During a major engine overhaul, is it necessary to empty the fuel tank even if no oil change is performed?
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During the overhaul of the hydrocracking cycle hydrogen compressor, if the lubricating oil is not replaced, is it necessary to drain the oil and clean the tank separately? Nearly 50 barrels of lubricant – pouring it back and forth is time-consuming and laborious, and there’s also a risk of contamination. I’m asking fellow sailors: how do you handle this?
I don’t think it’s necessary to clean the fuel tank; if it’s dirty, an oil filter can be used for external circulation filtration.
The oil is of good quality; it seems that the oil filter isn’t very effective at cleaning the tank
If the operating time is short, it’s not necessary to clean it, but for devices that have been in use for over 3 years, it’s recommended to do so. The sludge at the bottom cannot circulate properly and will accumulate, rendering the oil filter ineffective. You could consider buying a few large plastic barrels to store oil in.
The fuel tank needs to be cleaned; the fuel has been in use for two or three years, and there is water, rust, and mechanical debris at the bottom of the tank. The fuel filter is not able to remove these impurities
When the tank is at a higher temperature, there is basically no moisture present, as it has evaporated due to the heat; rust is hardly visible. The entire system is made of stainless steel, and the color of the oil is bright, not brownish like that of oil sludge.
How long has the lubricant been in use? Are all the indicators still within acceptable limits?
It may seem that the oil is clean and its parameters are within the acceptable range, but there are definitely impurities at the bottom; this is especially true for units that have been overhauled, as we encounter such impurities every time we carry out cleaning. In the most severe case, all test results were within normal limits, but the gel content became very high after prolonged operation; upon opening it, there was a layer of gel on the inner walls.
3 years. Both self-inspection and third-party testing have passed.
The indicators are within the acceptable range – do you need to change the oil?
We drain all the oil, rinse it out, and then add new oil