Cap’t
Wil. Oil
Filtering Report
Report 1
For those of you new to the Trawler scene, a little
background. One of the things which
make Trawlers such great boats also gives rise to some problems with the
fuel. Our boats just don’t use much
fuel. My Kadey-Krogen 42 burns less
than 3 gallons per hours at hull speed and the fuel storage is 800
gallons. When diesel is stored for a
long time in a boat’s fuel tank, it is apt to get water in it because of
condensation in the tank. When that
happens, that ugly gremlin Algae grows in the film between the water and
diesel. Since water is heaver than
diesel, the water is below the diesel and the algae is close to the fuel outlet
to the engine. As the algae dies, it
turns black, clogs fuel filters, and causes all sorts of assorted miseries.
The total solution is very simple, but not very
easy. Keep the water out and no algae
will grow. With the current state of
the art, it is impossible to keep the water out because some water will always
be produced by condensation inside the tank.
It would be possible to keep the temperature of the entire fuel tank
high enough to prevent condensation, but at present that is not practical.
There are several ways to solve this problem, but one
thing which will aid all solutions is to keep the fuel tanks full. The fuller the tank with diesel, the less
surfaces available for condensation and therefore less water. For those interested in such things,
condensation occurs when a surface temperature is lower than the dew point
temperature of the air exposed to that surface. While water will be condensed at that temperature, the
temperature of the water so generated would have to be raised to its boiling
point before it could again be driven back into the atmosphere.
Water separators and filters are used to prevent the
debris from the algae and other trash from getting to the injection pump. If any of it gets there, the engine will die
and you’ll spend a lot of money.
In addition to the filters and water separators,
things to control this problem are:
1. Poisons
to kill the algae.
2. Water
dispersants to allow the water to disperse through the fuel.
3.
Mechanical devices to destroy the algae. (Algae-X and DeBug)
4. Fuel
re-circulation and filtering systems.
Since it is impractical to keep all the water out of
the fuel, any and all of the solutions indicated above must be done on a
continuing basis. If you don’t do
something, you will stop at sometime on the water because of a clogged fuel filter.
I have used the first three solutions shown above
with varying degrees of success and have decided that combining 3 and 4 to be
the best overall solution to the problem.
Toward that end, I have installed a re-circulation pump along with an
Algae-X unit and Racor filter and water separator. I write this epistle only because while installing the system is
not rocket science, it turned out to be harder to do than it seemed at the
beginning.
Until
a little while ago, one company made a kit for this purpose which only required
mounting the kit, making three pipe connections, and running wire to the
kit. I was unable to find anyone else
making a kit for this purpose. You can
really see just how small a segment we are of the boating community when a
manufacturer can’t make a profit making us a product. I contacted the manufacturer and got a lot of advice and
information about where to get the pump and other items. The people at Algae-X helped with other
valuable information. I’ll share what I
have learned with you.
1. The pump must be rated for continuous duty and Coast Guard
approved.
2.
The pump should have both the Algae-X (or DeBug) unit
and Water Separator/Filter on the suction side of the pump. That is, pump out of the filter, not into
it.
3.
The capacity of the pump must be matched to the
capacity of the Algae-X unit and Water Separator/Filter units.
4.
All valves associated with the
system must be full flow valves.
5.
A vacuum gage is desirable to know when to change the
filter.
6. A timer is desirable to make operation
of the system convenient.
It took more time than I expected to locate the
proper pump and all the equipment. It
was surprising that the fittings cost more than the pump. Once the parts were assembled and the pump
and electrical pieces were mounted, the plumbing took about two hours. Then to see how it performed.
I had been advised that to keep the fuel clean, it
should be run thru the system three or four times a week. The pump pumps about
60 gal. per hour so I need to run the pump for 400 X 4 / 60 ‘ 26.6 hours per
tank per week. On the first cycle, I
actually ran the system 24 hours for each tank.
In normal operation, the fuel system pumps more fuel
than the engine burns. This fact means
that all the fuel which is pumped is
being cleaned by the Algae-X and Racor.
That part which isn’t burned, is returned to the fuel tank clean. If you ran the system long enough, all the
fuel would be cleaned. That means that
about 2 gallons are being burned by the engine and only 2 gallons are returned
to the tank each hour. The problem is
that my Lehman pumps only about 4 gallons per hour at cruising speed and it
would take about 100 hours to pump one tank full (400 gals). On the other hand, the filtering pump
returns all that it pumps to the tank, and so is returning 30 times more clean
fuel to the tank than the engine does in normal operation. 24 hours of the filter pump operation gets
as much clean fuel back to the tank as 720 hours of normal engine operation.
When I first started the system, I had a sinking
spell -- the pump sounded like a jack hammer.
I know we couldn’t live with that noise.
Then the pump purged all the air and started pumping diesel. It became so quiet that I thought it had
stopped. The pump makes a very soft,
low ca guge, ca guge sound. You must
listen carefully to hear it.
When
the first filtering cycle started, the filters had about ten hours on them and
under full load, the vacuum gage showed 0" vacuum. After the
24 hour cycle on the first tank, the vacuum gage showed 4" vacuum
with much debris in the filter bowl.
After the 24 hour cycle on the second tank, the vacuum gage showed
6" vacuum with more debris in the bowl.
The color of the fuel in the bowl grew darker as the filtering
continued.
I
replaced the Racor filter and saved the fuel in the filter bowl for future
reference. The results on this first
cycle were revealing and in some ways surprising.
1. No water could be observed in the filter bowl before
draining.
2.
Long, flat and fairly wide, black residue could be
observed in the filter bowl.
3.
I lost about half of the first contents of the filter
bowl and so that portion is not available for analysis. I have since figured out how to preserve it
all the next time.
4. The recovered fuel was stained with red
dye as is normal, but had a slightly dark cast to it.
5.
The fuel was transferred to a. a zip lock bag where
it could be carefully observed.
6. Inspection of the filter showed some
surprises. Remember it was loaded so
that its resistance was up to 6" vacuum.
The element was black but not coated.
It had all sorts of strange debris on the outside surface -- old metal bits, hair,
and some things I can’t identify.
Remember, we’re pumping about 15 times as much fuel as the engine pumps
under normal cruising condition. I have
never seen such stuff on the filter before and I always inspect it when it is
changed. It is obvious that the
increased flow rate is flushing stuff from the tank from a long time ago.
7.
The solid black strings survived being transferred to
the zip lock. At first, there was no
evidence of water which surprised me.
Then I turned the bag so one corner was down. There in that corner was about a tablespoon of water. The denser black stuff started settling to the junction between the
water and diesel. The fact that the
fuel is dyed red helps a lot in this inspection (I’m glad that there is some
benefit from the red dye).
I
handled the zip lock a lot, and as the fuel became agitated over and over, much
of the black solid things started to break up and settle on the water-fuel
junction. As the black stuff went into
solution the fuel got darker. If kept
still, in time, the mixture becomes stable with three distinct zones. The top zone is mixture of diesel and black flecks. The zone at the water-fuel junction is full
of black stuff. The water zone is the
lower of them all. THERE IS NO BLACK
STUFF IN THE WATER ZONE.
Another
surprise was that upon agitation, the water would momentarily disappear, only
to re-appear soon thereafter.
PRELIMINARY
CONCLUSIONS
1. It is now clear why the fuel filter gets stopped up more
often in a seaway or the inlet than in calm water. The black stuff and water get mixed up with the fuel and is more
likely to be pulled through the system.
2.
It is difficult to determine any water in a Racor
fuel bowl. Mine is clear. I understand some are yellow. That would make it even more difficult.
3. Flow rates of the normal engine fuel
pump is not high enough to clean the system very well.
4.
With the best of care, it’s hard to keep the system
clean.
After replacing the Racor filter, the filtering
system was restarted and the vacuum gage again reads 0" of vacuum
(actually there is really some positive pressure on the gage, but it doesn’t report it reliably).
I’ll
run this system through enough cycles to make some final conclusions. I expect to find out how to get the system
clean and keep it clean. If there is
interest, I’ll keep the list posted on the findings. I don’t want to clutter up the list with unwanted stuff, so let
me know if this info will be useful.
If
this is subject of interest, I’ll discuss how to put such a system together in
a later post.
Report 2
The
first day of the second cycle is over, but before I report on it, let me make a
few observations and answer some general questions.
1.
I come from an engineering background (many years
ago) and am a tester of things of interest to me. I try to make the test in accordance with good engineering
practice. Good engineering practice
means that the results must be reproducible to be valid. If they are not reproducible, they are
worthless.
You are receiving
information on the first set of tests AS THEY APPEAR. They are to be considered of value only if they can be reproduced
after AfterSail has been in a seaway or storm or such.
2.
Any and all may use anything I
write on this list as you see fit at your own risk. All I ask is that if you make a fortune from it, you’ll share it
with me.
3.
Someone stated that the Lehman 120 fuel pumped 45
gal/per/hour. Don’t you believe it. The Ford Engine Manual for the Super 135
does not give any capacity for the pump.
If it did, it would be the capacity at Max RPM (2600) and full load (135
hp). The specified fuel curve for this
engine shows a fuel consumption of between 6 and 7 gal/hr. at full load. That’s the injection pump, not the fuel
pump.
The standard fuel pump is operated mechanically and
its speed is dependent upon the RPM of the engine. Its capacity (flow at some pressure) is dependent upon its RPM
and pressure difference across the pump. That total pressure difference is the
sum of the suction pressure (Plus or Minus) and the discharge pressure. The suction pressure is what you would
expect -- filters, fittings, Algae, etc.
The discharge pressure is mostly generated by what the injection pump
demands. The job of the fuel pump is
just to supply fuel under pressure to the injection pump. It pumps more than that only to guarantee
the injection pump always has fuel. A
pressure control valve must open in the injection pump for any fuel to be
bypassed and returned to the tank.
It is highly unlikely that the capacity of the pump
is a straight-line function of the RPM.
That is, the pump will pump less than half as much fuel at half RPM as
it does at full RPM. That all means
that the pump at partial load and partial RPM is not returning much fuel to the
tank. Aside from this analysis, the
condition of the filter after 48 hours running on the filtering system
demonstrates that the filtering pump pumps considerably more fuel than the
normal fuel pump. Regardless of the
exact capacity of the fuel pump, the important point is that the filtering
pump, always running at top RPM, pumps a lot more fuel than the fuel pump. Notice I didn’t say maximum RPM. I’ll have more to say about this later.
4. Racor filters should never be on the
discharge side of any pump. Among other
things, if a leak develops at the filter, pumping from the filter would be an
inconvenience -- pumping into the filter would pump fuel all over the boat and
could be a disaster.
5.
Any gage anywhere, particularly in fuel systems,
should have a shutoff valve. A gage is
not the hardiest device you ever saw and if it breaks or ruptures your engine
stops. Of course such a breakage will
only happen in a stormy inlet or some other serious seaway. NEVER use a gage screwed into the top of the
Racor filter. If you break that one,
you likely can’t ever find the original handle to stop the flow. Good ground tackle available at a moments
notice is required if you insist on this arrangement.
6. This system uses the normal Algae-X
unit and Racor system for the engine.
That is, there are no new filters, etc.
The only new parts are the pump and its associated plumbing and
electrical stuff. There are no
additional connections into the fuel tank.
By the way, this is not an endorsement for either Algae-X or Racor. They just happen to be in my system.
7.
The good to be gained from keeping all fuel tanks as
full as possible at all times outweighs all other considerations and for that
reason I strongly recommend keeping the tanks full and returning the fuel to
the same tank from which it was drawn .
Another advantage of this is that you’ll not need to worry about
overflowing a tank -- diesel spill fines, etc..
8. I expect that agitation on the fuel
during the filtering process would be beneficial. The most obvious way is to use air to do it, but I’m afraid that
oxidation of the fuel might occur. I’ve posted a message to the Shell Oil site
to get their input on the diesel storage problem in general and the agitation
business in particular. I’ll keep you
informed.
9.
Someone asked about using the system without the
Algae-X unit. Sure your can, but at the
moment I don’t know if the Algae-X helps.
That’s one of the things these tests are for. I’ve read the Algae-X literature from the testing facilities and
from the Dutch fishing fleet experience.
The test data seems valid to me.
I feel sure that it does no harm, and if it performs as advertised, it
is a blessing.
***********************************************
Now to the results so far.
After running the system on one tank for 23 hours, I
can report the following:
1.
The vacuum gage reads 0". This is
surprising. I didn’t expect to get the
system this clean so soon. It is still
too early to know that this has actually happened, or is the dirty stuff still
lying below the fuel pick up. In time,
we’ll shake up the boat to see what the conditions are.
Another possibility is that the Algae-X unit is
really doing its job as advertised. We’ll
see as time passes. I hope to have much
more definitive results on this unit.
2.
The pump is running at a much greater speed than on
the first cycle. This is to be expected because the pressure difference across
the pump is less.
For those who have an interest, here are some general
characteristics of all pumps. The
suction ability of any pump is limited by its ability to generate a
vacuum. Theoretically the maximum
vacuum it can pull is about 33 ft. of water, or 30 inches of mercury or 14.7
psi (they’re all the same). Most pumps
can do only about 1/3 of the theoretical and the capacity of the pump drops off
dramatically as the vacuum goes up. On
the other hand, with proper design and power, a pump can generate DISCHARGE
pressure to any desired practical limit.
The discharge pressure of our system has not changed,
only the suction pressure, and that suction pressure has changed about 6"
of mercury B That’s only about 1/5 of the way to a perfect vacuum, but I
suspect it is 60% of the way to pump cutoff.
The lesson is, AKeep your fuel dry, and your filters clean.@
*********************************
Tomorrow
is another day, and cycle 2 will be finished.
I’ll drain the fuel bowl (catching all the bowl contents this time),
change the filter, and report all findings.
At that time, I’ll go into some details of how the system is put
together.
Report
3
I
try to learn something every day. The
most important thing I have learned during the past few days is how overwhelmed
I am by the kind communications I have received from so many of you. I want you to know that I appreciate it.
I
have made several attempts to Aunsubscribe@ from this list, but I can’t figure
it out. Maybe God meant that I couldn’t
figure it out because I’ve decided to stay on the list. Instead of the private report I promised, I’ll
do it here so I won’t miss anyone who wants it.
Diesel
Fuel Filtering System
Three
cycles are now over. The third cycle
actually lasted three days instead of the usual two. The reasons why will become evident shortly.
The
third cycle began with the starboard tank being filtered. The unit ran 26 hours and the vacuum gauge
read 0 inches. We’ll talk more about
which filter element to use, but consider that all of this testing is being
done with a Racor 500 unit with a 2-micron filter element. After 26 hours of pumping approximately 60
gallons per hour, there is still 0 inches of vacuum on the gauge. The fuel in that tank is pretty clean.
I
then switched tanks and began working on the port tank. The vacuum gauge read 1.5 inches of vacuum
after 25 hours. That's not bad, but not
as good as the starboard tank. Surely
you see an advantage of the vacuum gauge.
It gives you useful information.
I
switched back to the starboard tank and ran another 12 hours. The vacuum gauge did not move. This filter isn't done yet, so I switched
back to the port tank for another run.
After
another 24 hours on the port tank, the vacuum gauge remained at
1.5-inches. The port tank has now
stabilized. The fuel in the bowl is
clear of all debris. Shining a light
through the bowl shows a sparkling red fluid.
Although
the filter was not completely loaded, I changed it anyway for inspection. I again caught all the bowl fluid, but made
a serious error. I put the old filter
and the fuel around it in the same zip-lock bag. All of the accumulated contaminates on the filter immediately
went back into solution with the clean fuel.
That fuel turned black almost immediately. Close inspection of the contents indicates that no water is
present.
******************************
Preliminary
Conclusions
1.1. The Walbro pump pumps a substantially
greater amount of fuel through the filters than the engine fuel pump.
1.2. This system will clean up fuel tanks.
1.3. The effect of the Algae-X unit is not really known at this
point, but the evidence strongly indicates that it has played a major
role. See the discussion below.
1.4. Each tank may have different conditions
and needs to be checked separately.
1.5. It is not known at this point if I have
cleaned ALL the fuel in the tanks.
Since this system draws fuel from the normal fuel pickup location, some
of the bad stuff could still be below that point.
1.6. Final conclusions can not be made until
tests are run after the boat has stirred up the fuel.
1.7. I recommend the system to you.
************************
The
System
This system has capacity for an engine
installation of up to150 hp
1 Walbro pump, model 6802
1 Intermatic Spring Wound 12 hour
Timer Switch, model FF12HH
1
Algae-X LGX100
1
Racor 500 filter unit
1 Racor Vacuum gauge (not the one to
replace the T-Handle in the filter)
1 1/4-inch three-way Tempo fuel valve
2 1/4-inch two-way Tempo fuel valve
20
ft. 5/16-inch type A fuel hose
10
ft. 1/4-inch type A fuel hose
1 2-inch X 4-inch PVC surface mounted
electrical outlet box
1 Fuse holder
1 5A fuse
10
ft. 16ga, 2-conductor marine cable (Tinned)
1 Bottle of Loctite 242 joint sealer
Assorted 1/4-inch bronze pipe fittings
Elbows, Tees, Street Elbows, Pipe to Hose
fittings, Hose Clamps, Wire Ties, etc.
A lot
Sweat, Pain, Cuss Words
1 Patient and understanding WIFE
The
system makes use of the existing fuel system when possible. My original fuel system already had an
Algae-X unit, Racor Filter, and Vacuum gauge.
If
you don't already have an Algae-X unit, you may install it between your fuel
tank and the Racor Filter in accordance with the instructions with the
unit. See the discussion about this
unit below.
****************************
General
Installation Instructions
2.1. Mount the Walbro pump as instructed. It mounts vertically.
2.2. Mount the three-way valve in a convenient
location. You will be using this valve
to switch from
running the fuel through the filtering pump
and engine.
2.3. Install the Timer-Switch. If this switch and the three-way valve are
close together, life will be easier. Be
sure to install the fuse where you connect the wire to your electrical
system. Do not make the mistake of
installing the fuse next to the pump or switch with a length of wire before
them. The fuse must protect both the
wire and the equipment.
2.4. Do the plumbing
No
matter how your system is now arranged a fuel line will leave the Racor filter
and go to the engine fuel pump. You will
reroute this line. In all the
directions below, the fuel hose size is 5/16 inches unless otherwise
specified. Make all hose connections
with brass hose fittings, and hose clamps.
Put Loctite on all threaded connections. Do the following:
2.4.1. Run a line from the Racor filter outlet to a
1/4-inch Tee.
2.4.2. Screw the 1/4-inch two-way valve into the
side outlet of the Tee.
2.4.3. Connect the vacuum gauge to this two-way
valve with a 1/4-inch fuel hose.
2.4.4. Connect the other outlet of the Tee to the
common inlet of the three-way valve. It
will be the bottom inlet if you use the valve indicated above.
2.4.5 Connect one of the other outlets of the
three-way valve to the inlet of the Walbro pump (the filtering pump). It will be the bottom connection on the
pump. It will likely look neater if you
use a street-elbow on the pump inlet and outlet fittings.
2.4.5
Connect the other outlet of the three-way valve to the original inlet of the
engine fuel pump. Since you interrupted
this line, you can reconnect to the same line, or run a new line to the engine
fuel pump.
2.4.6
Connect the outlet of the Walbro pump to the diesel return line from the engine
through the remaining two-way valve.
Most likely, the easiest place to do this is where the return line comes
from the engine itself. Most likely,
there will be a hose at the return side of the engine which connects to the return
lines. Insert a Tee in this line. Connect the two-way valve to the side inlet
of the Tee.
After
inspection, you are finished
***************************************
Start Up This is the moment of truth.
3.1
Check the settings of your valves TWICE.
You will have the three valves you installed, any valves at your filter
unit, and any valves on your fuel tank or tanks.
3.2
The valves must be positioned so that fuel comes from ONE tank only, goes
through the Algae-X (if installed), Racor filter, Walbro pump, and through the
OPEN two-way valve at the engine return line.
The valve to the vacuum gauge should be open or it won't give you any
information.
3.3
MOST URGENT!!! The fuel MUST BE
RETURNED TO THE TANK WHERE IT CAME FROM.
If you don't make sure of this, you may pump a lot of fuel overboard and
the Coast Guard has taken a nasty view of such things lately. Don't trust the timer to keep from
overflowing a tank. If you put the fuel
back where it came from you won't have the problem of overflowing.
3.4
Start the pump. It will sound like a
jack-hammer. Then it will groan. Then it will hiccup. Then it will get solid fuel, and you will
think it stopped.
3.5
Go over every fitting with your hand as soon as the pump has settled down. If you have any leaks, stop and fix them
now. After the pump has run for about
thirty-minutes, go over every fitting again.
If all is tight now the Loctight will keep it tight.
***************************************
Observations
4.1
Record the vacuum reading as soon as the pump runs quietly and record its
reading on a regular basis. Don't let
the vacuum get into the red area, 10 inches of vacuum.
4.2
Switch tanks daily until you are satisfied with the results. Clean fuel is a beautiful sight.
************************
Algae-X
If
you have not heard about this before, it is a magnetic unit which is reported
to kill algae when fuel is passed through the unit. Algae-X is a second generation product inspired by the first
De-Bug unit.
This
concept originated in New Zealand and the first time I heard about it, I was
able to get the results from a testing laboratory and the results of use with
the Dutch Fishing Fleet. I was
satisfied that the written material supported the claims of the
manufacturer. I then bought a unit and
installed it. I was only able to use it
for a short time before being rammed by another vessel in hurricane Bertha. That incident took AfterSail out of the
water for almost a year. During the
limited time I was able to test the unit, it seemed to improve my system, but
the time was too short for a definitive answer.
The
design of the De-Bug unit had a metal bowl which collected water. That bothered me, but I never drained the
unit.
With
this project, I upgraded to the Algae-X unit which does not trap water and my
only experience with it is in the tests associated with this epistle. I can tell you that when the old De-Bug unit
was taken out, it was full of the black stuff and water.
I have
now run about 800 gallons of fuel thru the new Algae-X unit for about seven
days at about 60 gals. per hour. That's
a total of about 10,000 gallons thru the Algae-X and Racor filters. It also means that the fuel has been turned
over about 12.6 times in those seven days.
I started with a Racor 2-micron filter with about 20 hours on it. I changed filters on that unit and a second
one when the vacuum reached 6 inches.
The third unit was changed at 1.5 inches.
I
suspect that the Algae-X is doing something good. I don't think that much dirty fuel could be run through the three
2-micron filters without changing a whole lot more filters. I'll report more on this as time gives a
better answer.
You
can do some checking for yourself.
You'll find the WWW site at:
http://www.debugusa.com/
***********************************
Filters
Let
me conclude with a few comments on fuel filters.
Years
ago when I was a young Consulting Engineer, I attended a filter seminar. The seminar leader made a very profound
statement. He said, "Chicken wire
is a 100% efficient filter against chickens, but a 0% efficient filter against mice." The moral is, what do you want going into your injection
pump? Do you want 2-micron bits or
10-micron bricks? Do you want a dirty
filter, or a dirty injection pump?
I'll
take the dirty filter. I always use a
2-micron filter. You have just seen
that it will last a very long time if the fuel is clean. I consider the second filter on the engine
just an emergency filter in case I do something stupid at the first filter.
Report 4
This
is just a short piece about some interesting observations.
During
these tests, I retain the fuel from the fuel bowl each time the filters are
changes. My normal routine is to close
the inlet valve, drain the bowl, unscrew the filter top, and then remove the
filter element. It turns out that the
fuel close to the filter element remains when the bowl contents are drained. Then when the top is loosened, some more
fuel is released. This seemed an
inconvenience at first, but proved to provide some additional useful
information. The fuel samples are identified as follows:
1. Bowl contents after first filter
change. Half of contents lost. This was collected before the filter was
removed
1A. Fuel which drained when the top was opened
after the bowl was drained in 1 above.
The filter element was discarded.
2. Bowl contents after second filter
change. No contents lost.
2A. Contents when top associated with 2
above. Filter element retained in same
zip lock.
3. Contents of fuel bowl after third
change. Fuel associated with removing
the element and element added to zip lock.
Over
a week has passed since the first samples were collected and more than two days
since the last samples. The samples
have been left still in zip lock bags, suspended with a corner of the bag down
so any sediment will be easier to see.
Sample
1 has:
Water in the bottom
Long black ribbon like material floating
in the fuel
Black debris floating on top of the
water.
The entire fluid was very dark ‑‑
almost black, but not quite.
Shaking
up Sample 1 before storage, broke the black tape like structures up and they
settled to float just on top of the water along with the other debris
there. They did not change the color of
the fuel after they had settled. This
condition has remained constant to-date.
Sample
1A had:
A very small quantity of water in the
bottom.
No black tape like structures.
No black debris on top of the water
The entire contents of the fuel was
black. Light would not pass through it.
This
sample has remained constant.
*******************
Sample
2 had
Minute drop of wate in the bottom.
No black tape like structures
No black debris on top of the water.
The entire contents of the fuel was
almost clear. Light could passed
through the fuel.
This
sample has remained constant.
*******************
Sample
2A
Nothing but black fuel. No light could be shown through the fuel
Sample
3.
Clear as is possible with the red
dye. Light sparkled through this
sample. Then I dropped the filter
element along with its fuel into the same bag.
All the contents turned black as sin and have stayed that way. No light will pass through the fuel.
As
you will hear from me a lot, I don’t think I understand all I know about
this. But that’s not all bad, that is
why I do tests and make observations.
*******************
Discussion
I
thought the black stuff would always settle to the bottom if left undisturbed,
but that is not happening. The black
stuff stays in solution with the fuel, and is distributed throughout in the
samples.
In
the tank in long time storage, I suspect the black stuff stays that way until some of it collect into the long thin
ribbons. The ribbons seem to stay in
solution for a time until they break down in some way and settle to the bottom
of the fuel.
The
fact that the black stuff stays in solution (at least for a week) is really
good for our filtering operation. It
means that we’ll have a chance of getting it before it really does settle
out. It gives me more hope that I won’t
find a whole lot of bad stuff below the fuel pick-up to give trouble after the
boat is Aall shuck up.@
I
must also point out that the Algae-X folks say that their product destroys the
algae which passes through their unit and passing all the fuel through their
unit three times a week will keep the tank clean. So far I have nothing to dispute their claim and the beginning of
some support for it.
I’ll
keep these samples -- adding new ones as filter changes occur -- for the
foreseeable future and record their condition on a weekly basis.
Report 5
This
will be the last report in this series until new information becomes available. The second scheduled weekly pumping session
is finished. The results are that the
vacuum gauge reads 0-inches, and the fuel in the filter bowl sparkles when a
light is shined through it. This is
after having pumped for a total of 98 hours on one Racor 2-micron element. This
amounts to about 5700 gallons of fuel.
The fuel has exactly the same appearance as when it was purchased.
I
have established a filter pumping schedule of 24 hours per tank per week. It will be interesting to see how long it
takes to load up the filter with this schedule.
A
few parting remarks:
1. This system has cleaned up my fuel in
astonishing fashion. I expected good
results, but the results far exceed my expectations.
2. You should consider installing such a
system if you are concerned with the condition of your fuel. If you have never had a fuel problem, or don’t
expect a problem you should read something else.
3. Fuel flow of a Lehman-Ford engine.
3.1 Most diesel engines circulate much more fuel than they burn as
has been pointed out on this list. You
must understand that such circulation is not a requirement of diesel engine
design. It is just one of many
arrangements which a designer can use.
It was used initially to simplify the control of the fuel system. Later it was used to lubricate and/or cool
various parts of the system. Each
engine designer comes up with his own design and how well it works greatly
influences how well the engine succeeds.
3.2 If the engine runs properly, the amount of diesel circulated
is of little or no importance in most cases.
It is either enough to make the engine work well or it isn’t. If the engine works well, who cares how much
fuel is circulated.
3.3 I’ve asked the folks at American Diesel about this
question. Since this question isn’t
very important in keeping their engines running, they don’t know the answer
since they have never measured it. They
do say that the 120 returns almost none and that the 135 returns a little more.
3.4 Since the amount of diesel circulated is important to the
Algae-X people, I’ve asked them about the Lehmans. They say they don’t know, but it is very little. They say they would like for someone to
measure it. They say that it is so low
that their system does not work well on a Lehman unless a circulating system is
installed.
3.5 The only reasons this question could be of interest to me and
this diesel filtering system are (1) can the same result be obtained by
just using the engine alone, and (2) if there is a difference, it can help
explain the results obtained from the current tests. Since I already decided to install this system, the return rate
of the Lehman has no effect on my situation.
3.6 The only way to know for sure is to test it. When I un-winterize AfterSail I’ll do
just that. I’ll try to load up the
Racor to about 6-inches of vacuum, disconnect the return line from the engine,
run the RPM up 1800 for a minute, catch the returned diesel and measure
it. Then I’ll change filters and do the
same thing again. I’ll then know for
sure what it circulates at 1800 RPM at no load under two filter
conditions. When I do that, I’ll let
you know the results.
3.7 My observations so far indicate that the difference in diesel
pumped by the filtering pump and the fuel lift pump are orders of magnitude
apart.
4 Algae-X
4.1 Practical Sailor has run a test on the DeBug and
Algae-X units and concluded that they were not effective. I read that test and discarded it as not meeting
my criteria for meaningful tests. You
should read that test yourself and see if it satisfies you as being conducted
in a way to produce meaningful results.
I have had problems with most of their tests on things which I know
something about, but that’s not the issue here.
4.2 Other facilities have run tests on these units including the
Coast Guard. Most of those tests have
been positive. I am advised that the
Coast Guard will not release its findings, but I understand that they are
looking into putting these units on Coast Guard boats. I can’t name all those tests for you since I
just read them and dismissed them.
4.3 It is very hard to get enough definitive information to make a
firm statement, but I have found nothing in the literature to discount the
product out of hand.
4.4 I’m a tester. After
all is said and done, I want to test the product. While we are giving the Algae-X unit some sort of test, it is not
conclusive since the part it plays in the filtering system can only be
determined by analysis. See brief
discussion below on testing.
4.5 In my opinion, there is strong evidence that the Algae-X unit
adds materially to the efficiency of the system. I doubt that the fuel would be returned to its new appearance
with filters alone. I also doubt that
this condition could be obtained by just changing two filter elements. Actually I really needed to just change one
filter element. I made the other
changes to determine the condition of the fuel and filter elements.
5 Testing
5.1 As I have said before, to be meaningful, the results from
tests must be reproducible. In
addition, to determine how one variable in a system affects the system, it is
the only variable which can be changed in subsequent tests.
5.2 All we can say about the present tests are statements about
the system as a whole. Since the system
works so successfully, I’ll not take the Algae-X unit out, return the tanks to
their dirty conditions, and run the system for two-weeks to find out how the
Algae-X unit affects the system.
5.3 To be relied upon, the tests never stop. For example, I test anchors. I made my first anchor test in 1989. The formal testing period lasted about
two-months, but I have a database of every anchor set I have made since that
time with all pertinent facts recorded.
I now have utter confidence in the conclusions drawn from this large
amount of data.
I have started a similar database of diesel filtering
data. In a few years, it will be as
conclusive as the anchoring data.
5.4 If you really want to know, test it.
Report 6
Just to keep things straight, I’m going to now always
refer to the Diesel Filtering System as The Polishing System. It is the system I designed and installed
and have written about. Those new to
this thread can read the first accounts for details.
1. I devised and fabricated CaptnWil’s
Diesel Tank Bottom Sampling Contraption
-- my wife will never forgive me either. It is a rigid pipe, flexible tube affair connected to a Par hand
pump. All of this fabrication was
necessary because the Krogen-42 fuel tank is curved to the contour of the hull,
and the fuel inlet is located where a pipe will not go straight to the bottom
of the tank. I withdrew about three
quarts of contents from each tank and transferred the samples to zip lock bags
(actually the Hefty brand since the closure system is better) for
observation. As an aside, the zip/Hefty
lock bags allow for much better inspection than anything I have tried. If you turn the bag so one corner is down, it concentrates the
sediments in that corner and gives excellent information because it is clear.
2. The fuel was not sparkling, but light
would shine through it. It was better
than the sample taken from the Racor filter bowl after the first cycle of The Polishing system.
3. Some solid debris came up in the first
couple of strokes of the pump handle B then only fluid. The fluid was darker at the first stroke and got lighter with
successive strokes. The samples were
first collected in a one-gallon anti-freeze jug and later transferred to the
zip\hefty bags. While the fuel was in
the jugs, no water could be detected.
It should be noted that
adding the clearer fuel to the sample did not clear up the sample. It stayed its initial color and that color
was not diluted by adding clearer fuel.
That same phenomenon has been observed with every sample taken.
4. About a teaspoon of water was observed
in each of the two samples.
Discussion
1. This sampling routine should have been
initiated at the beginning to give us information about whether the Polishing
System normal pumping schedule will do anything below the fuel pick up of
the tank.
1.1_ At this point, we can only
speculate about how, if at all, the Polishing System has affected this
part of the fuel tank. I had expected
much more bad stuff in these samples than I found which is encouraging..
1.2_ On the other hand, no
samples from the Polishing System after the second cycle had any water
in the sample which is discouraging to the hope that the Polishing System
will help here.
2. A sample will be taken after each
future scheduled pumping.
2.1 No modification of the system will be
considered until sufficient scheduled pumping cycles have been completed (and
sampling analyzed) to give us a true
picture of what is going on.
2.2 If it turns out that the tank zone below
the fuel pickup is never cleaned by the Polishing System, I’ll think
about designing a means of getting to that part of the tank.
Report 7
A tester must be prepared for surprises because there
is no reason to test if you already know the answers. This report is about some monumental surprises your faithful
tester has just received.
For those new to this issue: I have installed a Adiesel
polishing system@ using an Algae-X unit, Racor 500 2-micron filter, and Walbro
6802 circulating pump. The system
circulates fuel through the elements from the normal fuel pick-up back to the
normal fuel return line. The system has
been operating since 12/29/1997
The current Racor 500 2-micron filter was installed
01/03/1998. To date it has been in
service for 459 pumping hours. Look
carefully at excerpts from my filter log:
Hrs. On Filter Vacuum in inches
Between Reading
49 0.0
50 1.5
46 2.0
48 2.5
26 4.0
48 4.5
46 5.0
48 3.0
24 2.0
24 1.0
26 0.5
24 0.5
You would expect the pressure drop across the filter
to increase over time unless the flow was decreased or the filter suffered
mechanical damage. This particular pump
gives an audible clue about its condition.
It changes rpm in accordance with pressure. You can hear it speed up and slow down as its capacity
changes. At this time with 0.5-inches vacuum
across the filter, the pump speed is normal for this pressure drop.
These results are so startling that I went to the
trouble to disconnect the engine bypass line and measure the output of the pump
to make certain that it was still pumping and that the results were not caused
by reduced fuel flow. I am fortunate to
have a pump curve with this pump, and after estimating the pressure drop of the
vertical head and piping losses, the measured pump output is right on the
money. It produces about 40 gph with
the 0.5-inches of vacuum across the filter, and a total piping pressure loss of
a little over 2-psi.
The pump capacity decreases quickly as the pressure
drop rises to 7-psi where it shuts off.
With all of this in mind, if the average pressure drop has been 3-psi
over this whole test period (629 hours), the total fuel pumped has been about
24,000 gallons. The amount pumped with
this filter element is about 17,400 gallons.
While the filter element pressure drop does not
indicate changing it, I never the less removed it for inspection. The fuel in the bowl was perfect with a few
bits of very solid stuff. The fuel
caught from immediately around the filter element was red. Holding it up to the sun showed a very red
fluid with no debris of any kind. The
filter element was black with no evidence of any build-up of any kind. Wiping the filter with my finger only got
fluid diesel fuel. Wiping the outside
of the filter with a paper towel got only black fluid marks - no jelly, solids,
or anything else. The element was in
such good shape that I returned it to the system. When I then started the polishing system up, the vacuum went to
0-inches across it.
I then took a fuel sample from the bottom of the tank
- below the fuel pick-up point. RED
FUEL ONLY. Nothing black - no
debris. Seems to answer the question about
what happens to the fuel below the pick-up.
But read on about that.
I have now eliminated every source I can think of
which could explain that has happened except what the rest of this report is
about. In all my years of messing
around with pumps and filters and things, both professionally and for fun, I
have never seen anything like this. THE
PRESSURE DROP IS SUPPOSED TO INCREASE over time on any filter in any system,
period! What is going on here? Black Magic?
The only thing new to the equation, as far as I am
concerned, is the Algae-X Unit. Because
these results are so spectacular, I spent about two hours on the phone with
Algae-X trying to pick their brain. I
got an ear full, and it all fits the results I have found in these tests. Much of the discussion had to do with the
chemical properties of diesel fuel and how those properties change over
time. I had to hang on for dear life
because I’m not a chemical engineer, but that ear full was consistent with my
observations and test results. It was
no surprise to Algae-X that the pressure drop across the filter decreased over
time. The next part is a partial summary
of that conversation.
1. That
black stuff in the diesel - both the soup at the bottom of the tank, and the
black fuel above that layer - may have bacteria in it, but the most of it is
made up of asphalt and paraffin going out of solution with the diesel. It will happen whether you have water and/or
bacteria in your fuel or not.
2. This
black stuff (asphalt and paraffin) is the major contaminate on the surface of
your fuel filter. Remove the black
stuff and the filter life will be extended enormously.
3. The
black stuff starts to settle out of diesel fuel four to six months after
refining. Note that this is after
refining, not after you put it into your tank.
This is one very important reason to buy fuel from a high volume dealer.
4.
Bacteria begins to grow in the presence of water in three to four weeks.
5. The
molecules which make up diesel fuel have an electrical charge as do the
bacteria.
6.
Exposing the molecules of the diesel fuel to an electrical field changes
their characteristics and allows that fuel to cause the asphalt and paraffins
to go back into solution with the diesel fuel.
The point here is that the electrical field does not itself cause the re-solution
of the fuel and solids, it conditions the fuel so the fuel can do it. More on this latter.
7.
Exposing the bacteria to the electrical field alters their composition,
rendering them harmless to our system.
8. The
pressure drop across the filter decreases because the conditioned fuel
dissolves the asphalt and paraffins on its surface. I have evidence of that.
There was a bunch more about how this same process
improves combustion and reduces the black smudge on the stern, but I’ll not
comment on it until I can make some kind of test.
******************************
The net result of those items listed above offer the
only explanation to what has happened to the fuel in my system that makes sense
to me. Here’s a summary of the
conditions then and now.
1. Fuel in
my system ranged in age between two-years to four-months. My boat was seriously damaged in July
1996. It stayed out of the water for a
year. During that year, the tanks were
about 1/2 full and the fuel had no treatment of any kind. The tanks were filled in May 1997 and topped
up in October 1997. The fuel tanks had
some water in the bottom as well as assorted black crud and black soup. I have reported all this before and restate
it now just to remind you.
2. No fuel
treatment of any kind was applied to the fuel at any time since 1996.
3. The
vacuum across the filter reached 6-inches at the end of the first 24 hours
pumping with the new system. Upon
removal, the filter element was awful - black gunk, trash, etc. Water, gunk, crud was in the filter
bowl. The bottom of the tank had black
soup.
4. Over
the course of these tests - a little more than a month - the condition of the
fuel improved dramatically.
5. The
dramatic results came only after circulating the diesel for a long time.
*******************************
I am now convinced that the Algae-X can provide
amazing benefits if used properly. I am
convinced that it takes a lot of circulation for any meaningful results. As detailed above, it took a lot of pumping
before the results became dramatic. As
the filter log shows, once started the fantastic results came in short
order. If you want to install such a
system, I suggest that you use a 2-micron filter element for all pumping and
set up your pumping schedule in two stages:
First of all, make sure that you can’t pump any fuel
overboard. Always pump from and to the
same tank. Check the valve setting at
least twice before leaving the boat.
Never! Never! Pump from one tank
to another! The risks are just too
great.
Initial Pumping Schedule
Pump
continuously (24 hours per day) until the vacuum across the filter reduces
during pumping. This may take a long
time. It took me a month with almost
continuous pumping. Of course, change filters
as they load up. Be aware that the
pumping capacity of the pump drops dramatically as the vacuum increases. I would change the filter at about 5-inches
of vacuum.
Regular Pumping Schedule
Pump
each tank 24 hours every week.
The reason for the long pumping schedule is to
condition the fuel so that the fuel can dissolve the solids and put them back
into solution. I feel sure that little
benefit will result from a single pass over the Algae-X unit. It’s not the magic of the unit on the gunk -
the magic is that the unit conditions the fuel so the fuel can do the
magic. That takes a lot of
circulation. No matter how much the
engine fuel pump returns to the tank, it is unlikely that pleasure boats will
run enough for the fuel to get conditioned using the Algae-X unit without such
a system as I have installed. I’ve
pumped over 600 hours in one month.
Algae-X is not the only magnetic unit around. There is also the original De-Bug. They work on the same principle, but I
cannot compare them.
***********************************
Caution
We cannot know for sure that the Algae-X unit is
responsible for these remarkable results because we don’t have a similar
pumping test without that unit installed.
The evidence for the Algae-X is strong and is re-enforced for me by a discussion I
had with a friend who was a long time tug boat captain along the ICW. He indicated that fuel filter blockage was a
serious problem in all of his tug boat experience. Those boats run for long periods of time 24 hours per day. Those boats pump lots of fuel for most of
that time. They certainly circulate
their fuel more than I have done with my little puny pump. This seems to indicate that just circulating
and filtering the fuel will not produce the results reported here.
The other tests on magnetic units that I’m aware of
are:
1. Tests
on the original De-Bug unit by the Dutch fishing fleet and used by De-Bug in
their advertisement. These tests were
positive. There was not enough
information given about these tests for me to make a judgement, but the
comments from boat captains formed the basis of the report.
2. Report
from a testing laboratory commissioned by De-Bug and used by them for
advertisement. They were positive. I don’t have enough knowledge to pass
judgement on their results.
3. Tests
done by Practical Sailor on both units.
These results were unfavorable.
I don’t remember the full details of these tests, but they were of such
nature that I dismissed them on first reading.
I do remember that they did not circulate diesel fuel through the units
for long periods of time. I seem to
remember that they didn’t even use diesel fuel, but I’m not sure about that.
***********************
The claim of
less smoke and soot on the stern is of great interest to me. When we can start cruising again (in a week,
I hope), I will keep track of it and report what I find.
Report 8
1.
Preamble
CaptnWil has told you a lot of stuff, and I hope you
have believed at least part of it. Most
of
what I have told you could be verified by fact or
reason. Most of what I'm going to tell
you now
can only be verified by my own observation and a
small part by the observations of others.
I
must tell you that I have had some doubts about the
observations of CaptnWil in this mater
myself. All I
can do is swear to you that what I'm about to tell you is true. No names have been
changed to protect the innocent. Let the bacteria lay where they fall.
2. A
Little History
This part is straight forward. You'll have no problem believing this since
it has nothing to do
with observations or results.
The magnetic concept of bacteria control and the
invention of the magnetic device was done by
Mr. Colin Wickham of Auckland, New Zealand. After the invention, Mr. Wickham began the
marketing process world-wide. In the early stages, the device was known in
the US as De-Bug.
There was some controversy between Mr. Wickham and
the De-Bug people in the US, and they
went their separate ways. The circumstances about that divorce is of no interest to me and
shouldn't be to the list. It's only significance is that there came to be two separate
organizations
involved in "magnetic fuel conditioning
devices."
At the time of the parting of the ways, Mr. Wickham
had refined his original design and the new
design was marketed in the US under the name of
"Algae-X." I am informed that
through out
the rest of the world, this new device was marketed
under the name of "FuelMag."
After a time, there came to be a conflict between Mr.
Wickham and the Algae-X people. Again,
the issues in that dispute are of no interest to
me. A new distributor has been
appointed for North
and South America by the name of Fuel Dynamics, LLC,
and the name of the product is now
"FuelMag."
It is the same unit I tested and have reported on under the name of
Algae-X. There
is still a company selling a device called
"De-Bug."
I have been in contact with Mr. Wickham, his aids in
New Zealand, and the representatives of the
North and South American distributor, Fuel
Dynamics. The purpose of these contacts
on my part
were for the purpose of understanding what was really
going on in my fuel tanks. Their main
purpose was to make sure I understood and reported
just what they claimed and who they were.
Our common success will be described in what follows.
3. What
Colin Wickham Claims
The claim of Colin Wickham at the beginning and still
today is that the magnetic unit will
destroy the bacteria in the fuel which passes through
the unit and doing that will improve the
performance of the engine, reduce operating cost, and
increase the life of the diesel engine
associated with the system.
All of the other claims and statements about this
process are from other sources and are classified
as anecdotal evidence. The dictionary gives one definition of anecdotal as:
"based on or consisting of reports or
observations of usually unscientific observers
anecdotal
evidence."
CaptnWil, as you will see, is one source of anecdotal
evidence.
4. Why
Bother With It All?
The only reason to pursue this subject is because of
its possible impact on our successful use of
our boats in the conditions we use them in. It should be obvious that the single most
common
reason for a marine diesel engine to stop is because
of clogged fuel filters. Because of the
low
hours normally put on pleasure trawlers, low fuel
consumption of pleasure trawlers, and
relatively large fuel capacities of pleasure
trawlers, we are very prone to the problems of dirty,
contaminated fuel and clogged filters.
We are not alone.
The literature is full of many kinds of commercial vessels which report
severe
problems with dirty fuel. These vessels including Tug Boats, Pilot Boats, Coast Guard and
Navy
vessels.
These vessels operate frequently, for long periods, and burn large
amounts of fuel.
Their problems indicate that we are just part of a
large fraternity who need a better solution to
keeping our fuel clean.
5.
CaptnWil's Anecdotal Evidence
Briefly!
A polishing system was installed on AfterSail which
pumps 45 gph thru a magnetic unit and 2-
micron Racor filter. The fuel capacity is about 700 gals. and was dirty at the
start. After 167
hours of operation, the vacuum drop across the
2-micorn Racor dropped to 0-inches and has
remained at that level.
There are now 1250 hours of polishing system pumping
on one Racor element as well as 250
hours of engine time on this engine. That's over 58,500 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL
THRU
THE FILTER ELEMENT AND THE PRESSURE DROP ACROSS THE
FILTER IS 0.0
INCHES.
Analysis shows no bacteria of any kind in the fuel. These facts are in agreement with
the claims.
What is in addition to the claims is the fact that
the fuel which was black is now perfectly
unclouded red.
It is in the same condition it was when first put in the tank. The crud at the
bottom of the tank has disappeared, the water at the
bottom of the tank has disappeared, the
engine runs quieter, the engine idles smoothly at
lower RM, and the soot on the transom is
reduced.
This, by the way, is CaptnWil's anecdotal evidence.
6. Who Got
What From Whom?
After more than six month of testing and observing my
system, I am convinced of the marvelous
results when using this system. I am most interested in just what is going
on and hoped that the
inventor could help me understand what magic is
really happening. I asked for any lab.
results
he had. He
has only one extensive lab report which verifies the claim that the magnetic
unit
reduces the bacteria which passes thru it. That report does not explain all of the
other things
which are going on.
While I was glad to see some professional verification about the
bacteria
claims, I was disappointed that NO ONE seems to know,
for sure, just why all the other benefits
are occurring.
While I was interested in their tests, they were
equally interested in my tests. While
they have
many reports of the same kind of results I have seen,
no one else, it seems, except CaptnWil, has
gone to the trouble to make weekly observations,
verify flow rates, record pressure drops across
the filter on a regular basis, etc. Others just rejoice in the results.
It is interesting that they are not surprised by my
results, but do not make any claim that the
black will go away, the crud from the tank bottom and
water will disappear.
7. Beyond
The Claims
To gain the benefits which are possible beyond the
verified claim of destroying bacteria,
evidence from other experiences is necessary and this
report is really about that. The
following
is a brief distillation from my experience.
Great circulation is necessary to obtain the best results. For most installations in pleasure
trawlers this means installing a bypass polishing
system. Few, if any, diesels in our
range return
enough fuel to the tank to get the job done.
The
circulation rate should turn the fuel over three or four times per week. I pump a total of 48
hours at 45 gph per week.
The fuel tanks should be kept as full as possible.
No chemicals of any kind should be added to the fuel.
A vacuum gauge should be installed on the leaving
side of the Racor to monitor the pressure
drop across the element. The element should be changed when the vacuum drop exceeds
5-inches.
8. What's
Going On?
I really don't know.
It's something like electricity, we don't know what it is, but we use
it. This
system will clean up your fuel and regular use will
keep it clean.
9, Who's
Doing it?
I have seen letters from, Virgina Pilot Association,
Bay Gulf Trading Company (tug fleet), and
US Department of Transportation giving testimonials
to FuelMag. I have seen a list of six
Coast
Guard and one Navy vessel on which the FuelMag unit
has been installed.
10. More
Information
You can get additional information from:
Mr. Bill Miller, National sales Manager
Fuel Dynamics, LLC,
PO Box 523
Cape Canaveral FL 32920
(407) 784-4227
Email: MVentu1050@aol.com
Website: www.fueldyn.com
11.
Finally
I have reported extensively on this product as the
tests were going along and as information
became available.
I don't want to bore the list so I'll not report on it again unless
someone
desires more information. I am more than pleased with my system.
Report 9
CaptnWil
just couldn’t stand not knowing. My
excuse was that the facts were necessary to write the final ADiesel Filtering@
report. The AfterSail is still
winterized, but I opened the sea cock and watched $15.00 worth of anti-freeze
run out the exhaust. After the engine
warmed up, I had Evelyn set the RPM at 1800 while I caught the return diesel
from the engine in a Zip-Lock for a timed one minute.
IT MEASURED EXACTLY 4 OUNCES; THAT’S 1.875 GALLON PER
HOUR.
The engine was out of gear, so little if any load was
on the engine. The vacuum across the Racor 2-micron filter was 0-inches. This is the very maximum that my engine
will ever re-circulate at 1800 RPM.
The maximum total amount circulated would then be the
amount the engine burns plus this 1.875 gph, but I suspect it would be less
than that. The way this works is that a
relief valve in the injection pump modulates open at some pressure. Its purpose is to keep the injection-pump
under positive pressure. Since the amount
of fuel burned by the engine varies with the load, you would expect the amount
bypassed to be less at full load than at no load. In any event, very little fuel is re-circulated by this engine at
cruising RPM.
While I did not measure the amounts circulated at
other RPM, the flow seemed to be consistent, giving some validity to the last
speculation above.
This engine has the new Ford 140-hp long block from
American Diesel, but retains the Lehman-Ford SP-135 marine stuff and fuel lift
pump. It has the new 140 injection
pump.
********************************************
CaptnWil wants to give a gentle reminder that the
results just described are why testing is necessary to know something for
sure. There has been as much
speculation about how much fuel a ALehman@ re-circulates as any subject I have
encountered lately. There was logic
about diesels in general, catalog data from filter catalogs, comparisons with
other type engines, etc. This is not
unusual among bright, intelligent people.
I started testing because I was a victim of that course of action once
too often, but I got over it, and I started testing to know for sure.
********************************************
All of that has to do with the Diesel Filtering
Thing.
This final report will try to summarize the results
of this issue.
1. The
system consists of an Algae-X LGX magnetic unit, Racor 500 2-Micron Filter, and
Walbro diesel pump.
2. The
measured output of the pump is 43 gallons per hour at 0.5-inches of vacuum
across the filter.
3. The
total pumping time to date is 677 hours.
4. The total
pumping time on the current filter element is 507 hours. The vacuum rose to 5.0-inches on this unit
and then decreased to 0-inches where it has stayed for 72 pumping hours.
5. All
samples from the tank are sparkling red.
These samples include: the filter bowl, the filter element, and bottom
samples from the tank. These bottom
samples are below the normal fuel pickup point on the tank. There is no black soup at the bottom!
6. A total of
three filter elements have been used to date.
The first element already had about twenty hours on it and was changed
with a vacuum reading of 6-inches after 48 hours. The second filter was changed with a vacuum reading of 1.5-inches
after 122 hours. The third element is
still in service with 507 hours on it and a vacuum of 0-inches.
Conclusions
1. The
Algae-X unit performs as advertised and will clean up your diesel system if
used properly.
2. It
takes a lot of circulation to accomplish the desired results. Now that we know the maximum amount the Ford
135/140 pumps, we know that my system
is pumping at least ten times as much as the engine fuel system. I had to pump for 531 hours before the
vacuum began to drop across the filter unit.
That corresponds to more than 5,310 hours of engine operation. That’s an engine lifetime for many
engines. It is certainly many seasons
for us pleasure boaters. The lesson is
that it is unlikely that you can clean up your fuel system using the LGX unit
and your engine fuel pump alone. If you
want it to work, think about installing a system like mine.
3.
Initially, to clean up the system, continuous pumping should be done
until the vacuum starts to drop across the filter unit. Elements should be changed when the vacuum reaches
5-inches.
4. After
the system has been cleaned up, a maintenance pumping schedule of 24-hours per
week should be established.
5. No
additives for bacteria control should ever be needed.
Report 10
Some most unusual circumstances give rise to this
postscript. There was a break in the
weather, and since the engine was already de-winterized, and since the ASuper
Max@ was on the bow just waiting to be tested, and since we had a bad case of
cabin fever, we set off on a clear Friday morning in the AfterSail, free
again.
**********************************
1. Before
we left on this cruise, the Algae-X people sent me some test kits for testing
diesel for bacteria and fungal growth in the fuel. A 5-cc quantity of diesel is injected into a rubber capped
container and let stand for thirty-hours for the bacteria test and seventy-two
hours for the fungal test. Visual observations
are made to determine the condition of the fuel.
I took two samples.
Sample 1: From the current contents of the Racor filter bowl. Sample 2:
From the zip-lock containing the contents of the second filter removed
from the system including the filter element.
This sample is more than a month old and is jet black.
The samples sit on top of the contents of the test
vessels. Sample 1 was sparkling red
when injected and the visual condition of the test contents have remained
unchanged. Sample 2 has shown no
bacteria growth, but much fungal growth.
Discussion:
Sample 1 is the condition of the fuel after more than
600 hours of circulation through the filtering system which includes the
Algae-X unit. There is no reaction at
all. The fuel sits on top of the test
media just as it was injected, and the test media has not changed in any way.
Sample 2 was drawn form contents which had been
circulated through the filtering system for 95 hours and those contents were
collected on January 3, 1998. They have remained undisturbed since
collection. The filter element is in
the fluid. There is no evidence of
water in the original contents or the sample contents.
There is no evidence of bacteria in sample 2, and I
wish that a test kit had been available when the contents from which Sample 2
were collected was first drawn. If a
bacteria and fungal test had been made then, it would have provided a better
handle on the effect of the Algae-X unit on destroying the algae and
fungus. As it is, (1) we know that
there is no algae in the test sample, (2) the sample is still black.
There is evidence of much fungal growth in sample
2. I have never heard about fungus
growing in the diesel, but there it is.
It is still present in this sample which has been in an air tight
zip-lock bag for over a month.
2. My Lehman
SP-135 engine was water-damaged in hurricane Bertha in July of 1996. The repair included a new Ford 140 long
block from Bob Smith. When I cranked it
up for this voyage, it had 264 hours on it.
The 135 exhibited the usual Lehman
characteristics. It didn’t want to idle
below 1000 RPM without shaking the boat.
In addition, we were investigating adding some additional sound
insulation in the engine room to make talking underway easier.
The new engine was louder than the 135, and I bought
a second muffler to help with the noise.
After about 100 hours on the engine, the noise reduced a little and the
second muffler was never installed. The
noise level finally reduced to the same level as the 135.
4. Another
hurricane repair included replacing the Westerbeake generator with a Northen
Lights generator with a sound shield.
The sound shield was such a success that the additional sound insulation
thing came to life again - maybe now we could make the thing really quiet.
5. The fuel
system had been cleaned up by pumping for over 600 hours without ever starting
the engine. When I did start the
engine, everything was as normal. It had
not been started since late November, 1997.
I found its sweet spot at about 1050 RPM where only a few dishes
rattled. We’re docked behind a
draw-bridge, and when a tug approached the bridge, we hurried out of the slip
to make the bridge thirty-minutes early.
A good sign for a good day.
I let the engine loaf at about 1200 RPM for fifteen
minutes or so before cruising gently at 1700 RPM.
I was anxious to see how our new stereo would sound
underway and soon turned it on.
Amazing! The sound filled the AfterSail
in all its high-fi glory. IT SOUNDED
GREAT WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I
attributed it to such a great music system.
6. Our
excuse for this cruise was anchor testing, and we went to Mitchell Creek for
that purpose - you can read about it in another post. After the test, the generator was started so we could operate the
wash-down pump. We cleaned the very
dirty ground tackle and decided to go to Beaufort NC for the day.
As we cruised, I turned the stereo off so we could
talk about the anchor test, our cruise, etc.
We were at normal cruising RPM.
The engine noise was more like that of an automobile than a boat. It had improved so much that we talked about
it, wondering what had happened. The
improvement was noticeable in the pilot house, but was dramatic in the main
salon.
7. In the
anchoring process, the RPM of the engine was, by mistake, reduced to 700. It was not as smooth as at 1000 RPM, but it
was smooth enough to leave it there --
it was acceptable. On start up
next morning, it was rougher at 700 RPM than after the engine warmed up. It took us some time to get the anchor up
and washed down, and by that time the engine would idle at 700 RPM again.
8. It was
cold after we anchored and we ran the generator for heat. Its noise was but a distant hum in the
background. It was just a little white
noise - something that we forgot after a few minutes. Plans for additional sound insulation have now been tabled, and
the generator will run a lot more in the future.
Those are the facts.
******************************************************
Among the claims for Algae-X are, AEngine runs
better-Smokes less.@ When I started
this filtering project my goal was just to keep the damned thing running
reliably. If the filtering system would
just do that, it would be a success. I
was looking for no extra bonus. I
concluded this series of posts after determining to my satisfaction that the fuel
was clean and in new shape, and that this method would keep it that way.
The only reason for this post is I can now report
that my engines do run better and smoke less.
I can not state for certain that the Algae-X unit is
responsible for all that has occurred.
I don’t know for certain that just circulating all that fuel through a
Racor filter would not have obtained the same result.
There are, in my opinion, strong arguments for the
Algae-X claims.
1. The
fuel is in new condition - no bacteria, fungus, black mess, etc.
2. Vacuum
drop across fuel filter is 0-inches after more than 20,000 gallon of diesel
fuel through it.
3. Both
the propulsion and generator engines do
run better.
4. No
chemical treatment of any kind has been added to the fuel.
5. Over
time, we’ll see about the Aless smoke@ thing, but 20 hours running time did not
add any black smudge to the stern of the AfterSail.
No mater which parts of the system are responsible
for the improvement, I’ll not change one single thing. The whole system has the CaptnWil Seal of
Approval.
Unless something dramatic happens or someone has a
question, this postscript will be the last comment I’ll have on this
subject. I’m not trying to sell you
anything. I just want you to know what
I have experienced.
