Mix a little diesel with your petrol

[Musselcracker]

Is it still advisable to every now and again to mix half a litre of diesel with a full tank of petrol. I hear it was done in the older days to help clean engines.... I have a 98 hilux 4y engine and was wondering if this would help prolong the life! If so how much is recommended and how often??

And while I have a topic open can anyone accurately tell me the size of my fuel tank on the 98 SFA double cab???

Thanks

[Mr_B]

Chris,

Your signature says you have an 89 model, in keeping with the 2.2 4Y engine... ??

If so the standard tank is 65 litres, but from full to the needle hitting reserve is 40-45 litres... hence a huge reserve of 20-25 litres... I can only imagine that this was done as a precaution, so that when you offroad on steep inclines/declines, the engine won't get fuel starved...

Essentially it means a 4Y has a range of about 250km per tank... from full to reserve... hence why so many guys fit LR fuel tanks!

Mr B

[Musselcracker]

wow you have just made my day!! letting me know i have an extra 20 litres in reserve!!! brillent I got 400km off 45 litres then on my trip from Pe to Durban!

WOW

[Mr_B]

Just watch out that your fuel tank gauge hasn't been re-calibrated... can be done and I'm sure some guys have!

Mr B

[the BuTch3R]

Chris, an obvious much more effective way to calculate consumption is to fill up before your departure.
The amount of fuel you use to refill after your trip is exactly what you used to cover the distance, whatever that may be.

400kms from 45L is suspiciously impressive for a standard 4Y. :ugeek:

[Mud Dog]

It's impressive and possible. My stolen lux used to give me anywhere between 9.5 and 11 km/lit on the open road depending on the number of hills, the load, how hard I was pushing it and of course, the wind direction. It used to give me between 7 and 8 km/lit in town. This all with a standard carb, brospeed branch and 50mm freeflow exhaust. I have no idea whether there was a brospeed cam fitted since it was bought with the conversion already in place. The carb & timing were tweaked to the max, no vacuum leaks and all the vacuum assisted stuff was in good working nick. The ignition system was hot ... (that motor could idle at 500rpm without missing a beat, but very rough ... of course I never set it so low).
But then, even though I don't exactly drive like a blouse, I also used the fantastic low end torque of this motor to my benefit and rarely revved it over 3000rpm except on the open road.

I think that one's driving style has more to do with it than we give credit for.

[The Legend]

Hi Ouens

Musselcraker se vraag rakende diesel by te gooi by die petrol is nog nie beantwoord nie.Ek het by n ou duitser gehoor wat op duitse motors gewerk het dat dit baie goed is om n liter diesel op n tank brandstof in te gooi op my vorige Jetta cli wat ek gehad het,die diesel smeer die petrol pomp.Enige ander voorstelle raad van julle kant?

[sabiankahn]

Ek is ook nuuskurig. Het dit met my platkar gedoen, maar nooit rerig 'n verskil gevoel nie. Nie goed of sleg nie. Maar ek het die kar met 330k km op verkoop sonder dat die engin ooit aan gewerk is....

[Mud Dog]

I don't see that it can do any harm. It might just lower the octane rating of the fuel a little and in some cases might be responsible for 'pinging'. There is also a very slight possibility that the diesel may 'attack' certain types of rubber / synthetic seals that may be specifically formulated for petrol, but nowadays with the later model vehicles and advances in the formulations I don't think it's an issue any more.

I have also heard opinions that adding a little diesel cleans and lubricates injectors, valve stems and piston rings. How much significance or truth that is attached to these claims, I have no idea.

[Houkswyn]

Maybe those injector cleaner or engine cleaner additives are a better option than adding diesel?

[Musselcracker]

Yeah... I get the feeling that a little diesel every now and again maybe twice every 6 months can do some help! Obviously if you use it too regularly then you will start seeing the plastics and rubber tubing getting a beating!

On a sadder note... I may have been over excited about my fuel consumption earlier and forgot to take into account that I have R15, 31 bridgestone muds on my bakkie and there for the odometer must have been completely over-reading... so this brings me back down to a more realistic 320 km / the 40l!!

DAM DAM DAM

It was fun while it lasted! I am looking at dropping the tyres a size or two and definitely put Cooper All terrains on! Any suggestions what the perfect size tyre for the 2.2 carb would be?

[Toybox]

The perfect size for the 2.2 is a 31". The odo should be almost spot on with that tyre size...

[Musselcracker]

Don't get my hopes again..... Its an emotional rollercoaster this fuel economy thing

[Wave]

I personally don't think adding diesel to petrol is a good idea, diesel has an octane rating (although diesel is not rated in octane) of around 160RON this can make the petrol engine splutter and misfire, diesel will also accelerate the carbon deposits on the pistons, spark plugs and valves, it can also pollute the engine oil faster and cause it to sludge/gum up. Rather stick to products that are designed do clean injectors and remove carbon build up in the cylinders, which will help restore the performance back to when the engine was new.

my 2c

[Toybox]

According to my dyno chart with 31"s at 120km/h real speed the speedo showed 126km/h.

So that's 5% overreading at 120km/h...

[cyborg]

Interesting reading this...
I recon why not? 1 litre Diesel in a whole tank of fuel is so diluted anyway, and as stated previously, if you did it twice every six months sor so, I can't see how any damage can be done.
Not to mention, what proof do we have that it is the cause of damage in the long run, or is it the other stuff we use. The Valve cleaners and the Carbon Deposit removers etc. are all chemicals, and must be able to function with your' engine as the diesel does.
SO! I say. . . Who says these Duur fancy bottles aren't just pretty dressed up Diesel anyway???
That's my 2c

[Musselcracker]

That is a great point Gerald!!!
I was thinking though.. because of the different consistensy of the diesel and petrol... would they adequately mix inside your petrol tank?? Or will the diesel sit on top and be ineffective... and when you hit the bottom of the tank you just suck up more diesel??

[Musselcracker]

with regards to the real speed... My bakkie has never come close to the 120km mark on the dash board not even on the transkei hills down to Port shepstone... Now is that in itself an issue... i think I maxed out at 110 that whole trip up from Cape Town!

[cyborg]

Hey Chris, I can't think that the Diesel will do that, not with the way the Van is throuwing that liquid around in the tank, maybe after standing dead still for some time might the Diesel seperate again from the Petrol, but I don't think even then.
As far as the Speed issue is concerned, maybe you must tuck back the ears when going down hill, maybe you'll hit 120 yet? Those mirrors can cause quite a bit of drag hey...

[Mr_B]

Well I know the standard 2.2 4Y Hilux has very good eyesight... it starts slowing down long before you can see the hill...

[krazy_kameleon]

it seems the more diesel the better , my 2.2 petrol was converted fully to a diesel (3C-T) now I get 10 - 11 km/l and easily gets 120km/h

[Mud Dog]

That pic is awfully blurred .... you should have your wheel balance seen to (or upgrade your suspension)!

[Rebel 4x4]

That pic is awfully blurred .... you should have your wheel balance seen to (or upgrade your suspension)!

Or..... upgrade the camera

[krazy_kameleon]

Thats hilarious guys

upgrades in planning are as follows:
1. tyres (including balancing )
2. suspension
3. camera

but now I think we are hijacking the thread

[Musselcracker]

no worries about hi jacking the thread... If you tell us what tyres your puttin on

[kfxnando]

every time I wanted to post on this thread I got distracted!!

so now!!

on the diessel, heard of that long time ago, however, heard it as 500ml per full tank!!

source:
he used to work at geroteck test facilities, and now works at Ford local R&D

as for the pinging, would of though that it would of relived a pinging problem, as diesels have much higher compresions the petrol motors, and diesel has to be compressed higher to spontaniously conbust then what petrol does, could have this whole thing upside down!!
however pinging comes from the fuel vapur mixed with air igniting when compressed before a spark has been presented!!

now lets hear it from the experts!!!

[kfxnando]

no worries about hi jacking the thread... If you tell us what tyres your puttin on

round black ones!!!!

[Mud Dog]

Why is it that if you have a pinging problem, it goes away with retarding the timing or changing to a higher octane rating in the fuel? What you say is interesting because as you say and as I understand, pinging is caused by premature ignition ... so why would a higher octane help if it's got to do with vapour? Surely a higher octane fuel vaporises more readily? ....... Hmmmmmm ......

[kfxnando]

fuel with a higher octane rating, is more resistant to self igniting!!

the higher the octane rating the more resistance it has to ignite premarturely!!

acording to wikipedia - cant post link - works PC!!
octane rating = anti-knocking properties

maybe some clever member can put all the facts together and put us out of our missery!!

[Musselcracker]

Maybe someone should just try it for a while.... or should i say sacrifice there car for the greater good!

[kfxnando]

interesting, while discussing this issue with someone today

was told that valve ease is Diesel mixed with Graphite!!

so just 1/2L or 1L diesel per tank should not be too far off!!

[cyborg]

. . . Who says these Duur fancy bottles aren't just pretty dressed up Diesel anyway???
That's my 2c

now aint that something...