Old Fashioned Fuel Heating?

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pos

pos

Well-Known Member
Posts
3,685
Location
West Yorkshire
Hello,

I've just had an idea with regards to pre-heating my veg oil / diesel mix in cold weather: putting a bunson burner / candle under the fuel filter and leaving it to heat up for 10 or 15 mins before I need to start my engine. Is this something I could do, or would I not stand a chance? How long could I leave the flame without worrying about the diesel igniting (or does it only ignite under compression?), would the filter housing crack?

ps. I'm not bothered about having to light a candle / burner 20 mins before i need my 90, nor do i care about how old fasioned, or silly an idea this may seem!

Thanks in advance
-Pos
 
Even with the small amount of common sense I posess I wouldn't do it. You do see on the news sometimes in siberia kinds of weather lorry drivers lighting fires under the fuel tanks but..good god Pos.
 
dirty hands said:
Even with the small amount of common sense I posess I wouldn't do it. You do see on the news sometimes in siberia kinds of weather lorry drivers lighting fires under the fuel tanks but..good god Pos.
Click to expand...

most of them use those disposable barbaque fires these day, often seen on the A1 first thing in the morning in winter
 
pos said:
Hello,

I've just had an idea with regards to pre-heating my veg oil / diesel mix in cold weather: putting a bunson burner / candle under the fuel filter and leaving it to heat up for 10 or 15 mins before I need to start my engine. Is this something I could do, or would I not stand a chance? How long could I leave the flame without worrying about the diesel igniting (or does it only ignite under compression?), would the filter housing crack?

ps. I'm not bothered about having to light a candle / burner 20 mins before i need my 90, nor do i care about how old fasioned, or silly an idea this may seem!

Thanks in advance
-Pos
Click to expand...

a much more practical option would be:

Find Veg Oil Bio Diesel Fuel Heater 12V 20Amp and Stat on eBay within, Other Car Accessories, Car Accessories, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 28-Oct-07 17:03:13 GMT)
 
wur coal man back in jockland used to light a fire under his lorry in the cauld frosty winter jockanese mornings. but then he discovered than if yer add a bit of petrol to yer doosul, that is enough to stop the doosul thickening. instead of being an arse onist try adding a few ltrs of petrol to yer tank
 
pos said:
so a couple of litres of unleaded with 30 litres of diesel wont do any harm? Will it run ok?
Click to expand...

As slob says, meny people in colder climates regularly do this to stop the diesel from goin all sludgy or freezing.

A diesel engine will take to 15-20% petrol quite happily, a petrol isnt so happy on diesel.
 
Yes, kero works nicely, it has a higher cetane (ignition) rating than diesel so it will ignite a lot more easily and give you better cold starting, I would check your glow plugs are in tip top condition.

You could also turn your idle speed up a smidge for the winter on the injection pump so that it gets going better and doesn't start with that lumpy feel.

Your bunsen burner idea is mad to be honest, however it was not uncommon in the days gone by to see trucks with fires under the fuel tank in the winter, as diesel didn't have a winter additive - they still do it in Russia!
 
You could get an element from an immersion heater, put that in your tank and leave it plugged in over night…
 
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