Diesel GL1500

Sidcar · Post by **Sidcar** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 2:40 pm

Well not quite.
Coming back from the Brooklands Museum (www.brooklandsmuseum.com) yesterday I stopped in Chertsey to top up with petrol and in a "Senior Moment" topped up with diesel instead, 10 litres of it.
I was too busy yapping to my mate in the sidecar and not concentrating what little mind I've got on what I was doing.
The Wing was less than impressed. As soon as the pure petrol in the carbs was used up most of the power vanished, it smoked like a chimney and the backfiring was like the Gunfight at the OK Coral.
After about five miles of this I was ready to call the breakdown service when I saw a branch of Halfords (motoring accessories shop). From there I got a ten litre can, syphon hose and a bottle of octane improver. I syphoned out ten litres and poured in the improver, that got me to the petrol station down the road where I squeezed in 14 ltrs off Esso Super. After that, apart from an awful flat spot, it didn't run too bad, good enough to get us home at a stately 50mph (I didn't want to cruise at higher revs in case the low octane rating fuel damaged the pistons by overheating). This morning I I syphoned as much as I could, about 18/19 ltrs, out and refilled with Esso's finest again. After a run to flush through the carbs it's back to its old self thank goodness. With the flat spot I was worried the backfiring might have blown off one of the vac pipes and I'd have to strip the panels off it to cure the problem.
Naturally I blamed my friend for distracting me but hopefully it's a lesson learnt.
It all brings night as they say.
Pictures from the museum to follow.

Sid

Post by **WingAdmin** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:11 pm

At least your fuel system should be quite clean and free of deposits, after a nice cleaning with diesel. Diesel works well as a solvent to soak your carbs in!

Same sort of problem exists in aircraft, where small piston aircraft get accidentally fueled with Jet-A (kerosene). They often have just enough fuel in the sumps and carbs to get off the ground, at which point the engine decides it's had enough for today, thank you. There isn't much worse than having your airplane engine pack it in at 300 feet off the ground just as the end of the runway passes beneath you...

tamathumper · Post by **tamathumper** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:22 pm

That's why I prefer twin-engine aircraft.

If one fails, you've still got one to get down with.

If they both failed, you'd be stuck up there all day.

Sadanorakman · Post by **Sadanorakman** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 4:15 pm

the old jikes are the best!

offcenter · Post by **offcenter** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:18 pm

Us pilots like to say that in aviation, we have a perfect safety record.
We've never left one up there yet.

Sidcar · Post by **Sidcar** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 5:46 am

How do you dispose of 28 ltrs of diesel contaminated petrol?
Put it in the fuel tank of your 1930 BSA, did about 80 miles on it yesterday and it didn't miss a beat.
Petrol in the 30's probably had an octane rating of about 50/60 so I expect this contaminated stuff is not far off. Didn't even need to retard the ignition.

Sid

Bones66 · Post by **Bones66** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 3:23 pm

It used to be (or it seemed to me) all diesel pump handles were green ....... not any more now some gas pump handles are green. Gotta watch close.

Sidcar · Post by **Sidcar** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 5:09 pm

Over here petrol is green and diesel black and the spouts are different diameters but that doesn't stop the determined idiot from getting it wrong!

Sid

Bones66 · Post by **Bones66** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 7:24 pm

I admire your ability to laugh at yourself. Glad it appears no harm was done.

DenverWinger · Post by **DenverWinger** » Wed Sep 12, 2018 8:22 am

Sidcar wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 10, 2018 5:46 am
How do you dispose of 28 ltrs of diesel contaminated petrol?
Put it in the fuel tank of your 1930 BSA, did about 80 miles on it yesterday and it didn't miss a beat.
Petrol in the 30's probably had an octane rating of about 50/60 so I expect this contaminated stuff is not far off. Didn't even need to retard the ignition.

Sid

I'd probably pour a gallon of it at a time into a mostly full tank of my 1985 Jeep (carbureted), it probably wouldn't even notice....

Terry D · Post by **Terry D** » Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:53 pm

Went to Wing Ding in Madison WI, 20 years ago and a fellow winger and the Dinger did he same thing, We syphoned out his tank and gave the fuel to a trucker and we also replaced his fuel filter. His bike ran pretty good after that episode. Then a friend and chapter director did it on a trip to Big Bend, Texas. He discovered it before we left the gas station. We got his filter out and just blew it out in reverse and syphoned his tank dry as we could get and refilled with the good stuff. His bike ran good when we left the station.

Sidcar · Post by **Sidcar** » Thu Sep 13, 2018 12:26 am

Off to the Air Museum at Duxford today, going to be damned careful when I stop to refuel!

Sid

Diesel GL1500

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