Gasoline as a Diesel Stablizer

[TheBestAnchor]

Apologies for the inappropriate reference, fixed it.


With all due respect Trim50, You appear to be trying to make this discussion more about the size of your nose than the facts.* I don't recall reading anything stating it couldn't be done, just that it could be unwise to do so.

So, Those vapors that you ignited, Would you classify them as diesel, or gasoline?

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Trim50

When we were in Australia and we placed Trim on the hard for an extended time, we had 10 gallons of unleaded gasoline in jerry cans that I didn't want to waste. We also had a tank of diesel about 3/4 full. So, I just dumped the 10 gallons of gasoline in the 200+ gallons of diesel knowing it wouldn't harm anything.

When we returned to the boat over a year later, I was surprised to find that there wasn't any fungus or growth in the diesel which was typical after a long period of sitting in a sun heated hull. The last time we filled was in New Caledonia and I'm quite certain they didn't put any additives in the fuel.

So, the question is, has anyone ever used gasoline to function as diesel stablizer?

You now face the issue of reduced lubricity and a runaway /detonation condition.

Although you might be lucky as many of the volatiles in the gasoline will have dissapeared after a year.

Bio diesel is something we dont touch.

Clean diesel will last a long time. Its the crap and water in the tank where the bugs live.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I'm confused:
- Some people like mono and some cat
- Some like guns and some don't.
- Some people believe in man made global warming and other don't think there is a measurable impact.

Those subjects are open to debate as there are opposing view points.

So far everone says it's a bad idea to dump 10 gal of gas in a 200 gal diesel tank and they give many reasons. No one has suggested it's a good idea...except for you.

Well put!

[SniperSailor]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I'm confused:
- Some people like mono and some cat
- Some like guns and some don't.
- Some people believe in man made global warming and other don't think there is a measurable impact.

Those subjects are open to debate as there are opposing view points.

So far everone says it's a bad idea to dump 10 gal of gas in a 200 gal diesel tank and they give many reasons. No one has suggested it's a good idea...except for you.

Actually, before the advent of better products, long haul truckers used to add a bit of gasoline to their diesel to keep things clean. But that was something like a pint to 20 gallons. That would work out to about 10 pints (2.5 gallons) to 200 gallons of diesel. Not nearly the same ratio, and as I said before, today there are better, and more important, safer products....see... AMSOIL - Synthetic Oil, Motor and Engine Oil, Lubricants, Air Filters, Oil Filters and Greases

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by SniperSailor

Actually, before the advent of better products, long haul truckers used to add a bit of gasoline to their diesel to keep things clean. But that was something like a pint to 20 gallons. That would work out to about 10 pints (2.5 gallons) to 200 gallons of diesel.

True, but if you go purely on the basis of flash point, just about any amount of gasoline you mix with diesel will be dangerous. I have and many I know in the marine industry have been adding gasoline to diesel for many years for the very reason given by Trim.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Capt. Ohlinger

...I have and many I know in the marine industry have been adding gasoline to diesel for many years for the very reason given by Trim.

You mean because "we had 10 gallons of unleaded gasoline in jerry cans that I didn't want to waste."?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by SniperSailor

Actually, before the advent of better products, long haul truckers used to add a bit of gasoline to their diesel to keep things clean. But that was something like a pint to 20 gallons. That would work out to about 10 pints (2.5 gallons) to 200 gallons of diesel. Not nearly the same ratio, and as I said before, today there are better, and more important, safer products....see... AMSOIL - Synthetic Oil, Motor and Engine Oil, Lubricants, Air Filters, Oil Filters and Greases

I doubt they were doing it for bugs in the fuel more likely for a little more power? They probably didn't own the rig? They are not like the guy cruising. Tanks are saddle tanks, mounted outside, and they probably blow through 200 gal. in a day or so?

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I doubt they were doing it for bugs in the fuel more likely for a little more power?

Truckers know that adding gasoline to diesel reduces burn efficiency. They add gasoline to kill the fungus that grows. Diesel is an organic fuel so it provides an ideal environment for microscopic fungi, yeast and bacteria to feed and grow.

As many as 27 varieties of bacteria are responsible for the majority of problems with diesel engines and their performance. There are many differing types of bacteria which can infect systems and form bio-films on steel surfaces. Accelerated corrosion can also occur wherever the bio-film settles, usually in pits or crevices. Unlike general corrosion, it is an attack on a very specific area.

Each species has its own characteristics. Gasoline is known to kill most of them and that is why they use it. Truckers and many I know in the marine industry think other additives are worthless and a waste of money.

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

State law for giving the logging industry (union) an opportunity for employment after legislation dramatically reduced the logging industry... and therefore jobs... Source of info was an Oregon resident...

Thanks for that. My family in Oregon were not sure why have the compulsory attendant. I do know about their logging industry.

[DefinitelyMe]

Thanks everyone for the valuable information and opinions in this thread. My own summary of all this goes something like:

1) Adding petrol to diesel even in very small quantities is effective at killing bugs. This could be useful to know in areas where diesel quality is low and stabilizers and bug killers are not available.

2) Adding petrol to diesel is dangerous - more dangerous than either of the individual parts on their own. Therefore it should be avoided.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Trim50

Once again, for the people in the cheap seats...combustion is not a single variable reaction. It does not only depend on temperature. It actually has a lower limit and an upper limit that depends on partial pressures of fuel, air and even water. The chemistry and physics of combustion are far more complex than anyone here can imagine.

But hell...be scared...everyone seems to be scared of everything these days.

Oh... I'm very aware of LEL and UEL... pvt tables, thermo and the like.... I'mma an engineeeeer

Originally Posted by Trim50

Note to self....

Add Diesel fuel to the list with guns, global warming and mono hulls vs cats as subjects that aren't worth discussing on this forum.

+1

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I'm confused:
- Some people like mono and some cat
- Some like guns and some don't.
- Some people believe in man made global warming and other don't think there is a measurable impact.

Those subjects are open to debate as there are opposing view points.

So far everone says it's a bad idea to dump 10 gal of gas in a 200 gal diesel tank and they give many reasons. No one has suggested it's a good idea...except for you.

true that...

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by GrahamHO

Thanks for that. My family in Oregon were not sure why have the compulsory attendant. I do know about their logging industry.

You bet! I had to ask....

[DefinitelyMe]

These fuels are incredibly unpredictable things. I used to work as a marine contractor. Our barge had two outboard engines that ran on petrol. It was a catamaran, and the tanks were large and located in the hulls. The venting was evidently not good. One evening i filled it up with fuel after work and went home. I got a call two hours later from my boss asking why his barge was on fire. The vapour had spilled into the hull when it was filled up and then a spark from the bilge pump had ignited it. The oxygen and acetylene tanks for our welding equipment exploded quite spectacularly. The aluminium blocks on the engines burned. The barge was burned right down to the water line at the stern despite the best efforts of the fire department. What really amazed me though was the jerry jug of petrol sitting on the deck just forward of where the deck ceased to be. The fire melted holes through the plastic in the container. The top of it was warped and disfigured, but the fuel inside it never ignited.

[weavis]

I burned a boat down once. To be fair, it was intentional. 3 of us and an old duck punt with cover.
We were testing an Uzi fully automatic machine gun. Put half a gallon of petrol in a plastic petrol 'can' on board. Fired 300 rounds.

Nothing happened. I waded out and got the petrol can off and gave it to someone to test if it was petrol............. he threw it on the fire.

It was petrol. The explosion was spectacular.

So we ended up lobbing flares into the punt. Eventually it started to burn.

Then we had to pull the boat out after it melted.

Somehow, it wasnt worth the effort.

Dont know why I shared this really.........

[TheBestAnchor]

Repost from a google search,



"Just so happens I am a marine diesel engineer :-)

Basically, you could run a diesel engine on a mixture of petrol (gasoline) and diesel at a ratio of 10:90 max. In areas where it's VERY cold, you can use either Kerosene or Petrol to help improve the operation of the engine.

The problem is NOT with damage to injectors, pumps or seals, it's damage caused by the shock waves from the very sharp rise in pressure when the petrol is injected into the cylinder. Petrol doesn't particularly like being subjected to the resulting temperatures and pressures of a compression ratio of 25:1 (for example)! The resulting damage will most likely damage the bearings, the piston, and you may even blow a head gasket (which is designed to be the weak point so that it blows rather than anything else) Modern cars won't like it because they quite often utilise multi-shot injection. This means that prior to the main fuel charge, a smaller charge is injected to prepare the cylinder (raising the temperature and reducing the ignition delay). If you consider the advanced injection timing, and what will essentially a 'rich' fuel mixture... You can probably tell it's not going to be good!

However, if you get the mixture of petrol and diesel right, it does actually have it's benefits."