Same transfer tank for Diesel and Gasoline?

[Boiler74]

I would like to buy a 50-75 gallon transfer tank and pump to use for both gas and diesel. Let me be clear.... not at the same time!! I have a small storage tank that is split, one half for gas and a half for diesel.... 75 gallons each. I would like to be able to fill it from fuel bought at a local station, as I have a thing about delivery drivers coming out to my house (like from the co-op) and want to buy non-ethanol gas. So I would like to go to the station, get 75 gallons of diesel and bring it home and transfer it to the storage tank. Then go get 75 gallons of gas and put it in the other side.

So, my question is, is there anything wrong with using the same transfer tank for both if I get "most" of the previous liquid out? Does it hurt to have a trace of gas in diesel, or vice versa?

Thanks for you time,

Josh

 

[clemsonfor]

some will say yes but my thoughts are no, What is .25 gallons of gas in 50 gallons of diesel going to matter, this is the only thing i would worry about, a gas engine will burn the deisel mix of a same ratio with gas no problem, kind of like a little 2 stroke mix but lighter. Gas engines in my opinion except for new ones like mercedees or a fine import will burn about anything, not good for long periods but i would dump a gallon of a deisel into 25 gallons of gas and not think anything about burning it.

I dont like more folks than necessisary showing up at my house either, i dont want to sell anything from my house and will always meet. I dont want strangers eyeing my stuff.

 

[case646]

some will say yes but my thoughts are no, What is .25 gallons of gas in 50 gallons of diesel going to matter, this is the only thing i would worry about, a gas engine will burn the deisel mix of a same ratio with gas no problem, kind of like a little 2 stroke mix but lighter. Gas engines in my opinion except for new ones like mercedees or a fine import will burn about anything, not good for long periods but i would dump a gallon of a deisel into 25 gallons of gas and not think anything about burning it

Exactly well said i have a 100 gal slip tank that i fill up daily with diesel for my track hoe and d-6 dozer once in a while i will fill it up with gas for at home and never had any problems any one who thinks you will have trouble is over paranoid just make sure you pump most of it out when switching fuels good luck

 

[Transit]

You are allowed to have Rodent Droppings in your hamburger and sausage. So what is wrong with having a little gas in the Diesel?

 

[roamerr]

No problem mixing small quantities. As a matter of fact last year in WV we had to put a small amount of gas in Diesel to get a 2004 Dodge 3500 Cummins to run in 0F temps. It would start but cut-off until we added some unleaded. This year it gets Diesel additives instead...

 

[Boiler74]

Thanks guys. I will certainly get "most" of the previous fuel out, but wanted to make sure it wasn't a huge no no.

 

[zmoz]

I actually run a small amount of 2 cycle oil ON PURPOSE in most of my 4 cycle gasoline engines...yes, even my cars. I can't imagine diesel being any different, if anything, probably just slightly beneficial.

 

[doall]

No problem at all, just don't forget what is in there at the time you are using it.

 

[texasjohn]

Interesting question...haven't seen it before on TBN..... will watch additional answers with interest. I would have thought it a no-no. My only experience is with a 250 gallon tank that was supposed to be filled with gasoline for my gas tractor (at the time). The delivery fellow started putting diesel in it, then realized his mistake, removed diesel and filled with gas.

Tractor ran very bad, fouled carb and plugs... real mess.... had to take it to dealer...now, maybe it was going to happen anyway, but I attributed it to the small amount of diesel in the gas.

 

[RalphVa]

I'd worry about having some diesel in gasoline going to cars/trucks with cat converter, etc. If to a tractor with no controls, don't think I'd be concerned.

For small amounts of gasoline in diesel, there's a safety issue. Diesel fuel isn't combustible. You have to have a wick to light it off. Put gasoline in it, and you have a combustible vapor space.

I'd keep them separate.

Ralph

 

[CharlieS]

A bit of diesel in gas will do no harm. Actually it will do much the same as an upper cylinder lube as well as help keep the valve train clean.
As far as gas in diesel fuel, Years ago Catapiller did a test on truck engines, running as high as 10% gas mixed with fuel and found no harm to the engines after 250K miles. While i'd be hesitant to run that percentage, In the wintertime, in frigid weather we routinely run 1-2% gas in our truck's fuel tanks to prevent fuel from gelling.

 

[LBrown59]

No body mentioned the real danger / concern about this which is using the wrong pump on it!

 

[atgreene]

Won't hurt anything, done it for years. Although Darwin had a point, if you aren't smart enough to know which is which, you'll probably run into issues.:laughing:

You'll be fine.

 

[clemsonfor]

No body mentioned the real danger / concern about this which is using the wrong pump on it!

Meaning you need a pump rated for gas so it dont spark?

Or are you talking about forgetting whats in the tank and using wrong fuel? I think he is just running to town and then filling up his tanks at the house so im sure fuel never rally sits in the transferr tank longenough to forget.

 

[LBrown59]

Originally Posted by LBrown59
No body mentioned the real danger / concern about this which is using the wrong pump on it!
Orginaly posted buy clemsonfor
*Meaning you need a pump rated for gas so it dont spark?
[Quote/]
*Meaning you need a pump rated for gas so it dont spark?

 

[CH4Ohio]

As everyone said, minimize the residual amount and dilute heavily when you change to the other fuel.

You might find it interesting to know that the people you buy fuel from use the same pipeline to transport both diesel and gasoline (and kerosene, jet fuel, etc.). Petroleum pipelines pump slugs of one fuel that fill a pipe for several miles and then batch another type of fuel right behind it in the same pipe with no separation. They route the fuel into separate tanks at the destination fuel depot but there is certainly mixing of the two fuels and dilution of both in the area where they make contact. This is how fuel is pumped across the country. At the end of the day, the small amount of "contaminated" fuel doesn't cause any problems simply because it's diluted by much larger quantities of straight fuel.

 

[beenthere]

Do you need to have a particular color container (transfer tank) to buy at the fueling station? Or not a problem?

Otherwise, as long as you keep the two straight, sounds fine to me.

 

[Duffster]

As everyone said, minimize the residual amount and dilute heavily when you change to the other fuel.

You might find it interesting to know that the people you buy fuel from use the same pipeline to transport both diesel and gasoline (and kerosene, jet fuel, etc.). Petroleum pipelines pump slugs of one fuel that fill a pipe for several miles and then batch another type of fuel right behind it in the same pipe with no separation. They route the fuel into separate tanks at the destination fuel depot but there is certainly mixing of the two fuels and dilution of both in the area where they make contact. This is how fuel is pumped across the country. At the end of the day, the small amount of "contaminated" fuel doesn't cause any problems simply because it's diluted by much larger quantities of straight fuel.

The pipeline operators know how much blends together and separates it out and sells it to a different market.

 

[77bronco]

I

For small amounts of gasoline in diesel, there's a safety issue. Diesel fuel isn't combustible. You have to have a wick to light it off. Put gasoline in it, and you have a combustible vapor space.

Not to be picky, but by definition gasoline is flammable, diesel is combustible. Flammable liquids have a flash point below 100*F, and combustible liquids have a flash point of 100*F or higher. Per OHSA 1910.106

 

[Redgoatea]

Personally I'd do it but only after I had determined exactly how much cross contamination was going on in each fill up. Take the time to measure what's left over after you drain it once. What you think is a little may be more than you know. 7