What degree of gasoline/diesel contamination is permissible?

[Retiredguy2]

I have about 8 of the older Chilton type 5 gallon cans, and transport both gasoline and diesel in them. Sometimes I want to run for diesel fuel but the only empty cans are marked "gasoline only" and of course it is next to impossible to drain a can dry...do I really need to worry about a half ounce or so of gasoline left in the can when I refill it with diesel, and vice versa when diesel can is almost empty and I need to refill it with gasoline? Thank you for your input.

 

[JerryK]

A couple tables spoons, the amount that usually is left after you do your best empty job on some cans, is not going to hurt anything. I would be more worried about water or rust or stuff like that. You are not going to blow up your diesel with a half an ounce of gas mixed with 5 gallons of diesel. You can actually run a diesel on a mix of gas and diesel.... once it is running. [[[ I have done this, not on purpose.... ]]] Just can't start or idle it with a mix....

 

[amaxwell]

I have about 8 of the older Chilton type 5 gallon cans, and transport both gasoline and diesel in them. Sometimes I want to run for diesel fuel but the only empty cans are marked "gasoline only" and of course it is next to impossible to drain a can dry...do I really need to worry about a half ounce or so of gasoline left in the can when I refill it with diesel, and vice versa when diesel can is almost empty and I need to refill it with gasoline? Thank you for your input.

I wouldn't be as worried about that small amount of contamination, as I would about someone (me) forgetting that there was diesel in the gas can, or gas in the diesel can.

 

[Retiredguy2]

I wouldn't be as worried about that small amount of contamination, as I would about someone (me) forgetting that there was diesel in the gas can, or gas in the diesel can.

Good advice, but I always clearly mark the contents of any can. One of the issues is some of the Chiltons I have are red and some are yellow !!!! And BTW I treat fuel I expect to store longer than 6 months with both Sta-Bil and gasoline antifreeze. It all goes through a premium funnel before into a fuel tank for final burning.

 

[Copperhead]

Tankers that haul fuel have a little gas left in them when they go back and take on a load of diesel. No problem.

 

[buickanddeere]

Read the operator's manual of some Diesel engines . They promote mixing 30% gasoline at -40F.

 

[Trials]

At -40 I recommend staying indoors and throwing another log on the fire

 

[Deere Dude]

Somebody accidentally pumped a couple gallons of gas in my truck fuel tank but I filled the rest with 30 gallons of diesel to top it off. Worked fine, but I was worried. I put miles on to lower half a tank and then refilled it again. It gets diluted pretty well. Note to self; Be alert and not angry with the wife when filling the truck.

 

[Copperhead]

Read the operator's manual of some Diesel engines . They promote mixing 30% gasoline at -40F.

Nothing that has been made this century. And we still didn't mix gas in with diesel at -55F when I lived in Alaska. Just pretty much #1 and additive.

 

[RalphVa]

You can run a diesel engine with up to 10% or so gasoline, but the vapor space in the tank can then be explosive (if ignited); whereas, the vapor space in a gasoline tank is too rich, and the vapor space in a diesel tank is too lean. Back in the 80s, Benz was advocating up to 10% gasoline to reduce the cloud/pour/solidification point of diesel in the winter. I did it in our old 220D. Luckily the tank didn't get an ignition source.

A little bit of either in the other doesn't matter.

Just clearly label your cans if they aren't the right color.

Ralph