If you're (really) worried about buying dirty fuel

[willyjp]

A discussion about choosing gas stations to get the best fuel has come up in another thread, and it has been pointed out, rightly, that low volume stations, especially if they're getting near the bottom of their tank, can pump you some bad stuff along with your gas.

I've so far been able to avoid buying gas at a station that looked to be in that category, but, having been a cruising sailor for many years....and having cruised in Mexico, home of the worlds dirtiest fuel, I am aware of a "field expedient" solution to this potential problem.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...classNum=10442

This may LOOK disappointingly "low tech", but it filters fuel to 100 microns, good enough that it FILTERS OUT WATER! When I first started using one of these on my boat, they were called BAJA FILTERS, but now I think West Marine sells them without the "Baja" in the name.

They are SLOW, and you definitely want to get the BIG one, so you can fill it a wait for it to drain. But you will get clean, water free fuel ANYWHERE, and believe me, marine diesels are MUCH fussier about their fuel than any R8!

I would definitely carry one of these if I was doing, say, a "blue roads" cross country trip in my R8. I'd hope I didn't have to use it, but I wouldn't be afraid to at the cross-roads "mom & pop" with the rusty pumps; just be a little patient with it and you'll have no worries about the fuel you put into your tank (dirt and water-wise, that is).

[harrison]

Yesterday I tried a Lucas product in a four-stroke carburated cycle.The carb was overflowing, bike was hard starting, and finally wouldn't start. Added a bit of the Lucas fuel system treatment, and bike is wonderful again. Letting the bike sit for a month at a time, without ever using any stabilizors bit me in the arshe. Even clean fuel can loose its' oomph after a while. Our R8 fuel filters should keep our fuel clean , but I'm not too sure if it also catches water/moisture.

[willyjp]

that post was in response to concern (in another thread) about getting a LOAD of crap and water from a low volume gas station, maybe near the bottom of his tank;

I imagine the onboard fuel filters CAN handle a modest amount of contamination and water, but if you get a really bad load of stuff, it can overwhelm, even completely clog up your inline filters

I notice you write marine ins.: get some of your clients to show you the MASSIVE filters they use on the diesels of the sportfishermen they cruise down to Mehico! And even then, when you're at a rickety pier somewhere, fueling from drums of diesel that have been sitting around ? knows how long, you're gonna want that filter funnel to get the bulk of it out before it ever gets into your tanks. Stories abound about people who tanked up on diesel in Baja and started out for home only to have both engines shut down because their massive Racor filter system is totally clogged!

[harrison]

I was going to mention massive filtration systems too. Remember welding a water separator to the bottom of a Frantz filter? Thats' what my dad thought was the ultimate. And it may have been. Heck, he put a Perkins boat deisel in a Mercedes for utilitarian purposes. (better mileage)

[harrison]

A Frantz filter used a toilet paper roll inserted as a filtration media. Dunno the micron size not allowed to pass but for its' time...and still possibly pretty good.(for oil and fuel filtration). Wow the co. is still in biz too.

[willyjp]

A Frantz filter used a toilet paper roll inserted as a filtration media. Dunno the micron size not allowed to pass but for its' time...and still posibly pretty good.(for oil and fuel filtration.

well, I'm sure they could soak up a lot of crap...from the dirty fuel that is

[harrison]

Good one willy !!:d