Fuel

chrisherk

whats the deal with fuel? Ive been using offroad fuel from a shady gas station for my excavator. Its been about 50 hours since i changed my fuel filters, and now my machine is starting to bog down under load. It feels just like clogged fuel filters again. is this normal, or is it possible a gas station can sell junk fuel? It came out of a pump. I put it in my 105g tank. then all of a sudden, I show up and its kerosene for 1$ more a gal

jmic

Hey Chris,
The answer lies in your second sentence. Gotta buy good fuel, specially so in the winter. Either drain your tank and change filters again or get some diesel treatment for in the tank and change filters again. I'de get a few extra filters.

__________________
___"Remember You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression"______________________
Joe

Teetorbilt

This is the way that it was explained to me. Fuel is piped most everywhere and is stored in tanks. While in the tanks, the heavy stuff ( sulphers, etc.) fall to the bottom of the tank and the last 1/3rd or so is sold at a discount because of this. Municipalities often buy it to save money (on the front end) and much goes to discount retailers. If you buy from the 'cheapie' stations, you're getting what you pay for.

According to a friend of mine who operates a small 4 bay auto repair shop, this applies to gasoline as well.

Pay now or pay later.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

ContractorSon

Actually, I have recently seen a news article on "generic" vs. "name brand" fuels. Although the quality may vary station to station (if they sell more,less chance of water contamination/fuel degradation from it sitting in the tanks),the BRAND itself is apparently irrelevant according to the independant testing.

Teetorbilt

It depends on the 'brand' that you are buying, which was the original point. If you buy 'name brands', they don't want their name associated with bad fuel and you get the middle of the 'slug'. All of the discount places buy their fuel from 'the bottom of the tank' or 'mid slug'. The octane ratings will pass due to additives, the Dept of Ag. monitors that in this state but the particulate matter is unchecked.

Do yourself a favor and buy namebrands.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

PipeGuy

You can buy off-road fuel at a gas station? I've never seen that.

The only control you'll have over the quality of fuel you get is by finding some reliable vendors and sticking with them. Like jmic said, treat it during the cold months, change filters regularly and have plenty on hand. Also, fuel up tanks at the end of the day (not in the morning) because condensation will form overnight as a partially full tank cools. If you have a water seperator, drain it before you leave each day.

chrisherk

[QUOTE=PipeGuy]You can buy off-road fuel at a gas station? I've never seen that.

thats why i thought it was shady. I have never seen it anywhere else. I forgot to mention a couple hours after my last fillup, i saw on the local news that station got busted for putting reg in the super tank. but it didnt bother me at the time, because i thought you couldnt tamper with the off road. But now im thinking THEY bought crappy fuel

jmic

Had problems 3 winters ago, this new mega station ( Global ) opens up they have D.D., pizzas, delli, all the bells and whistles, and cheap gas/fuel too. Focked up the injectors on my Powerstroke, cost me lots of headaches, and $$$, finally traded the thing in for a new truck ,nother Powerstroke...talk about powerstrokes, I went out with this girl once thats another story, anyways only buy the good stuff, it's cheaper in the long run!

__________________
___"Remember You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression"______________________
Joe

Excalibur

We had a fuel issue here this year. Last year we had bought fuel from a discount type place and we had no problems at all. This past season the fuel from this place wasn't good at all. Fuel mileage in the trucks was down and so was the power. Our loader was on fumes in 8 hours with this fuel, eventually we went back to our other supplier with the higher priced fuel. After doing this the loader would go close to 10 hrs and the trucks picked up power and mileage. Sometimes spending more, costs less in the long run.
Bob