Enzymatic fuel tank cleaner

[Levity]

Hi Folks,
Has anyone tried an enzymatic fuel tank cleaner like Star*Tron tank cleaner? A full description can be found at www.starbrite.com.
This seems too good to be true. Perhaps the chemists amongst us will offer their learned opinions concerning this type of product.

Thanks,
Mike 'Levity'

[AstoriaDave]

[thataway]

This is Soltron, rebranded. Soltron has been around for a few years. The only positive aspect I can personally vouche for is a friend had about 30 gallons of diesel in an integral tank which he had forgotten about for about 30 years. It was gelled and could not be pumped out. 16 oz of Soltron was added in Spain, and the boat sailed across the Atlantic, and up to Florida. When the boat got to Florida, the fuel was liquid and could be pumped out. It appears to help clean tanks, specifically where there has been "crud" in the bottom of the tank. I would recommend putting Soltron or rebranded material into a tank before fuel polishing. I tried it in both gas and diesel engine powered boats and did not notice any real difference in power, fuel economy or smoking. I am not currently using the product.

[wailedcentipede]

years past one of my experiences was being talked into a tank cleaner additive in my car with a fill up ... well forty miles down the road i ended up on the side of the road with a carberater that had the float valve filled with guck plugged and than some (required a tow).... just thinking if you start adding cleaner additives to the tank make sure you have a up to-date filter system in the line ... wc

[cpt vic]

we had just bought stabil at west and the salesman suggested the startron with recommendations from a friend, we decided to ask our cdory dealer, they had bottles sitting on there counter, recommended it over stabil..which they told us to use when we bought our dory so... we purchased startron and will try it on our next fill, i hope it's a good thing you don't need near as much per tank as stabil.

[thataway]

My personal advice is not to substitute Soltron (or its rebadged products) for a biocide or fuel stabalizer. I am not sure what motivates dealers to recommend products. But there are both biocides and stabalizers which are well proven. I think that Soltron has a place in cleaning tanks, and perhaps in preventing some fouling--but I would not place all of my faith on it for full fuel stabalization.

[oldgrowth]

I question the need of a fuel stabilizer, if the fuel sits unused for less than six to eight months. I often times have gas sitting around that is a year old and have never had a problem with it. I have a skidder with a 352 Cummings V6 that has had the same diesel fuel in it for over three years and it will still start easily and runs without any problems. My emergency house generator has close to two year old gas and runs without a hic-cup. The only thing I will not use old fuel (more than 8 months old) in, are my chain saws. I have never used any kind of fuel additive in any of my equipment: However I always use quality fuel, never the cheap stuff.

Until I start having a problem, I will not use any.

[drjohn71a]

The latest Passage Maker magazine issue has an extensive article on fuel tank cleaning and steps to prevent fouling. The Star product was one of the products mentioned as working well for it's purpose. They advise complete tank cleaning at 15 year intervals. An interesting side note was the effect of adding the water scavanging alcohol products such at Heet - apparently, the water combines with the alcohol forming a gel layer on the bottom of the tank which can be burned if small amounts hit the fuel system at a time, but can foul the fuel system if a solid run of the gel hits the fuel intake all at the same time with no regular fuel to burn with it.

John

[drjohn71a]

Also, for Oldgrowth, the problem with unstabilized fuel is shellac deposits forming on the fuel delivery components. John