Removing water from diesel tank.

[Dennis W.]

Just finished 3-days at Two Harbors, but, had engine trouble developed on the way over. Rough running, unstable rpm. Assumed algae as I left the tank full since our last trip in October but no additives. Turned out to be water, changed both filters, bled the air out and all seemed well. Problem reappeared shortly after leaving for San Pedro. The question is what is the best/better method of removal? I am considering an independent pump and pick-up, without a screen, from the top of the tank but don't really want to open the tank. The second choice is a pump on the line before the primary filter. Both options have rerlatively good access.

 

[Don764]

1 idea..

is to shipon off the water by dropping a shipon to the bottom of the tank. A friend who worked for Exxon long ago told me about this. Used it once with great results.

 

[LANCE ON CLOUD NINE]

Adding to reply number 1,

If you have an opening on top of tank, you might be able to use one of those long, skinny hand operated bilge pump sticks. They are inexpensive.

 

[Buck2796]

Or Pump it out...

I used a ~4' piece of 1/4" copper tubing connected to the same dipstick hose used to pump oil out of your engine dipstick (with an electric drill pump).I inserted the dipstick hose into the copper tubing and sealed the junction with duct tape.  Inserted the copper tubing into the fuel tank thru the tank guage sensor opening port on the top of the tank. I was able to move the copper tubing around the bottom of the (deep end) of the tank and rather quickly suck out several gals of water/goo thru the pump and into a 5 gal bucket. Maybe a little "Rube-Goldburg", but worked well for me.

 

[Rick D]

Same as Buck

In an old classic gasoline powered boat, the bottom of the tank had gunk. We hooked up an electric fuel pump to hose to a copper tube 'wand' which we used to suck it out through some filters. We returned the filtered gas to the tank. Worked great! Hope your trip was otherwise a good one. Rick D.PS: check your O-ring gasket on the deck fill to your tank to be sure it isn't deteriorated or gone thus allowing water into the tank.

 

[sailaway78]

ELectric fuel pump

I like an electric fuel pump, mounted in the system close to the tank. This way you can not only drain the tank as necessary, but it makes it a snap to bleed the system when needed. On most of the Yanmars, and many others, working the manual lever on the lift pump to bleed the system is a real pain. I have a switch on the pump, and normally leave it off. Saves lots of fumbling, swearing and finger scrapings when bleeding the system.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Easiest siphon equipment I've learned about

is a length of fuel hose with a black squeeze bulb like used for outboard engine fuel lines. Stick one end in the tank, the other end in a container and squeeze away and start the siphon - no need for pumps or electrical anything.

 

[AXEL]

Nice idea.

Nice idea Allan. Where is your product available? What part of L.I are you from? I'm from West Islip.

 

[Rich (P303)]

Stu...

seems like a pretty good idea. However if we were the McIver type... one could make it out of cr*p kicking around the house.I'll stick with stock parts!

 

[RichH]

Industrial techniques of water removal .....

Industrial methods of water removal include recirculation pumping of the fuel through a 'knock out pot' ... just a simple empty vessel such as a filter housing (but 'run backwards'): 1. if the fluid velocity is kept low the water will separate from the oil and settle by gravity in the bottom of the housing where its drained periodically. The dip-tube needs to be AT the very bottom of the tank. 2. using a 1µM pleated media filter (run 'backwards' --- from the 'inside of the filter to the outside of the filter' will affect 'coalescing of the small water particles into larger particles which then settle to the bottom of the housing bowl - called 'liquid to liquid coalescing'. 3. Once there is visible water in fuel oil there will also be a heavy load of water that is emulsified in the oil (wont drop out by gravimetric settling); so stage two removal includes, re-filtering through filters that contains a water absorbing starch (hydroxymethylcellulose, etc.) to remove the emulsified water - if not removed will eventually cause 'condensation problems' later on. An equivalent for a boater DIY would be to gently recirculate the oil through an empty filter housing to let the water settle out in the filter housing (bowl down) while periodically draining the water from the housing - dip tube at the VERY bottom of the tank. Prevention is the best method ... lots has been already posted about the importance of those o-rings in the deck fill connection.