eqquus1
Member
Has anyone ever had their tanks cleaned and can you recommend someone in the Massachusetts area? I am located in Cape Cod.
Thank you
Thank you
Diesel Tank Cleaning
- Thread starter eqquus1
- Start date
- Oct 6, 2006
- 12,153
- Boat Info
- 1996 450DA
- Engines
- 3116 Caterpillars
Some friends used these guys last fall. He was pleased with the result, but I wasn't there and can't give you any more details than these:
PowerSureFuel@gmail.com
Phone: 978-888-4698
Fax: 781-383-9094
Owner: Gardner Bryant
251 Forest Avenue
Cohasset, MA 02025
PowerSureFuel@gmail.com
Phone: 978-888-4698
Fax: 781-383-9094
Owner: Gardner Bryant
251 Forest Avenue
Cohasset, MA 02025
eqquus1
Member
Frank,
This engine was rebuilt by Caterpillar in 2014 and very few issues. This summer this engine, the port engine, wasn't able to keep up with the starboard engine. We also had a lot of soot from the rebuilt engine as well. My husband is fastidious about how clean the fuel filters are and we have also been in contact with CAT about this. They were out in the fall and took the boat out for a sea trial and said things were fine. Once the engines are commissioned we'll see how she runs, but we've been talking about having the tanks cleaned for a while now.
Any thoughts?
This engine was rebuilt by Caterpillar in 2014 and very few issues. This summer this engine, the port engine, wasn't able to keep up with the starboard engine. We also had a lot of soot from the rebuilt engine as well. My husband is fastidious about how clean the fuel filters are and we have also been in contact with CAT about this. They were out in the fall and took the boat out for a sea trial and said things were fine. Once the engines are commissioned we'll see how she runs, but we've been talking about having the tanks cleaned for a while now.
Any thoughts?
IanBat
New Member
- Nov 19, 2011
- 2,297
- Boat Info
- Pro Tournament 36' 1999
- Engines
- Twin Cummins 5.9L 370hp B Series
I had my tanks cleaned about 8 weeks ago.
I'm in Australia, purchased a boat in Adelaide and sailed it back to Sydney, 1060Nm approx. Unfortunately due to everything realistically being finalised in Mid December and needing to undertake the trip in early January, a few preps I would have liked to hve down, couldn't be...the tanks was one.
And I paid for it, dropping an engine in 2-3M seas, is not an enjoyable experience, particularly when your the one in the engine bay. We went through around 8-9 Racors.
The polish here was around $650, and we cleaned a lot of algae out.
I don't believe my whole issue was algae, the Port motor was the one struggling with filters, I did the starboard more to be sure, but it never missed a beat.
Both motors and the generator all pick up from the one outlet on the fuel tank......hence my suspicion of not totally growth in the tank, and the generator never skipped a beat until the last day.
On inspecting the Racor's and lines closely after getting back (i fully stripped and cleaned them after the first issue). I noticed the flexible line entering the Port Racor did a loop, I wasn't comfortable with it, and changed the line, further inspection indicated the line had gone a little soft and was squashed oval in the bend.
I suspect as the fuel level dropped and the pumps had to lift fuel, that the Port may have been sucking air or sucking the line closed.
I have also purchased two full Racor service kits, and will be shortly stripping them and servicing them.
My engines are Cummins B series 370Hp, with around 200 hours on them when we left Adelaide.
From what I saw come out of my tanks when we polished them, it is a worthwhile exercise. Also cannot stress enough the importance of treating the fuel every time you fill up.
If you haven't already searched, then search this site for an article on Fuel Algae Growth, that Frank wrote several years ago. I am a diesel mechanic by trade, Earthmoving, and on the trip with the boat, one of my friends?crew was also a mechanic and a third member an engineer. We debated the growth thing, I then downloaded Franks article and all read it.
It is one of the most concise I have read
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I'm in Australia, purchased a boat in Adelaide and sailed it back to Sydney, 1060Nm approx. Unfortunately due to everything realistically being finalised in Mid December and needing to undertake the trip in early January, a few preps I would have liked to hve down, couldn't be...the tanks was one.
And I paid for it, dropping an engine in 2-3M seas, is not an enjoyable experience, particularly when your the one in the engine bay. We went through around 8-9 Racors.
The polish here was around $650, and we cleaned a lot of algae out.
I don't believe my whole issue was algae, the Port motor was the one struggling with filters, I did the starboard more to be sure, but it never missed a beat.
Both motors and the generator all pick up from the one outlet on the fuel tank......hence my suspicion of not totally growth in the tank, and the generator never skipped a beat until the last day.
On inspecting the Racor's and lines closely after getting back (i fully stripped and cleaned them after the first issue). I noticed the flexible line entering the Port Racor did a loop, I wasn't comfortable with it, and changed the line, further inspection indicated the line had gone a little soft and was squashed oval in the bend.
I suspect as the fuel level dropped and the pumps had to lift fuel, that the Port may have been sucking air or sucking the line closed.
I have also purchased two full Racor service kits, and will be shortly stripping them and servicing them.
My engines are Cummins B series 370Hp, with around 200 hours on them when we left Adelaide.
From what I saw come out of my tanks when we polished them, it is a worthwhile exercise. Also cannot stress enough the importance of treating the fuel every time you fill up.
If you haven't already searched, then search this site for an article on Fuel Algae Growth, that Frank wrote several years ago. I am a diesel mechanic by trade, Earthmoving, and on the trip with the boat, one of my friends?crew was also a mechanic and a third member an engineer. We debated the growth thing, I then downloaded Franks article and all read it.
It is one of the most concise I have read
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
- Oct 6, 2006
- 12,153
- Boat Info
- 1996 450DA
- Engines
- 3116 Caterpillars
If your tanks need cleaning, then you should have already had the Racors clogging up. If the fuel filters are clean then I suspect something else.
Heavy sooting on the transom is usually caused by an intake air restriction which is very likely from a dirty air filter or a fouled after cooler core. If you see blue smoke, on start up or before accelerating to the speed where soot forms, then the problem is more likely an injector not times right or with carbon on the tip causing an improper spray pattern. Since this is a fresh rebuild from Caterpillar, I think they would have seen and checked the after cooler and injectors.
Finally, check the engine loads by running the boat at WOT for a short distance. If the engines don't turn up to 2800 rpm, then the engines are overloaded, either with too much pitch/cup in the props or a fouled bottom, but that isn't likely given your location and usage pattern.
Heavy sooting on the transom is usually caused by an intake air restriction which is very likely from a dirty air filter or a fouled after cooler core. If you see blue smoke, on start up or before accelerating to the speed where soot forms, then the problem is more likely an injector not times right or with carbon on the tip causing an improper spray pattern. Since this is a fresh rebuild from Caterpillar, I think they would have seen and checked the after cooler and injectors.
Finally, check the engine loads by running the boat at WOT for a short distance. If the engines don't turn up to 2800 rpm, then the engines are overloaded, either with too much pitch/cup in the props or a fouled bottom, but that isn't likely given your location and usage pattern.
Here's from the school of hard knocks; there is a difference between polishing fuel and cleaning tanks but they are somewhat related. Polishing circulates fuel through a filtration system and cleaning tanks is cutting them open and pressure washing and scrubbing. Polishing the fuel will somewhat carry tank sediment depending upon the setup and flow rates but it will not clean your fuel tanks. If you have an algae problem which I have had from some bad fuel in the Bahamas the only realistic approach is to "poison" the fuel tank then polish at a high flow rate to transfer the solids to a remote filter system. This took me months and several refuelings to get it all cleaned up.
Last edited:
eqquus1
Member
Thank you all for the information, I will look into having my tanks cleaned first and go from there.
