil,
Do a search, but the thread is so new it may still be open. PEH explained it perfectly.

Peter

algae fungus bacteria
 

Well gentlemen you are almost correct in fact you need to add pseudomonas Aeruginosa as an a dditional problem in diesel fule systems. It seems this aneorbic bug can live on almost any carbon source and is found in the wing tanks of F-14s, B52s, storage tanks in oil fields and in your disel fuel tank.


It is estimated that eight out of every ten diesel engine failures have been directly related to contaminated fuel. The build up of contaminates in the fuel storage tanks can quickly clog filters resulting in engine shut down, fuel pump wear and diesel engine damage. These situations are both time consuming and costly.

So the Biocide, Diesel Doctor and others do multiple duties but from my understaning its the psudomonsa that does the most harm by forming acids that corrode the system including injectors. This is mostly a problem in temperate climants south of the Mason Dixon line and with with vehicles that stand for long periods or you can get a "dose of the clap" from old tanks and cheap fuel stops that have lots' of water in the fuel.

The fuel-eating bacteria, known as Pseudomonas, have evolved a taste for hydrocarbons, the major component of fossil fuels. The molecular structure of a hydrocarbon can be visualized as a backbone-like string of carbon atoms bonded to a rib cage of hydrogen atoms.

Shaped like Tic-Tac breath mints, Pseudomonas are so tiny that 50 of them could line up bumper-to-bumper across the sharp edge of a piece of paper. A shovel-full of soil dug almost anywhere on Earth contains millions of them.

.

OM1 (SW) USN
12B30 USA (shore duty) :rolleyes: Demolitions :eek: :cool:

thanks guys.... where would I be able to purchase this stuff online ?

The power service biocide that old navy mentioned is available here at Walmart.

Cheers,

Bill

I'm sure West Marine or Defender would ship you some.

Beware of the shipping cost of Biobor. It cost me ~$38 for UPS to ship a quart less than 500 miles because it is classified as a hazarduos substance.

What a ripoff. It didn't cost UPS a penny more to ship it. It was packed in a regular cardboard box.

So try to find it locally if you can. A quart of Biobor costs ~$40 plus shipping, but it will treat 2000 gallons of fuel.

P E H

Walmart, farm supply store, marine supply store, major part stores (you may have to order it but not pay the shipping), farm tractor dealer, RV dealer (iffy), truck stop (iffy), fuel wholesaler (ask your station who they buy from). The generic name is biocide. You want just biocide, not a jug of fix-it-all with a little biocide in it. Buy a quart and it will last a long time, especially if you do this: shock the tank, drain the tank into fuel jugs, filter that fuel so it's clean again, clean the fuel tank strainer, put fuel back into tank, prime at least a quart before changing the filters. Keep the tank full and treat the fuel (I use grey bottle PowerService). And keep a few spare filters in the trunk. A few hours of work at home is a lot cheaper than a few on the road.

Since most people do the shock dose treatment with a close to empty tank (so as to have less fuel to drain) don't forget that the bugs can still cling to the side of the tank. The best bet is to add the shock dose then drive the car a bit over bumps and swerves to slosh the treated fuel around as much as possible. When you are done drain out the old fuel and add a second high dose as you fill the tank full. With any luck you'll have gotten most of it the first time so the filter casualties on the second treatment won't be too bad.

Since you will be changing filters anyway along with removing the tank screen, fill it up to the top after adding the biocide. Otherwise you will never get rid of the critters at the top of the tank. If it's so bad as to completely clog the tank screen, break out the siphon hose then remove the tank screen. If the problem has gotten so bad that it cloggs up filters rather quickly and more then one, you probably need to remove the tank for real cleaning.

IRG,

Why not do as the biobor instructions specify: Add 1/2 oz. of Biocor to 20 gallons of fuel. This way the biocide will remain in the tank longer and get thru the entire fuel system to kill the fungus whereever it may lurk.

I had a fungus problem bad enough to plug the fuel tank strainer, but I didn't have to throw away any fuel or replace any filters after I added 1/2 oz. Biocor to 20 gallons and now I am on my second 20 gallons with 1/4 oz Biocor added and still no problems with plugged filters.

I plan on adding 1/4 oz. Biocor to every 20 gallons except when I use the car for long trips like when I go to Vegas and back. When I return home, I will continue to use Biocor until I'm sure there is no more fungus in my fuel system.

P E H

That's the way to do it. :cool: When in doubt, follow the directions. :D ;) :D

PEH,
I agree about following directions. However, if the algae/fungus is really bad then the tank needs to be drained. Filling the tank to then just drain it is a waste. My suggestion was in the context of a bad infestation and draining the tank so as to get the worst of it out then do a more proper full tank shock dose (as instructed) and hopefully save yourself about a half a dozen filters. Of course if the infestation is mild then draining the tank is probably unnecessary.

Virtual,
Thanks for the dissertation. It was very informative. It brings up a question, however. F-14s fly on JP-4 or JP-5 which is basically kerosene. Why don't home heating systems in the East or southern parts of the states suffer from this problem. When I lived in Virginia many years ago, I had an oil burning furnance. I had a large storage tank that was refilled periodically. I don't recall having any problems. Can anybody add to this?

Old Navy,
So you got your surface warfare tech badge. I used to hang out with the Quarter Masters sometimes. As a Missile Fire Control Technician I didn't have anything to do in port so the QMs would let me stand their anchor dragging watches for them. They taught me how to take relative bearings during the watch and plot the chart to alert the OD if we were dragging anchor. They got time off and it gave me something to do. I didn't go on the beach during many port calls, because there are only so many times you can visit the Mediteranian Ports of France, Spain, Greece, Malta, Gibralter, Turkey, Italy, Crete, Sicily, etc. At sea the QMs taught me to shoot stars and drop sun lines. I also spent some time with the Snipes who taught me how to descale a boiler. A guided missile cruiser with over a thousand men aboard is like a floating city. The only thing bigger is a birdfarm (carrier).


Fair winds and following seas,
Peter

Autozen,

You have to get contaminated fuel that has the fungus in it. In 35 years driving Diesels, I only ever had the problem in one car, my 80 300SD. That car has been in every state except HI, so it could have gotten contaminated fuel almost anywhere.

Stationery fuel tanks do get fungus growth in them if contaminated fuel is put in them. Same biocide treatment is needed to kill the fungus.

If you always get fungus free fuel, you will not have any fungus in your fuel system to grow. But once you get cantaminated fuel only a biocide will kill it.
The reason the problem is more prevalent in the south is because of the warmer humid weather. Almost all bacteria/virus/fungus grow and multiply faster in warmer and more humid conditions.

P E H

PEH,

You've answered a lot of my questions. Apparently fungus doesn't show up like fruit flies. Because of the high humidity in the South it is a good idea to get a shot regularly to be sure you don't get the clap. This latter statement reflects why we don't take any preventive measures in the west. Am I correct on these assumptions?

Thanks,
Peter

You can develop the problem in a sitting tank, if it has contact with warm moist air. The good news is most retailers have the biocide added to the fuel mix prior to delivery to their stores or dristribution centers. I noticed one of the things done once when I had my furnance serviced before start of heating system in VA was the guy added biocide to the tank. It wasn't on the sales ticket, but was just a part of the regular pre winter service.

Also WVO and bio-diesel are very prone to growth of crap in the tanks.