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35 Cabo flybridge

Discussion in 'Cabo Yacht' started by Badcofish, May 8, 2020.

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  1. Badcofish

    Badcofish New Member

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    Just purchased a 2002 35 with twin cats 3126b. I’m new to diesels do you guys use diesel fuel treatment? Thanks
  2. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    The easiest way to keep your original good fuel quality up is to find and purchase your fuel from a Valve Tech site.
    Keep your fuel filters per spec and fresh.

    The lectures you are fixing to receive about any other snake oil additive is not worth your time or money.

    Now, If you already have fuel quality issues, we will need way more info. Only some of those snake oils will help certain issues.

    3126s are not gas engines. What ever you remember, does not apply to diesel fuel.

    KISS

    If all is well, keep correct filters up and purchase good fuel.
  3. Badcofish

    Badcofish New Member

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    I was told to use diesel fuel additive for the growth in the fuel. At this time I have no fuel issues
  4. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Don't fix anything till it's broke.
    If your concerned, find a Valve Tech fuel pump in your area.
    A few pennies more but if your concerned, go there.
  5. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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  6. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    In order to grow Algae in diesel fuel you need 3 items. Warm fuel (above say 65F), air, and moisture in the fuel. Most yachts always have the first two items, so concentrate on the 3rd. Replace the o-ring on your fuel fill cap and make sure it's always tight. I generally don't use an additive in the yachts I manage and they don't have algae issues. I also recommend running 10 micron fuel filters in your primaries. I haven't notice the valvetech fuel to be of any benefit personally. If I need to put an additive for algae, I use Power Service's products. Clear tank diesel is a very good product and disintegrates the algae. That being said., If you have algae and you add biobor, it will completely clog your fuel filters.
  7. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Don't fix anything till it's broke.
  8. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    The biobor product is used to prevent microbial growth. Power Services has a similar product called a Bio-Kleen, Clear Tank is a different application to disperse water in fuel, especially in high humidity/fuel tank condensation areas like Florida.

    Have used biobor since the 70’s out West to prevent microbial growth for marine diesel fuels, a standard at the local fuel docks out West where they don’t necessarily turn over their volume like other areas.

    Where is the OP boating geographically?
  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    YES, but if there is any algae already in the tank, which on a 2002 boat there generally is some, the biobor will kill it, clump it up and send it right into the racors. Yes, Power Service has many great products and they all work well. Clear tank disintegrates the algae, best to do that first, then go to a microbial after.
  10. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Location specs; Oakdale. I assume CA.
  11. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Don't fix anything till it's broke.

    I keep repeating this for a reason ya know.
    O P stated no problems in #3 above.
  12. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    So the OP is new to Diesels and just purchased the boat. First thing is to determine what the condition of the fuel in the tank is. Whenever we have purchased a new to us used diesel SF, one of the first things we do is have the tanks polished to set the baseline straight and then use the microbial additive Biobor during fill-ups as a preventative treatment. This approach has served us well over time and a number of used purchases, you don’t know what you got until you take a look.

    The OP needs to determine his treatment strategy for diesel as he is new to these types of engines. You typically treat your fuel for the following reasons:

    Preventative steps to limit the onset of microbial growth when starting with a clean and polished baseline of fuel.

    Boost low Cetane levels of fuel if that is the case at your usual fuel dock and to meet your engine manufacturers specs

    Improve Lubricity of low or ultra low sulfur fuels to meet your manufacturers spec .

    To address any water in fuel issues if you typically do not use the boat often and tend to leave your fuel tanks not at the “fully pressed” level. This can also be resolved by topping off your tanks after every trip before you return home. You would also need to use an ant-microbial if there is algae present so it becomes a dual product treatment.

    Biobor addresses anti-microbial and lubricty at the same time. They also have a test kit to determine if algae is present.

    https://www.biobor.com/fuel-additives/marine-fuel-additives/

    Clear Diesel Fuel & Tank Cleaner requires Bio-Kleen if algae is present.

    https://powerservice.com/psp_product/clear-diesel-fuel-tank-cleaner/

    This is about preventative maintenance strategy using proven products, it pays to be proactive and apply the right strategy, doing nothing is an invitation for a contaminated diesel fuel tank which usually becomes a pain in the ass at the most undesired times.

    You have to balance this equation with your local climate, what your local fuel dock carries, how often you refuel which is dependent on how many hours you put on the boat each year, and what level of fuel is kept in the tanks between trips.

    The Cabo tanks are fiberglass and that helps a bit over Aluminum in terms of temperature cycles/condensation build-up.
  13. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

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    I've had exactly that experience. It's a very rude way to find out the tank has growth in it. Never used it again in tens of thousands of gallons of fuel.
  14. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    When you have a black algae infestation of large proportions your are pretty much resigned to having your tanks polished to get the microbes out of there, have to start with a clean baseline .
  15. Badcofish

    Badcofish New Member

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    I’m in oakdale Long Island New York the previous owner never used additive he owned boat
    For 10 years never had a problem. The fuel in filters looks clean he always changed filters.
  16. Badcofish

    Badcofish New Member

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    So if I’m not having problems I shouldn’t add anything? Or should I use the bio kleen when I add fuel? Or first power device clear diesel and then bio kleen as preventive maintenance.
  17. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    At the risk of starting all this mayhem over again from my friends, Lets review what you, The Original Poster has said;
    Clean tanks.
    Clean fuel.
    Clean Fuel filters.
    Engines run great.
    No problems.
    Previous owner of 10 years had no problems also.

    How can you fix this?
    You can modify these above symptoms by changing the routines that have been in place these last 10+ years. It can't get any better just pouring something else in.

    As you would always want to take on good fresh fuel from a reliable fuel dock,
    many of these pumps are already dispensing the Valve Tech treated fuel. IMO, this is all you need from time to time.
    You don't have to ad a thing.

    http://www.valvtect.com/marineFuelDiesel.asp
    http://www.valvtect.com/marina_search.asp

    Update us what you did in a couple of years with what you decided and how it turned out.
    ,Ralph
  18. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Oh, Congrads on your new ship.
    We also like pictures - updates on your projects and fishing trips. Just keep the hundreds of your pictures under 800 pixels wide when you upload them.
    ,Ralph
  19. Badcofish

    Badcofish New Member

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    Thanks for all the info
  20. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    All I would do is put 10 micron racors in the racor fuel filter housings......run the boat through a tank of fuel and check them after 1/2 a tank and the entire tank......if they look clean to even a grey color, you should be fine doing nothing. If they're caked with black algae, well then you need to use one of the above methods.

    I'd never polish the fuel until I do the above and determine I have a problem. Even them most of the time I prefer to add the power service stuff to kill and disintegrate it and then run through the entire tank, and use the additive versus polishing. Polishing removes the algae down to 2 microns, but does not get rid of it, it then grows right back in a month or two...….from my experience.