Gasoline in the Diesel?

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StellaBorealis

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Okay so here is the question...

Yanmar 2QM20
40 gallon Diesel Tank
30 Gallons of Diesel fuel
2 gallons of Gasoline.

Should I...

1.)Drain 32 gallons of adulterated diesel and dispose of it.
2.)Dont worry about it, top off the tank and make it 38/2 ratio.
3.)Hire a professional to go through the whole tank and clean out every possible molecule of gasoline in the tank before paying to refill the 40 gallon tank that was emptied by the professional.

Curious to hear opinions on the matter, have posted this elsewhere before so I'll cover this base clearly first with a disclaimer.

I recogniize that the ultimate decision on what to do is mine and mine alone and accept 180% of the responsibility for this decision and hold no conjecturers on this board the least bit liable for any damage that may occur from the wrong course of action. Furthermore I do not require that whoever provides their opinion to be a certified petrochemical engineer or Diesel mechanic (though both are more than welcome and encouraged to respond)...

Thanks in advance,
-Adam
 
I\'m afraid you have a bad situation

Hi,
I don't like to give bad news but in this case may be more important than my comfort.
I'm afraid my choice will be complete draining by a professional , who knows what they are doing.
This can be done by owner in extreme emergency in some remote location , where there are no professionals available. I hope this is not the case for You.

Best of luck.

Muzaffer
 
Re: I\'m afraid you have a bad situation

I am not an expert and I may be wrong. Wait for someone to verify this but, there is an acceptable ratio of gas-diesel mix. It may be that you have to drain half the tank and then top up the rest with diesel back to the top, or as you said top off with diesel to change the ratio.

The engine will run a little rough for a while I believe, untill all the gas has blown through.
 
I would go with option 1 (not forgetting filter bowls). That is certainly safe and possibly overkill.

Option 2 is tempting, but I would probably not have the nerve without the advice of someone who really knows what they are talking about. If you find such a person, I would be interested in their opinion.

I certainly would not consider 3.
 
My opinion (for what it's worth)

Where I used to stay much further north and a very much colder place. It was common practice to add some petrol to the red diesel (for farm vehicles of course).
This had the effect of reducing the freezing point of the fuel quite considerably and did not seem to affect the many engines it was used on.
I would go for your second option.

Iain
 
I would have no problem with option 2. Up here in darkest suffurk they cut diesel with parafin or petrol to "help knackered engines through the MOT test" - the resultant mix (which can be up to 50/50 according to the guys in my local) has less calories than neat diesel and hence produces less power but less emmsions.
 
I once started to fill my diesel car with unleaded. I only noticed it (to my horror) after about 1.5 gallons had gone in. I was on my way to an important appointment and so filled the tank to the brim with diesel, bounced the car around to mix the fuel crossed my fingers and drove off.

I didn't even notice the car running any differently - maybe I was lucky!

I would think that you will be ok with your ratio of petrol to diesel.

Steve
 
When I had my boat converted from petrol to diesel I asked about the issue of petrol remaining in the tank. No problem. "There will only be about 10 litres or so left in the tank, when you top up with diesel the mix will be so small as to be bear noticeable and in fact a little bit of petrol can even do some good". So, based on my expereicne - don't worry about it!!! Use what you've got and top up more regularly. Boat ran fine. Oh, I have a 40 gallon tank!
 
Re: I\'m afraid you have a bad situation

the petrol will be on top when it separates, your diesel is being taken from the bottom of the tank, so if you fill up more often i.e. 10 gallons instead of 20 gallons at a time the petrol will have no effect, in fact during low temperatures it will assist. Ask any lorry driver.
 
Definitely go for option 2. keep topping the tank up with diesel and you'll be fine. When I first started driving with a diesel car, my local garage who supplied the car from new said in freezing weather add 1 gall of petrol to every tank of diesel - roughly 10:1 ratio. Never had any problem even with a new car. Don't bother nowadays as additives are added to the diesel and cars are fitted with line heaters to warm the diesel.
 
Personally I would add more diesel and maybe 2-4 litres of engine type oil just in case there is a potential lubricity problem with the injection pump. don't overdo the oil as some modern pumps cannot cope with a more viscous fuel oil

Probably the best answer could be had from Nigel Luther who posts her & is something of a whizz on oil matters.
 
I see you've got varying opinions about the maximum proportion of petrol that can be tolerated. Disposing of all or some of the mixture will be difficult, I suspect, so if necessary drain of some of the mixture and top up with diesel and then add some of the mixture back into the tank each time you top up until its all used.

The big hazard is that that the fuel mixture will be highly flammable until all the petrol has gone an all traces of petrol vapour dispersed so you must behave as though you had a petrol fueled installation until then. No smoking while filling up, or working on the system!
 
Re:Ask the engine manufacturer.

For peace of mind why not contact the engine manufacturer?
 
Hi

Go for option 2.

I have been told a mix (no greater than 5%) can be good for diesel engines as the fuel can actually clean the engine. Not sure how this happens as I am not an expert on such matters but personally I wouldn't want the expense of using experts or wasting the precious red stuff!!

Cheers
 
What price peace of mind?

With option 1 you'd be losing about £40 worth of red diesel, plus of course any time and expense involved in removing it. While option 2 is quite likely OK, unless you can get a professional opinion personally I'd play for safety. I certainly wouldn't bother with ultra-cautious option 3.
 
In winter it is not uncommon for 'farmers' and other persons to add some 'spike' to the diesel to reduce cold weather problems and also get it to 'fire' bit better !
A diesel engine is generally reckoned to be a sturdier beast than a petrol one ..... so the increased ignition ?

It is common to add a touch of kero to diesel to reduce clouding ............

Me ?? I would drain off part and fill it up with straight red .... (I cannot say that commercially diesel has added kero / petrol .... now that would be dangerous for me in the petroleum biz !!)
So your ratio so far is 30/2 = 6.25% ...... your decision .... maybe drain off 16 gall - top up and then you'll be about 3% - shouldn't be a problem .....
As you use tank - add 50/50 mix clean red and the part .... till all gone ....

I really do not see any reason to have an OTT pro clean / pump out job !! Sensible dilution of what you have will be more than sufficient ..... gasoline and diesel mix well without trouble ..... just be careful to stir the tank and make sure gasoline is not layered in the tank.

How did it get there ??
/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
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