MD80 FLT CREW HAS A FUEL IMBALANCE DURING DEP AND DIVERTS FOR LANDING.

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AT VR; I MADE A NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF L AILERON INPUT TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG. WE DISCUSSED SOME POSSIBLE FLT CTL MALFUNCTION UNTIL THE FO NOTICED THE L FUEL TANK WAS READING 350 LBS AND THE R TANK WAS READING 9200 LBS AND THE CTR TANK WAS READING AROUND 18000 LBS AND VERBALIZED IT TO ME. WE DISCUSSED GOING TO SFO AND CALLED THE MAINT AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE HAD AN UNCOMMANDED FUEL FEED FROM L TANK TO THE CTR TANK AND WAS ADVISED TO LAND AT SFO. DURING THE PREFLT CHKLIST; AT THE RESPONSE TO 'FUEL PANEL QUANTITY AND DISTRIBUTION' I CHKED THE FUEL XFEED LEVER TO CLOSE AND DISCUSSED THE ACTUAL FUEL QUANTITY OF 28000 LBS BEING 1000 LBS MORE THAN THE 'RELEASE FUEL' OF 27000 LBS (AS THIS IS NOT COMMON THESE DAYS AND IT USED TO BE). THIS BROUGHT ABOUT A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE FO HAD GREETED THE FUELER AT HIS REFUELING PANEL WHILE DOING THE WALKAROUND. I BELIEVE THIS DISTR FROM CHKLIST DISCIPLINE DREW ME AWAY FROM CHKING THE CORRECT FUEL DISTRIBUTION. IN RETROSPECT I STILL BELIEVE THE FUEL PANEL LOOKED OK!