mix gas with deisel
- Thread starter mandrerw
- Start date
Good question. I'd drain it, just in case. Better safe than sorry and since I do not know for sure it would not do damage .....I'd drain it.
I had one of those moments when the place I get my diesel from started selling road diesel instead of farm diesel like i was used to. Farm diesel is red. I poured about two cups of clear diesel in and about freaked out. I was ready to drain and then I found out they no longer sold the colored diesel fuel ...and that the road diesel does not have that strong diesel smell that I was expecting. So I lucked out.
I had one of those moments when the place I get my diesel from started selling road diesel instead of farm diesel like i was used to. Farm diesel is red. I poured about two cups of clear diesel in and about freaked out. I was ready to drain and then I found out they no longer sold the colored diesel fuel ...and that the road diesel does not have that strong diesel smell that I was expecting. So I lucked out.
urednecku
Member
Think I'd burn it in my pickup about 1 or 2 gallons per tank. (it's gasoline powered). I had a '79 chevy I would put about 5 to 10 diesel in the 50 gallon tank I had on it...couldn't tell the difference in the way it ran, but at the time diesel was lots cheaper than gasoline & it helped stretch my fuel bill.
A pint in 5 gallons? 1:40? I would just run it. The tractor won't know the difference.
I've read that Mercedes recommended adding gas to diesel to help extreme cold weather starting. You might Google on that to see what proportion they recommended.
The two fuels are near identical. Gasoline evaporates to vapor near room temperature, while diesel has a higher vapor point. Gasoline is blended to resist ping, while ping is what makes diesel ignite. (Also diesel has slightly more energy per gallon; irrelevant here).
The only disadvantage I can see is that the volatile gas fumes raise your fire hazard up similar to that of an automobile. If you park it in your basement next to the water heater pilot light this might be a concern.
Just run it.
I've read that Mercedes recommended adding gas to diesel to help extreme cold weather starting. You might Google on that to see what proportion they recommended.
The two fuels are near identical. Gasoline evaporates to vapor near room temperature, while diesel has a higher vapor point. Gasoline is blended to resist ping, while ping is what makes diesel ignite. (Also diesel has slightly more energy per gallon; irrelevant here).
The only disadvantage I can see is that the volatile gas fumes raise your fire hazard up similar to that of an automobile. If you park it in your basement next to the water heater pilot light this might be a concern.
Just run it.
shvl73
Member
I agree. No problem.
urednecku
Member
My late Dad realized one day at work he didn't have enough gasoline in his pick-up to get home. He put in about 5 or 8 gallons of diesel out of his boss's fuel pump, & drove the 20+ miles home, where he had a gasoline tank. He drove that Chevy pickup another 10 years, never had a minutes trouble outta it.
I had a '79 Chevy which had a 50 gallon aux. tank in the back, I would put 5-10 gallons of diesel in, then fill up with gasoline. I couldn't tell the difference, except at that time diesel was a lot cheaper than gasoline. It never gave me any trouble.
Of course, it might be a different story with these newer, computer-controlled machines.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2179/can-i-use-diesel-fuel-instead-of-regular-gas
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Automotive-2465/mixing-diesel-fuel-gasoline.htm