PeteT Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Hi Sage Ones, I've stupidly left a full tank of Shell V Max in the TR. Could I just put Octane Booster in it when I come to use it. It's been in there couple of months now. Or should I drain it off and donate it to the golf? Regards, Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barkerwilliams Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Pete, Long range weather forecast for New Years day is good, so you could just hit the road and burn it off! Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EdwinTiben Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Hi Sage Ones, I've stupidly left a full tank of Shell V Max in the TR. Could I just put Octane Booster in it when I come to use it. It's been in there couple of months now. Or should I drain it off and donate it to the golf? Regards, Pete have read an article about leaving fuel in the tank during winterstop. it seems its better to have a full tank, because les water will be attracted to the fuel and the quality of the fuel will be kept better than half tank or less ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 The V-Max will probably have lost some of its own octane booster. But I'd take it for a ride and if there is any suggestion of knock, add the booster. OR, a cheaper option would be to burn off some fuel with gentle driving, and top up with V-Max. The octane will only have fallen a few units, and some fresh will bring it up I did this last spring and it worked without problems. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) I'd leave the tank full over w have read an article about leaving fuel in the tank during winterstop. it seems its better to have a full tank, because les water will be attracted to the fuel and the quality of the fuel will be kept better than half tank or less ! +1 . Less air space means less water vapour swishing in and out to dissolve in the fuel. Edited December 23, 2015 by Peter Cobbold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steves_TR6 Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 'Leave the tank full over winter' was always the advice for yachts, but with bio diesel it has changes to 'leave it empty' The thinking seems to be that the water absorbs ion from condensation is less of an evil than the degradation of the 'bio' part of modern diesels. I'm not clear exactly what happens to bio diesel ..... Or whether it also applies to modern patrols with some ethanol content?? Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) The corrosion inhibitors in fuel will protect a full tank form rusting, but obviously not the bare walls of an empty tank. Leaving the yacht tank empty may be a safety ploy. So you dont cast off with a separated layer of water/alcohol about to be sucked into the engine. Having to fill an empty tank with fresh fuel ensures that cannot happen. Aren't boat fuel tanks usually stainless? Ethanol can be added to diesel - but I dont know about marine fuels or UK regulations for it. https://www.dieselnet.com/tech/fuel_ediesel.php Note the closing remarks - i would be worried, on a boat, about the low flash point of the vapour space above the fuel- it will be easily ignited ethanol vapour....not good. I think a full tank is safer from that point of view. Peter Edited December 23, 2015 by Peter Cobbold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rhino_mac Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 I always topped the diesel tank of my boat up before winter to as full as it would go (painful as it was £400 and you wouldn't use it for 6 months). The theory was that condensation would contaminate the diesel and as it had so much biodiesel content, bacteria would grow in the water causing "diesel bug" which, once you've got it is really difficult to clear from the system without adding a really strong biocide. Diesel bug is like a thick gunge that blocks all the filters etc. Everyone on YBW motorboat forum was paraniod about it because it just keeps coming back once you've got it. Not sure if this is the same with petrol though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Wow, that is weird - bugs in your diesel. We only have tinworm, and bugs in the electrics. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) Bio Diesel doesn't like standing around, wheras the storage of normal diesel didn't provide the same sort of circumstances and affects. http://www.ipu.co.uk/diesel-bug/?gclid=CJnB2-iJ0ckCFQupGwodCW4HFw/ Mostly of concern in the marine or boating environment where the tanks are often used in "top up" conditions; ie if you're doing a 1500km sea journey you tend not to want to run out ! so when you allow a plus 25% allowance for bad weather conditions (bad tides or head winds) the fuel tanks are often not allowed to run all that low. The residual diesel sometimes has the reputation of "growths" in it due to not having been used for maybe a year only being slightly diluted by constant top ups,In a diesel road car or truck it's far less prevalent because maybe the tank is emptied to within 90% of capacity on a regular business, not allowing a lot of the original fuel to remain in the tank for more than a couple of weeks.Of real concern is the lack of "lubricity" (honest it's a word) which is the lubrication element in bio diesel. Good ol cooking diesel is very slippy (as we all know if spilled on the floor or clothes) and is an excellent "deseizing" (now that's a made up word) compound if you have something old and rusty (drop your rusty seized part in a bucket of it for a week) it's searching action leaches through the narrowest gaps or even apparently rusted joints and leaves behind a lubricated surface.The bio revolution in diesel has slowed of late because the car and truck manufacturers have come upon the lack of lubricity a little late in the day. The natural lubrication properties of the old diesel is not to be underestimated, and the fuel pumps, injectors and all items in the fuel system rely upon it for their long life. Also in the combustion process the diesel not converted to power is atomised into the oil and distributed evenly via the lubrication system throughout the engine, enhancing the running of all machined surfaces.Scania the heavy truck manufacturer had a road haulage company with a fleet of Artics down in the Northampton area running upon 100% Bio Diesel and used to make a fuss about it promoting it as an advantage, it now doesn't promote 100% bio usage. Iveco (major shareholder Fiat) maybe had a better handle on it only recommending a maximum of 20% bio usage as long as it was combined with a halving of it's 60,000kms oil change intervals, this obviously protected the oil from too much non lubrication contamination, but at the cost of an not inconsiderable increase in servicing costs especially when you consider a 300,000km annual mileage will mean 10 services a year ! (Standard diesel has a 7% Bio diesel content as standard since about 2003).Mick Richards Edited December 23, 2015 by Motorsport Mickey Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marki Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hi Pete. What Ovtane booster are you using ? Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeteT Posted December 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hi Mark, I've never used octane booster. I converted the head years ago but have recently rebuilt the engine to a higher spec with CR up to 9.5:1. It just struck me that it might be a way of using the fuel up. I think I'll don the Woolley hat and see how it goes. I'm planing a trip up to Skye in early summer and have been thinking about carrying some octane booster in case I have problems. Can anyone suggest a good one? Regards, Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marki Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hi Pete. Sorry can't suggest any, I've just had my engine rebuilt to a higher spec and am looking to carry some in case I can't get V power. Cheers Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chilliman Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 For what it's worth I use mine all year round and have a CR of exactly 10.5:1, I carry a tin of this stuff in case I can't get any quality fuel, had to use it a couple of times so far and it did make a difference. http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Product.do?method=view&n=1532&p=155266&d=124&c=4&l=2&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Fuel%20Additives&gclid=CJefr9KL9MkCFSHmwgodjy4F7A Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stevecross Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) I have been using a product called Tetra Boost for years. It is a "proper" lead replacement & octane booster containing Tetraethyl Lead. I have used it to run my TR6 at 100octane for many years now and use it in all my other classics. Used to only be available in batches of 6 but I see it is now available in single packs of just under 1ltr. Give it a Google Steve PS I bottle will take about 110ltr of 98 ron to 100 so depending how you buy it around 18-20p per litre Edited December 24, 2015 by Stevecross Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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