My father in-law has a fuel tank with approx 300 gallons of old Diesel fuel, approx 5 years old. It is ok to use it in my 590 SM? The tanks is on a stand and it in good shape with no signs of any areas that water can enter. what is the shelf life of diesel fuel?
as long as the diesel is not contaminated, I would use it without a second thought, good luck
move it into a transfer tank and dispense out through filter
It's amazing how stupid one can be at times. Such an easy fix why didn't I think of this. At $1.12 a litre it wouldn't take nag to pay off the filter. Thanks.
Water comes in on the air, so there will be water in the tank. Don't stir it up. Put a filter on the hose if you can stand the extra wait, or put your tank so the top is above the fuel level in the tank so it won't overflow while you're not watching. I'd try to use it up as soon as possible, and not leave it sitting in my machine longer than I had to. Use the old stuff when you're using the machine often, and put new diesel in during the slow season. John Deere recommends storing biodiesel for max 45 DAYS, different animal, but that makes me stop and think.
I read this thread awhile ago. It has some info to consider about using old diesel: HeavyEquipmentForums
might want to consiter adding some conditioner just in case.
Thanks for all the information. That link to the t=deer+diesel was quite good thanks, I think what I'll do is wait till spring and add some additive and a filter on the discharge of the tank to filler hose and maybe blend 1/2 &1/2 with new fuel just to be safe. Thanks agin to all.
I'd def treat it, I had old fuel 2-3 yo in my backhoe when I bought it.. I treated it, topped it off with some fresh and it ran just fine.
Set up 2 filters when you pump it. Have a particle filter on one and a water filter next. All it takes is two filter housings and a close nipple between them. I worked for an oil dealer and used to take pump out fuel when we changed out tanks and run it through twice and it worked fine for tractors or my boiler.
I got a few thousand gallons of old fuel from a man who demolished some oil co distribution tank farms. I ran it through a homemade fuel polisher, (primary and secondary fuel filters from a tugboat, and an electric transfer pump), added Startron fuel additive, and ran it back through the polisher again with fresh filters. I have been running it in mid '90s and older equipment with no problem.
All these good ideas, I think I'll do the filter trick at the tank and fill a blend of old and new fuel. I can every everything rigged up now and use. He fuel in the spring when it warms up.
Do it now while the temp is below freezing. The water will remain in the tank as ice on the bottom and you can deal with that later.
The oil companies state that diesel fuel is good for 12 mths. By that, they mean that it doesn't degrade seriously in that time frame. Over 12 mths old, you're looking at slow but steady fuel degradation - but the degradation is very dependent on how the fuel is stored. Fuel kept at a constant temperature (as in below-ground tanks) will not degrade as rapidly as fuel kept in above ground tanks with wide temperature variations. Wide temperature variations leads to a steady water build-up in the fuel via condensation. Water in fuel encourages microbiological growth (algae). In addition, the more volatile ingredients of diesel that assist with prompt starting will tend to evaporate as fuel ages. Aged diesel develops gummy deposits that clog fuel injection equipment. Older diesels with low injection pressures and large injector orifices, and accumulated wear, will accommodate aged diesel fuel better than the latest diesels - with their extremely high pressure injection, electronic controls, and very fine tolerances. If your fuel is more than 12 mths old and has been stored above ground, you're well advised to filter it and blend it with newer diesel, to reduce any potential problems.