maintaining water inj system November 21, 2014 08:33AM
I'm wondering what everyone does to maintain their water injection systems between pulls and over the winter. Do you drain the water between pulls? Do you flush it out with something?

I'm running a diesel garden tractor and I had been leaving the water in all the time and winterizing with RV antifreeze. I run straight distilled water. We run sprayer type diaphragm pumps so there is no need for lube. But I seem to get a scum on top of the water. I have been having some trouble with nozzles getting plugged.

I have been told that distilled water is so pure that it tries to combine with the materials of the tank and lines. I'm thinking about winterizing with washer fluid instead of the RV antifreeze. I have seen RV antifreeze grow bacteria in the jug.

I go to some indoor pulls in the winter so I need to be able to keep it from freezing before and after the pulls. I need to come up with a system that is easy to do and will keep the foreign matter out of the system.
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 22, 2014 08:26AM
Sorry I'm no help to answer your question.
However, I enjoyed watching your youtube pulls. Neat to see a diesel garden pulling tractor spewing a column of smoke and yet requres keen driving skills.
Wondering where you are located?
Pull site reminds of Pennsylvania & Shenadoah Valley in VA.
How many diesels are in your class or club?
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 24, 2014 01:18AM
I'm in central PA. As of right now there are only two in my area. We sometimes run combined classes with the single cyl Super Stocks and there are some 3 cyl gas tractors around too.
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 24, 2014 01:36AM
I did have a problem with rust at one time. I had been running steel brake line. Since I switched to the cupro-nickle brake line rust hasn't been a problem. Everything
else in the system is plastic, brass, or rubber. I could blow everything out, but I'm not sure if I could get it all out of the pump. I'm going to try the washer fluid for now and see if that works.
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 29, 2014 01:24AM
RV antifreeze? it's safe for pets incase it leaks and it has anti corrosion additives
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 29, 2014 01:28AM
sorry i hit post before i finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for the scum on top simply fill the system with water untill the scum pours out of the spout. keep filling with HOT water until the top runs out clean. put an inline filter on as well.
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 23, 2014 06:50AM
You might try using air tool oil in your water. If you have mild steel anywhere in the system the water will rust it without the oil. As far as freezing I have my system set up to blow out easy when not in use. I fill my pump with crop oil to keep it from rusting when sitting. I try not to use anything that water could corrode. No easy answers that I know of, just due diligence.
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 23, 2014 02:01PM
If you are going to run the crop oil.. Make sure your diaphragm pump will not swell..
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Re: maintaining water inj system November 28, 2014 09:42PM
I fill mine with transmission fluid and pump it through
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Re: maintaining water inj system December 03, 2014 06:34AM
I mix the Napa cutting & grinding (water soluble) oil with the injection water to help prevent corrosion. It's also regular maintenance to check your water nozzles for blockages, unless you like changing pistons. I'll find a blocked one 1-2 times per year. I also get the scum in the top of the water, I'm not sure but I think it might be residual lubricant from the pump (mechanical vane pump in our case). The scum doesn't seem to bother it too much.

As for winterizing...I hate going to winter pulls for this reason. We drain the system from the sample valve, then blow out the water manifold, lines, and boost valve. Then pour windshield washer fluid in the tank and open the sample valve and let it drain until you get windshield washer fluid out of the sample valve. Our pump is between the tank and sample valve, so once you get washer fluid at the sample valve, it's been through the pump. Then you do the same thing with the injection water once we're at the pull, and again with washer fluid before we load. Fun times.
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