Oil & Fuel Jet A fuel in a diesel tractor?

liledoun · Dec 9, 2002

My son works at an airport fueling private planes, etc. and says that they use "Jet A" kerosine in all their diesel trucks, tugs, etc.

They report no operational or maintenance problems. The fuel that they drain from the planes tanks during the refueling operation is available free.

Anyone have any experience in running a diesel on this type of fuel?

Thanks for your opinions.

Jim

PeteV · Dec 9, 2002

Well we have done that for years, with no noticable effects on that Kubota we used for towing airplanes. Most JET-A sold has additives in it (prist) to prevent gelling of the fuel at the temperatures (as low as - 70 C)at high altitude, but I have not seen any negative effects of this additive on seals, gaskets etc. The only thing to be carefull of is to make sure that the fuel that they drained from the storagetanks and aircraft is free of water and contaminants(that's why they drained it in the first place, to check for these.). If this is done at the required intervals(daily) it should not be a problem, and free fuel is a good thing!! I would have no problem whatsoever on putting this in my tractor.
Pete

JohnMiller3 · Dec 9, 2002

When I was in the Navy... we used the Jet fuel for everything... anything that had a diesel engine... of course we only had one "tank" to draw from and that was "jet fuel"... /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

I remember the jet fuel as being very much like my winter diesel mix... 50/50 (#2d diesel/kerosene) /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

RichZ · Dec 9, 2002

Whoa, John!!! I didn't know they HAD jets when you were in the Navy!!!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

pajoube · Dec 9, 2002

Diesel ground equipment used by all major airlines use Jet A kerosene with out any problems. KVA 90 are a diesel generator run at high rpms, used by all airlines for remote aircraft parking. If there had been any effects by running Jet A fuel, it would have shown up with the KVA 90.
PJ

MossRoad · Dec 9, 2002

I worked at airports for 7 years and we were always told jet fuel was home heating oil with an airplane sticker so they could charge twice as much /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Curious thing was, what ever the price of home heating oil was, that is how much we paid for jet fuel. Then we doubled the price. (I didn't make the decisions, the owner did).

We used it in our boiler to heat the hangar floor. Believe me, the guy that owned the place was a tightwad, so if he could have gotten heating oil cheaper than jet fuel, he would have.

When I first started working there we didn't have PRIST in it, we had to add it manually while refueling over the wing. It was an anti-icing agent, as well as a microbiocidal fungicide (I love saying that).

Mike_Dumond · Dec 9, 2002

I thought John was stationed on the Nina, Pinta or Santa Maria. Thought it was one of those three.

Russ · Dec 9, 2002

We ran Jet-A in the ground equipment when I worked for an airline.
Our Mechanics advised that Jet-A didn't have lubricants in it for parts like the injector pump like diesel fuel does. They suggested we use and additive for additional lubrication. We acutally just put a quart of transmssion fluid into about 40 gallons for Jet-A.

If you run Jet-A part of the time you shoud be ok. If you run it all the time you might look for an additive.

frank_f15 · Dec 10, 2002

NOW, NOW BOYS ! IT is the christmas season so be nice old JM3, besides i think i am older than he is/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif and don't forget that he always has good info.

JohnMiller3 · Dec 10, 2002

Now 1492… would place me much older than I really am… since I’m from New York and live by the majestic Hudson River… I think the Half Moon is more fitting… /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/47-215822-HenryHudsonsHalfMoonreplicainNYC.jpg>Henry Hudson’s Half Moon replica sailing in NYC in front of former WTC…</A>

MossRoad · Dec 10, 2002

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.altavista.com/r?ck_sm=12864666&ci=4939&q=turbine+tractor&ref=200020080&uid=4c8cb2f51fbde2b3&r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antiquefarm.org%2Fnews_index.html>But you cannot put diesel fuel in a jet powered tractor</A>

(Click and then scroll down /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif )

JohnMiller3 · Dec 10, 2002

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Hi Richie…

Not only jet airplanes… but jet helo’s… and then spaceships… /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/47-215839-Apollo14recoverybyHS-6.jpg>Here’s my squadron when we recovered Apollo 14 …</A>/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS14/10075650.jpg>Apollo 14 Crew in quarantine aboard USS New Orleans...</A>

(Bet ya didn’t know I was part of history… now did ya Richie…?) /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

RichZ · Dec 10, 2002

Well, John, I've learned to NEVER be surprised about your accomplishments! I knew you were involved in the history of farming when we found antique John Miller implements at auctions. Now I know you were involved in the histroy of the space program! Is there anything you haven't tackled?/w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif I'm guessing that you were somehow involved in the first heart transplant!/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

JATO_RaT · Dec 10, 2002

Now that International Jet was cool, too cool. I wish mine had that aerodynamic look. WOW. Rat...

Anonymous Poster · Dec 10, 2002

Didn't he also invent the internet?

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/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

RichZ · Dec 10, 2002

Now, don't sell my buddy short! While it's true that he invented the internet, most people don't realize that he also invented the computer!! And he started it all with a coil of wire and some batteries in his garage when he was a kid!! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Without John, we wouldn't even have TBN!! An article in the New York Times a few years ago called John, a modern day Thomas Edison!! And of course I agree!!/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

MossRoad · Dec 10, 2002

Here's some links to some more pictures of it.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.oldengine.org/members/sbarr/images/Shows/2002Penfield/2/57.jpg> Picture 1 </A>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.oldengine.org/members/sbarr/images/Shows/2002Penfield/2/58.jpg> Picture 2 </A>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.oldengine.org/members/sbarr/images/Shows/2002Penfield/2/59.jpg> Picture 3 </A>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.oldengine.org/members/sbarr/images/Shows/2002Penfield/2/60.jpg> Picture 4 </A>

And if you thought that was neat, check out these other experimental tractors!
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ytmag.com/articles/artint207.htm> Click and scroll down </A>

em14 · Dec 10, 2002

Those were great ....
Leo

neilw · Dec 14, 2002

John

If you need help with the sandcrabs let me know.

NeilW MM2 Black Gang USS Denver

tractorman · Dec 14, 2002

We sold a used Kubota to a local airport this year. After refueling the tractor with jet fuel they called and complained of significant power loss after the tractors engine would warm up. They also told me that they had used Jet fuel in all of their diesel trucks, and had never noticed any problems. We ended up draining the tank and the problem went away. Hope that helps......