Old Jet A1?
Mix equal parts of Jet A1, castor oil, ether and shake well. Find the Taipan 2.5cc diesel engine that you haven't run since a teenager..
Last edited by gerry111; 25th Sep 2020 at 14:29. Reason: Remembered castor, not mineral oil.
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Try 20/30% oil not equal parts! -) 20-30% Ether, a few percentage of Iso Nitrate the balance kero/Jet A1, that's what I used to used many years ago in my toy plane engines.
A modern Diesel engine is extremely critical in terms of the fuel being used, make sure you use the correct Euro spec and not just any diesel pump on the forecourt. Repair bills on these engines will make your eyes water and if you use the wrong fuel it won’t be covered under warranty.
If you’ve got an old wreck of a car, filling to 90% with garage fuel and topping off the rest with JetA1 might be worth trying.
If you’ve got an old wreck of a car, filling to 90% with garage fuel and topping off the rest with JetA1 might be worth trying.
If you’ve got an old wreck of a car, filling to 90% with garage fuel and topping off the rest with JetA1 might be worth trying.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,837
Received 2,805 Likes
on
1,195 Posts
RAF used to add Avtur which is Jet A to the tankers fuel during winter to prevent waxing.
Here’s a business plan. Repackage your nicely aged Jet A1 in 100 ml bottles with a wick and market it to the thousands of turbine tragics. They can light the wick and infuse their homes with the romantic scent of burning kerosine. Label it Parfum de Tarmac. Perhaps include the optional CD of a choir of APUs howling in harmony to add to the ambiance.
Even if I didn’t spill / splash a drop, she could tell I’d refuelled.
Thread Starter
Update: Jet A1 proves to be somewhat more inflammable than I thought! It isn’t as benign as diesel. It’s somewhere between diesel and avgas.
it’s just cost me a new umbrella for the patio and four new cushions for the outdoor lounges.
...and it was only a couple of cups in the fire pit to get the wood burning.
...and a slightly singed Sunfish!
it’s just cost me a new umbrella for the patio and four new cushions for the outdoor lounges.
...and it was only a couple of cups in the fire pit to get the wood burning.
...and a slightly singed Sunfish!
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Darwin, Australia
Age: 53
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
3 Posts
Update: Jet A1 proves to be somewhat more inflammable than I thought! It isn’t as benign as diesel. It’s somewhere between diesel and avgas.
it’s just cost me a new umbrella for the patio and four new cushions for the outdoor lounges.
...and it was only a couple of cups in the fire pit to get the wood burning.
...and a slightly singed Sunfish!
it’s just cost me a new umbrella for the patio and four new cushions for the outdoor lounges.
...and it was only a couple of cups in the fire pit to get the wood burning.
...and a slightly singed Sunfish!
The characteristics of Jet A1 are very similar to diesel except for the flashpoint which is 62 degrees for diesel. The flashpoint for Petrol / AVGAS is -43 degrees.
One thing that most people don't realise is that Diesel and Kerosene have a lower autoignition temperature than Petrol. This is the temperature that the fuel will ignite without a naked flame, so if you spill diesel on a hot exhaust it is more likely to ignite in the absense of a spark than petrol.
So if you'd used Diesel a few more things may still be intact, but not necessarialy so - if you get the conditions right any fuel can make a big bang.
Thread Starter
There was a “smouldering “ fire in the pit that needed sparking up. I now think I know that the difference between a 38 and 62 degree flashpoint is not to be sneezed at.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Darwin, Australia
Age: 53
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
3 Posts
There is a reasonable chance it may not have made any difference - so I wouldn't suggest repeating the experiment using diesel thinking it is safer just in case.
Ran my prado for 4 years with zero issues.
Unfortunately the burns units in hospitals pick up quite a bit of business this way. Usually involving petrol.
Years ago I bought a house with an old oil heater tank, still half full. So I put a few litres into every full tank of my old beetle until it was all gone. Car ran fine.
Edit: car ran like a beetle.
Edit: car ran like a beetle.