Diesel alternative?

[AlanD]

Filled the Mondeo yesterday, and for the first time got fuel on my hands owing to a leaky coupling at the nozzle/hose coupling.

Smelled and felt pretty much like kerosene/heating oil - which got me thinking.

Can kero be used in diesel engine as an alternative to the usual stuff?

Not something I would willingly do - but in an emergency.....

I've seen some people maintain that diesels will burn anything oily - used chip oil (filtered I would guess), rape seed oil etc etc. I'm waiting for someone to claim they run well on smelly sox

But seriously, I would like informed guidance.

Thanks

[XR Martin]

You can mix them, but I wouldnt run it on its own. (doesnt have the lubricity of straight diesel)
People mix it with biodiesel.

But I wouldnt run any of it in a late model diesel. An old Merc diesel would be ok

[xr6turboford]

I remember watching a episode of mythbusters when they ran a diesel car on oil from a restaurant, filtered or course.
The car ran fine much to their surprise.

[Bushbasher]

Rudolph Diesel, the bloke that invented the diesel engine, originally designed it to run on peanut oil till the whole thing was hijacked by the petrochemical industry so they had somewhere to sell their lower grade distillate. (a very simplified synopsis you understand,lol)

"Biodiesel" is made from a number of sources, one being old chip oil. It is indeed filtered and usually has a splash of methanol in it to help separate the particulates out ( they will ultimately drop out anyway but the methanol helps speed up the process) plus it thins out the oil a little to help facilitate flow through the fuel system as straight canola/vegetable/peanut/cottonseed etc. oil is a little thick, especially on a cold day. But only a VERY small amount of methanol should be used or it'll eat the seals in the fuel system just like ethanol does in older petrol systems. Making biodiesel in your shed is easy enough once you set up the right separators and have the right filters and some methanol and you could probably run your Mondeo on it once you have the recipe right. Last time I looked into it, and assuming you had a supply of old chip oil you could source for free, it'd cost about 15-20c p/l to produce once you got the hardware in place........ but I wouldn't put kero in your tank as it's too flamable and combusts at a lower temperature and pressure than diesel/chip oil. Rule of thumb, if it'll light up when you drop a match in it then don't put it in a diesel engine. Diesel and chip oils won't light up with just dropping a lighted match into them, they need the high temps and high pressure of a diesel combustion chamber to ignite....unless you mix it with some fertilizer but that's a whole different story that shouldn't be gone into , especially on an open forum, lol.



Bushbasher

[pottery beige]

Putting dodgy diesel into any late model diesel can end in a world of pain.....

[mik]

i can`t remember were i heard it but i was told kero is no good for the cylander bores.

[Auslandau]

Used to be a bit of a practice some time ago by some dodgey service stations that would 'top up' their diesel supply with kero ..... you could smell it when driving or if someone sitting behind could defiantley get a taste of it. Don't know if thats done much anymore but wouldn't be surprised.



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[AlanD]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

Rudolph Diesel, the bloke that invented the diesel engine, originally designed it to run on peanut oil till the whole thing was hijacked by the petrochemical industry so they had somewhere to sell their lower grade distillate. (a very simplified synopsis you understand,lol)

"Biodiesel" is made from a number of sources, one being old chip oil. It is indeed filtered and usually has a splash of methanol in it to help separate the particulates out ( they will ultimately drop out anyway but the methanol helps speed up the process) plus it thins out the oil a little to help facilitate flow through the fuel system as straight canola/vegetable/peanut/cottonseed etc. oil is a little thick, especially on a cold day. But only a VERY small amount of methanol should be used or it'll eat the seals in the fuel system just like ethanol does in older petrol systems. Making biodiesel in your shed is easy enough once you set up the right separators and have the right filters and some methanol and you could probably run your Mondeo on it once you have the recipe right. Last time I looked into it, and assuming you had a supply of old chip oil you could source for free, it'd cost about 15-20c p/l to produce once you got the hardware in place........ but I wouldn't put kero in your tank as it's too flamable and combusts at a lower temperature and pressure than diesel/chip oil. Rule of thumb, if it'll light up when you drop a match in it then don't put it in a diesel engine. Diesel and chip oils won't light up with just dropping a lighted match into them, they need the high temps and high pressure of a diesel combustion chamber to ignite....unless you mix it with some fertilizer but that's a whole different story that shouldn't be gone into , especially on an open forum, lol.



Bushbasher

Thanks Bushbasher.

I ain't thinking of the Mondeo, unless in dire straights, but I was wondering about an older diesel for escaping from bushfires, our home has been adjudged as undefendable owing to it's location, and it seems to me a simple diesel might be more reliable in an emergency than either the Territory (petrol) or the Mondeo (too complicated in time critical situations).

Just something to keep on the back of the stove - so to speak. I'll pay attention to the rule of thumb.

thanks

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by AlanD

Thanks Bushbasher.

Just something to keep on the back of the stove - so to speak. I'll pay attention to the rule of thumb.

thanks

As a rule of thumb, I wouldnt store kero at the back of the stove,

[AlanD]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

As a rule of thumb, I wouldnt store kero at the back of the stove,

Well said

Cheers

[thefargo]

http://www.vegiecars.com/

I've thought about it for the old landcruiser, but there are companies here buying old cooking oil and recycling it before I can get to it