Bill L Seifert

What do you have to do to run kerosene in a diesel car or truck. Today I finally put my heater away to sort of clean up my garage. I saw the label on it that I can burn either kerosene, #2 diesel, or # 2 heating oil. That brought up a memory of my last couple of months in the Army Guard in 2001. I was setting in line for fuel in the FARP (Forward area rearming and fueling point) at Ft Stewart, Ga in an AH-1F Cobra, behind a Duece and a Half and a Humvee. So in the Army in 2001 we were all using JP8 (Jet A), which is just glorified kerosene. I have no idea when the Army started doing that, but it makes sense for all Army vehicles to run on the same fuel. That entails just moving one type of fuel for everything.

So back to my original question. How do you modify a diesel engine to run on kerosene. I've read a zillion articles on how to run french fry oil in a diesel. But does anyone know how the military modified Humvee's and Deuce and a Half's, 5 tons, etc. to run on kerosene?

Bill Seifert

1987 944S Race Car
1999 Honda Civic SI Race Car

justin993

Kerosene dose not have the lubricating factors that diesel has.

Bill L Seifert

The Army probably has more diesels than New York State has cars. They don't have a problem doing it, and some of those Deuce and a Half's and Five Ton's are probably more than 20 years old. Therefore there must be some way of doing it. I can't speak for any of the other services, but I know the Army has been running (Basically) kerosene in their diesels for a long time. I would guess the Navy, Marines, and Air Force do it also. I do know that all military aircraft run on JP8. There are no reciprocating engines in aircraft at all. At least it was JP 8 in 2001. It changed from JP 4 to JP 8 in my 20 years, so it might be called something else now. Civilian AC have always used Jet A, and it is basically the same stuff.

Bill

MUSSBERGER

I have mixed 25% kero to 75% diesel in arrow boards in the dead of winter to help prevent fuel jelling and freezing. Never had a problem.

Darth Coupe

It is easy to run it in the diesel, though run a mix of diesel to keep it liquid. You can even run filtered used motor oil. The kerosene though may burn red and that will get you a ticket for not paying your road tax... The oil just smokes a bit.

Bryan Watts

Plenty of interesting information here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_A

Essentially, you'll need some additives for lubrication, corrosion and other things before you could safely run Kerosene in your truck. Straight kerosene will run the vehicle, but won't be good for it in the long run without additives. You'd need a jet fuel like JP-8 or Jet-A that has some additives:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JP-8

smlporsche

Bill -
Why would you want to run straight Kerosene? Isn't it morre expensive where you are?
As is stated above Kero doesn't have the same lubricating ability as diesel (which is a #2 oil Kero is a #1 oil) and it can be run in conventional diesels but will require more maintenance.

Bill L Seifert

smlporsche
Actually I probably wouldn't, but it was $3.49 here the last time I bought it. A little over $1.00 cheaper. But it would be a real problem, because in Tennessee you have to sign a statement when you buy kerosene that you are not going to use it in road vehicles. I just figured if it is cheaper to produce, why not change over to kerosene. But, more than likely, it is a matter of supply and demand. Also, I probably answered my own question. Kerosene that I buy for my heater does not include any road taxes. If we add in taxes, it will probably cost a lot more.

Bryan, thanks for the web site.

Darth, we have a VW TDI also. Have you ever tried that with your TDI?

Thanks everybody, I was actually just thinking out loud,

Bill

Gary R.

5 gallons tossed into a 1/2 tank of fuel every once in a while won't hurt anything... unless you somehow get caught. It sucks to be honest sometimes.

Bill L Seifert

Gary R. Yeah, I know, probably I won't

Bill

justin993

Run off-road diesel if you dont think they will ever dip your tank.

Potomac-Greg

Not that I'm looking to bend the rules, but I would assume that the modern diesels (limited to ultra-low sulfur diesel) with particulate filters should stick to the ULS diesel at the pump and not mess with "recreational" fuels (kero, #2 oil, french fry grease)?

Bill L Seifert

Justin My mother-in-law is a farmer, and uses off road diesel in her tractors, but I would be afraid to use it. Partly because it is costly if you get caught. Also, because it is wrong.

My other brilliant (?) idea is to use a diesel/or gasoline/or turbine-electric motor to power a car. Submarines from WWI until the advent of the Atomic Sub used diesel electric motors. Trains are diesel electric. Why can't we use some kind of engine to power a generator that charges batteries, and then an electric motor powers the car. If you have ever been on the shuttle trains at Dallas or Denver, subways, etc you know electric motors can accelerate a vehicle pretty fast. Top speed should also be pretty good.

Anyway just thinking.

Bill

justin993

+1

Darth Coupe

Bill, I haven't run kero in either the truck or TDI as it is more expensive. I have run filtered wvo and used motor oil in the truck with good results. I would be leary of using the off road diesel and kero as I said before, it is died to make your exhaust a different color to highlight you to the cops and you would get a ticket.