Bought a 2017 L3560HSTC with 26 hours on it. Not sure how old the diesel fuel is in the tank. I think it has a half tank of fuel in it. It is supposed to be delivered tomorrow or Tuesday. Is there anything you all would recommend with regards to the fuel in the tank? It may be brand new fuel, but it may be a year old. I have no way of knowing. I’ve never owned a diesel tractor, or diesel anything for that matter. Should I drain it somehow? Just top it up with new fuel? Or, not worry about it all?
Old diesel fuel
- Thread starter eiresurg
- Start date
Get yourself a bottle of Powerservice Tank clean and a bottle of Stanadyne fuel additive and dump it in (Stanadyne, full bottle, tank clean a couple ounces), top it off with fresh fuel and be happy. After a cople tanks, change the fuel filter.
Top it off with fresh fuel while adding a good diesel additive in the amount specified on the package. Do NOT double-up with multiple additives or you risk diluting the fuel/lowering cetane.
If you do not empty/refill your tank a couple times a year... buy some Biobor-JF or similar diesel biocide and use it regularly. Change your fuel filter annually.
PS: You're gonna LIKE having a DIESEL! Believe it or not... You'll even begin to LIKE THAT RATTLE-SOUND.
If you do not empty/refill your tank a couple times a year... buy some Biobor-JF or similar diesel biocide and use it regularly. Change your fuel filter annually.
PS: You're gonna LIKE having a DIESEL! Believe it or not... You'll even begin to LIKE THAT RATTLE-SOUND.
My neighbor has an excavating business with multiple diesel machines. Gave the same advice.
Thank you!
Got it. The Stanadyne instructions say to use certain amount per gallon of fuel, so I went with that. Appreciate the advice.
Diesel doesn't go bad like ethanol gas, just fill it up and run it. The oldest it could be is 2 years old, that's no issue with diesel
That must be an opinion as it is not supported by the petroleum industry nor EPA. The truth is that all fuels will degrade over time. In fact, the EPA reports that ULSD diesel has a shelf life of between 3-6 months. Exxon says 6 months, and Chevron says up to a year if certain measures are taken. Military storage depots store fuel for up to 4 years but "re-refine" it (reprocess/polish it) within Mil-Spec guidelines. ASTM D-4625 only specifies 24 weeks of stability for diesel fuels. (So if you keep diesel longer than 6 mos you should treat it with stabilizer and biocides (and later edit: filter it before delivery into your machine.)
Want more info?: https://www.chevron.com/-/media/chevron/operations/documents/diesel-fuel-tech-review.pdf
When seeking answers such as this one, it's best to take forums and similar sites with a grain of salt because they are so opinionated. Same is true of "additive marketers" who have a definite bias.
The petroleum industry and gov't regulatory agencies have real "skin in the game" and are supported by genuine research and are more reliable sources of info.
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Yes, all forums are opinions, mine included
Have 2 year old diesel (300 gal tank) I'm using weekly in my F3990 (regen mower), cat 416C 2000 back hoe (every now and then). and 955 loader and D3 dozer without any issues. The dozer and loader some times don't move for years, and never fail to fire up and go.
You imagine how many heavy equipment contracts would have an issue if diesel only last for 6 months. Diesel is oil, light weight oil, not gas, it does not evaporate or collect water from humidity.
You always have to worry about water getting in diesel for the pump to sitting, but have never heard of it going bad. Three years ago a buddy went a bought a Kubota small tractor that had been sitting for even the owner didn't know how many years. Turned out it had a clogged filer. Replaced it, and it fired right up with the original fuel
I have 2 boats and even ethanol gas last longer then a year and have never used stable or other additive unless its going to sit for more then a year
As always, this is just my opinion and recollection
Have 2 year old diesel (300 gal tank) I'm using weekly in my F3990 (regen mower), cat 416C 2000 back hoe (every now and then). and 955 loader and D3 dozer without any issues. The dozer and loader some times don't move for years, and never fail to fire up and go.
You imagine how many heavy equipment contracts would have an issue if diesel only last for 6 months. Diesel is oil, light weight oil, not gas, it does not evaporate or collect water from humidity.
You always have to worry about water getting in diesel for the pump to sitting, but have never heard of it going bad. Three years ago a buddy went a bought a Kubota small tractor that had been sitting for even the owner didn't know how many years. Turned out it had a clogged filer. Replaced it, and it fired right up with the original fuel
I have 2 boats and even ethanol gas last longer then a year and have never used stable or other additive unless its going to sit for more then a year
As always, this is just my opinion and recollection
Simply not true. It contains "aromatics" and additives that age. (Read the Chevron article, especially the last chapter.)
It also is different from refiner to refiner and feedstock to feedstock. The anecdotal stories of starting up an old diesel on fuel that sat in it's tanks for years is just that... anecdote. ...and lucky, if true with no damage.
Diesel engines are robust and take a lot of abuse. But ignoring the fuel quality can be costly.
Can you imagine the arguments that ensue over which brand of oil, etc. that guys get enflamed over... yet those same guys will assert that the fuel age/source/quality does not matter?
Anyway.... it's your machine. You get to do as you wish with it. No intent to flame you or anyone.
Mine gets fuel that is either fresh or properly treated before/during storage.
YMMV
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Beaudeane
New member
Equipment
MX5800, LA1065, BH92, BB72X, RT72.40, EA 60 in grapple, county line auger
If no water in it or it doesn’t look black, just run it. I parked my tractor trailer over a year once and no I’ll effects with no additives. Diesel is way more stable than gas even 15 ppm diesel of the last several years. Filters will catch most problems and if the fuel looks black and u put in an algaecide u will be changing filters anyway. I have worked in the refrigerated trucking industry in the past as well. The produce slows a lot during winter and the company I was at was small so the fuel tanks on those trailers were sometimes not used for 3 or 4 months. No ill effects. Some guys are all about using additives. I only ever used them in antigel situations or water in fuel situations. Just my humble opinion from being an owner operator truck driver the last 26 years dealing with diesel motors
i drained some diesel fuel from a simi's tanks, a friend bought the tanks but couldn't remove them as they were almost full. the truck had been sitting for years.. i used a house filter to strain the fuel before i used it in my pickup. worked great.. it was cleaner than a lot of fuel i bought from one of the local fuel stations. as the tanks were aluminum and the fuel didn't absorb the brown tint from the old rusty tanks of the gas stations.
i got a job cleaning a cities maintenance department, diesel fuel tank, again it hadn't been used for years. it had algae in it. i pumped it out, before cleaning the tank. i filled a 250 gallon heating oil tank after passing it through a couple house h20 filters, piped in series. the final stage was 5 micron, which is finer than most truck filters. i added biocide to the fuel as i pumped it into the tank. i didn't need to buy fuel for a few months with that on hand.
i got a job cleaning a cities maintenance department, diesel fuel tank, again it hadn't been used for years. it had algae in it. i pumped it out, before cleaning the tank. i filled a 250 gallon heating oil tank after passing it through a couple house h20 filters, piped in series. the final stage was 5 micron, which is finer than most truck filters. i added biocide to the fuel as i pumped it into the tank. i didn't need to buy fuel for a few months with that on hand.
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