Oil & Fuel Gas in my Diesel Engine!!

[dlockh4258]

I have a new Kubota B2910 with only 13 hours. About 3 gallons of gas was mistakenly put in my tank. I did not know about this until today. I was mowing when all of a sudden my tractor began loosing power and blowing out blueish smoke. I took the cap off and it smelled like gas. Sure enough I checked it out and it was. Has anyone had this happen to them? What do I need to do? Is there any possibility that it has damaged my tractor? I plan to drain the tank, flush the lines, and change the oil. Is there anything elese that I need to do? What are the chances that it has damaged my tractor?
Thanks,

 

[manganos]

Ouch sorry to hear about your situation. I know someon with more experience will chime in. All I know is I'd get all the fuel out pronto and bleed the lines/injectors etc. Don't forget to change your fuel filters too! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Years ago a fellow that I worked with put gasoline in his VW diesel by mistake. He drove a mile or so before he discovered what he had done. He drained the gas tank and re-filled it with diesel. To my knowledge, no damage was done to the engine.

John

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Unless tractor engines are greatly different from auto engines - I know some folks who add some gas to their diesel auto engines in the winter - I would only drain the gas. No need to change the oil or drain/bleed the lines.

 

[chrisjbell]

Drain the tank and lines completely. It isn't hard to do - the easiest way would be to remove the fuel filter and open the fuel valve. Catching the fuel is probably the biggest trick (make sure the captain turns on the no smoking signs /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif). You should be able to clean out your fuel filter (use kerosene or clean diesel).

You probably didn't cause any damage. The only other thing you might consider (if you want to be really paraniod) would be to change the oil in case you got some blow-by, but that would be kind of extreme. Easy enough to do, though, and certainly won't hurt.

BTW, I would suggest that you try and fix this yourself and not get the dealer involved. This is the kind of thing that could potentially void your warranty.

 

[RobertN]

The shop my Dad works at gets Dodge/Cummins with ruined motors more often than you would think. Typically they are shot by the time the shop gets them.

To drain and dispose of 35 gallons of gas/diesel mix is about $650 with all the California hazmat disposal stuff.

Ifen I was you, I would to it back to the garage/barn. Then, drain that tank totally dry. Take it off and shake it out if you have to. Cahnge the fuel filter, letting anything in the lines drain. While the filter is off, blow the lines out. Check the injector bleeding procedure, and get everything out of those lines that you can.

Then, fire it up and see what you got. If it's ok, you're lucky!

Now, before you go and refuel, go down and get one of the yellow diesel fuel containers. Don't use you old red gas cans; that's how things get mixed up. I got one, since in addition to myslef, my wife and my Dad use my tractor. There's no confusing that yellow fuel container...

 

[chrisjbell]

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

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.

I think RobertN is right about blowing out all the lines, come to think of it. You really do want to remove all the gas you can from your system. And while I suggested cleaning the fuel filter earlier, for the few bucks it costs it is probably a good idea to replace it.

 

[r0GuE]

Perhaps someone could chime in here. My thoughts are that you could probably burn the mix in a weedwacker or some other 2 cycle. Maybe even in an old lawn mower. I'm guessing based on tractor size that you are talking about 4 to 65 gallons of gas and just a touch 1 to 2 gallons diesel. Mix in some more 2 cycle goo if it sounds too rough.
Hate to pay 650 to get rid of the stuff, I'd gamble an old $100 weedwacker on it.

 

[theboman]

The stuff you drain with gas and diesel, add some old dirty motor oil if you have it and find those yellow jackets nests, or any old stumps in the ground a few holes and a few days later they are ready to burn.
EPA... They folks have't even been attacked by a swarm of yellow jackets or hung a truck on a stump.

 

[terpdog]

Ok, hate to say it but I did it tonight, in a hurry picked up
the wrong can. I only did maybe 1/4 to 1/2 gallon in
my BX2200 but noticed it losing poiwer, went back to the
shed and yep, I used the wrong can, I even have a yellow one.

Now it's not much regular gas and it didn't run long, maybe 20
minutes and it had about 3 gallons of diesel in it. Would it be
ok if I ran it dry ??

Chris