Diesel fuel heaters

[fatcatlawyer]

I will start from the basis that I know very little. However, if the fuel tank is kept overnight virtually empty then as the fuel is forced through the engine at start up, that unburnt fuel is returned to the tank.

The unburnt fuel does take up heat from the engine and once in the fuel tank "loses" that heat when mixed with what is there. So with a limited amount of fuel in the tank that heat that is transfered from the returning unused fuel mixes with the cold fuel and gradually raises the temperature of the tank fuel. Because of the limit3ed amount of fuel in the tank the temperature of the same rises much quicker than if the tank were full. Over time the temperature in the tank rises and the diesel become less waxy.

As is known I run my bongo on filtered used cooking oil, and being a carefull spender, (tightwad) get the bongo started on a mixture and then add a sufficient quantity of the used cooking oil to almost complete the journey where I add a couple of litres of diesel just before parking up for the night.

Recently as soon as the bongo as up to temperature I added 20 litres of "gloop" but I did this while the bongo was running and really expected problems up the road, but it ran without any issue. By gloop I mean the oil was somewhat reluctant to pour - infact I have seen butter more liquid but as I said once up to temperature I dont think the bongo notices.

Soooo Get the bongo started on diesel with very little fuel in the tank, then fill up once up to temperature.

Ian G

[helen&tony]

Hi
In the 60s i've seen trucks with a fire under the tank to warm the diesel....
At low temperatures i think you're O.K. if you can get proper winter diesel. Mostly, what's on sale here as winter diesel is probably not up to spec. Rompetrol sell a winter diesel distributed through Bulgaria, but if it's dearer, then I expect it's diluted with any old rubbish, and sold full price...in fact, that's true of almost anything on sale....even a new Opel, say, will have cheap Chinese components instead of Bosch in the electrical system.
As I say, IF i could get quality diesel, i expect I could run in lower temperatures. Additives are unheard of here, so I may see if I can import some , but anything oily / liquid / resinous is classed as hazardous , and couriers won't touch it, and by train the railways won't carry paint / oil, etc. as the badly maintained trains have a habit of catching fire... To say it's a develpoing country is giving it an elevation in status...many third world countries are more sophisticated!
So...our local taxi chap pees in the diesel tank to stop it gelling....and you worry about the smell of chip fat ...a neighbour uses the old tried and tested petrol in the diesel...and the local garage owner says keeping a full tank of diesel works...bless 'em all
Last year i didn't bother to try starting below minus 8, and the 2 previous years, a quick turn of the ignition....Kerbang, and stop! I am determined to find a solution , as we are looking at getting a 5.5 kilowatt standby genny with autostart imported here, and it runs on diesel...SO...I HAVE to find a solution!
Cheers
Helen

[chipvan]

5% petrol is known to help not 10% or 15 but 5!

[helen&tony]

Hi Jez...
I know petrol helps...but I "ain't a' tryin' of it" ....i was merely saying what they do around here! ...and as for measuring 200 ml of pee into a full tank of fuel....
Cheers
Helen

[dandywarhol]

5% petrol or paraffin is fine Helen - to these ol' design engines it will do no harm. A friend of mine filled his 120,000 mile '90s Passat with petrol and set off down the motorway for 50 miles - only when he lifted off for a roundabout it cut out and wouldn't restart. Drained the tank, refilled with diesel and the engine was the same as it was. In fact the dopey ba$$ard did it twice! That's what happens after flying across the Atlantic then driving home - and you'd think they'd nothing better to do but do crosswords as the auto pilot does it all for them anyway.........................

[helen&tony]

Hi Dandy
Next year I'll have a try, then, but i'll MAYBE get some additive for the genny...when we get it...as it's a VERY pricey bit of kit...quite essential really, as any rural district in any country is prone to problems with overhead power supply, and we need it for the freezers / heating circulation pump, LET ALONE : TV , 'Puters, lighting
Some serious thought needed.
Scotland gets some seriously low temperatures...BUT....mostly it's much more modern than here!!!
Cheers
Helen

[Velocette]

I'm sure I've seen a TV show where they lit a fire under the fuel tank to warm the diesel...

Very common at one time, together with another one under the sump to keep the oil liquid.

I can vaguely remember seeing parafin sump heaters for sale somewhere

[helen&tony]

Hi
Thanks, but we haven't taken the ceilings out in the barn yet, and the little barn is too low, so the Bongo lives outside, and the heaters aren't good enough at heating outside
Cheers
Helen

[scanner]

I'm sure I've seen a TV show where they lit a fire under the fuel tank to warm the diesel...

Very common at one time, together with another one under the sump to keep the oil liquid.

I can vaguely remember seeing parafin sump heaters for sale somewhere

"Car Mechanics" magazine circa 1963...........

................Still available on Ebay circa 2012.................

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Parasene-Larg ... 41621583f6

[teenmal]

5% petrol or paraffin is fine Helen - to these ol' design engines it will do no harm. A friend of mine filled his 120,000 mile '90s Passat with petrol and set off down the motorway for 50 miles - only when he lifted off for a roundabout it cut out and wouldn't restart. Drained the tank, refilled with diesel and the engine was the same as it was. In fact the dopey ba$$ard did it twice! That's what happens after flying across the Atlantic then driving home - and you'd think they'd nothing better to do but do crosswords as the auto pilot does it all for them anyway.........................

The old 1990s Diesel Passat manual/handbook stated that you could use 33% petrol during the Winter.If I remember correctly the 1.9D had a 12 gallon capacity tank.

Just a bit of useless information.

[mickc]

I worked in the Turkish mountains near the Georgian border in winter 2004, early morning start-up temperatures down to -33C! I had a Ford Ranger 2.5 TD, same engine as the Bongo and all that was needed was 2 gallons of petrol in a tankful. The water in the fuel was another matter, that would freeze in the banjo filter but was a 2 minute fix, never had a fuel issue with the added petrol, the Ranger went like a good 'un!

[dave_aber]

the jets themselves are prone to freezing

I've fitted heated jets (From a Ford Granada IIRC) into the plastic trim under the rear edge of the bonnet. Wired to the heated rear window circuit. They are out of the airflow, so less prone to freezing. They do tend to get covered in snow though!

[helen&tony]

Hi
Well....further exploration locally might find diesel additives over here soon, as they are starting to get Wurth products on the shelf...more worried about the Genny, though...massive thing about 190 Kg....
Stupid (*******) loaded it on a Transit...probably with a fork-lift, and we just managed to find a couple of planks to slide it off onto the yard (I hasten to say wooden planks...not the pair who delivered it )...I think that they expected us to lift it off the van.....180 Kg without fuel...I should say so ...THAT was stress Day 1/.....the rest was later
Anyway...the hunt is now resumed to find a fuel solution!
Cheers
Helen