Has anyone successfully rid their fuel system of algae? What is
the best method?
Subj: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: PaulLaw342@aol.com
When I did my annual fuel filter change, I found that the Racor
filter had quite a bit of black stringy and black globular material
in it. I am presuming that this is algae and that I received a
contaminated fill up this summer.
What to do now. One mechanic assures me the algae will die in the
freezing winter temperatures of Western NY and will slowly be
captured by the filter next season as long as I monitor and
frequently change them @ $17.95 a Racor filter. Another mechanic
says to pump the diesel from the tank, rinse well and discard it via
a waste management company (total cost about $90 plus the cost of
refilling the tank). Has anyone successfully rid their fuel system
of algae? What is the best method?
Paul Law "Avalon" #912
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: RPDIII@aol.com
Paul:
By any chance does your fuel system have the screen on the fuel tank
line pickup and have you removed the screen? By the way the cost of
cleaning the tank is still a lot less expensive than rebuilding, and
replacing, the injector pump.
Rich Dwyer "Rebellious"
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: Dosgoats@aol.com
Paul
1. Have you been treating your fuel with biocide regularly at every
fill up? If not, you could have been growing the algae all by
yourself and it may not have been the fuel vendor's fault.
2. It is possible to have the fuel analyzed to determine what the
growth is.
3. It is also possible to have the fuel "polished" or
reconsitituted, rather than discarding it. Depends on how much fuel
you have left in your tank.
4. Have you checked the strainer on your fuel pump also?
Stu Jackson #224 "Aquavite" San Francisco
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: PaulLaw342@aol.com
Rich, you're right that rebuilding pumps and injectors is an
expensive proposition. I'm less concerned about the cost of pumping
out the fuel and rinsing the tank than I am on the true
effectiveness of the process. Will it work or will I not be able to
clean the tank well enough to get the junk out? I removed the filter
at the end of the fuel pick up hose last year.
Thanks, Paul Law "Avalon" #912
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: RPDIII@aol.com
Hi Paul,
If you removed the screen at the end of the pickup line then your
mechanic could be right. But if you are still finding a lot of
sludge then the clean out sounds like the best answer. Please keep
us informed of your progress and success of setbacks.
Thanks Rich
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: FRANKKUL@prodigy.net (Frank Kulscar)
We've had a problem with our 1986 boat with algae. The first year we
bought the boat (1996) the engine quit several times until I removed
the pick up tube on the fuel line. Thereafter, we had the engine
quit once or twice after traveling in heavy seas (wash machine
action in the tank) after not changing the filter for some time. For
the past two years I've changed the filter regularly at
approximately 50 hours or after numerous heavy seas travels and have
("knock on wood") not had the engine quit. My neighbor had
the tank cleaned on his 36 with the high pressure filtering system.
The residue in the racor filter from his boat looks worse than ours.
Think about it, the tank has baffles and corners. How do you think
the high pressure filter system can "see" all of the blind
corners and sides around the baffles from that small fuel hose entry
hole ?
My solution is to keep a clean filter with regular changes and
regularly use a bio-cide in the tank (one a month). After seeing the
residue from my neighbors boat I believe the $250 cost to hire one
of the high pressure filter services is a joke. That buys allot of
racor filters (about 14) which would bring you to a break even at
about 4 years. By then your filtered tank will have another severe
algae problem. Anyone who believes that their diesel fuel tank is
algae free will eventually get a shocking surprise when the engine
shuts down in the most awkward spot after some heavy sea traveling.
By the way, I also investigated replacing the tank. You can replace
the tank for the same amount of money as getting it washed down.
Removal / replacement looks fairly easy. Disposal of your old tank
could be a problem, but then if you could take it home, dry it out
and clean it over a period of a two to three years, it could be your
next replacement when your new tank gets algae in it.
Frank "Kik N Bak"
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: jmoe@worldnet.att.net (James Moe)
We had a similar problem with our C-30 last summer which stopped the
engine a couple of times. After two filter changes and a good dose
of algaecide in the tank, things appeared to be OK with the filter
fairly clean at the end of the season. However, the problem was back
early this season with the filter so gummed up it was hard to
imagine why the engine ran at all before it quit. The boat is in
Bayfield on Lake Superior with -30 degree temps common in the
winter. The little bugs apparently came through that without
suffering any loss of vitality, so I wouldn't count on freezing to
kill them off. They can't exist in diesel fuel or water alone, but
thrive at the interface between water and fuel. Thus if a water-fuel
interface exists in the tank, they have a great habitat.
Early this summer, we had the tank professionally cleaned (in the
boat) and fuel "polished." This consisted of pumping it
through a multiple filter arrangement, stored in a dockside tank,
algaecide added, then put back into the boat tank after the tank had
been cleaned and sterilized. Cost was around $130. There have been
no problems since and the filter has remained clean.
Based on this experience, I would suggest the second of your two
options. Make sure no water remains in the tank as that's what
provides a suitable environment for the little critters to prosper.
Jim Moe "Windseeker" #976
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: Salrman@aol.com
I've had more up-close and personal interaction with the fuel tank
for my 1988 Catalina over the past two years than I'd have
preferred. Bottom line is that I agree with one of the prior posts
about regular use of biocide and that the onboard fuel and tank
cleansing operations are not work the money.
Summer 98 I noticed a diesel smell in the aft cabin. Upon
investigating (which required exposing the tank by removing the port
side wooden "wall" in the aft cabin) I found that the tank
was leaking from somewhere on the bottom. After draining and
removing the tank, it appears that the tank was sitting directly on
the fiberglass shelf as it was supposed to, but that over the years,
water had leaked down onto the shelf and had caused a couple of
pinholes in the tank. This was easily remedied by a local welder who
cut out the offending areas and welded new surfaces on the tank.
Also did a complete cleansing of the tank before sealing it up.
Changed the hoses when re-installing the tank and placed some of the
plastic cockpit flooring squares under the tank to minimize exposure
to water (also tightened up all of the deck fasteners). All in all a
couple of hours of labor and a slightly twisted back from
maneuvering the tank out of the aft cabin area. No problems for
about a year.
July 99 - got a bad batch of fuel over the weekend of the 4th.
Engine ran fine for about 4 hours after filling up but then the
filter clogged and was not able to get it running so had to take a
tow back to the dock. Turned out that not only was the intake filter
clogged but the filter on the return line was as well. Plus the pump
(which was going on 8 years anyway) died. Changed both filters and
the pump and had the fuel tank "power filtered" by a local
fuel cleansing company, which for $225 included a shock treatment of
biocide (which costs about $10 at the local supply store).
Everything worked well for about 2 hours of engine time.
August 99 - Two weeks later, had the primary filter completely clog
up. The fuel was very cloudy and had a fair amount of precipitate.
Changed the filters again (I'm thinking of buying stock in Racor),
and drained the tank and disposed of the fuel at the local municipal
hazmat recycle station (luckily no charge). Cycled a couple of
gallons of clean fuel in to try to mix the sludge up a little, and
did a little brushing through the fuel gauge access hole. Not very
robust by any means but the fuel runs clean at this point.
So, many fuel filters and a pump later, I think I'm back on track.
Lessons? Nothing earth-shattering. Biocide at all times. Carry spare
filters and a pump. Wouldn't waste the money on the fuel cleansing
process. Remove and clean the tank every couple of years. Change the
primary and return filters every 50 hours, even if the bowl looks
clean.
J Murray "Therapy" #564
Subj: Re: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: mark@chokey.mo.md.us (Mark Sienkiewicz)
I don't know about "best" method, but here's my story:
I think the fuel in my tank was contaminated when I bought the boat.
It had fuel problems at the survey, and the broker had a mechanic
"fix" it by a method that I would (with hindsight)
describe as "covering up the problem". He moved the fuel
pump ahead of the Racor filter, so it was blowing through the filter
instead of sucking. For winter storage, I did put in fuel treatment
and another 5 gallons or so to top up the tank. It always ran a
little rough, but was at least working until one day I was motoring
along in a bit of chop and the engine stalled. Ok, so it's a sail
boat - we can still get home, right?
I had a mechanic come out and change all the filters, which helped
for a day or two. Then it got clogged up again, and the idle speed
dropped too low to sustain the engine.
I considered having the fuel polished, but I had really had enough
of engine problems. I took it to have the tank steam cleaned. To
steam clean the tank, they empty it out and blow superheated steam
through it. The heat of the steam helps to melt any semi-solid gunk
that may be there. This, plus the force of the steam, gets it a lot
cleaner than just sucking the fuel out through the filler hole. The
place that did the work normally polishes the fuel and puts it back
in the tank when you're done, because that is cheaper than disposing
of the contaminated fuel (which is a hazardous waste).
When I picked up the boat, he told me that it was so bad that they
discarded about 10 gallons (i.e. more than half a tank) of fuel
because they couldn't get it to run through their filters.
Because I have had such a bad time with fuel contamination (and
because I know what they eventually found in the tank), I'm glad I
had it steam cleaned instead of just pumped out and filtered. It was
pretty expensive, though, at over $400. I guess I could have
replaced the fuel tank myself for that much, but then what am I
going to do with 10 gallons of liquid hazardous waste and the old
fuel tank?
b.t.w. I am not having good experiences with boat mechanics. The
brokers mechanic rearranged the fuel system into a sequence that the
engine manufacturer specifically warns against. That is, pump-racor-filter,
instead of racor-pump-filter. The guy who changed my oil filters
took over 2 weeks to get to it, and when he did, he used the head
and didn't flush it. The place that did the steam cleaning didn't
change the fuel filters (though I explicitly told them to), and they
billed me for the wrong amount because some mechanic had not
reported his hours in time. When they sent me the corrected itemized
hours, it showed that all work on my boat began at midnight and
typically ended between 1:45 and 2:30 AM. As you can imagine, I'm
not amused, but at least the problem seems to be fixed now and I'm
happy about that.
Subj: RE: [C34] Contaminated diesel Fuel
From: holder@unixg.ubc.ca (Holder)
I had a lot of problem with water and algae in the fuel system about
two years ago until I replaced the standard plastic fuel filler deck
fittings with good quality stainless steel fittings. Basically the
problem was that the plastic screw in caps fractured at the bottom.
While trying to sort out the problem I had the fuel tank
professionally "polished" twice at considerable cost.
I wouldn't have the fuel polished again. Its much cheaper to use a
biocide routinely and, if necessary, either run the standard
electric fuel pump with the engine bleed bypass open or buy a fuel
pump and spare fuel filter and make up ones own fuel cleaning
circuit. As an aside I discovered that the manual pump on the Racor
contains components that corrode on exposure to water (at one point
I had a lot of water in the fuel). The manual pump is to prime the
filter and is located in the top of the unit. I managed to clean up
the corroded parts so saving the cost of replacing the whole Racor
unit but not everyone would find it practical or worthwhile. The
message: check the filter every day and drain it if there's water or
a sudden increase in sludge. Beware of water in the fuel, in rough
seas the agitation can cause the water to emulsify in the fuel. If
that happens the engine probably won't run. Although the electric
fuel pump is after the Racor filter you should beware of plugging of
its internal filter. During the same period when I was getting water
into the fuel system, I also found the engine wouldn't put out its
full power. The cause was fuel starvation due to plugging of the
fuel pump filter. The standard pump can be dismantled without
disconnecting the hoses by twisting the bottom cover of the pump. It
has a bayonet style attachment. BUT beware there is a spring and
several small components that are easily lost into the bilge. I
know, I've lost them and had to buy a new pump.
Charles and Ba Holder
Subj: Diesel goo
From: cpearsall@smcplus.com
There has been much talk on the problems of buying contaminated
Diesel. I would ask you to consider the following. When you pump
fuel into the tank you are stirring up whatever crud, algae,
bacteria and sundry goo is already lying on the bottom of the tank.
Heavy seas also stir up the evils within. Algae and biocides leave
the little bodies dead but intact within the tank. They have to go
somewhere. The water removing additives somehow encapsulate the
molecules so they mix with the fuel. I find most of my goo in the
strainer in the fuel pump, which is before(?) the primary filter on
my boat. So much so that I keep two extras of these on hand at all
time, as well as spare primary (Racor 2micron) and secondary fuel
filters. One idea you may consider is to get a yellow plastic five
gallon jerry can and purchase Diesel from a truck stop - where daily
consumption is great and the fuel doesn't sit around collecting wax
and flora, (and costs 30% less than at a marina). Take it to the
boat and pour it through a water-separating funnel (available at
auto supply stores) to pre-filter the larger lumps. I would do this,
but my marina forbids transferring fuel at the slips. There may even
be state or federal laws against this. Good thing I and all Catalina
owners are law abiding citizens.
Charlie Pearsall
Subj: Re: Diesel goo
From: johnwatson@mindspring.com (John Watson)
My '86 C-30 had the fuel filters arranged as you describe here. On
advice of folks on one or more of these lists, who advised me that
the newer Catalina's had the filters set up so that the fuel goes
through the primary (Racor) first, then the fuel pump, and then the
secondary (spin-on), I recently rearranged mine. So far, works fine,
and avoids the problem of the fuel pump clogging. Just took some
fuel hose and a few minutes' time. Changing the filter in the Racor
is a different matter. That is a chore.
John D. Watson, Birmingham, AL
Important: The opinions expressed here are
those of the individual contributors to this page, and not those of
the Catalina 34 National Association or Catalina Yachts, Inc.
Additionally, this material has not been reviewed by Catalina
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suggested modifications or upgrades. Please obtain assistance from a
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