Opened up my Fuel Filter

[Cincinnati Guy]

I was getting sputtering on hard acceleration, figured it was my filter. I was right this is a wix 33417 fuel/Water Separator. I used a pair of tin snips. What ever this is feels smooth and slimy, dont really feel like dirt or rust. It is brown in color.

Here is what I found when it was opened.

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[Goofyexponent]

YOU.....had algae in your fuel!

You need to either drop your tank(s) and give them a GOO cleaning out, or get a good biocide and put in the tanks to kill the algae. keep a coupel spare filters in teh cab...you are going to need them!

This is what I LOVE about my colder climate.....when I pulled the tank from the truck to replace it last week...there was barely ANY water in it....she was clean as a whistle inside!!

The back tank however, has not been used in about a year or more due to a pinhole leak near the bottom....I can't wait to drop it to replace it and see what lies inside.

 

[RLDSL]

Can you say, Critters?
You need to get a good fuel biocide, like Kill-em and get rid of your unwelcomed guests. Be ready with a few spare filters on hand .

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

Dang it, I was fearing thats what it was but was hoping I was wrong! Can some biocide be bought locally or is online the best?

 

[Goofyexponent]

I am not sure. I have never had to deal with the stuff. I think Power Service makes some type of biocide.

Would a fuel additive used every tank fill up prevent this? Something like power Service Diesel Kleen, or Howes?

I wouldn't think so, but it's always good to ask questions when you aren't sure.

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

My local Tractor Supply has the stuff by power service call Bio Clean I think. It is $25 for a bottle.

Once I get my goldenrod in service Ill drop in the Biocide.

Now the question would be did I get it start in my truck or did I get it from the fuel station up the road. They just opened back up after being closed maybe 4 years.

 

[RLDSL]

My local Tractor Supply has the stuff by power service call Bio Clean I think. It is $25 for a bottle.

Once I get my goldenrod in service Ill drop in the Biocide.

Now the question would be did I get it start in my truck or did I get it from the fuel station up the road. They just opened back up after being closed maybe 4 years.

Good chance you picked it up at the fuel station, unfortunately , with an infestation like that , your tank is now all nasty too

 

[-=DeanstuD=-]

Everyone seems to like a different brand of chemical to deal with the fuel bug. From my great amount of reading and little real life experience, a biocide will kill the bugs but then proceed to clog the filters. There is a product called Startron, that claims to transform the bugs into passable, burnable size. Supposedly not clogging up the filters after treatment.

I had the bugs in my Merc, and clogeed my pre filter solid black in about 20 miles. new filter and clogged again. So, I couldn't see buying a biocide that was just going to keep clogging pre filters @ $5 a piece for some unknown amount of time.

I will copy paste from the other forum, what I did to it. My opinion is that the startron worked as advertised, because the filter has not clogged.



I took a fuel pump designed for a refrigeration unit on a semi trailer, and looped it with a pre filter onto the cars supply and return lines. It is designed to run 24/7 and it is rated at 30 gallons per hour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECfzMU3Catc

This pump has a built in removable 80 micron screen, then I had the stock Mercedes prefilter. I don't know its micron rating (10?) and I couldn't find it on the web. I let it run for 40 hours, circulating fuel from the tank. I figured 40 hrs * 30 gal per hour is 1200 gallons filtered, divided by 23 gal (tank size??) So theoretically simulates having gone through 52 tanks of fuel.

After that time here is a close up of the screen in the pump, there were also little black specks in the screen.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pQFtpB735S1jZ1PoeWywLQ?feat=directlink

Here is the prefilter, Doesn't look like anything in there...

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u8zlQAs4s4KTyCIyyvojNw?feat=directlink

So, IMO the Startron worked as advertised, as in it did not plug the filter so it must have really transformed the bugs into something small enough to pass and burn...

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

I never did have a problem until I started fueling up there, remember just because its cheaper don't mean its good. Should I save the filter and take it up there and show them? I doubt they would understand what I'm talking about(There Pakistani people.)

 

[Goofyexponent]

I never did have a problem until I started fueling up there, remember just because its cheaper don't mean its good. Should I save the filter and take it up there and show them? I doubt they would understand what I'm talking about(There Pakistani people.)

HA! That means that there is even more fun to be had! I would do it. Who knows how many other people are having the same problem....maybe some trucker just filled up there and is about 50 miles out of town on the side of the road scratching his head because of the same problem.

 

[ken74amx]

its the taliban. this is there newest terrorist attack! take down americas trucking industry and we all know our first responce vehicles are old school diesels. the only things that will run after an emp has gone off. They figured use out! hurry and flee the states to canada!

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Get yourself a good 12 volt transfer pump and pump that stuff out and look at it, then you'll know what you're up against. I got some watery fuel from a Chevron that I never filled up at before, it was two full beer bottles of water in a single tank fill up, wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself.

 

[icanfixall]

In town I will only use a station pump that I know has lots of traffic. I never have had a buggy fillup or water yet..

 

[Worstenemy453]

I wonder if you could drop the tanks and bleach them out and everything or use an acid of some sort.

 

[icanfixall]

I don't think bleach will kill the bugs. Get some alge killer like posted above....