# KEROSENE



## ROYJ24 (Jul 23, 2008)

Can I use kerosene to run my lawnmower?  If not how do I dispse of it?


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## velvetfoot (Jul 23, 2008)

I recently put some in my oil furnace tank.
I personally think it was really really diluted by gasoline it'd be okay, but I really have no idea.


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## Gator eye (Jul 23, 2008)

ROYJ24 said:
			
		

> Can I use kerosene to run my lawnmower?  If not how do I dispse of it?



NO..unless it's a diesal, then mix it.

Kerosene is a high grade of fuel oil or diesal


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## BrotherBart (Jul 23, 2008)

If the engine is hot when you put the kero in the tank it will probably start and run. After it gets cold it ain't gonna start again. Ask my mom. When I was a teenager she filled the lawn mower with the stuff and the party was over until I removed the tank and carb and flushed them with gas.


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## Highbeam (Jul 23, 2008)

Kerosene is not the same as regular road #2 diesel. It is the same as #1 diesel or "winter" diesel. It is much thinner and should not be run under normal circumstances in a regular warm season diesel engine calling for #2 diesel. 

Mixed with gasoline you could probably get it to burn in a briggs gas engine. Dispose of it on a campfire. How much do you have to get rid of?


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## ROYJ24 (Jul 24, 2008)

I have a 5 gallon can


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## oilstinks (Jul 24, 2008)

You could mix 8 to 12 ounces in with your car fill ups every tank.  Many fuel treatments use kerosene as a carrier and a cleaner.  You could also mix a few ounces with your can of mower fuel. All else ask around Im sure some one heats with kero and would be happy to take it off your hands.


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## Redox (Jul 24, 2008)

If you have an oil burner, just dump it in the tank and forget about it.  It will go away all by itself!

If you don't, and you can't find any other home for it, take it to the waste oil recycling or give it to your friendy neighborhood auto mechanic.  They all do recycling now...

I wouldn't recommend putting it in a gas engine; at the very least, it will smoke like a pig and may cause other problems.

Chris


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## backpack09 (Jul 25, 2008)

Got Tiki torches?


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## granpajohn (Jul 25, 2008)

Back around ca.1980, the SAE magazine (Automotive Engineering) ran an article by a member which told how to run a car on kero. This was a nostalgia type piece, not meant as a technical instruction. The guy was a teen during WW2, in TX I think, and he did in fact accomplish this. All I can remember is that he needed a little gasoline to get the engine running, and then was usually able to switch to kerosene. I don't recall the mods he made to do this. 

Other old timers have said that the secret is to put moth balls into the tank. (Napathalene, is it?) They imply that this always worked, the only question was how many mothballs to use. 

I'm more inclined to disbelieve the mothball story. I'm pretty certain the SAE thing is true.

It can be done, but I don't know how. I'm no help at all.

P.S. I've always been able to burn very old 1K kerosene in my wick-type heater with no problem except extra smoke on startup.


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## cmonSTART (Jul 25, 2008)

as said above, lawnmowers do not run on kero, nor do they run on diesel.  We usually have at least one come in each year which "suddenly wouldn't start".  

Come over and dump it in my oil furnace tank.


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## Redox (Jul 25, 2008)

As I recall from conversations with my vintage tractor buff friends, there used to be farm tractors that ran on distillate, but you needed to start them on gasoline first to get them warmed up.  I'm way too young to remember them...

Chris


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## sapratt (Jul 26, 2008)

I was told to use kero to get the sludge out of an engine. They said just drain the oil put kero in the block and start it
as soon as the engine fire turn it off and all the sludge will be in the pan.  I never tried and don't plan on it.  I figured 
it may get the sludge out but what else will it do to the block.


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## cmonSTART (Jul 26, 2008)

Redox said:
			
		

> As I recall from conversations with my vintage tractor buff friends, there used to be farm tractors that ran on distillate, but you needed to start them on gasoline first to get them warmed up.  I'm way too young to remember them...
> 
> Chris



Ha, actually you just reminded me of something.  I have an older garden tractor with a Wisconsen engine on it.  The engine's owners manual contains information on how to convert it to run on that stuff.


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## Hogwildz (Jul 26, 2008)

Redox said:
			
		

> As I recall from conversations with my vintage tractor buff friends, there used to be farm tractors that ran on distillate, but you needed to start them on gasoline first to get them warmed up.  I'm way too young to remember them...
> 
> Chris



Yeap your right. MY uncle has an old John Deere that starts on gas and ya switch over to diesel once warmed up.


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## Redox (Jul 27, 2008)

Hogwildz said:
			
		

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Thst isn't the one with the pony motor, is it?  You started the little gas engine and then used it as the starter for the big diesel engine.  Beast of a machine, as I recall.

Chris


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## RAY_PA (Jul 28, 2008)

kero is super bon-fire starter


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## renewablejohn (Aug 1, 2008)

I have a chinese Jinma tractor (diesel) which runs on kerosene. When I first got the tractor it ran smoke free on a clear liquid from the factory. Once I put diesel in the tank the engine had a trace of smoke from the exhaust which is when I found out the tractor was set up to run on kerosene. To convert kerosene into diesel just add hydraulic oil at the ratio of 15:1.

We also had a ferguson tractor that was petrol/kerosene which you switched from petrol to kerosene after 10 minutes to allow the engine to warm up. Before you stopped the tractor you had to transfer back onto petrol otherwise it would be a pig to start.


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## karl (Aug 2, 2008)

cmonstart.  Can you post how it says to do it. I'm interested.

Thanks.


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## hosspuller (Aug 4, 2008)

Best way to get rid of 5 gallons of Kerosene is to pour it into a heating oil tank.  It will be like getting $3.43 per gallon on 8/1/08


see link  http://www.oilnergy.com/1heatoil.htm


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## Hogwildz (Aug 4, 2008)

Redox said:
			
		

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I don't think so, but I am not entirely sure.
I think I remember him saying he starts the engine on gas, once warmed up, he shuts off gas and opens diesel vlave. Same engine I beleive, I'll have to ask next time I am over there.
Its an old beast, all restored.


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## iceman (Aug 4, 2008)

my oil take is has a 1/4 till empty...  about 82 gallons what can i put in it besides oil to get another say 80 gallons with out hurting my furnace? is there a mix... kero, transmission fluid,???


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## hosspuller (Aug 4, 2008)

iceman said:
			
		

> my oil take is has a 1/4 till empty...  about 82 gallons what can i put in it besides oil to get another say 80 gallons with out hurting my furnace? is there a mix... kero, transmission fluid,???



You can put kerosene, diesel, jet A or any similar fuels in the tank.  YOU'll have to decide which is more cost effective than #2 fuel oil.   I would stay away from any lubricating oils because they contain additives that could build up on the burner nozzle.  This will require a service call and or new parts.  What $$$ you save on fuel, you'll pay in service and parts.  Waste oils are the same issue.  Dirt and "stuff" are bad for a furnace designed for clean fuel.


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## Beanscoot (Aug 13, 2008)

I have been adding about 10-20 percent waste motor oil to my furnace oil tank for over ten years now and have had really no problems with this.  No clogged filters, build up on nozzles etc.  But I do agree that it's only a good idea to do this if you are handy and will be doing any servicing required.  I did install the "Protek" anti drip check valve in the nozzle which stops afterdrip and carbonizing at the nozzle.


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## saichele (Aug 13, 2008)

Hogwildz said:
			
		

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Neighbor has an old JohnDeere B that lights with gas, then switched (same motor) to diesel.  See ref on http://www.retiredtractors.com/Modelb.html  Apparently this was common for Deere 2 cylinders.  

Steve


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## saichele (Aug 13, 2008)

Hosspuller said:
			
		

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Closest thing you'd probably get is either biodiesel or filtered waste veggie oil.  I have NG, so I'm not sweating that, but I bet you could do a 50-50 mix of veggie and real fuel oil without losing much, and the veggie should be closer to $2/gallon (yes, it's a for sale commodity now).

Steve


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## Redox (Aug 13, 2008)

I checked with my tractor buff aquaintances and found that this was apparently a common option on many old farm tractors.  The one I am thinking of was the 720 diesel that had a 4 cyl pony motor that ran on gasoline.  You fired up the gas engine and engaged a clutch to start the diesel.  The gas engine only had a 1/2 gal tank.  This was a real diesel with an injection pump and was a real stump puller, but we found not the best thing for a PTO generator (none of the 2 cylinders were, IMHO).  The distillate engines relied on heat to vaporize the kerosene and a conventional ignition system to light it off.

Chris


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## HeatsTwice (Oct 24, 2010)

Roundup is $27 per gallon. Kerosine is $3-4. Kerosine works very well as a defoliant and great if sprayed on poisen oak/ivy. When I was a kid, the lines of outfield foul lines of baseball diamonds where marked with Kerosine.

It also makes a great cement releasing agent when sprayed on plywood forms.

Great for starting the wood stove fires also.


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