(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Can you run crude oil in a diesel??

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Hi!
I have some Pennsylvania light crude oil that I'm wondering if I could run in my MF230 and 90' Dodge. I heard someone was running all of their diesels on crude. And then someone else said it'll gum 'em up in a year.
I was also wondering if it would gum the engine up over time. If there was something I could use as a "chaser" additive to keep it under control.

The stuff looks clear and green, and when you hold it up to the light it has a "off-road diesel" color. I'd say it's thickness is somewhere between diesel fuel and motor oil, it's also very slippery feeling stuff. I'm going to try it in one of our diesels sometime. But I wanted to hear what your thoughts or experiences were.

If I can save more than the price of a injection pump I'd be happy! ...... well not as happy... I DON'T want to have to fix up something that was fine before I started tinkering! ;)

Thanks for your time!

HalleluYah! 2chron 7:14
 
Don't chance those units for a little bitty bit of crappy oil. You'll be glad you disposed of the oil properly.
 
How in the world to you get crude oil, you have your own oil rig?

Anyhow, use the stuff to heat your house in the winter. If you really want to use it in your truck, filter and blend it with real diesel.
 
Caterpillar Diesels in the 1940's were routinely run on crude oil, using factory-furnished special kits. These kits involved extra filtration and I believe, some heating. This was for stationary engines in the oil patch.
 
Maybe if the engine was a two stroke Detroit Diesel where the injectors are dirt cheap to clean/rebuild. And are easily accessible.
Petter and Lister engines would also be a candidate.
What is the water and sulfur content of your crude?
 
I've never seen it done or even heard of anyone actually burning crude in a diesel, BUT....

I have an operators manual here for a Cat D4H, printed in 1987 that quite clearly states that the machine canbe run on a blend of diesel and crude oil. I don't know the ratios involved, what extra steps are taken or parts added to the fuel system, but I do clearly remember that the manual states that it can be done. I don't see why the Perkins would be any different...

Rod
 
Early Lanz tractors using hot tube ignition would run on crude oil. I would like to find more info on the design and specs of their engines to run a homebuilt engine on used motor oil.
Richard
 
Some crude is cruder than others. Light sweet crude doesn't have as much sulfer as the sour crudes. Your crude probably has everything from light volatile pentanes or hexanes all the way up to parrafin in it. Deutz built oil field stationary diesels built to run on crude. If you cut it with diesel or kerosene and filter it good I'll bet you can run your diesel on it.
 
The sulfur in diesel fuel is for lubrication of the pump. The new low sulfur and Ultra low sulfur fuels have lubrication additives to replace the sulfur. Off road diesel can be anywhere from 500ppm sulfur up to 1500ppm. Low sulfur can be up to 500ppm. ULSD can be no more than 15ppm. DO NOT try to put high sulfur in a pollution controlled engine. 07 up Duramax has a particulate filter that will plug in 2-3 tanks of high sulfur. For the older ones with only a catalytic converter, it will poison the catalyst and cause you to not pass an emmissions inspection if you have them. Over the long haul it will plug the converter too.
I know a guy who has a VW diesel he runs on peanut oil. Smells like a french fry fryer running. As long as what ever you use has enough lubricity, filtered well enough, doesn't coagulate when cool, I'd say go for it. If you have something pollution controlled, think twice.
 
I don't know,but the neighbor makes diesel out of reclaimed cooking oil. He has to add methanol to that for octain. I was just up there today and got some more. He showed me a barrell of some black gunk that he seperates out of it. He had some of it burning trying to boil the water out of some stuff that had gotten wet. He says it burns real good,but it smokes pretty bad. I was wondering about burning that stuff in a waste oil stove.
 
hell no!!
the engine is not designed for that, plus you wouldnt get far and the filters would be plugged.
$4.79 diesel fuel or $2-3000 rebuild
 
Hi Truth seeker,

The only crude oil I've seen was like wheel bearing grease at 60ºf from a RR tanker spill into the Colorado River.

I've read about sea going ships that use #6 fuel oil, it's thick, by preheating the oil via the exhaust stack. It's started on #3 diesel then switched over to #6 when warm.

I would think you'd have the same problems as the guys running SVO as they have to preheat the SVO to keep the wax in suspension so it doesn't gum up the rings and can be pumped.

SVO= straight vegetable oil

I read a report from the IDU where they tried rapeseed oil (SVO) and about 500hrs they plugged injectors and the top ring on IDI engines. There was no mention of preheating the SVO in there tests tho.

There end results recomended no more than a 50% content of SVO of any type for IDI engines. The report was from 1994 or there abouts so no DI engines were tested.

T_Bone
 
Alcohol is not added to diesel fuel to raise the "octane". If anything cetane improver is added to reduce the diesel's octane so it ignites at a lower temp.
SVO is converted to biodiesel with lye, methanol and water washing...........sometimes. Sometimes you end up with soap.
WVO just needs filtering,blending with kerosene and often pre-heating.
I wouldn't burn the stuff in anything except a two stroke detroit diesel, a Petter or Lister engine etc. Which have the injection pump/injector built together and easily/cheaply repaired.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Diesel Fuel in Oil
Replies
10
Views
538
wore out
wore out
G
Does Anyone need a Repair Manual for Ford 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 Tractors
Replies
7
Views
265
Destroked 450
Destroked 450
T
Found a parts 1800
Replies
9
Views
434
tom upton
T
W
Chicago Electric Generator Model / Item Number 98838
Replies
4
Views
659
used red MN
U
T
English Ford Industrial Diesel Engine
Replies
13
Views
2K
Eman85
E
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top