Diesel bug or rust?

[julianf]

I had to stop three times on a relatively short trip in my 2015 resurrection, to clean out the lift pump gauze.


Facts with which to make your choice -

Individual flakes, entirely separate from one another, and not sticking to one another (beyond what any wet stuff would)
Kind of "disappear" when rubbed between finger and thumb to a "watery", slightly abrasive, very slightly gritty fluid.
Tank was sat since 2015, and then flushed a few times with fresh fuel, and left to drain, before use. What came out (the old fuel) was translucent brown and slightly slightly thicker than normal fuel, but not stringy or lumpy.

I mean, maybe its a bit of both, i don't know. I've encountered enough rust in my life, but never diesel bug. The google photos look more like slime than flakes, but i don't know - which is why I'm asking you!
I have no preference. Diesel bug is simpler to deal with than rust flakes (can just chuck in some killer stuff), but rust flakes will probably clear themselves in time.

Thank you.

-

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Rust in the tank, or in the steel fuel pipes.
Can you fit a disposable in line filter?

 

[colnerov]

Hi, Yes rust, or you could fit a sedimenter bowl. If it persists deal with the tank.

 

[julianf]

Hi, Yes rust, or you could fit a sedimenter bowl.

Im eyeing up sedimeters currently. For the cost of one, it would save me messing about for hours on end trying to clean the tank, and then having to buy a new sender etc. when i bust that trying to take the tank out...

I just need to work out where to mount it first.

I have taken a sample of the "stuff" and am planning on seeing if it sinks in diesel quickly before doing so. If its non-sinking, then a sedimenter wouldn't really help me.

 

[bert]

This is diesel bug, yours doesn't look the same but there might be different styles of bug.

I put a substance called marine 16 in the tank that kills the bug but it doesn't clean the mess from inside the tank.

 

[Wildefalcon]

I use jeyes fluid. Just a short each fill. Change filters a lot.

 

[tom2207]

fit an agglomerator and pipe it backwards , bung a plastic dish wash pad in the bottom of the glass bowl , problem sorted , I did my lorry that way with two agglomerators and a change over lever ,,, as soon as you felt fuel starve , pull in and throw the lever and off you go , sort out the blocked filter after the gig ,, [ if anyone has ever tried to crack the primary filter gauze on a man 18224 , the little brass one , you will know why I did it that way ,] for those who dont know the small primary filter actually sits behind the turbo ,,, and even with a specially bent spanner and a leather glove , you still end up with burns on your wrist trying to do it in a hurry on the way to a job.

 

[julianf]

fit an agglomerator and pipe it backwards , bung a plastic dish wash pad in the bottom of the glass bowl , problem sorted , I did my lorry that way with two agglomerators and a change over lever ,,, as soon as you felt fuel starve , pull in and throw the lever and off you go , sort out the blocked filter after the gig ,, [ if anyone has ever tried to crack the primary filter gauze on a man 18224 , the little brass one , you will know why I did it that way ,] for those who dont know the small primary filter actually sits behind the turbo ,,, and even with a specially bent spanner and a leather glove , you still end up with burns on your wrist trying to do it in a hurry on the way to a job.

I assumed those Delphi things went through the bowl before the filter anyway?

I was looking to keep the existing filter and just get a sedimenter with the bowl, rather than the bowl / filter combo.

But, obviously, if the bowl by itself didn't work, I'd still be getting the junk in the pump gauze.


When I swap the chasiss I'll put a plastic tank in anyway...

I've just managed to quote the bit below and I'm on my phone and can't undo, but it's not a quote...

It's curious that the Discovery's of this era (300tdi) had a sedimenter as standard but the 300 defenders just have the filter. Discos had a plastic tank also.

 

[tom2207]

y feeding it backwards the pan scrub becomes a coarse filter ,, and catches the diesel bug , by going for the glass bottom double height you can look in and see whats going on in the bottom bowl , where the pan scrub lives ,,, you can change how the filter / separator works by changing the direction of flow , the diagrams on the lid cast in , well it is on the CAV ones and they are all basically the same ,,, same idea as a Racor set up but 1600 quid cheaper . [ granted its minus the quarter turn self clean function ]

 

[Morrisman]

Rust is magnetic, so that's an easy way to check exactly what it is, or isn't.

 

[premmington]

Rust is magnetic, so that's an easy way to check exactly what it is, or isn't.

+1 for the above.

"Bug" does look brown and flaky sometimes. But as @Morrisman has pointed out - a magnet is the way forward.

 

[julianf]

Rust is magnetic, so that's an easy way to check exactly what it is, or isn't.

I had a little in a small plastic cup. I diluted it down with some gt85 as it was the thing i had on hand.

If i shake it up, a magnet seems to do nothing at all to the particles in suspension.
Its also interesting that the suspended particles settle fairly rapidly, so, possibly a sedimenter would work well.


This points to it being biological, which, i guess, just means i buy some "stuff" and its job done, right?

Anyone want to recommend some "stuff"?

 

[premmington]

HYDRA FPB-77 FuelPlus - Treatment for Petrol, Kerosene & Diesel

Cleaner for all Types of Liquid Fuels and Fuel Systems | Including Diesel Fuel | The Best Diesel Biocide | 100ml treats 1000L| Deisel fuel additive

www.hydra-int.com

These people sell test kits as well...

 

[Hood]

Would a magnet work? Didn't think rust was very magnetic.

 

[cheb]

Rust is magnetic, think of recording tapes, hard drives and the like. Finest quality rust on a backing medium.

 

[8ob]

Dont think there is much point in fitting a sediment bowl when there is that much contamination, that's enough to plug the pipe or get caught up in the unions. I would be dropping the tank and cleaning it out .

Bob

 

[Hood]

Rust is magnetic, think of recording tapes, hard drives and the like. Finest quality rust on a backing medium.

mmmmmmmmmm ok, I thought that was a different oxide or something.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

mmmmmmmmmm ok, I thought that was a different oxide or something.

Ferric I think. It does not have to hold much magnitisum. Just enough.

Rust in a tank binds with the additives in the fuel and stains it. So it looks bigger than it is.
If you rinse it with a fermented liquid and dry it out, it makes a good oxidizer for going way stuff.

 

[Hood]

Seems it is magnetic right enough but very weak although it should stick to a magnet.

 

[julianf]

I googled it before as I wasn't sure.

I could see no attraction through the beaker but I figured it was largely stuck to the sides of the container with diesel. Which is why I diluted it to a suspension.

My magnet isn't the best. It's an old Aldi welding positioning magnet that wasnt much cop even to start with, so no neodymium, but I really couldn't see any movement in the suspension.

...but that's basically the same as the video above and their table top test. Which also shows no movement.


I was aware of the different oxidation states of iron. I believe that its why, when you heat rusted metal very hot, it changes from red to black. Tapes are the black one, not the red one.