can home heating oil be run in a diesel?

[MoonDog]

Yes I know this is kinda a retarded do-anything-to-get-money-to-buy-meth kinda idea, but I'm moving into a new place with an underground tank of heating oil for the furnace that no longer exists. I've been told #2 is the same as heating oil, but without the extra taxes and dyes that will rat you out.

If there's any left in that tank it seems like such a waste to not use it, but would it being several years old create problems? I know it creates problems with gas but the diesel world is still new to me.

Thanks all,

[On_The_Rocks]

Well diesel atracts water, so Iam sure there is alot of water in it, especialy being underground.

[guidolyons]

Well you COULD, but wether or not you SHOULD is up to how much you want to risk. Diesel engine will run on many fuels, the military uses JP-8 (high grade kerosene, aka jet fuel) in gas turbine engines and trucks like the HMMWV. Homebrew biodiesel, straight veggie oil can be used, Rudolph Diesel designed it to run on peanut oil.
The biggest problem would be you have no idea what contaminates are in that old nasty rusty tank. I wouldn't risk it if it was my truck, but if you did, I would mix it with fresh diesel and change your filters often.

[MoonDog]

Oh I'd definately filter it before putting it in my tank, and would mix it with fresh stuff, just wondering if there is any chemical contaminants or properties of the oil that could damage the engine?

Ford N/A 7.3 btw,

[Ben W]

It depends. If it is furnace oil it is typcially the same as #2 off-road diesel, dye and all. If it is stove oil, it is #1 diesel or kerosene, also dyed. It will probably run on #1, but not without consequences. :D

[DURAtotheMAX]

I suppose you could use any kerosene, #2, Jet-A1, JP4,5,7,8, home heating oil etc...

its all "basically" the same (there, i put it in quotes so all the nit-picking chemists dont jump down my throat :) ), give or take BTU's and other minor chemical differences. Be sure to add Stanadyne or another kind of diesel additive. Only #2 diesel has the proper lubricants for your injection pump.

I dont think you will be able to get your hands on any JP8...its military stuff. JP7 is pretty much only used by the SR71, im not sure if JP4 and JP5 (basically gasoline/kero mixes) are still availible. GA airports only have Jet-A, which is 'realistically' the only kind of jet fuel you would ever run a diesel truck on because it is the easiest to obtain. I have heard of quite a few people running their Dmax/PSD/CTD's on Jet-A...they do add additive every tank tho.

[CanuckJeeper]

Heating oil is #2, same as off-road diesel. It's high sulfur, and it's dyed red. And it will work in your diesel truck. And it will also net you a 10k$ ticket if you get busted for it! :flipoff2:

JP

[Travis Waldher]

or if you do like a local street sweeper company here did... I think it was $1.5 million. :eek:

[tunedportcj5]

Yep, I ran quite a bit (#2 heating oil) through my '05 PSD... Ran like a champ.. no issues. Be sure to filter good!

[MattS]

or if you do like a local street sweeper company here did... I think it was $1.5 million. :eek:

You got a link to that article?

[Travis Waldher]

oops, the fine was *only* $1 million.

98,000 gallons of gas, 31 cent per gallon tax on gas in this state. The taxes would have only cost them $30,380.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/bsun/local/article/0,2403,BSUN_19088_4756415,00.html

Firm Fined Over Fuel Taxes
State Patrol says Action Services Corp. has been using untaxed 'red-dyed' diesel since 2003.

By Josh Farley, jfarley@kitsapsun.com
June 7, 2006

East Bremerton

A Bremerton contracting firm has been ordered to pay about $1 million in fines and gas taxes for using untaxed diesel in its fleet of trucks.

An investigation by the Washington State Patrol concluded that Action Services Corp., based on Riddell Road, had burned about 98,000 gallons of "red-dyed" diesel — mandated for use by non-road appliances and off-road vehicles, and thus not subject to state gas tax — while driving around the state between 2003 and the present.

The state Department of Licensing has sent a bill to the company requiring the payment of $1.023 million in back gas taxes and fines, State Patrol spokesman Brian George said.

Phone calls from the Kitsap Sun to the company were not returned Tuesday.

The investigation began April 13 when a trooper stopped a street sweeper truck owned by ActionServices on Interstate 5 near Olympia. William Balcom, a commercial vehicle enforcement officer for the WSP, conducted a safety inspection of the truck, which included checking its fuel tank.

Red-dyed diesel, often found in construction equipment like excavators and back-hoes, was found in the truck’s tank.

That spurred Officer Robert Petersen, supervisor of the patrol’s Fuel Tax Investigation Unit, to begin a probe of the company.

The patrol obtained a subpoena to access the financial records of a 1,500-gallon fuel storage tank on Action Services’ property. The records showed the company had stopped buying taxed diesel in 2003 and had purchased about 98,000 gallons of red-dyed diesel, according to WSP.

The fine is based on a $10 per gallon cost, plus additional charges for the storage tank and Action Services’ fleet of 25 vehicles, George said.

A timeline for payment of the fine was not made available.

The State Patrol often checks commercial vehicles for red-dyed fuel by using a long dipping straw injected deep into the fuel tank. If it is suspected that the tank contains the tax-free fuel, it is sent to a state lab for verification, George said.

In 2005, troopers and officers checked more than 25,000 vehicles for red-dyed fuel; 95 of them were found using red-dyed diesel, according to State Patrol statistics.

The state charges a gas tax of 31 cents on each gallon of fuel sold. About 11.5 cents of that amount goes to cities and counties for streets and roads and the remaining 19.5 cents goes to improve and maintain the state’s freeways, highways, bridges and the ferry system.

[MattS]

WOW thanks!

[roundhouse]

Nothing in the article about them finding red dye in any other trucks, just recipts where they purchased it, the co musta caved and pled guilty, woulda been tough for the state to PROVE that they had in fact burned it in the trucks, and how much they burned in trucksn liscensed for highway use..

[CanuckJeeper]

Well if the company's main line of busiiness is streetsweepers that are all tagged for on-road driving... they can't prove that the fuel was used for off-road either, could they...?

JP

Nothing in the article about them finding red dye in any other trucks, just recipts where they purchased it, the co musta caved and pled guilty, woulda been tough for the state to PROVE that they had in fact burned it in the trucks, and how much they burned in trucksn liscensed for highway use..