Diesel in a lawnmower?

[ITHINKICAN]

Last weekend while I was weed whacking and pruning and the boy was mowing the wife poured diesel in the lawnmower. It ran for about 5-10 minutes then blew blue smoke then stopped working. I didnt know about the diesel so i pulled the cord a few times and it started once or twice but stalled shortly thereafter.

Does anyone think I can just replace the sparkplug and clean the gas tank? Or am I gonna have to drop it off at the local repair shop? I'm not a tech so I am limited in how much I can do on my own...

 

[Verticaltrx]

Drain the fuel out of the tank and carburetor, clean the plug, fill with new gas and off you go. Shouldn't be too big of a deal. :thumbsup:

 

[Travelover]

Drain the tank and the carburetor bowl and add fresh gas. I wouldn't even replace the spark plug unless it looks really carboned up.

Years ago, small engines were made that were started on gasoline, then switched to diesel once the engine was hot, then switched back before shutoff. So, it is not really a harmful thing to run diesel in a simple gas engine.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Follow the above suggestions.

The only thing that is difficult is getting the blue smoke back in, that blew out.

 

[ITHINKICAN]

Thank you!!

After I loosened up the piddidly valve so I could adjust the turbo louvers I checked the blue smoke dip stick and there is plenty of blue smoke still in there...

I needed a good laugh!! We had to replace the turbo cell on the pool last weekend. Three days later the pump stopped working. I'm over on trouble free pools dot com trying to find out how much that's gonna cost me.

 

[Ken]

This summer was mowing and ran low on fuel so stopped and added diesel to engine. Why don't know but every thing else uses diesel here. Ran the engine for 1/2 tank then stopped for lunch. The engine would not restart. Found my error changed to gas and took propane torch and ran propane in carb. until the engine started finished the mowing . next day engine started as usual.
Recall only problem while running the diesel was needing more choke to keep the engine from slowing in rpm and exhaust gas was stronger.
Years ago had a G.P. John Deere that ran on tractor fuel no longer used it was cheap.
And kept in 55 gal. barrel next to the gas barrel. One morning noticed the 5 gal. fuel can was missing. Then heard and saw a heighbor driving past and his old Plymouth was blowing smoke like a fog machine. Never had anyone else try to use.
ken

 

[Soundguy]

one of our workers put diesel in a 3" gas trash pump.

it kicked and sputtered and stalled.

we drained the tank, added gas, cleaned plug, and started it on a shot of start fluid.

sputtered till all diesel was gone out of filter and carb bowl.

after that went fine.

soundguy

 

[Gale Hawkins]

You are fine. Just do not do it the other way around.

 

[ITHINKICAN]

Thank you TBN!! It worked perfectly!! :thumbsup:

 

[Renze]

You are fine. Just do not do it the other way around.

My forelast car had a bit too much soot in the annual safety and environment test. I poured 3 liter of gas on a half tank of diesel, and after that it passed the soot test without a problem.
Diesels dont detonate because the combustible is only injected at TDC so it wont knock (or ping) like a gas engine with too low octane fuel. No immediate harm will be done, but its not recommended