Gas in Diesel Tank

[stuartletton]

Marina just put 6 gallons of gas (petrol) into my 160 gallon diesel tank. Do I have a problem. Have heard gas and diesel separate, has falling to bottom and intake.

[model 10]

I think they stay mixed. You can make jet fuel that way and you never worry about it doing something weird.

[Empty Pockets]

Fill the rest of the 160gals with diesel. It'll be fine. Add some diesel fuel conditioner at the recommended dose if you want to sleep better.

[mike d.]

I would get in touch with the engine mfg. and find out how much lubricity has been taken out of the diesel, and also how explosive it is. I used to haul both, and I never heard of it separating. I think that impossible!

[MarkSF]

The main worry for me would be lubrication of the metering fuel pump. The lubricity of ULSD is already rather marginal, and the addition of several percent of gasoline will drop it a lot more, far more that the proportional content.

The more modern your engine, the more likely is a problem, as new engines run at higher fuel pump pressures.

There are 3 plans I can see :

1) Stick a few bottles of diesel lubricity additive in, and use the fuel.

2) Demand that they remove the fuel, and replace it with uncontaminated fuel.

3) Request that the marina warranty your fuel pump for the next few years. Unlikely to happen, I know.

What would I do? If the mistake is the marina's, (2), I think. If mine, (1).

[flippercarson]

6 Gallons in 160 is nothing to worry about. Fill the rest with diesel and mix well.

Personal experience....'nuff said.

[Greenhand]

Or, a great opportunity to get the marina to pay to polish your fuel tank.

[NoTies]

If you have a common rail engine you MUST remove the petrol. If you have an older engine I would still remove it anyway. I have had to repair damage from petrol in a diesel and it isn't pretty.

[valhalla360]

Assuming it was the marina's mistake, easy answer (ie: you told them to put diesel in but they gabbed the gas hose): They get to drain and replace ALL the diesel in the tank. No reason to even consider if you can get away with it.

They will mix and the could be negative impacts on your engine. Those impacts might not show up for a while or may be just additional wear that impacts you a year or more down the line when it's much harder to claim it was there fault.

[stuartletton]

Thanks all Much appreciated. As it wasn't my fault and we had all day to fix it we went for Option 2.


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[Cormorant]

Did they do it graciously, or grudgingly? Just wondering how much you had to push to get them to make it right.

[TKDSailor]

Originally Posted by stuartletton

Marina just put 6 gallons of gas (petrol) into my 160 gallon diesel tank. Do I have a problem. Have heard gas and diesel separate, has falling to bottom and intake.

Just an FYI- I had 60 gallons of gas put into a 75 gal tank, ran it like that for a few months, had 2 different diesel mechs look at it- 1st wanted to replace EVERYTHING in the Perkins 4-108 (this was all prior to knowing that I had gas in my diesel tank), 2nd one knew immediately from the smell. Replaced the gas myself, after much discussion with the fuel station, sued them, and they paid for removal of fuel and most of my repair bills, which consisted a hundred or so dollars for the first loser to troubleshoot the motor, and 0 for the second (good) mechanic that knew right away. Since then, we motorsailed up and down the coast from Florida to Maine, up the Hudson, Erie Canal, Lake Ontario, and back a couple of times. The engine still purrs like a kitten. No worries, mate.

[Peter200]

Used to mix a small percentage of petrol 5% to diesel in compressor diesel tanks used in Saklin island Russia mid winter it mixes fine and stops the diesel freezing. 👍

[reed1v]

Up here in ice cold Maine, the die hard lobsta men do that to keep their diesels from becoming hard to start in winter. So your good to go for the next ice age.

[marlinmike]

My yard does plenty of gas to diesel conversions, there is always some gas left in the tank and they just put in some oil and then half fill with diesel, as others have said no big deal.