Water in fuel? Draining water separator?

[Awesomeness]

How often do you guys drain your water separator, and how much water comes out?

It seems like every several tanks I can get about this much out. Why is it orange? Rust? Aren't the tanks aluminum?

This all strikes me as odd, considering how it's basically always 15% humidity here. Any thoughts?

 

[coachgeo]

do you always get fuel at the same place? If so .. go someplace new for several tanks and see if same result.

 

[Awesomeness]

do you always get fuel at the same place? If so .. go someplace new for several tanks and see if same result.

No, not really. More often at the couple gas stations near home, but I get gas wherever.

 

[Guyfang]

You are buying crappy fuel. Its full of water. If you only buy at one place, you can see whats coming out in your water separator. If it looks like that, you need to try another place. Or accept the fact that you have crappy fuel.

If I were you, I would drain the separator EVERY time I shut the truck off. If you look in the operators TM, I am sure you will find this a DAILY function. By daily, they mean every time you shut down and leave the truck for the day. Gets cold there. Think about what happens to water when it freezes.

 

[Suprman]

Thats crazy. I would add another filter separator from the tank to the first filter. Maybe rain water seeping in thru cracked fuel lines or something.

 

[Awesomeness]

You are buying crappy fuel. Its full of water. If you only buy at one place, you can see whats coming out in your water separator. If it looks like that, you need to try another place. Or accept the fact that you have crappy fuel.

If I were you, I would drain the separator EVERY time I shut the truck off. If you look in the operators TM, I am sure you will find this a DAILY function. By daily, they mean every time you shut down and leave the truck for the day. Gets cold there. Think about what happens to water when it freezes.

I don't think it's that simple, which is why I asked. The fuel isn't coming from one place... Shell, Murphy Express, Love's, 7-11.

Thats crazy. I would add another filter separator from the tank to the first filter. Maybe rain water seeping in thru cracked fuel lines or something.

It does get cold here, which the heat / cold cycles could be "breathing" moisture into the tank, however, it's basically a desert here. It's usually 15% humidity, and rarely rains. That's why it's so weird.

I've never drained the tank completely empty. Could there be a large quantity of water in the bottom of the tank, that's been in there all the years since the truck came from Ft. Bragg (where they do have rain!)? You guys ever see that happen?

EDIT: I just double-checked with a magnet, and the tank is aluminum.

 

[JD4044M]

On my JD Tractor I have not drained the water for over 3 years now? I have a clear bowl and never have saw any in the bowl?? I do have a 150 gal tank of fuel in my shop I fill it with and have a paper water filter element I pump thru and change it every time I fill the tank up. That sure looks like a lot of water to me! I would drain my fuel tank and check that it does not have water in it. I will check my M1078 often till I know water is not getting in my fuel where I buy it from.


NOTE* I went out the next day and drained my Bowl on my tractor. I drained it into a plastic container. Poured off the fuel and had less then a 1/2 teaspoon of water. First time I have done this to my fuel bowl since 2017 when I bought it new.

 

[Suprman]

The mil fuel lines are usually braided steel between rubber. And the rubber starts to come off and they rust. I wonder if thats how the rusty color is getting into your fuel.

 

[Guyfang]

In the early 70's, we ran 7-8 gen sets, 24/7. We drew our fuel from a fuel point, (POL point) in Bamberg. It was a facility left over from the Wehrmacht. Thats the kind of crappy looking fuel we got. Full or water. I drained gallons of it every week. We used in the norm, 6000 gallons a week. We tried adding alcohol, (15-20 gallons per 600 gallon pod) to no avail. The reason its red is rust. The tank is aluminum. Whats that tell you? Its not your tank. Do this. Take a gallon of your diesel, clean diesel, and pour a pint of water in it. Is it red? No. Not even close. Oh, the POL point stayed in operation until the post closed in 2014.

 

[Ronmar]

take some of that red stuff, put it on a plate, heat the plate till it vaporizes and see if it has an odor? What does the bottom of your tank look like, any other material in there that could be causing rust? Next time you get fuel take along a clean clear container and fill it at the same time you fill the tank...

 

[Awesomeness]

The reason its red is rust. The tank is aluminum. Whats that tell you? Its not your tank. Do this. Take a gallon of your diesel, clean diesel, and pour a pint of water in it. Is it red? No. Not even close.

I was asking in case the winterizing additives are orange/red, or if the previous owner used red farm fuel it could cause this, etc. There are a bunch of logical reasons there could have been red stuff in there, so it's not safe to assume anything.

I like Suprman's rusty return line theory... I also just replaced all the fuel lines when I drained this. The metal tags are all dated '97, when my truck was manufactured. Maybe I'll cut one open and look inside it.

 

[BKubu]

I agree with the steel fuel line idea, too. But, the chain that secures the fuel cap to the tank could be contributing, too. It is steel and rusts. They should have made it out of aluminum or stainless steel. As the rust gets more severe, the chain starts to disintegrate and the rust particles drop into the tank. I changed the fuel on a truck that had a degrading chain and I had rust colored fuel in the filter...UNTIL I removed the chain on that particular truck. This is probably not your sole problem, but it might be contributing. I'd check the chain. If it is rusty, remove it. Even if that is not your problem, it could be adding rust into your fuel system.

 

[chucky]

No, not really. More often at the couple gas stations near home, but I get gas wherever.

Everybody would be better off to never buy your fuel from gas stations they dont sale enough diesel there to rotate fresh fuel always go to your local truckstop preferably at a interstate exit ramp for high volume diesel sales . And for aditives its hard to beat howes fuel conditioner for year found use. years ago a diesel mech buddy of mine worked in a detroit engine shop they took like 5 or 6 fuel additives and a bunch of bowls and put each brand in its own bowl and put 1 piston liner o ring in each bowl before they went home one day and on their return the next morning found all the brands but fppf brand had made the orings swell and walk their selves completly out of the bowls by the next morning so no need to over use any of the stuff and with low sulfer diesel the norm now i put a quart of trannsmission fluid in the tank to help the fuel pump and to help burn carbon off injector tips.

 

[chucky]

You paid for that rust and water your truck didnt make that ! No way ! That came from some old rusty in ground tanks thats been sweating for 20 years or longer . Stick with loves flying j , pilot, petro go to the truck pumps to get your fuel . If its crowded pump your fuel pull ahead go get your receipt and let the next fella be pumping his fuel instead of waiting you to come back. Then pour half a jug of howes in your tank and put a fresh set of fuel filters on for winter . On some occasions if the truck hasnt ever had fuel additive used in it will wash all the old varnish out of your fuelsystem and you will need to change fuel filters after you run that first tank out then your good to go. For any of you that ever ran biofuel it was the same result it would clog up the first set of filters on the first tank then you smelled like french fries after that lol

 

[Asymair95]

Could you be getting coolant pushed past the injector cups ?

 

[Awesomeness]

Could you be getting coolant pushed past the injector cups ?

Interesting find. Where is that from? I'd like to read the rest.

I don't think that's my problem. I use green coolant. I haven't put an in, but with the small amount of water I'm getting in the fuel, I probably wouldn't notice from such a huge cooling system. Similarly, if I pumped the return line into a bottle, I'm not sure I would get enough to see it.

But I will double check in my tank, and look for any green.

 

[Asymair95]

Troubleshooting The Caterpillar 3116 Fuel System | PDF | Fuel Injection | Throttle

Troubleshooting the Caterpillar 3116 Fuel System. Found the fuel solenoid on the fuel pump and checked for fuel leaks. Took a sample of the fuel out line from the tank and cut the filter apart to look for debris.

www.scribd.com

Hopefully it’s just bad fuel like everyone is saying. Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

[Awesomeness]

Another question... when draining the water separator, does it stop draining automatically once the water is out? It seems like when I open the drain knob, some liquid comes out, but to totally drain it I have to unscrew further it until air can get past on the threads. How is it supposed to work?

 

[chucky]

Another question... when draining the water separator, does it stop draining automatically once the water is out? It seems like when I open the drain knob, some liquid comes out, but to totally drain it I have to unscrew further it until air can get past on the threads. How is it supposed to work?

You should start getting fuel once water is out water always lays heavier in diesel so it will always lay on bottom of fuel tank and filters . Try parking your truck where the front of your truck is up hill for few minutes then take your cap and strainer out of your fuel tank then take a flash light and shine down in the tank and if you have any trash left you will see it in the bottom of tank if you have a small pump and small hose vacume the water/trash out of tank then put a half bottle of howes fuel conditioner run it for a few days then replace your fuel filters and buy only truckstop fuel your not far from a loves fuel stop.

 

[Awesomeness]

You should start getting fuel once water is out

Do the liquids flow out freely? When I open mine, some seems to drain out and then it stops because no air can get in. In order to drain the rest, I have to unscrew the knob a lot, until air can sneak in past the threads. Is that how it's designed to work?