Storage Sludge?

[Cameron Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Cameron]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Hi Gunner,
I would definitely be keen to be part of a bulk buy up of CAV fuel filters replacement elements.

Please count me in - I would happily buy a few!

I have just had the biggest hassle getting one on the weekend from Supercheap Auto. As I said to them - getting the CAV adaptor was meant to make fuel filter changes for my landie defender easier and cheaper!

I swear the staff on hand weren't even old enough to drive and for some unbelievably stupid reason they had taken away the reference catalogues that used to hang from the filter shelves.

Don't even get me started with what happened with the oil filter! Nothing at all on the shelves and the catalogue behind the counter had the wrong info in it - I bought two since I didn't want to have to go through that hassle for another 10,000km and ended up with two that are wrong! Car on stands, no oil in sump, not going anywhere, Sunday afternoon - not happy Jan!

Cheers,
Cameron
ps thanks for answering the CAV filter question for me - much better answer than I would have given!

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Sorry to everyone for my recent lack of replies - I've been working on the server that runs this site, among other things, so I've not really had too much time to play here.

I got my CAV filter (and a spare filter) from Mr Filter in Toongabbie - it cost me about $80 including the spare filter. Of course now, I'm not so sure if it will be worth my while to install it as my primary pump seems to catch so much gunk anyway and I can't put the CAV before that is it sits in the tank. It might still save my seconday pump, but honestly I've had enough of dripping biodiesel on my driveway now and I just want to leave the bonnet shut for a while. It would make it easier to see/drain/clean gunk, but now that I've cleaned out my system, I just couldn't be bothered to fit the bloody thing. I'm only going to sell the car early next year anyway. If anyone wants to buy the CAV with 1 spare filter and a bunch of hoses and connectors from me, let me know.

I've found that all the auto parts shops are very "light on" when it comes to diesel engines. I've tried all of them recently (AutoPro, Autobarn, supacheap auto, Robbo's Spares and Repco) and none of them had CAV filters, or anything useful.

[Guest Close David]

Re: Storage Sludge?

For The CAV units and Filters, you may do better to try marine places.
I have yet to see a diesel engined boat the didn't run one and anyone with a half serious petrol inboard runs them as well.
I imagine truck parts places would stock them to as many heavy vechicles run the CAV filters as well.

[Peda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Peda]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Robert, I wonder if the brown sludge you have is an algal growth. I found reference to a similar sludge in infopop forum ..
http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/groupee/.../687606261/p/1

bdgreg
Member
Posted 01 July 2003 06:07 PM
I have read that because there are oxygen atoms in the ester molecule, some of the fuel bugs can live in the biodiesel and don't require a water/fuel interface. I have had fuel bug problems (mine was brown in colour, leaving a rust-like stain on the fuel filler pipe, and clogging filters with a brown glycerine-like coating - very confusing!) which I am currently dealing with by dosing with Alfloc diesel conditioner, available from Whitworths marine. I would love to find a more environmentally and human friendly alternative.
Posts: 34 | Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Registered: 01 October 2001

And yes I will try and contact bdgreg as he is a local and see how he got on with this problem.
Peter

[Gunner Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gunner]

Re: Storage Sludge?

As I can't figger postin' pics now, I'll show a few links to E-bay which show the items in question. No relation to the sellers, etc...

The Original Lucas/CAV filter unit. Item no 4596144327.

The Denco Diesel adapter to replace the factory filter. Item no 4594217903

The replaceable elements. Item no 4589012059

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Storage Sludge?

I don't think it was algal growth, as the drum had been treated with algecide already.. (hang on, now that I think about it, I can't remember whether I poured in the algecide before or after I saw the sludge).

I've also started some fresh tests, but so far had no repeat results. It really looked more like a corrosive thing than an algal thing, but I could be wrong. It's just that the coating on the pipe seemed to etch off. I'll put some more attention to the other thread with the experiments I'm doing soon.

Gunner - sorry, I'll get to you soon about uploading photos. I've also attached a picture of my CAV.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Here is a photo of another CAV filter type.


If you go to marine places, do not expect to find glass bowls, I have been advised that they are not used in marine applications.

[biofuelbaby Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close biofuelbaby]

Re: Storage Sludge?

I have two fuel filters. First is cartridge that sits inside cast reservoir. second is glass elbow between the first filter and the injector pump. No Brown sludge in elbow. Small amount of brown residue on part of the inside of metal reservoir that wiped off but filter did not look dirty enough to replace.

Cheers

Phil

[gbrought Member Find all posts View Profile Close gbrought]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Hi Gunner,

I also would be keen to be part of a bulk buy up of CAV fuel filters replacement elements.

Please count me in - like Cameron I will happily buy a few!

Geoff

[Cameron Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Cameron]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Hi Geoff and Gunner,
I actually went in just then and bought one of those lots of 8 fuel filter elements from that ebay store that was shown. $7 each including delivery - that suited me just fine.

Solooks like I am out of that deal but I reckon anyone who can get 8 for $63 including poastage to your door should be giving it a bit of consideration. Too easy to pass up.

Cheers,
cameron

[gbrought Member Find all posts View Profile Close gbrought]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Hi Cameron,

Thanks for the tip. I've done the same thing - I hadn't actually read all the posts in the thread thoroughly.
As you said - too easy.

I've now fitted my CAV filter.
I've been prepared to change filter at the slighest hesitation, so that
I can hopefully avoid some of Robert's dramas.

cheers,

Geoff.

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Storage Sludge?

I've finished pumping out my first drum into containers via many different filters. The bottom of the drum had a thick black goo, obviously old engine oil from its previous life. I've filtered most of it out of the biodiesel now, but as an extra precaution, I've now fitted my CAV filter too. I had delayed doing it as after my recent pump problems I was just totally sick of grubbing around in my engine bay and spilling fuel everywhere.
My filter is now fitted BEFORE the secondary pump (unlike the Land Rover one which goes AFTER it - duh), so hopefully I should not have any more problems.

If anyone is interested, I got my CAV for $72.50 and a spare filter for $4.20 from Mr Filter in Toongabbie. They stock heaps of the filters there, so getting replacements is not a problem.

I never managed to duplicate this sludge on the pipe in my future tests, so I can only assume that the sludge was algal growth and I'd got it before I'd added the biocide, hence my inability to reproduce it since.

[Gunner Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gunner]

Re: Storage Sludge?

If anyone is interested, I got my CAV for $72.50 and a spare filter for $4.20 from Mr Filter in Toongabbie. They stock heaps of the filters there, so getting replacements is not a problem.

E-bay price

[hdj80 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hdj80]

Re: Storage Sludge?

Robert,
was just wondering if you wash you fuel?

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Storage Sludge?

I guess it has been washed as it was purchased commercially from Australian Biodiesel Group, who have to meet the Australian Spec. Dunno the exact ins and outs of this, but I'd assume this would be washed.