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Diesel Test - Water

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Lads + Lassie
Any ideas on how to test diesel for water or other contamination before
purchasing from an unknown source?
I was thinking of a long thin clear plastic tube (like one of those
yards of beer you get in Germany) - fill that first and check for
evidence of water settling or dirt.
Marine engines often have water separators built into the fuel filter
system......
Ultimately the LRFT should help avoid necessity to fill up in between
trusted sources but would be interested to know if there is any quick
check's that could be used.
Thanks
Niall
HDJ80
 
Niall
| Any ideas on how to test diesel for water or other contamination
before
| purchasing from an unknown source?
Rag on the end of a stick? The water would be at the bottom if it had
settled, but I don't know if water would get absorbed after having
travelled through the diesel above. Should be easy enough to try out in
a jar though.
For detecting diesel / water emulsions a quick Google search also
suggests dropping some on a hot exhaust: if it just smokes it is OK, but
if it sizzles it contains water.
I like the clear tube idea. If you shake the fuel you should be able to
see any water globules, and of course dirt too. But if it's anything
like the sight tube on my heating oil tank it will go murky pretty
quickly, so don't forget to clean it.
Also you want to be able to suck up from the bottom of any container,
and while diesel doesn't taste as bad as petrol it's still pretty nasty,
so some sort of rubber bulb on top might be a good idea!
| Marine engines often have water separators built into the fuel filter
| system......
My 80 has a water trap at the bottom of the fuel filter, and a warning
light on the dash for the same. Doesn't yours?
Interesting question!
CB
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If there is lots of water it some will separate quite quickly, I use some
big syringes and plastic tube to take oil samples on engines, I suppose you
could put some fuel into a jerry can and check it after a few minutes with a
syringe - hassle is you might have 20 people watching you as you inspect the
wares which can be a bit of a pressure situation.
At work we have bought a few very large Racor duplex / bypass filters (=A32K a
set) recently, I was planning on seeing if this translated into some
discount on Racor filters generally. If you think it's something you might
be interested in, have a look at the Racor items on the page below, let me
know a part number and I will see if the price is competitive. Don't want
to get into a complex group buy but if I can get a reasonable price the more
the merrier.
http://www.parker.com/racor/spn_product.html
Malcolm Bagley
Stafford UK
FJ45 '75 & FJ45 '76
before
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17:19
 
Alright Chris
Good idea but bit messey - and dangerous if using a hot exhaust! I'd be
liable to blow the place up!
Have a gadget that fits onto the end of a hose ( a little marble in a
brass fitting). You shake it up and down and it automatically siphons.
So can get the stuff from the bottom.
warning
light on the dash for the same. Doesn't yours?
Don't think there's a trap on mine. Or a specific warning light. What
does it look like/Is it part of the filter or the housing? I only have a
plastic screw thing that goes on the end of the filter with a butterfly
nut....
Cheers
Niall
HDJ80
 
Hi Niall,
It will br tricky whilst purchasing, but you can get special funnels that
will clean it out as you fill your tank or go for something like one of
the Racor seperators, although at the end of the day if you do get water
in your fuel the fuel filter shopuldd be able to seperate it out for you
so that you can drain it off using the wingnut at the bottom.
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Skype: julianvoelcker
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
Malcolm
RE> might have 20 people watching you as you inspect the
wares which can be a bit of a pressure situation.
Yep - needs to be a swift and simple mechanism to avoid the crowd
factor - and possible insult factor to mr diesel man.
Re > Racor
Had a look at that site. Thanks.
Bolting on more kit will be a last resort - first check is if I have a
seperator on it already - but rekon I'd have noticed it.
Cheers
Niall
 
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Niall
| Don't think there's a trap on mine. Or a specific warning light. What
| does it look like/Is it part of the filter or the housing? I only have
a
| plastic screw thing that goes on the end of the filter with a
butterfly
| nut....
Warning light on my dash is an orange symbol showing the bottom of a
container with droplets coming out. Instructions in handbook if it
comes on are to undo filter drain 2 - 2.5 turns and pump until fuel
comes out.
It's never come on (other than when all lights come on when ignition
first turned on), so I've never done it.
I've had a quick look at the fuel filter and there is no electrical
connection on the filter itself, although there is something electrical
going into a "bump" on top of the fuel filter housing. And obviously I
have the drain at the bottom as you do.
So you could loosen, pump, re-tighten anyway on a purely speculative
basis if you thought you'd picked up water.
So, anybody, how does the "water in the fuel filter" light work? Maybe
it sticks two probes in at the top and measures conductivity between
inlet and outlet? Or maybe it's just lying to me, rather like my
non-existent glow-plug warning light.
CB
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Chris
RE> I've had a quick look at the fuel filter and there is no
electrical
connection on the filter itself, although there is something
electrical
going into a "bump" on top of the fuel filter housing.
I've got wires on the bottom of mine....
Re> So, anybody, how does the "water in the fuel filter" light work?
Maybe
it sticks two probes in at the top and measures conductivity between
inlet and outlet?
You're on the right track. If the unit can be removed - Might be able
to test it by placing in water - see if it turns on the light.
Niall
 
Julian
RE> It will br tricky whilst purchasing, but you can get special
funnels that
will clean it out as you fill your tank
I've seen those - could be the handiest solution if deemed necessary.
- or as you say - drain it at the wing nut
Cheers
Niall
 
Hi Christopher,
At the bottom of the filter you have a plastic arrangement with a float
on it that sits inside the fuel filter.
When you have water in the bottom of the filter the float rises and your
dash light goes on - all very low tech!
And don't ask me why the float doesn't float in the fuel ;-)
I have had the light coming on occasionally with dodgy Biodiesel and that
has usually been down to a bit of mucky stuff at the bottom - I just open
the tap and let it drain out, although you can pump on the top of the
filter to force it out a bit quicker, but it does get messy!
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Skype: julianvoelcker
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
Likely to use the difference in specific gravity between diesel and water ie
0.84 vrs 1. Float is weighted to have negative buoyancy in the fuel.
Doesn't leave much room for variation and I am surprised the float doesn't
get shaken about and operate spuriously, suppose they output might be
"slugged"?
Malcolm Bagley
Stafford UK
FJ45 '75 & FJ45 '76
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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17:19
 
Julian
| At the bottom of the filter you have a plastic arrangement with a
float
| on it that sits inside the fuel filter.
|
| When you have water in the bottom of the filter the float rises and
your
| dash light goes on - all very low tech!
Thanks - I knew there had to be a simple solution.
| And don't ask me why the float doesn't float in the fuel ;-)
I can answer that one: specific gravity. But I think you knew that.
Maybe your bio-diesel is a bit denser than dead dinosaurs, making it
more likely to give a false reading.
On the subject of diesel quality: I wish we could get French diesel
here. I filled mine up on Total "Excellium" fuel while in France, which
was 4 cents/litre more expensive than the bog-standard plonk, and it
definitely went better on it.
The so-called "Ultimate" etc diesels I've tried in the UK have a bigger
price differential and don't appear to offer me any performance or
economy gain whatsoever.
CB
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Niall,
Here's a company supplying diesel testing kits:
United Diesel Fuel Injection Services Ltd.
Unit 6, Leaton Industrial Estate, Bomere Heath, Shropshire, SY4 3AP U.K.
Tel: ++44 (0)1939 291155 Web: www.diesel-sure.co.uk
If you are thinking about a way of testing fuel in 3W countries, I
would rather spare my money on a Racor filter/separator. What if you
test your fuel at a pump and, unsurprisingly, discover it is bad but
the next pump is 100km away?
I suggest using two filters in line - Racor as the first (the
cartridges are very easy to change) and the OEM filter as the second
(it will give you a warning about any water that gets past the Racor
separator).
--
Rgds,
Roman (London, UK)
'92 HDJ80 (auto)
On 8/15/07, Niall Somers <[Email address removed]> wrote:
 
Roman
Re> Here's a company supplying diesel testing kits:
Thanks for that link - interesting reading - especially the PDF.
It is evident from both that PDF and other input from the list that
visual inspection through clear glass will identify the majority of
possible contaminents.
I don't think I'll be putting in a second in-line filter (kitchen sink
factor) but will definetly take a sample jam-jar before I fill up if I
have any suspicions.
Cheers
Niall
HDJ80
 
Niall,
AFAIK you are planing a long trip in Africa. If that's the case, I
would not dismiss a second fuel filter as a kitchen sink factor. On
the contrary, it's one of the most useful mods that may save you a lot
of grief.
You can read more here: http://tinyurl.com/27dnfq and similar threads.
--
Rgds,
Roman (London, UK)
'92 HDJ80 (auto)
On 8/16/07, Niall Somers <[Email address removed]> wrote:
 
Roman
Re> You can read more here: http://tinyurl.com/27dnfq and similar
threads.
Very interesting tread. With experience from people with lots of Africa
time under the belt.
Hmmmm..........
..... have to re-consider kitchen sink factor
Nice one.
Niall
 
FWIW,
my 1997 80, from Toyota's Africa Division in Japan, had a pre-filter
fitted, as well as an extra big main filter.
That was the standard set-up for ME & Africa afaik.
--
Ugo Hu, Oslo, Norway
HDJ100, Auto, AHC, 2001; ex HZJ80
On Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:46:18 +0200, Niall Somers
<[Email address removed]> wrote:
 
Some extra fuel filter is we all need the guys! We must be honest to
each others. How we can debate such need? Water cause terrible degats
in our injecteurs and stuff like that. Put a extra filter and
seperateur and you are OK like Sarko!
 
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