Diesels Left Sitting

Sadler

Member
Nov 29, 2006
907
Live in Western NC, boat in Charleston, SC
Boat Info
2005 Nordic Tugs 37 FB
Mercury RIB dinghy with Honda 2 hp 4 stroke,
sold: 1997 290DA,
Engines
Cummins QSB 380
One of these days I hope to get a diesel Sea Ray, but one thing has me worried and I couldn't find the answer in previous posts: Is it "ok" to leave diesel marine engines unused for say three or four weeks at a time? We live 3.5 hours from the boat and my family, work, and home responsibiites keep me away this long sometimes. I've had a diesel tractor for 2.5 years that I bought new and it doesn't seem to cause it any problems, but maybe diesels on boats are different.

Sadler
 
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That is one of the great things about diesels......you can leave them sitting for a long time and put a hot battery on them and fire 'em up. For example, I have a dozer with a Cummins engine in it and it sits from usually November until April....I charge the battery, turn the switch on and she always fires right up. And, I bought a backhoe last year that had been sitting in a field for 8 years... I drained the fuel out, drained the tank sump, changed the fuel filters, purged the system with new fuel, put a new battery in it, and it turned over about twice before it fired up......I drove it home.

I leave my boat 3-4 weeks at times of the year and always have. The secret, if there is one, is to use fuel treatment, a biocide and always leave the tanks full.
 
Thanks. That is great to hear. Somewhere I had read it could be a problem, but it must have been if you didn't do the things you listed. On my JD tractor, I have probably been remiss and have not done any of those things, yet it always fires right up. Maybe I've just been lucky and better start doing some better fuel management.

Sadler
 
Mircobial growth in fuel in the south is a continuing thing. If you have not treated your fuel and do not top off the tank ,you have been condensing a little moisture and have been feeding those little rascals. You likely have a little fungus farm growing in the tank and your filters are catching everything that gets out. Sooner or later, you will notice filter plugging.

Take a look at the Power Service Diesel Additives web site. Their stuff is available at Walmart and TSC in the south and it is very cost effective. I use the biocide and Diesel Kleen all the time and their 9-1-1 product once per year and I keep fuel in above ground storage tanks on my place where I cannot keep them full and never have a problem.
 
My above ground tank is only about 3/4 full now, so I will do as you suggested Frank. Need to keep that tractor healthy. If a diesel boat runs as well as the tractor, I'm in. Already looking at ads. Thanks for your help.

Sadler
 
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