Gasoline as a Diesel Stablizer

[valhalla360]

Stupid idea with many things that could go wrong...just to save $20 in fuel.


Getting away with something stupid is not the same as it being a good idea.

[Boatguy30]

Diesel will last pretty much forever if there is no water in it. Supposedly the Russians have vast underground lakes of the stuff to run tanks on.

[Cadence]

I'd have poured the ten gallons of gas in my car or someone else's. and spent a few bucks on a stabilizer.

The nitro was a good idea. Along with a good martini, a twist or olive?

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by svadagio

Back in the days I worked for a living we used to put 1 cup of gasoline to 5000 gal of diesel. Kept the bugs out. We had mostly GM 4-53 and 4-71 engines. Many of them. GM approved of the idea. But be careful of the more modern engines.
Bob

Trucks don't explode like boats. Any vapours from a truck disperse underneath. I've seen a boat explode with a subsequent fire and it's not pretty. Nothing left of the 27' boat after 5 / 10 minutes. Fortunately they all got out the front hatch and were close to shore and rescued. I was on my way to the rescue in a dinghy but others were closer. It was a gasoline powered inboard Mercruiser Stern drive I think. It made a very big bang. It was dragged on to the beach (at Russell Bay of Islands NZ) by its anchor line and all that was left when the fire appliance arrived was fibreglass ash mixed with blobs of molten aluminum on the stoney beach.


thinwater should know as he was in the petro business. He said as I recall that the diesel gasoline mixture is more dangerous than gasoline alone.

[Trim50]

Look guys...flash point of a liquid fuel mixture does not determine that it will explode or ignite. The vapor pressure of that mixture equal to the sum of the individual partial pressures, must be within the explosive limits under the given temperature and pressure and there needs to be a source of ignition, spark, flame or divine interaction. Otherwise every bottle of isopropyl, acetone, paint thinner, bottle of 151 would be an explosive hazard.

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by GrahamHO

thinwater should know as he was in the petro business. He said as I recall that the diesel gasoline mixture is more dangerous than gasoline alone.

Yes, but he has also spent 9 years sailing around the same bay writing a book about it ...someone needs to show him the way out!

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Diesel will last pretty much forever if there is no water in it. Supposedly the Russians have vast underground lakes of the stuff to run tanks on.

No.

Add a penny to some diesel, wait a few months, and see what metals do to stability.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Trim50

Thinwater, with that chemical engineering background you must know everything. Send me your calculations.

Besides, we certainly don't want "you" to get "pretty tired".

You don't even have enough information to make the call on the fuel:air mixture nor my education. So who is presuming here?

Starzinger posted the suporting data.

I didn't say anything about your education.

Calm. 5% Gasoline creares aflamable mixture. Corrosion inhibitors that can inhibit soft metals are not listed on MSDS sheets.

[Trim50]

Because it is hard to argue with real data, here is 200ml of diesel and 10ml of gasoline. I mix them, and try to ignite the mixture.

Conditions 30C/65% humidity/1atm

The mixture douses the flame every time. Feel free to perform the experiment yourself.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by thinwater

No.

Add a penny to some diesel, wait a few months, and see what metals do to stability.

Can you expand on this please?
What specific metal in the penny causes the problem and what is the effect on the stability of the diesel?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Trim50

Because it is hard to argue with real data, here is 200ml of diesel and 10ml of gasoline. I mix them, and try to ignite the mixture.

Conditions 30C/65% humidity/1atm

The mixture douses the flame every time. Feel free to perform the experiment yourself.

You need a better ignition source
I find a MAPP gas torch does the trick, gets most things light up

[TheBestAnchor]

Originally Posted by Trim50

Because it is hard to argue with real data, here is 200ml of diesel and 10ml of gasoline. I mix them, and try to ignite the mixture.

Conditions 30C/65% humidity/1atm

The mixture douses the flame every time. Feel free to perform the experiment yourself.

In the name of science, could you please try this experiment again, only this time put a lid on the container with 2 holes, one just big enough for your lighter to fit, the other is a vent, lightly agitate to simulate wave action while flicking your lighter, report back.

VSMDW

[Terra Nova]

Try this down below where there is no ventilation.

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by TheBestAnchor

In the name of science, could you please try this experiment again, only this time put a lid on the container with 2 holes, one just big enough for your lighter to fit, the other is a vent, lightly agitate to simulate wave action while flicking your lighter, report back.

VSMDW

Just waiting for that response from all those sitting in their arm chairs...

Result varies with enclosed volume and volume percentage of air above liquid...and whether or not the fluid was sloshed around on the surfaces.

Simply sitting still with 250 ml of air volume, I was able to extinguish the flame. If I swirled the mixture such that it produced a thin surface layer of liquid which would turn to vapor, I could get a small puff from ignition and the flame would die due to lack of oxygen.

KMMDW ;-)

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by TheBestAnchor

In the name of science, could you please try this experiment again, only this time put a lid on the container with 2 holes, one just big enough for your lighter to fit, the other is a vent, lightly agitate to simulate wave action while flicking your lighter, report back.

VSMDW

New member as of today eh? Well, I've got your report right here in my hand...where do you want it?