Dumb question about using gas in multifuel diesel

[Seth_O]

I ran out of diesel the other day and put in 87 octane gas. It had a HARD time starting, that was a bit of a surprise when contemplating the sticker on my dash that says gasoline is an acceptable fuel .

I thickened up ~20 gallons of gas with ~4 gallons of WMO from a helicopter (THICK stuff, it runs ~100wt.) After that it ran smooth, and I swear it gives me a little more power on the hills than diesel does. No idea on the egt's though, and I haven't tried starting it since I put the mixture in. With diesel it starts within a few seconds every single time, so we'll see how it does with this.

 

[camp9]

Before the computerized diesel's came along we always use to mix our drain oil from the oil change in our tractors and trucks. Think of it as a #3 diesel, thicker than #2, and yes, you will get more power doing that. I've also knows folks that pull into a station and acdiently put gas in their diesel car, the best thing to do is mix a bunch of transmission oil with it, works great. A diesel can run on straight transmission oil. This isn't something you want to do for every day use, but it will get you out of a jam.

 

[roger-wilco-66]

I use WMO that I cut with a diesel/gasoline mix I get for free from gas-stations (what they pump out of people's cars who erranously fill the wrong stuff into their tanks) now for four years and it works great. I could swear that with a higher oil level in the mix the deuce has more power and runs smoother, but this just my subjective impression.
I once had 70% oil or more in the tank, the only thing I noticed was that it started to smoke blueish in a considerable manner, expecially when the motor was cold.
In either case, it starts right away!

Cheers,
Mark

 

[sp00n]

Just an update because I'm sure all of you were on pins and needles. Truck was still setup for multifuel.

Well I went out to look at the truck today, it was optioned VERY VERY well but had some through-rust on fenders and cab corners and lots of little odds and ends that needed tied up. I felt his asking price was just slightly high and tried to negotiate but he would not come a dollar down, so I left without a truck and much disappointment.

All is not lost though as this is the first time I have driven and spent time with one of these trucks and learned a lot about them. Prior to today the only in person experience I've had with them is seeing them parked randomly as attention getters.

 

[Billy Bobbed]

No matter what you do or take off its still a mutifuel.As long its not a gasser.

 

[dionmtn]

Seems like everyone has discussed the gasoline enough. So, I will add a little on plain motor oil. About 3 years ago I bought a filteration system that filters down the motor oil drained from the engine. It is removed from the crank case into a pan, there is a line to the fuel tank and to the filter unit. Fuel is moved from the tank, mixed with the oil as it is being filtered down to .05 microns and put back into the tank.

The system was not cheap, but over the years it has paid off quite well. I think probably the biggest pay off is not having to fool with disposing old motor oil. It is not too messy, but not an operating room either. So far all the trucks have run on this mixture without a hitch.

I was apprehensive about buying this thing at first then I read their literature where the military used it, so I reckoned if it was good enough for the military it was good enough for us.

It takes awhile to get your money back. If you don't have a few trucks to do it with, I would not think you could break even for several years.

 

[Darwin T]

add motor oil

I have searched but cannot find anyone trying to run STRAIGHT 87 octane regular gasoline in their multifuel deuce. I am asking because the one I am about to look at is about 70 miles from me and gas is almost 40 cents a gallon cheaper than diesel.

so.

Straight gas, will it work? EGTs stay acceptable? If not, what is a safe ratio of gas-diesel to mix?

i have been told to add a quart of motor oil to every 10-15 gallons so you don't dry out you seals. i add 10 gallons to a tank of diesel of it is going to be below freezing (does not happen much).

 

[DUG]

I ran out of fuel when I first got the deuce (learning the accuracy of the gauge) so we put in 5 gallons of gas and two quarts oil. It started right back up fine and ran down to the station a couple days later for a proper fill up.

I usually dump in all the leftover ATV gas after DIRTBAG to cut expenses driving home. I figure since I already paid for it and no one used it, I might as well burn it going home instead letting it go bad in a can. I usually dump in a quart or two of oil for every 5 gallons.

Never had a problem, but I've never put in more than 8 gallons of gas at a time. I don't have a pyro installed, but my seat-of-the-pants dyno reports it acts the same - driving and starting. I've never actually tried to figure out mileage since the trip I took with Phil and burned 33% more fuel than his bobber. After that I figured it is what it is. I also tend to keep it filled up if I can to avoid running out unexpectedly.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Part of the reason 'modern' gas burns so crappy in a deuce straight is the ethanol. I burn all kinds of stuff in all kinds of engines, from a small deutz air cooled diesel to a locomotive engine. The trick is-
A. It has to be CLEAN and WATER FREE
B. get the flash point as close to diesel as you can
C. Get the viscosity as close to diesel as you can

Never had a problem unless I skipped one of the above.

I had to run straight gas in my first m35 once. I just cut it with several gallons of WMO I happened to have and it got me home ok, but I sure could tell the power difference.

 

[Seth_O]

I thickened up ~20 gallons of gas with ~4 gallons of WMO from a helicopter (THICK stuff, it runs ~100wt.) After that it ran smooth, and I swear it gives me a little more power on the hills than diesel does. No idea on the egt's though, and I haven't tried starting it since I put the mixture in. With diesel it starts within a few seconds every single time, so we'll see how it does with this.

To close out my own (semi)-open issue: I went out today to move the deuce today to get ready to do some work on it. It still has the previous mix in it (~20 gallons 87 octane + ~4 gallons 100wt WMO.) I hit the starter and it turned right over with no problems. It drives like a champ, and seems to like the mix. If it's sustainable I may do this for the future as I have another ~50 gallons of this batch of WMO.

 

[Floridianson]

the scare of the ip going fast is just not known to be true, it is an opinion....

Maybe a opinion but I will stick with Stayadine opinion that diesel fuel is fuel oil and gas is not a lube oil.

I run nothing but diesel for now till the zombies come.

 

[dionmtn]

I have used up to ten percent gasoline with no ill effects. Don't do it as a norm.....just saying!