Trying to locate a place that can do a fuel analysis

[Alan]

A buddy just called to ask if I might know a lab that can test diesel fuel for possible tampering/contamination.

Scenario is they had to rebuild an engine on a customers tractor, 200 hrs, so it's pretty new. Went from running fine to hammering/clanking/all that good stuff. On tearing it down the cylinders are scuffed all to hell and a bunch of other parts that are in the combustion stream were burned badly.

There is a strong suspicion of some sort of fuel tampering so they've been trying to find a lab that can analyze what's in the tank. Found one place down in Baltimore but they want $550 to do it, seems a little steep but what do I know about that stuff.

Any help sure will be appreciated. We may get a new member out of this, I told Tom to see if he could get in as a guest, to watch for replies, and if not sign up and see how he likes it.

[John Banks]

Alan, have you tried Blackstone Labs ? I use them for oil analysis, they do fuel as well. http://www.blackstone-labs.com/diesel_engines.html

From their web-site...If we had to pick the most frequent cause of diesel engine failure, we would choose antifreeze, the killer extraordinaire.
There are several ways coolant can get into the oil — head seals, pin holes in wet liners, injector cups on some types of engines, and the oil cooler. By the time you see discolored oil, the problem has very likely progressed beyond a point of economical repair.

Fuel dilution problems run a close second. Bad injectors and fuel pumps can dump serious levels of fuel into the oil sump, affecting the oil's ability to function properly. Left undetected, a fuel system problem can cause catastrophic engine failure.

[SkykingHD]

Was this tractor miss fueled? Did someone put gasoline in it? Diesel fuel has a shelf life of 6 months I have been told.

Would the engine mfg help in finding out what happened to their engine?

Dave

[ratlover]

avlube.com Talk to george. The guy is superhelpfull and if he cant do it he will tell you who can.

[CGSI]

Alan
I second John's recommendation of Blackstone. Priced fair with a quick turn around time. I have used them for years for oil and IMO they are second to none.

[wyldman]

Blackstone is good,but it takes time.

Shell Rotella lube centers are supposed to be able to on-site,while you wait analysis on fuel,oil,and most other lubes.Not sure if they have one set up in your area or not.