Kerosene in the tractor

[Scrounger]

I was at the local Kubota dealer and the resident 'old guy' behind the parts counter was telling me that he runs Kerosene all winter long in his tractors to prevent gelling. I thought K1 kerosene was similar to diesel but not the same.

Is it save to run? Its not cheaper around here when compared to off-road diesel, BUT off-road diesel in the Lehigh Valley of PA can't be had unless you buy 200 gallon at a time. Way more than I need.

I would think that just added an additive was the better way to go.

 

[mobilus]

Personally, I wouldn't do it.

Sure it'll run, but hotter than diesel. While that might sound good for performance reasons, it's not. An old guy from back in the days of my youth had bought a semi trailer with JP-4 in it and decided to run it in his truck and tractor. Thought he was really doing well until he burnt the pistons and valves up. Whether JP4, JP5, JP8, or Jet 1A, they're basically all 99.8% kerosene with differences made up in additives to prevent corrosion, etc.

Do you really want to take the chance and pay the price for an overhaul if the old guy is wrong? It is your tractor, not his.

 

[ToadHill]

Some old guys around here cut the of road stuff with kerosene at a 5 to 1 ratio to prevent gelling, but I just use power service.

 

[George2615]

Kerosene is more refined than Diesel. It has slightly less lubrication properties than diesel. I use a mixture of diesel and kero but also use power service additive.

 

[KICK]

this one is a question of "why bother?"

Kerosene is lighter than #1D, costs more and can cause injector problems.

hardware store by me has a pump to sell the stuff, was there yesterday and its 4.99 a gallon for something that most likely would have negative benefits if used in a diesel engine.
only way I would use the stuff was if I was outta fuel and that was all I had.

 

[shvl73]

this one is a question of "why bother?"

I feel the same way. Use fuel that most all others are using, for good reason. At slightly over 100 hours a year, the difference between off-road and on road (cost) is negligable. The on-road stuff is treated for winter use and I buy it from a high-volume station. I also add some power service in before I fill.

 

[WTA]

In the navy we had converted every gasoline motor in the fleet to run on whatever fuel we had in the ship. The boilers didn't care what they burned so we filled up with whatever the oilers had when we needed fuel usually. JP4, JP5, DFM, even regular old diesel sometimes. Our portable fire pumps and outboard engines all had to have some minor conversions done on them to run on it since they were designed to run on gas. The biggest part of the conversion was a propane injector to help in starting. It was just a little cartridge like a co2 cylinder for a bb gun and it did work.

I still had fits starting the things though when it was cold. Our diesels ran fine on it though. Small boat diesels and the big ships diesel generators which ranged in size from a 6v53 on one ship, 8v53, 861, and a few old monster 16 cylinder opposed piston diesels. They all ran great but keep in mind most of them except the modern detroit v engines were 2 stroke and also the navy has a bigger budget for repairs than we do. We had regular maintenance to do all the time on them that prevented most problems but still we'd get scorched cylinders some times and have to replace them. I always blamed those scorched cylinders on how the generator engines were designed to operate though. When they are needed they come on automaticaly with the help of a huge air starter then immediately go to full throttle and within a couple seconds the generator loads up.
I wouldn't do that to my diesel tractor. I'd at least let it warm up a little first.

WHile I wouldn't run kerosene in my engines normally, if I absolutely had to I might. It does work. Just be ready for any problems it may cause. It doesn't lubricate like regular diesel does. The way diesel is going though it won't be long till they are about the same.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Personally, I wouldn't do it.

Sure it'll run, but hotter than diesel. While that might sound good for performance reasons, it's not. An old guy from back in the days of my youth had bought a semi trailer with JP-4 in it and decided to run it in his truck and tractor. Thought he was really doing well until he burnt the pistons and valves up. Whether JP4, JP5, JP8, or Jet 1A, they're basically all 99.8% kerosene with differences made up in additives to prevent corrosion, etc.

Do you really want to take the chance and pay the price for an overhaul if the old guy is wrong? It is your tractor, not his.

JP-4 is a naptha based jet fuel. I was used by the Air Force. JP-5 is kero based an was used shipboard by the Navy as the flash point of JP-4 is only about 110 deg. (yes that's not a misprint) BobG in VA

 

[WTA]

We burned JP5 in the boilers and the aircraft. On the carrier I was on it was about all we carried since we had so many aircraft and 12 boilers to feed. Most of my other ships also usually had jp5 in the tanks too since they all had at least one helicopter. If we had to fuel up in some armpit of the world country with DFM of something we'd have to keep it all seperate so we only did that when necessary.

That JP4 did have a much lower flashpoint though. I remember it would make the exhaust pipe glow on the big generators too. That's probably not a good thing.
I saw two boiler explosions while I was in too. One was from a low water in the boiler and the other was from the burnerman installing a too big nozzle while were were running jp4. That one was ugly. Someone got their charts mixed up for the ordered speed.

 

[escavader]

When I bought my KUBOTA ,dealer reccommended i cut the fuel 50/50 [kero] for cold winter use.Its old school up here as they have done it forever.I did it the first year,but now use power service ,since its much easier.Of course up here in western MAINE,we do get some severe cold.
ALAN