does diesel foam as it enters the cylinder

[flatyre]

Hey folks went and picked up the L200 the other day which had been sat up for seven months according to the seller. Cranked it over for ages but couldn't get it to start. Got it home and pulled the fuel filter off and emptied it into a clear bottle. The diesel had separated into three layers, bottom layer remotely resembled something oil based, a thick layer of curdled milk, and a layer dirty water. Removed the injector pipes and they were full of the same thick creamy gunk, removed the injectors themselves and even they were clogged with it. I disconnected the fuel lines running from the tank to the filter, filter to pump, and pump to injectors, blew them out and re fitted them along with a new diesel filter. I put the main fuel line from the tank to the filter into a 5L tetra can full of fresh diesel and started cranking the engine over with the injectors disconnected from the pipes. Did this in ten second bursts for about half an hour so as not to burn out the starter motor. Thankfully the fuel pump still works as each pipe fired in sequence. Initially what came out of the injector pipes was the same thick creamy gunk but after a while it thinned and started to smell like diesel. However it is still cloudy and i'm just wondering if there is more gunk to be flushed out or does the diesel cloud with oxygenation during its journey to the injectors?

[kinderscout]

May be water in the diesel and it's foamed as it has been pumped around under pressure.empty tank and start again.

[openspaceman]

The diesel had separated into three layers, bottom layer remotely resembled something oil based, a thick layer of curdled milk, and a layer dirty water.

 

However it is still cloudy and i'm just wondering if there is more gunk to be flushed out or does the diesel cloud with oxygenation during its journey to the injectors?

 

Water is heavier than diesel so is that the right way around?

 

The milky colour is a sol, an emulsion of oil and water.

 

Have a look at one of the marine biocidal agents, it's basically anhydrous methanol which mops up any water residue in the system but you need to drain and refill first.

 

These things work by making the filter medium repel water but are slow and over 20 quid if you want to process the drainings.

 

http://www.mrfunnel.com/Mr._Funnel/Home.html

Edited October 1, 2016 by openspaceman

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Wynns Biocide followed by Redline 85plus.

[aspenarb]

I would stay with the can for the moment and drag it down the road to start it. The sooner the better because watery diesel in a pump/injectors can cause damage. If the previous owner and yourself have been cranking the granny out of it there are probably no glowplugs working so dont waste time , it will probably start within a few yards and then you will know what you have.

 

Bob

[gensetsteve]

The 7 % bio in diesel is held in check by solvents added to the fuel. After a few months the solvents evaporate and the veg oil starts to seperate any water in the tank just makes things 10 times worse.

 

If any one is about to buy red leave it a week or two as they have different additive pack for winter.

[flatyre]

thanks for the advice guys, unfortunately towing it is out of the question as its parked up the lane and wouldn't get it back up the hill if it didn't start. I'll buy some redline today when i'm out getting another can of diesel. spent a bit of time cranking it over yesterday and although still creamy looking, whats coming out of the injector pipes now smells like diesel and ignites. Managed to pick up a set of good injectors from a guy a mile up the road, he has a good pump which I can have for £100 if I need it, so that's some good news.

[Stubby]

I put a bottle of Red Line 85 in with every other tankfull .

[flatyre]

if I tipped a full bottle of this redex85 into a can with a couple of litres of clean diesel and pumped that through her would it speed up the de-skanking process?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I put a bottle of Red Line 85 in with every other tankfull .

 

The whole bottle?! Crike! What size tank?