Diesel Fuel

[Scott]

Winter storage is coming fast…1988 Catalina 27 with an M-18… Last year I only used a quarter of a tank of diesel fuel. Prior to going on the hard for the winter I topped off the tank and added diesel stabilizer. This year I used about the same amount of fuel. My question is….how long will the fuel remain good? And should I add stabilizer again this year?

 

[Allen]

Add Stabilizer

Scott,Great question. The answer is yes. Definitely add more stabilizer, but be aware that a portion of the fuel in your tank is over a year old & could be prone to causing problems. The stabilizer will definitely mitigate that risk, but if you can, it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a few extra primary & secondary filters on board should they clog next year from old fuel.Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to try to run down the tanks next year, if you can, to update the fuel in your tanks.Good Luck,Allen Schweitzers/v FalstaffC-30 Hull# 632

 

[Randy6414]

Old diesel

I was concerned about old diesel in my tank, too. After burning only 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank each year, it leaves old fuel in the tank. Even with stabilizer, I became concerned about stale fuel causing problems. In my case, I decided to drain the tank by siphoning it into jerry cans, and disposing (properly) of the old fuel. I then added new fuel to the tank. Other than the old fuel being darker than new, I had no particular problems with it, but just felt better getting rid of it. After adding the new fuel, I did notice that the engine (M-18, 1984) was a bit faster to start.Randy