Is it possible for diesel fuel to turn like gasoline? I realize it's not going to turn into shellac but will it spoil?

So 4 years ago i sprung a leak in my front fuel tank. No big deal, I collected the fuel and just stopped using the tank. Fast forward to last night... I was hammering out a bolt from the front leaf spring that was siezed in the bushing. Several minutes later after then having to cut the bolt (and some of ya'll know how long that can take) I found a puddle under the rear of the truck. Initially I thought it was brake fluid but after a quick thought that wasn't possible between the quantity and smell.

It was definitely fuel and I must have knocked something loose in the bad tank to start the residual fuel to leak out. After feeling the fluid to confirm it was fuel (and not water that was collected in the bed or something) I noticed it didn't smell like diesel but more like shellac or paint thinner. It had a subtle note of ketone and benzine (sorry for my poor attempt at humor).

I'm obviously not salvaging what's leaked out of the tank but I was curious as to why the fuel smelled funny. I realize any carbon based material is subject to breaking down over time I just didn't think diesel fuel (fuel oil) did or did as "rapidly" or turned into shellac.

 

I've used diesel that was ten years old. That's strange about the way it smelled! Could it be possible that some AH poured something in your tank?

 

I have seen this happen before in 55gallon drums that seeped and started to mix with rain water and snow melt through the top... mixture smelled like turned gasoline that had sat for five years....this diesel had sat 12 years.

That being said we had 12 year old diesel with a stabil like additive in it on gravity fed steel tanks. Over 1000 gallons, and I ran every last drop through our trucks without a hitch...stuff ran fine was not fouled, algae, rusted.

Why would we want to use the fuel that was that old.... well it was stored and never used by another business. Bought the tanks from them and got the fuel for free.... I was apprehensive till we tested all 4 tanks.

Either way drain it all out and properly clean the tank or replace.... a tank is a lot cheaper than fuel system and injectors....

 

Diesel storage shelf life isn't what it used to be

I read this a while back...not sure how accurate it is, but somewhat interesting and somewhat true. I do not believe ULSD goes bad that quick. I keep 1000 gallons at my place and have never had an issue....

The biggest thing you can do it treat it with a biocide....http://www.petroleumservicecompany.c...FQEdaQodolEG9A

Keep your fuel dry. Colorado makes that easy due to NO humidity

 

My buddy had gotten a truck that had about a inch of this goo that covered the whole bottom of the tank (I could pry stain a deck with it) and smelled like stain. We thought it may have been bio diesel. At first smell it almost smelled like varnish. We went through about 3 filters thinking we could get past it, that was before we dropped the tank for a closer look. We would have never gotten it going. It was disgusting.

 

 

Holy chit!!! That is all I can say. Never seen it that bad...You in a humid part of the country.

 

It can be, no clue on how old that fuel was, but yeah I had never seen anything like that before.

 

I wonder if that is a mix of diesel, engine oil (bad orings), and some other additive?

Or maybe someone used a additive for gas engines instead of diesel engine... like heet gas line antifreeze or something along those lines?

 

Unlikley, this was on a old 1985 6.9. It seriously smelled like stain I could use on wood. Not sure how the finish would be though

Believe it or not, we eliminated all the fuel lines, and ran new lines to a 5 gal pail, and the thing ran like a champ. I thought for sure we would have trashed the IP.

One thing I know for sure, the truck sat for a LONG TIME before we worked on it.

 

Weird I must have misread the article but I have a copy a diesel power that said modern diesel does not last as long and is going bad as soon as its pumped.

 

I have known it my career as algae. I have dealt with it many times, but I decided to find a site on the internet for you, and I found out it is not exactly what I thought it was all these years. http://engines1.novosolutions.net/default.asp?id=275

 

That link makes a lot of sense. Your right, not what I thought it would be.

 

I found it very interesting. I had never given much thought past what I was told some time ago. It makes you question pump fuel heavily. I know I found out the hard way that many gas stations now only offer bio diesel.

One of the guys at my shop filled our tractors up with this bio diesel that the signs nor pump called it anything other than diesel. The one truck went down within a couple days of being filled with the bio diesel.

Bio diesel tends to jell at higher temp than regular diesel.

 

I just seen that for the first time where they only carried bio diesel. It was being sold for 2.60 a gallon. Only big rigs were using it though.

It was a straight tourist trap
2.60!! For diesel!! On the billboards
Except it was bio when you arrived.