Kerosene as fuel???

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Falcoron

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Seeing the posts on FAME fuel and the problems this is giving some boat owners and the prices of derv etc. I wonder if any boat owners are burning kerosene heating oil as engine fuel on their boats?

Does it contain FAME or any other filter clogging additives, does it stand any better than diesel for long periods.?

I know lots of people that used it for years in older cars ( rover MGZT with BMW engine) any Peugeot, older ranger rovers etc. etc.
in fact they used it in most diesels they owned without issue.
It was mixed this with some gear oil to lube the pump at a ratio of 25-1 They never had an issue with pumps injectors or filters and it burned cleaner out exhaust ( visibly anyway) Some I know have been using for over 10 years.

My last boat had an old Perkins and i would happily run that on it too with the prices going where they are and the FAME issues.
Not sure i would have the same confidence with my expensive to fix HINO's though :)
 
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The American Military spent millions of dollars on studies to replace diesel with kerosene for military vehicles fuel, the idea is known as the single fuel concept where only one fuel "that fits all is delivered to the battlefield" some engines ran quite happily whilst the injector pumps of others were found to fail due to the low lubricity of kerosene. in terms of boating I would not want to be the one to discover that the mechanicals of my engine would fail, hot starting was also found to be a problem, my guess is that boaters could not live with the increased possibility of engine fails or hot starting problems which sods law says would happen just at the wrong moment.
 
Freebee said:
The American Military spent millions of dollars on studies to replace diesel with kerosene for military vehicles fuel, the idea is known as the single fuel concept where only one fuel "that fits all is delivered to the battlefield" some engines ran quite happily whilst the injector pumps of others were found to fail due to the low lubricity of kerosene. in terms of boating I would not want to be the one to discover that the mechanicals of my engine would fail, hot starting was also found to be a problem, my guess is that boaters could not live with the increased possibility of engine fails or hot starting problems which sods law says would happen just at the wrong moment.
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Yeah the risk could be expensive.
I only asked out of interest i would not have the balls to try on mine. :)

I know ( from my last job working for a giant generator company) that a lot of these were ran on all sorts of fuels especially in third world countries. innovation and need sometimes came up with some interesting stories. Some with catastrophic results, some with no issues at all.
But i have no clue what was used and in what quantities/mixes etc. just stories from service engineering dept.


I would happily have run my old Perkins on it, I've seen these run on all sorts without issue. ( generators again)
The lubricity can be overcome with oil mixed in.

i have a mate who has been running an old diesel land rover on heating oil and gear oil mix at 25:1 for now on 15 years, never had an issue with starting, pump failures or bug. Over those years he has saved a small fortune. He has 2 x 2000ltr tanks one for house one for the landie. Buying in bulk also helped with price
 
Falcoron said:
i have a mate who has been running an old diesel land rover on heating oil and gear oil mix at 25:1 for now on 15 years, never had an issue with starting, pump failures or bug. Over those years he has saved a small fortune. He has 2 x 2000ltr tanks one for house one for the landie. Buying in bulk also helped with price
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He'd better hope like hell he continues to avoid the HMRC fuel police! Don't go to any country fairs or shows, don't go anywhere near a hunt or any other countryside event etc.

Because they regularly visit such places and old Landies are one of their favourite targets. Off with the fuel cap, dip the tank, test the contents and if it ain't DERV in the tan you can kiss your vehicle goodbye because they seize it on the spot. And you don't (normally) get it back either

Back in my 4x4 owning days (old Landie and old Rangie), I knew two people who lost their Landrovers and a third who lost his recently completed seriously tricked up (and expensive) Bobtail Range Rover that way

(They were all caught running on gas oil aka red diesel but the same would apply with heating oil ... in fact 35 second heating oil is just gas oil by another name. Kero is different of course but again would result in the vehicle being seized)
 
I dont think the government cares much what you run your car on provided it passes emissions and more importantly that you pay duty on it. (26p/l ?). Forms for it (duty on fuels) are available and you only have to pay for what you use, not what's in the tank. Getting fined and car impounded for illegally using red diesel is another matter
 
BruceK said:
I dont think the government cares much what you run your car on provided it passes emissions and more importantly that you pay duty on it. (26p/l ?). Forms for it (duty on fuels) are available and you only have to pay for what you use, not what's in the tank.
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Good point (hence the use of used cooking oil etc). There are even rare circumstances where, by special arrangement, you can legally use red diesel in a road vehicle!

BruceK said:
Getting fined and car impounded for illegally using red diesel is another matter
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Just for clarity, "impounded" suggests you'd get it back at some point, You don't. The vehicle is seized and is forfeit.
 
It is only £250 fine if your deceleration is wrong, some marina queens could pay no duty except the heating one.
 
He has never been stopped, lucky i suppose. Red diesel is the favourite in my parts so on the look for that more often than not.

My younger brother once risked putting red in his van and got stopped an hour later lol.
Van was impounded at local police station, he had to sign off that he did use red illegally paid a £250 fine then and collected van.
Was told to get it pumped out and refilled with white and to show receipt and get it checked at the station and to hold onto receipt.
Was warned if caught again the fine would double.

That was 10 years ago probably a bit more stringent now though.

He never risked it again. LOL

I do know guys that have been doing this for years and have been lucky not to be stopped
I have a company car and fuel card so I care not a jot
 
Run my landy on 50% vegi oil in the summer which is legal unfortunately now vegi oil is only slightly cheaper than diesel.. you're allowed to use up to 2500ltr per year, and you must keep records
 
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