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Rust in fuel tank
- Thread starter WBC
- Start date
ValleyFirewood
Senior Member
Likely from condensation.
buckfever
Senior Member
Keep the tank topped off. I have also heard that the bio-diesel that is being added to all fuel is making this problem a lot worse. We have machines that we have had for decades and we noticed that what once only had a thin film of surface rust has within the last 8 years or so turned into flakey rust.
4digger
Well-Known Member
You can run home heating oil instead of off road diesel. It doesn't have the bio blend yet. We like to add a gallon of motor oil to each fill up for lubricidity.
DMiller
Senior Member
Watch the fuel delivery guys, when they deliver to your 2/3/500 gallon tank the last thing they do is add the dye to the tank, next stop may be a farm for road use, comes from the same tank on the same truck, fuel oil for heat, if number 2 fuel oil again same truck, same tank.
Big myth that the farm fuel is any different from road fuel or fuel oil for furnaces, all No.2 fuel oil unless buying a winter blend of No.1 and 2, the dye is the only difference with the road taxes. Have been a fuel hauler, mechanic, driver and farmer, so far this is as true as the Earth revolves the Sun. Ask your supplier.
Be careful adding that motor oil, known to have detergents blended in and can cause deposits in the fuel system, does not burn as well or as hot generating lots of excess carbon and as for lubricity it adds so little is of little value diluted in fuel. Fuel additives are what they are made for, engine oils are for lubricating and cooling engine parts undiluted. Ask of any fuel system repair shop and they will explain it same as here. BTW, using ATF in your personal or company truck, think twice as it turns the fuel Red, a sign the DOT is always looking for.
Big myth that the farm fuel is any different from road fuel or fuel oil for furnaces, all No.2 fuel oil unless buying a winter blend of No.1 and 2, the dye is the only difference with the road taxes. Have been a fuel hauler, mechanic, driver and farmer, so far this is as true as the Earth revolves the Sun. Ask your supplier.
Be careful adding that motor oil, known to have detergents blended in and can cause deposits in the fuel system, does not burn as well or as hot generating lots of excess carbon and as for lubricity it adds so little is of little value diluted in fuel. Fuel additives are what they are made for, engine oils are for lubricating and cooling engine parts undiluted. Ask of any fuel system repair shop and they will explain it same as here. BTW, using ATF in your personal or company truck, think twice as it turns the fuel Red, a sign the DOT is always looking for.
Nige
Senior Member
Even with al possible precautions condensation will still occur in the tank to some extent. Are you draining the tank at least weekly of water and sediment (assuming the tank has a drain tap)..?
hargrove
Well-Known Member
Leaving them full overnight seems to help.
Nige
Senior Member
You should really be draining the tank of water and sediment at weekly intervals. If you find that interval is too short (in other words you're getting nothing out of it) then increase the time between draining until it becomes part of the 250-hour PM service.
overworked
Senior Member
We drain all tanks at pm's, you should top off all machines at end of shift, when you are greasing and looking for oil leaks and broken parts so you can call to have repaired that afternoon or in early am, why wait till 9am to start calling mechanic, rust forms inside tank from the moisture in the air, when the fuel in the tank cools down it draws air into the tank, that cool moist evening air. The lower the fuel level the more air, todays engines with all the fuel running through the head , the fuel temp gets alot higher than ambient temp so you get more expanding and contracting. Hope that explains it.
Nige
Senior Member
Completely understand your issue of not wanting to leave tanks full of fuel overnight but in that case you need to be prepared to drain your tank(s) of water on a regular basis. Once a week would probably be about right.
overworked
Senior Member
I'm not trying to become a target, just posting what I have seen, I under stand about thieves, we spend more time each night securing parts we have removed on the days repairs, my service truck is half full off guards, doors and parts.
It's possible, but probably better and easier to take it off if it's bad enough to do something about.
You could:
leave it on and pressure wash it out, use electrolysis for the rust, pressure wash again and vacuum the water out and hope it doesn't rust before it dries.
take it off and attach to a concrete mixer drum, fill with a little water and gravel or broken glass and rotate a few hours, coat the inside with epoxy to make it as good as a plastic tank.
Obviously remove any strainers or fuel senders before any of this.
I took tank off and I don't see how this dozer was even running for the rust and dirt. I ended up taking tank to a metal cleaning place I found out about. Their gonna clean it for me. After I got the tank off, I noticed that there were a couple thin "spacers" or "shims" you might say between the tank and tractor on just one side and none on the other unless I lost them when removing the tank. Can someone explain to me what all supposed to be here? I actually thought there would have been some kind of rubber for cushion. I'm thinking about maybe putting some pieces of thin rubber there, for example "pieces of inner-tube"
TreeHogger
Well-Known Member
DMiller - what is your position on using 2 cycle oil as an additive to the fuel for a lubricant and conditioner? It is made for precisely this purpose, commonplace and probably much cheaper than specialty additives??
Thanks,
Mark
Thanks,
Mark