Understanding Diesel Fuel For Your Trawler
Trawler and motor yacht owners enjoy the sound of our diesel engines; like music to our ears. The diesel engines are the heart of any boat.
But problems can take place with diesel fuel stored in your trawler's fuel tanks, affecting those diesels?
It is important to know what diesel fuel is to begin with. Diesel fuel is processed from crude oil. In oil refineries, petroleum is heated, and different hydrocarbon molecules are extracted to make the fuel. Diesel is much thicker than gasoline and vaporizes much more slowly. It's frequently referred to as "fuel oil" because of its consistency. Often forgotten, diesel is an organic matter.
"Provide a diesel engine good fuel and it will last forever and a day." This old expression is less of an exaggeration than you might believe. Repair statistics record that 90% of trawler diesel engine problems stem from contaminated fuel. The promise of doing away with 9 out of 10 potential failures should put fuel-system maintenance at the top of your list.
The most frequent signs of fuel contamination in a yacht are blocked fuel filters, and decreased engine performance. However, the lack of these conditions does not inevitably suggest that your diesel fuel is not contaminated. In fact, it is probable that every trawler's fuel is moderately contaminated. Diesel Fuel pick-up tubes, where the diesel engine draws fuel from the tank, typically sit about three-quarters of an inch off the bottom of your fuel tank floor. This placement is designed to protect the engine from contamination that has settled to the bottom of the fuel tank. Therefore, you may never recognize that you have a fuel contamination problem until the fuel is agitated in some way - such as when you are in rough waters in your trawler.
Moisture can get into trawler fuel tanks in several ways – by condensation of wet outside air, during transport from refineries to distributors, by leakage through broken fill pipes or vents and by careless handling. Water can cause injector nozzle and pump corrosion, micro-organism development and fuel filter plugging with materials resulting from the corrosion or microbial growth. Your trawler's fuel/water seperators should be inspected frequently for water and drained as necessary. In freezing northern winters, ice formation in fuels containing water produces severe fuel line and filter plugging problems. Regularly removing the water is the most effective way of preventing this problem; however, small quantities of alcohol may be used on an emergency basis to preclude fuel line and filter freeze-ups.
Regular diesel fuel filter exchanges and the costly and time consuming task of cleaning diesel fuel storage tanks have become acceptable routine maintenance instead of looking for a warning signal for diesel engine failure. Diesel fuel filter elements should last several hundred hours or more and injectors some 15,000 hours. Even So, since diesel fuel is inherently unstable, solid matters begin to form and the accumulating storage tank sludge will eventually clog your diesel fuel filters, possibly ruin your injectors and cause diesel engines to smoke.
Fuel stored in vessel tanks for long periods (6 months and more) demands special care. This diesel fuel suffers from multiple issues that influence its quality. The presence of free water supplies the medium for microbiological development that result in the formation of slime and acids inducing corrosion of metal surfaces such as storage tanks, pumps, injectors, etc. Left neglected this water layer will entrap sludge and become the breeding ground for microbes, fungus, yeast and more. This poisonous mix produces acids that compromise the integrity of your storage tank, lines, pumps, fittings and worse, diesel machinery.
Another crucial factor leading to diesel deterioration, is mechanized stress caused by heat and pressure of pumps. Since most diesel engines return substantial amounts of fuel back to the tank, it is simple to see that the engine itself adds to fuel deterioration.
Bugs in the form of bacterium and fungus are present in all diesel fuels. Extended periods of fuel storage can create ideal opportunities for microbes to grow in fuel tanks. The first suggestion of microbial contamination is mucous-like collections on fuel-filters. Bugs can only be removed from the fuel system by polishing or by forbidding their occurrences by use of a diesel fuel biocide such as BioBor. I highly recommend it.
Should you use diesel fuel additives? There are many of additives on the market nowadays that are designed to improve the operation and efficiency of diesel fuel. I opt to use Marvel Mystery Oil. However, if you use the right additives, you can reach peak performance from your fuel every time.
Trawlers typically have primary fuel filters and a set of secondary filters installed; Racor is a good example. Every time the diesel engine is operated, the diesel fuel is polished by filtering and returning fuel back to the tanks. A separate polishing system can also be installed that filters the fuel independently of the engine operating.
About the Author
Mike Dickens, the author, is a boat owner and owner/Broker of Paradise Yachts. Paradise Yachts is a Yacht Brokerage offering used yachts to customers worldwide. Visit our website to view our selection of Used Trawlers, Used Motor Yachts, and Used Sailboats . National and international sales. We ship Used Yachts and Used Boats worldwide. Located in Florida, USA. 904/556-9431
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