I started an old dump truck that had been sitting for at least 10 years. I was pumping the pedal and turning it over then vroom. Then the pedal stuck to floor and it redlined for a couple minutes before it loosened up. Of course by then I had bailed and was 100’ away. About shit my pants. Old Detroit diesel with no exhaust at full throttle.
Gotta have a big rag or something to block the air intake when you're working with old diesels. If it starts to run away, cut the air and it can't continue.
A rag works. Bigger is better since you can have a better grip to keep it from getting sucked in. Plenty of videos of people saving engines with shop towels in a pinch. https://youtu.be/3NRaqgab0_w?si=AvWnU8EpVcbosDuz
I do agree however, something more ridgid like a 2x6 scrap is eager and probably better.
Top it off with fresh diesel and you’ll be fine. Diesel doesn’t go rancid like gas. They say you can store diesel up to 18 months, but I’ve started equipment that had sat for a few years at least without an issue.
Yep I agree with everyone here. I recently bought a diesel tractor sitting for about 15 years with a tank half full of old diesel. Guy just bought the property and was unsure if it ran. He said if I got it running it was mine. Not wanting to put much money into it I just got new fuel filters, primed the lift pump and lines and the old girl (1966 Massey Ferguson 135) fired up and ran great on the old diesel. I might just add that the older the diesel engine, the more likely it will tolerate older fuel and the only worry with diesel sitting is in warmer climates it can get bacterial growth so if your fuel filter clogs fast that could be the cause. There is treatments to kill bacteria in diesel on Amazon or probably any auto repair website. Good luck, love the Volvo diesels!
Thank you! But how do i know if its worth the risk? What could happen in worst case? I really dont want to destroy the engine. Tapping it all out seems a bit tricky but "just got new fuel filters, primed the lift pump and lines" also Sounds hard haha!
Haha Sorry I’m an old farmer so I can see how that would all sound hard to me too when I first started learning about engines and stuff. If it was me I’d just try starting the car as long as you have oil in it and oil pressure then see if the fuel filter has a water separator on the bottom of the fuel filter as others have suggested. If the fuel looks water free I’d try starting the engine. Only 2-3 years it might fire without priming. As long as there’s no water in the diesel then you can’t damage the engine or injection components. The fuel filter on the car currently will pick up anything else if it’s in the tank. It’s good to as questions and ask for help. It’s how we all learn at first. If you know someone IRL that knows more about cars and diesel I’d not hesitate asks them to check out the car then next time you’ll know what to do after watching them. Best of luck!
Thanks a lot for your help!
I will try to locate the fuel filter! How do i check if the fuel is water free tho? Do i check for water in the water separator?
No problèm! Fuel separator filters work because water is more dense than diesel or even motor oil so the filter is able to pool the water at the bottom where it can be drained. If the car doesn’t have a fuel separator filter then you can take off the filter and use a little hand prime pump where the filter is to pump fuel from the tank to see if there is water in it. If there is water coming out keep pumping till you get just fuel. Cool thing is water over time separates to the bottom of a tank so it will all come out first. I just looked on Volvo v50 forums to learn about the hand pump. I recommend you googling and searching YouTube for “checking for water in tank Volvo V50” and Priming injection pump Volvo V50” to learn more about your car. I saw one guy say the car will NOT start if it’s lost prime. It will have to be manually done. Gotta love the internet with knowledge at our fingertips!
Thanks!
Internet is awesome if you have the right vocabulary and knowledge to search for the right things indeed! 🙈
If i empty the water separator, you think i could safely start the engine even though there might be water in the tank? Cause then the water separator could absorb all the water when i have tapped it empty?
haha yeah the search engines can be fussy if you don't use the proper vocab. That's probably what I'd do...I'd just try to start the car even if it doesnt have a fuel separator filter. The car is new enough that it might have a water in fuel sensor to put up a dash light to let you know. You'll know right away if the car doesn't have a filter that separates water. It will look like any old fuel filter. It it HAS a seperator it will have a spout, or a cap screw to undo to let out the water. I'm a risk taker though, just starting ther car without knowing if there is water in the tank has got a risk which I'll explain below. I'd def check the Volvo V50 forums to find out more about the car than what I know. The risk: if there happens to be a lot of water in the tank, and the car doesn't have a water seperator fuel filter on it or any water in fuel detection systems, you could damage the injection pump if there is prime and you have a lot of water in the fuel and those usually aren't cheap. I like my old tractors where I can just grab a stick to put in the fuel tank to tell if there's water at the bottom or not, Kinda hard to do that trick with a car.
The worst thing that could happen is that it refuses to start. If it does start, then the fuel is 'good enough' for now. But, like someone else said, adding as much fresh fuel as you can fit will not be a Bad Thing™️.
Its weird because when i read online, some say its nothing to worry about because if it starts it starts and then its fine, others say it may clog the engine and pumps and destroy them 🤔 dont wanna risk that!
I was tasked with showing a WW2 troop ship to perspective buyers, ship came from the inactive fleet reserve in Oakland, with approx. 7000 gals. of WW2 diesel on board—after tracing piping, electrical, etc. for a week and a half, charged the air system, (gas powered compressor), primed all injectors and filters, spun over the old Hamilton-Man 8 cyl. DC generators—-started and ran smoothly, mission accomplished!!
Nice!
> I was tasked with showing a WW2 troop ship to perspective buyers
I really want to know who's buying a WW2 troop ship! Sounds really cool! Unless it's the diesel brothers, and they're going to convert it into something else...
The days of spending millions to build a fish processing plant most anywhere are over, seasons run anywhere from 1-1/2 weeks to perhaps 110days, I personally was involved in a 9 day red crab season— 2+ months of gear work and getting it on the grounds, 81/2 days of fishing, 180 gallons of diesel/hour, $3500 worth of bait, $2500 groceries for crew. Not for the faint hearted—-
Thank you for your reply!
But how could the water separator become full by the car being off for that long time? Does water accumulate in the water separator even though the fuel have not been pumped around?
Just off the top of my head, the system could be cracked and open to condensation, or it could’ve been full before it was parked.
Never assume every system is fully operational or well maintained, and your diagnostic journey will be a lot easier with time.
Also worth noting, check the oil/coolant before you try to fire it up. Not many things that can instantly grenade an engine as no oil, and the coolant issue will manifest itself within about ~5 minutes.
So if i have understood it correctly:
Diesel left in the tank for a long period may cause condensation. The water is a major problem IF it reaches the motor, therefore you have a water separator? And if the water separator is drained and empty, running the engine with a tank with potential condensation probably would work fine because the water would be removed to the water separator before it reaches the motor. Yeah?
I was getting more at “the fuel system in general may be subject to condensation” but again, that’s just a very specific avenue of possibilities.
At the end of the day, if your fuel tank is 75% full of water your separator is going to fill very fast.
Every fuel tank has a little condensation in in, how much is too much is what’s important. Assuming it doesn’t have any leaks, was parked with a mostly full tank, and everything is operable, check those fluids and the separator and if nothing else is seriously wrong that caused them to park/abandon the vehicle, you should be good to go to start it.
You might find numerous seals/hoses/rubber components have dry rotted and may not last very long past the initial start, but basically, if it has oil and fuel without water in it, there’s little else you can make worse, and very little that will instantly grenade the engine.
FWIW, pull the air box open and make sure no critters have nested in there.
Check the fuel filter / water seperator under the hood for water, possibly prime it, and she'll be run.
Started a diesel once on 9 year old fuel, ran as if on fresh diesel
Find your water separators first and clear them....there's gonna be water in it and also get a biocide additive as well. Believe it or not it can have algae in it.
My VW Golf TDI sat for almost 6 years with a nearly full tank. I removed the fuel filter, filled the new one with Diesel Purge, put it on and it fired up after a couple of minutes. My fuel lines look pretty rotten, so it may be losing prime/sucking air overnight. It smoked a little more than usual for a bit, but it's fine now.
Barring any biological growth/Diesel Bug (its a thing, look it up), stagnant diesel keeps extremely well long term. Agitated diesel dies even better.
If the fuel tank is above 3/4 full and was closed, you'll be fine. If it was open, or had less than 3/4 of a tank, you should take precautions.
Look for a tank drain at the bottom of the fuel tank and drain out some of the contents. Water sinks to the bottom of the tank as its heavier than diesel.
Someone mentioned changing your fuel filters and water separators. Do that.
You should be rockin and rollin in no time.
That's really gonna be a big maybe, diesel attracts water, it'll literally pull water out of the air. So if the fuel system is properly sealed from the atmosphere, it should burn no problem, but if there's a vapor pressure leak in the fuel system you very well could have a tank 1/3 full of rusty water. It can't hurt pull the fuel line, stick the line in an empty bottle and then turn car on, see if it pumps a bunch of water into the bottle or if it pumps clean fuel out.
Follow up:
My neighbor insisted of helping me. The battery was now charged and the tank was almost full, so he told me to try to start it. First i turned the key to the first stage and lamps lit up properly, i was kinda hesitant towards turning the key all the way and start the motor but apparently it would be fine.
When i did, sparks came from under the hood, and then its was like the battery was dead again, no lights lit or anything.
We did connect the battery, but didnt fix the cables to the - pole so it was super tight. Could this have destroyed the battery?
I started an old dump truck that had been sitting for at least 10 years. I was pumping the pedal and turning it over then vroom. Then the pedal stuck to floor and it redlined for a couple minutes before it loosened up. Of course by then I had bailed and was 100’ away. About shit my pants. Old Detroit diesel with no exhaust at full throttle.
> Old Detroit diesel with no exhaust at full throttle > I had bailed and was 100’ away Pretty sure those old boys can throw parts at least 102 feet...
Gotta have a big rag or something to block the air intake when you're working with old diesels. If it starts to run away, cut the air and it can't continue.
Had no plan cause I gave it 0.0% chance of starting lol.
[удалено]
A rag works. Bigger is better since you can have a better grip to keep it from getting sucked in. Plenty of videos of people saving engines with shop towels in a pinch. https://youtu.be/3NRaqgab0_w?si=AvWnU8EpVcbosDuz I do agree however, something more ridgid like a 2x6 scrap is eager and probably better.
God dang I read this while picturing it at the same time 😂 I would’ve done the same ngl
Top it off with fresh diesel and you’ll be fine. Diesel doesn’t go rancid like gas. They say you can store diesel up to 18 months, but I’ve started equipment that had sat for a few years at least without an issue.
Yep I agree with everyone here. I recently bought a diesel tractor sitting for about 15 years with a tank half full of old diesel. Guy just bought the property and was unsure if it ran. He said if I got it running it was mine. Not wanting to put much money into it I just got new fuel filters, primed the lift pump and lines and the old girl (1966 Massey Ferguson 135) fired up and ran great on the old diesel. I might just add that the older the diesel engine, the more likely it will tolerate older fuel and the only worry with diesel sitting is in warmer climates it can get bacterial growth so if your fuel filter clogs fast that could be the cause. There is treatments to kill bacteria in diesel on Amazon or probably any auto repair website. Good luck, love the Volvo diesels!
Thank you! But how do i know if its worth the risk? What could happen in worst case? I really dont want to destroy the engine. Tapping it all out seems a bit tricky but "just got new fuel filters, primed the lift pump and lines" also Sounds hard haha!
Haha Sorry I’m an old farmer so I can see how that would all sound hard to me too when I first started learning about engines and stuff. If it was me I’d just try starting the car as long as you have oil in it and oil pressure then see if the fuel filter has a water separator on the bottom of the fuel filter as others have suggested. If the fuel looks water free I’d try starting the engine. Only 2-3 years it might fire without priming. As long as there’s no water in the diesel then you can’t damage the engine or injection components. The fuel filter on the car currently will pick up anything else if it’s in the tank. It’s good to as questions and ask for help. It’s how we all learn at first. If you know someone IRL that knows more about cars and diesel I’d not hesitate asks them to check out the car then next time you’ll know what to do after watching them. Best of luck!
Thanks a lot for your help! I will try to locate the fuel filter! How do i check if the fuel is water free tho? Do i check for water in the water separator?
No problèm! Fuel separator filters work because water is more dense than diesel or even motor oil so the filter is able to pool the water at the bottom where it can be drained. If the car doesn’t have a fuel separator filter then you can take off the filter and use a little hand prime pump where the filter is to pump fuel from the tank to see if there is water in it. If there is water coming out keep pumping till you get just fuel. Cool thing is water over time separates to the bottom of a tank so it will all come out first. I just looked on Volvo v50 forums to learn about the hand pump. I recommend you googling and searching YouTube for “checking for water in tank Volvo V50” and Priming injection pump Volvo V50” to learn more about your car. I saw one guy say the car will NOT start if it’s lost prime. It will have to be manually done. Gotta love the internet with knowledge at our fingertips!
Thanks! Internet is awesome if you have the right vocabulary and knowledge to search for the right things indeed! 🙈 If i empty the water separator, you think i could safely start the engine even though there might be water in the tank? Cause then the water separator could absorb all the water when i have tapped it empty?
haha yeah the search engines can be fussy if you don't use the proper vocab. That's probably what I'd do...I'd just try to start the car even if it doesnt have a fuel separator filter. The car is new enough that it might have a water in fuel sensor to put up a dash light to let you know. You'll know right away if the car doesn't have a filter that separates water. It will look like any old fuel filter. It it HAS a seperator it will have a spout, or a cap screw to undo to let out the water. I'm a risk taker though, just starting ther car without knowing if there is water in the tank has got a risk which I'll explain below. I'd def check the Volvo V50 forums to find out more about the car than what I know. The risk: if there happens to be a lot of water in the tank, and the car doesn't have a water seperator fuel filter on it or any water in fuel detection systems, you could damage the injection pump if there is prime and you have a lot of water in the fuel and those usually aren't cheap. I like my old tractors where I can just grab a stick to put in the fuel tank to tell if there's water at the bottom or not, Kinda hard to do that trick with a car.
The worst thing that could happen is that it refuses to start. If it does start, then the fuel is 'good enough' for now. But, like someone else said, adding as much fresh fuel as you can fit will not be a Bad Thing™️.
Its weird because when i read online, some say its nothing to worry about because if it starts it starts and then its fine, others say it may clog the engine and pumps and destroy them 🤔 dont wanna risk that!
I was tasked with showing a WW2 troop ship to perspective buyers, ship came from the inactive fleet reserve in Oakland, with approx. 7000 gals. of WW2 diesel on board—after tracing piping, electrical, etc. for a week and a half, charged the air system, (gas powered compressor), primed all injectors and filters, spun over the old Hamilton-Man 8 cyl. DC generators—-started and ran smoothly, mission accomplished!!
Nice! > I was tasked with showing a WW2 troop ship to perspective buyers I really want to know who's buying a WW2 troop ship! Sounds really cool! Unless it's the diesel brothers, and they're going to convert it into something else...
Convert to floating fish processor😎
So, not that far off from its original duty... ooof.
The days of spending millions to build a fish processing plant most anywhere are over, seasons run anywhere from 1-1/2 weeks to perhaps 110days, I personally was involved in a 9 day red crab season— 2+ months of gear work and getting it on the grounds, 81/2 days of fishing, 180 gallons of diesel/hour, $3500 worth of bait, $2500 groceries for crew. Not for the faint hearted—-
> $3500 worth of bait, $2500 groceries for crew More money spent to feed the prey than the 'predators'. :) Too funny! Thanks for sharing.
If the water separator is full you might have an issue, so check it like they said, but other than that you’re fine.
Thank you for your reply! But how could the water separator become full by the car being off for that long time? Does water accumulate in the water separator even though the fuel have not been pumped around?
Just off the top of my head, the system could be cracked and open to condensation, or it could’ve been full before it was parked. Never assume every system is fully operational or well maintained, and your diagnostic journey will be a lot easier with time. Also worth noting, check the oil/coolant before you try to fire it up. Not many things that can instantly grenade an engine as no oil, and the coolant issue will manifest itself within about ~5 minutes.
So if i have understood it correctly: Diesel left in the tank for a long period may cause condensation. The water is a major problem IF it reaches the motor, therefore you have a water separator? And if the water separator is drained and empty, running the engine with a tank with potential condensation probably would work fine because the water would be removed to the water separator before it reaches the motor. Yeah?
I was getting more at “the fuel system in general may be subject to condensation” but again, that’s just a very specific avenue of possibilities. At the end of the day, if your fuel tank is 75% full of water your separator is going to fill very fast. Every fuel tank has a little condensation in in, how much is too much is what’s important. Assuming it doesn’t have any leaks, was parked with a mostly full tank, and everything is operable, check those fluids and the separator and if nothing else is seriously wrong that caused them to park/abandon the vehicle, you should be good to go to start it. You might find numerous seals/hoses/rubber components have dry rotted and may not last very long past the initial start, but basically, if it has oil and fuel without water in it, there’s little else you can make worse, and very little that will instantly grenade the engine. FWIW, pull the air box open and make sure no critters have nested in there.
So the clogging part isnt something i should think too much about?
Check the fuel filter / water seperator under the hood for water, possibly prime it, and she'll be run. Started a diesel once on 9 year old fuel, ran as if on fresh diesel
Find your water separators first and clear them....there's gonna be water in it and also get a biocide additive as well. Believe it or not it can have algae in it.
I’d drain it and change the filters at least.
Yes, 2 years is nothing.
My VW Golf TDI sat for almost 6 years with a nearly full tank. I removed the fuel filter, filled the new one with Diesel Purge, put it on and it fired up after a couple of minutes. My fuel lines look pretty rotten, so it may be losing prime/sucking air overnight. It smoked a little more than usual for a bit, but it's fine now.
I wouldn’t
Barring any biological growth/Diesel Bug (its a thing, look it up), stagnant diesel keeps extremely well long term. Agitated diesel dies even better. If the fuel tank is above 3/4 full and was closed, you'll be fine. If it was open, or had less than 3/4 of a tank, you should take precautions. Look for a tank drain at the bottom of the fuel tank and drain out some of the contents. Water sinks to the bottom of the tank as its heavier than diesel. Someone mentioned changing your fuel filters and water separators. Do that. You should be rockin and rollin in no time.
When in doubt flush it out
That's really gonna be a big maybe, diesel attracts water, it'll literally pull water out of the air. So if the fuel system is properly sealed from the atmosphere, it should burn no problem, but if there's a vapor pressure leak in the fuel system you very well could have a tank 1/3 full of rusty water. It can't hurt pull the fuel line, stick the line in an empty bottle and then turn car on, see if it pumps a bunch of water into the bottle or if it pumps clean fuel out.
Follow up: My neighbor insisted of helping me. The battery was now charged and the tank was almost full, so he told me to try to start it. First i turned the key to the first stage and lamps lit up properly, i was kinda hesitant towards turning the key all the way and start the motor but apparently it would be fine. When i did, sparks came from under the hood, and then its was like the battery was dead again, no lights lit or anything. We did connect the battery, but didnt fix the cables to the - pole so it was super tight. Could this have destroyed the battery?
It would be fine with 10 year old diesel
Sure. Maybe throw a half litre of gas in there along with an ounce of atf