I'm getting a ton of debris in the small in line fuel filter that is located prior to the main 2 filters.

Drained the tank and tried my best to use air hose to get the sludge mixed up and out.

But after my efforts I still have to stop after about 10 minutes of running it to clean the glass bowl and first filter.

Any suggestions on what to try next?

I figure I'll plow some more and let it bounce around and mix the crap up again before draining the tank again.

Don't have time to remove tank from the tractor at this point.

That's a big tank with a big opening. Was the fuel cap left off to let debris in at one time? Does your supply tank pump have a filter on it? Unfortunately the only sure way is to completely drain and wash the tank.

Wow, never had to deal with sludge. You got some really bad fuel, left the cap off, or maybe this is algae in a seldom-used rig.

When I was stupid and left the cap off a combine tank because I was in a hurry, I did this:

Drain the diesel into a bucket
Use transfer tank pump WITH FILTER to pump it into the transfer tank
Refill combine from transfer tank using pump with filter again

Double filtering helped, it didn't cure. The problem was I could never get all the debris off the sides and bottom. Took several hours of running and cleaning screen to run normally

In your case, I agree that removal and cleaning is the fix.

Short term, could you rig up a shop vac and try to pull the crud out? I'd even try a steam cleaner, followed by diesel rinse.

And use a stabilizer with biocide from now on. In your transfer tank, too

Take it to a radiator shop and have them steam it. It's a pain in the rear to remove the tank but the only good way to get it done right. We went through that on a 4430 a few years ago.

Has a lockifuel cap on it for the last decade or two, but who knows what vandals might have put in it prior to that over 20 years.

I have a good filter on the transfer tank we use.

Wondering how much of what I'm dealing with is rust.

40 year old machine and this is the first time I can remember dealing with this.

Have been lucky so far that the first filter is catching so much that I've not had to deal with the second set of filters plugging.

Gonna have to make it through with on farm and on tractor repairs until I quit needing it to load hay at that farm.

Estimate the time it would take to pull the tank and clean it right.

Compare that to the time it would take to keep cleaning the filter.

I think you'll save time doing it right.


Only other short term step I can think of would be to splice into the supply line, and put in a really big sediment bowl/screen

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Otherwise, splice in a spot for an inline disposable filter, buy about a dozen, and replace every few hours

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I had some kind of microbial sludge floating in my tractor's diesel tank and sediment in the bottom. I disconnected the tank leaving only the hose that was directly connected to it. Drained the diesel then filled the tank with water. The microbial sludge floated out the top. I drained again and kept spraying the bottom with a hose to get the sediment stirred up, let drain, sprayed and repeated until the sediment was all gone.

Sprayed my air compressor at the puddles of water on the bottom until they were mostly dry. Left a hair dryer on cool pointing into the tank overnight. (Burned out my wife's hair dryer, apparently the motors aren't meant to run for 12 hours straight). Flushed it with a gallon of diesel, cleaned all the filters and hooked it back up. Tractor runs better than it has in years. Before it would keep shutting down when the tank got low and the sludge got stuck in the fuel line.

Is this you, OP?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11647553/Knife-wielding-North-Carolina-man-TRACTOR-leads-cops-wild-chase-blaring-Dukes-Hazzard-theme.html

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North Carolina man on stolen TRACTOR leads cops on 20mph chase while blaring Dukes of Hazzard theme 'after trying to mow down pedestrians'

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have you tried using any additives? We got a diesel bacteria sludge building up in our 7140 so bad i was cleaning the filter every 2 hours during hipping season. We ran the tank almost dry then cleaned the bottom of the tank as best we could similar to how you describe then added the diesel treatment we got from the coop for the next 3-4 tank refills and the problem cleared up.

The alternative-next step, as others have already mentioned was going to remove and steam the tank.

Any recommendations on specific biocides or supplements safe for diesels I can use to mix in the tank, kill everything if something is living, before draining it again and going to more turnkey solutions when i have more time to fix it right?

Has anyone had an issue with the tank rusting out and if so, any solutions besides replacing it? Does steaming it prevent future rust?

No additives yet besides my antigel power clean during the freeze.

Does it look like black specks?

More like rust brown flakes and sludge.

If it is rust......

Drain diesel
Run water hose 4-5 times to full and let drain to flush loose stuff out
Run CLR and let sit for a while
Run water hose another 4-5 times to full and let drain
Run alcohol through it
Let it dry/evap
Run diesel through it 2 times
Replace all filters, hook back up and you should be good to go


* since you won't be removing the tank (as was the set-up for above info), you are going to need to buy industrial sizes (5gal or 55gal) of CLR and alcohol

duddleysdraw88 said:

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If it is rust......

Drain diesel
Run water hose 4-5 times to full and let drain to flush loose stuff out
Run CLR and let sit for a while
Run water hose another 4-5 times to full and let drain
Run alcohol through it
Let it dry/evap
Run diesel through it 2 times
Replace all filters, hook back up and you should be good to go


* since you won't be removing the tank (as was the set-up for above info), you are going to need to buy industrial sizes (5gal or 55gal) of CLR and alcohol

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That plan assumes I have a water source. Not at this place...

I drained it again after work and cycled 3 short fills thru it after running it some to get it mixed up before I started. Next time I'm there I'll plow some more and see how bad it still is.

Sure seems a lot like rust the more I work with it and see some of these bigger flakes come out.

Makes me wonder if I'm going to face the same problem with another similar 4240.

I'm trying to keep the fuel tank on the low side for now so not to have an issue when it is full and have too much diesel to deal with reasonably, but my short term solution might be to fill it up again as I've only experienced such repeated problems when the tank is low.

Looks like I get to do some basal Mesquite spraying to use up this dirty diesel.

I have run into problems with my older gasoline vehicles that sit a while where the ethanol in the fuel blend attracts water from the air that then starts causing the metal fuel tank to rust. At least that is my hypothesis. I understand ethanol is being blended into some diesel fuel these days.

The signs I am seeing are gasoline turning orange and a fine powder in the fuel. The powder is getting past the filter and fouling the carburetor. Short of dropping the tank on my old car, I am not sure how to flush all that crap out of the fuel system.

EPA screws us again.

Burdizzo said:

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I have run into problems with my older gasoline vehicles that sit a while where the ethanol in the fuel blend attracts water from the air that then starts causing the metal fuel tank to rust. At least that is my hypothesis. I understand ethanol is being blended into some diesel fuel these days.

The signs I am seeing are gasoline turning orange and a fine powder in the fuel. The powder is getting past the filter and fouling the carburetor. Short of dropping the tank on my old car, I am not sure how to flush all that crap out of the fuel system.

EPA screws us again.

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Won't cure the issue but QT and Buccees are now putting ethanol free gas in many nearby places. I only buy that stuff for all my small gas engines.

You need to pull the tank, clean and seal it.

Pull th tank, power wash and dry with a fan and heat if possible.

Fill with EvapoRust and let it sit overnight. Rinse again and dry.

Caswell or POR 15 epoxy liner is made for gas or fuel tanks and does a great job. Line the tank and let cure for a couple of days. Reinstall and you are back to new.

I did this on a steel gas tank on an old Mule i had, worked like a champ.

Hard to believe this was so long ago. Too bad Deere had the tractor more than I did.

So how does a person determine rust vs sludge?