Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 10:39:31 -0400
Reply-To: "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Organization: Bulley-Hewlett
Subject: Re: [Audi-VW-Diesels] Re: HELP WATER IN MY TANK!!!!!
In-Reply-To: <3D4E8491.2958FF27@opei.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Ethanol and Diesels don't mix when water is present. Bad idea. The
ethanol binds with the water and remains separate. No gain.
Better idea: if the Vanagon diesel came with a water separator [big
white bin with a spigot on the bottom] (1985 Jetta TD does; Been Here,
Done This) drain the water separator until clear fuel comes out. If it
doesn't have a separator, then let the van sit overnight, and drain the
water out of the tank from the fuel outlet on the tank. The diesel will
rise to the top, and only water will come out at first.
Next, buy a small hand/oil pump. The perfect one for this is the type
sold to pump transmission fluid from large containers through a plastic
hose to the tranny. I got one for about $8 at a FLAPS when this water
thing happened to me. I can send a pic of the pump if you aren't sure
what I'm talking about.
Use that hand pump connected to the fuel line at the filter to pull the
water/fuel through the fuel line to the back of the van, clearing the
lines of water. Change the fuel filter/separator. Refill new one with
fuel.
There is no simple way to drain the pump, other than cranking. At this
point, your tank, lines, and fuel filter are relatively water free. The
separator and filter will take care of the rest of the water, but check
the separator/filter frequently and drain.
Next, you are ready to crank the van. Hook up the best jumper cables you
can find to the van, and to a car with an excellent battery and
alternator. Have a mate high-idle the car at about 2500 while you do
this. Crank the van for 15-25 seconds at a time, allowing a couple
minutes to cool the starter between cranking. EVENTUALLY, all of the
water in the pump will be injected, and mostly fuel will remain in the
pump body, and the van will begin to fire.
Once it is running DO NOT DRIVE IT. High idle to van (2000 rpm) for
15-20 minutes to remove the remaining fuel from the pump body. I didn't
do this, and got the nasty surprise of the car chugging and lurching and
nearly cutting off in traffic.
As for my experience with this (about 170k ago) it didn't do any
apparent harm, though I worried form months about the non-lubricity of
water in the pump.
Pax--
G. Matthew Bulley
Mount Olive, NC
-----Original Message-----
From: Nate Wall [mailto:nwall@opei.org]
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2002 9:59 AM
To: Audi-VW-Diesels@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Arthur Sauerhaft; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: [Audi-VW-Diesels] Re: HELP WATER IN MY TANK!!!!!
<<Get to
pharmacy and purchase a couple gallons of ethanol.>>>Don't know if you
can do this. Thai is the same as grain alcohol, and may be highly taxed.
Use "Dry Gas", its either propyl or methyl alcohol.
Jim Arnott wrote:
Here's what we did when we ran a service station and the attendent
accidently put gasoline in a Diesel...
First, with water, you have a bit of an advantage in that it's heavier
than Diesel and it's soluable in ethanol.
Get to the local FLAPS and get an electric fuel pump, the necessary hose
barbs and about 6' of fuel hose. Remove the fuel line at the injection
pump and attach to inlet of fuel pump. Place hose from pump outlet into
gas can and start the pump. Run pump until tank is empty changing cans
as necessary. (If it's full, you'll need four 5 gallon cans.) Get to
pharmacy and purchase a couple gallons of ethanol. Add one gallon of
ethanol to tank and run electric pump until tank is empty. Repeat.
Replace fuel filter. Add five gallons of Diesel to fuel tank. Use
electric pump to prime the system. Loosen fuel lines at injectors and
crank engine until you have no bubbles and no sign of water. (You can
leave the electric pump in the system until you get it fired...)
I used WD-40 to fire the engine. Have a helper crank the engine while
you give short bursts of WD-40 into the intake. (DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!
Too much WD-40 will cause a runaway.)
That should get you going again.
Jim
Arthur Sauerhaft wrote:
> I screwed up royally and got a significant amount of water(+/- 2-3
LITERS)
> in my tank. Of course I tried starting it till my battery almost went
dead,
> I replaced 2 glow plugs (#1 and #4) also tired starting with straight
ATF. I
> believe I siphoned off most or all of the water through the fuel
lines. I
> also drained the filter and I plan on replacing it when this all
over. How
> do get my engine going again? Could I have done any serious damage?
> TIA
> Arthur
> '82 Vanagon Diesel (the Beast)
> A BioDiesel project
> Happily puttering along with a 1.9NA UNTIL THIS MORNING
>
> .
>
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