Slime in my fuel

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rfrye1

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Jun 15, 2004
589
Hunter H376 San Diego
We own a 1998 Hunter H376. I recently found what I could only call "beige/greenish slime" in the clear bowl under my Racor filter. We add additive to the fuel with each fill-up to prevent alge. Since October (last fuel fill up) we've put 20 hours on the engine. We cleaned it all up and changed the filter and I will continue to watch.

What are your thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks. Bob
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Pump the crap out of the bottom of the tank!

Bob:

Get yourself a pump to pump the crap out of the bottom of your tank. This should remove most of the algae & water from your tank. Then check it again after a few hours of operation. Be sure to change your filter regularly until the situation clears up.
 
Nov 28, 2004
209
Hunter 310 San Pedro
Water in the Fuel

Bob, Water allows the algae to grow, pump the bottom of the tank (below the fuel pick-up) and add diesel drier to you fuel. Check your fuel fill cap for tightness and check the O-ring. Had a problem 3 months ago caused by cap not tightened properly after fill-up.
 

RichH

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Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
Its time to open the access port on your tank ... and manually clean it out.

once you become 'infected' (cladosporium resinae, etc.) and there is a deposition of crud on the tank walls, the ONLY way to resolve any and future problems is to get inside the tank and scrub it with a long handled brush or power washer, etc.

Its too late for 'polishing' or 'magic potion' addition. Polishing wont remove the gunk adhering to the tank walls, 'magic potions' will release 'some' of the deposition but will leave some of the resins (including some viable spores). C.resinae forms soft deformable particles that will rapidly choke the typical filter cartridges plus under increased pressure differential across the filter will extrude through the filter media .... only to form a 'coke' in the exhaust manifold and injection elbow area restricting the exhaust gas flow.

The best solution is mechanically clean/scrub the tank internals then add some oil and recirculate polish that ... then simply 'recomission' the system. Then buy only clean fuel (from truck-stop, etc.) and keep only enough fuel in the tank to satisfy your immediate needs plus a little extra for 'reserve'. Dont keep the tank unnecessarily/needlessly 'full', empty the tank for long-term /winter storage. Check the O-ring on your deck fill port.

:)
 
Apr 28, 2008
60
Hunter 340 Havre de Grace
additives a mixed bag lets have a discussion

be careful with those additives that absorb water unless you are burning alot of fuel .......... it gets water into some bad places it would not go otherwise
algaecides are a mixed bag too

some deisel mechanics say never use either

its good discussion question with afficianados on both sides
lets here from both and perhaps we all learn something
t
 
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