Oil & Fuel Gas in my Diesel Engine!!

[longway5]

I once did the same thing to a tractor. I had been up all night at work plowing snow with it during a storm, and at around 5 when I filled the tank, it was with gas instead of diesel. It ran fine for the first half hour, and then it started loosing power, and eventually got to the point of stalling out like it was under a load. It was only then, as I was walking back to the shop to get the backhoe to pull me back did I realize my mistake. The mechanic described it as since the gas burns hotter than diesel, the block was expanding more than designed, and seizing the engine up (the load it was stalling from). After draining the tank and changing the filters, it has run fine for the years since. The engine was well broken in before I did this to it though, with over 10 years of hard work already on it.

 

[RalphVa]

Hopefully, it wouldn't have done any damage, but you have to get the gasoline out. Most diesels have a circulation system in there. So, syphon or drain out the diesel from the tank and change the filter and do the same thing you'd do to get the air out of your filter. This is usually a hand-operated or electric-pump operated fuel supply-recycle operation.

Up to 10% gasoline is diesel won't harm their operation but could put your tank at serious risk of exploding, as you could be in the lower explosive region then.

Use color-coded tanks and label them, too. I've red gasoline cans, another color for kerosene and a 3rd color for diesel.

Up to 1/2 kerosene in the tank won't bother, if you happen to do this. Vermonters do this to keep their fuel from forming wax in the winter.

Ralph

 

[narcnh]

<font color="blue"> get one of the yellow diesel fuel containers

Yup. Good advice there. Sure, the red gas cans will hold diesel, but no matter how well you label 'em it is easy to mix them up. And gas is not a good thing in a diesel motor.</font>

I use different sized containers: 1 gal. for gas/oil mix for weed whacker, chain saw, etc, 2 gal. for gas for lawn tractor, 5 gal. for diesel for 'bota. Small, medium, large containers for small, medium, large tools. If it ain't a pain in the butt to lift the container up to the tractor fuel fill, then it ain't the right stuff. Also, helps prevent me from keeping excess quantities of the various fuels around.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> I use different sized containers: 1 gal. for gas/oil mix for weed whacker, chain saw, etc, </font>

Me too...but somehow that did not prevent me from getting the chain saw mix into my old Yard Man garden tractor after running out of fuel one day last summer... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Took about five minutes before the plugs were fowled and the engine quit. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Yea, I am /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif to say that sometime I use that little old gas garden tractor to pull a cart around when I don't want to start one of my two orange diesel favorites up for a short, unimportant chore... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Diesel goes into yellow fuel containers...best way I know to protect me from myself! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[narcnh]

Henro/Bill,

I see you have a BX2200 and a B2910 and use the BX to mow. I have a 7800, which I haven't yet used to mow the lawn. Bought it too late in the season to make a MMM a worthwhile investment, and I used my old Craftsman to mow. I figure I will be able to do it in about half the time with the 'bota. But, the thought HAS crossed my mind that the 7800 might be a bit much on my lawn (filled rear tires) and that a BX might do the job better. And, I COULD forgo the FEL on the BX and get a front-mount snow blower for next year (in case the thrill of plowing wears off by spring).

So, my question is, "What was your excuse/reason to buy the BX after the 2910?" Did you try to mow with the 2910 and find it unsatisfactory?

My dealer said that the 7800 would mow fine. Come spring I will probably try running it around on the lawn to see what happens, before investing in the MMM, and I still intend to get the brush hog for it for my fields. But would appreciate hearing your logic.

And, I will probably keep the Craftsman to get into tight places where the 7800 won't fit. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Henro]

narcnh,

I am pretty certain the B7800 with a MMM will mow quite well. I had a RFM and that did not work too well for me, even though it cut quite nice. I had too many things to mow around/against and not that much to mow anyway. MY RFM was also only 60" and therefore did not stick out much beyond the rear tires. That made cutting close to a fence real slow going...and cutting around my pond edge hard too, unless I wanted to try and run backwards, because with the rear mower the mower moves in the direction opposite the front wheels when turning.

So anyway, I figure that if I last summer had had a MMM I would still only have one tractor and my BX would be parked in someones else's shed. I ended up trading in my almost unused RFM towards the BX, rather than buying the MMM for the B2910. I thought at the time [and still do] that it would be nice to have the BX ready to go when I wanted to cut grass, and also to have it available to do things like pull a cart or whatever else I might want, without having to change over my B2910 [read take off the back hoe, or box blade, or whatever].

I further rationalized the purchase by telling myself that hours on the bx would be hours not on the B2910, and therefore both would last longer! That is still true too...

Am I happy I got the BX? Yes. The possibility of a little snow blower on it has entered my mind already...it is the season for visions of snowblowers to be popping into my head...or so it seems...but for around Pittsburgh that is something that you wish for occasionally every ten years or so it seems...wished for one this year and last though... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

But back to the question! My B2910 rear tires are liquid filled and my fronts are foam filled. They are R4 tires. They do dig into the yard a little when the ground is soft. Your turfs will be better. If you have a yard, I will bet the B7800 with MMM would cut it just fine. Get the widest deck you can so you can get close to things.

In answer to your question, do you want a BX little sister for your B7800?

Of course you do! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

See attachment... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[narcnh]

Thanks for the info, Henro. I guess it will come down to what I learn in the spring, when I roll the 7800 around on the 4+ acres that I have to mow. It takes me almost 3 1/2 hours to cut it with the Craftsman; I hope to cut that down by about a third with the bigger machine. But, I will still need the little mower to handle some of the paths through the woods and over the bridge to the pond dam, which won't handle the 'bota (although it might handle the BX…… /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif).

It's interesting that you find the 60" deck small, since my dealer recommended the 60" MMM over the 72." Said the bigger one would scalp the lawn more and was less maneuverable. But, where it would excel is on an open lawn, which is where I plan to run the 'bota. I assume, always dangerous, that the drive over design of the 72" is also easier to attach. Guess I'll decide in the spring.

Anyway, thanks for sharing. BTW, great pic! Now, you just need an L48, like tach's, to complete the set! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[theboman]

I really can't understand how this can happen. Gas and diesel have distinct smells.
Okay, if somebody was using the tractor that didn't realize it's diesel...well, no excuse the owner should have made sure it uses DIESEL FUEL.
One tip. use a YELLOW can for diesel, RED for gasoline.

 

[dieselshield]

This is why I have gone to GM, Ford, Toro, Textron, and Deere and basically begged them to use my patented device which prevents misfueling gas into a diesel. They told me that it is not a warranty item and they do not care about avoidable accidental customer damage to their engines. Here is my web site if you're interested

www.dieselshield.com

 

[5030]

Bill:

That is the cleanest I have ever seen your Kubota's!!!

 

[Junkman]

Interesting device that you have designed. Have you considered making it with a lockable cap to prevent malicious damage by others? Do you make a model for Kubota BX tractors? Have you considered advertising on the TBN site and offering a discount for TBN Members as some of the other advertises do?

My own horror story is when I had my car fueled in NJ where there is no self service allowed by law. The attendant couldn't read English and filled my tank with gasoline instead of diesel as was marked on the filler door. The car ran for a while, but died a violent death. Six thousand dollars later I had a new engine and my insurance company paid for the replacement. I never found out if they were able to collect from the service station that made the mistake, but after that I always got out of the car and verified that it was being fueled with the proper fuel. Whenever possible, I rather fuel my own vehicles.

If you have a two cycle engine such as a weed wacker or chain saw, and put straight gasoline into them without the proper amount of 2 cycle oil, you will ruin the cylinder and many times the cost of repair is more than the value of the item. One more reason that I don't loan out my gasoline powered tools....

 

[5030]

Junkman:

Can you find any of your gasoline powered tools?? Can you find the gasoline can??? heheheheh. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Egon]

Henro:

In town I'm using a 25 year old lawn mower and always put the 40:1chain saw mix into the tank. It hasn't created any problems. I do this as the 3.5 HP Briggs & Stratton preceded the the new gasoline formulations.

Egon

 

[art]

I surely would not recommend putting two cycle mix in a four stroke engine unless I was using it to rid the neighborhood. That 's of anybody including animals. I have done the ugly mix deal myself before and definitly been involved in many clean-up cases. I have never had to redo an engine or anything else more serious from it but to drain and change the filters.

 

[Egon]

Art:

This is an old engine and with the 40:1 mix it doesn't smoke and it doesn't use any crankcase oil. Runs well and doesn't foul the plug.

I would not put the mix in a new engine.

Egon

 

[art]

I've never seen that being done! Or at least without fouling the plug. Which you luck with it if it is working for you! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[fishman]

dieselshield, that's a neat concept, but I don't really understand how it works, even after reading your website.
As the owner of two Kubotas, one diesel and one a gas lawn tractor, I would consider this product. Could you enlighten me a little bit?

 

[dieselshield]

I have been asked how the device works.

It is activated by the size of the nozzles. A gas nozzle is 3/4" and a diesel nozzle usually is 1" in diameter.

There are 2 cams inside the core of the body that press out the locking arms which hold the spring loaded cover close. These cams are only activated bythe 1" diesel nozzle and not the 3/4" gas nozzle. If you put the gas nozzle in the body of the device you will hit the locked cap on the end and it will not let the gas nozzle completely in the device. Only the diesel nozzle will unlock the cap and the cap swings out of the way to allow the entire diesel nozzle to be inserted in the body of the device.

So of the photos on the site show the cap and the locking arms

www.dieselshield.com

 

[fishman]

O.K. that makes sense. If I had a diesel pickup I would definitely consider one of those. Particularly if my wife drove it and I know she would want to. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Looks like I'm going to have to stick with my yellow and red cans for my tractors.

 

[5030]

The KEY WORD is usually.

The fill nozzle on my bulk tank (diesel) is 3/4"

The fill nozzle at the Pacific Pride where I fill my Western Star is also 3/4"

I see 3/4" and 1" nozzles at truck stops all the time. Usually the high volume pumps are 1", but not all the time.

There seems to be no standardization of nozzle diameter, so that negates the use of your filler neck.

Could you imagine if some ones wife stopped at a service station that used only 3/4" nozzles and needed diesel. I wouldn't want her to call me!!!