gas vs diesel $$$

[Bertramp]

My understanding is that it costs less to make diesel fuel than gas .... why then is diesel just as expensive at the gas dock and WAY more expensive on the street ?
Diesel in Montauk, NY at the fuel dock is $4.50 gal (and is gonna go up) and at the gas station (street) in Ft. Lauderdale, diesel is $4.00 gal vs gas of $3.35 gal.
what am I missing ?

 

[Boatsb]

It's the law os supply and demand that has us paying as much as possible. Poor people do not use diesel. Trucks ( companies ) and boats are the ones paying because they know there are no alternatives. Trucks can not stop running, Farm and industrial equipment must keep running. People can cut back on gasoline by driving less. They know that and take full advantage of it.

 

[BUSTER]

In the near future thanks to alternative fuels,hybrids,less unecessary use and better fuel economy,gasoline use will continue to go down and is a dying product for oil companies. Diesel fuel consumption is a guaranteed amount used globally and cannot be cut back to any appreciable extent. Diesel is the fuel of business,about the only discretionary users of diesel fuel are us.

All that taken into account,the oil companies are inflating the cost of the product that they know will be used at a steady rate for a longtime to come,guaranteeing their record profits!

 

[krush]

If gas gets very cheap, just start mixing it with your diesel

 

[Bob Bradley]

For the same reason that a dog licks his you-know-whats. Because he can.

 

[BUSTER]

If gas gets very cheap, just start mixing it with your diesel

LOL! Actually when I was in Cummins school back in the 60's,I believe the prescribed "mercedes diesel" cold weather mix with gasoline was up to around 10% maximum. It's been a longtime,but that number sticks in my head?

 

[Avenger]

For the same reason that a dog licks his you-know-whats. Because he can.

Thanks for clearing that up Bob. I always thought it was because he can't make a fist.

Apologies in advance to our more sensitive members, but I just couldn't resist.

 

[Bertramp]

Bio-diesel ...... help? or no real effect ?

I have a Hatt with 2 diesel engines and a diesel generator, a Topaz with a diesel engine and a car with a diesel ..... I'm gettin' KILLED here !!

 

[LENZ]

LOL! Actually when I was in Cummins school back in the 60's,I believe the prescribed "mercedes diesel" cold weather mix with gasoline was up to around 10% maximum. It's been a longtime,but that number sticks in my head?

When our service trucks start to loose their compression (diesel) we start adding a little gas with the diesel to help them start and run long enough to trade them in.

Lenz

 

[34Hatt]

Thanks for clearing that up Bob. I always thought it was because he can't make a fist.

Apologies in advance to our more sensitive members, but I just couldn't resist.

O.K Now I have to clean my lunch off the monitor!!!!!

Derek sure do hope you plan on coming to the Rendezvous one way or another!!!

 

[Nick]

Thanks for clearing that up Bob. I always thought it was because he can't make a fist.

Apologies in advance to our more sensitive members, but I just couldn't resist.

That was out of left field!!

Don't scratch the monitor Dan.

 

[Avenger]

O.K Now I have to clean my lunch off the monitor!!!!!

Derek sure do hope you plan on coming to the Rendezvous one way or another!!!

Sadly, this is my "A" material.

I do plan to be at the rendevous, so you may get subject to more of the same.

 

[Bob Bradley]

Thanks for clearing that up Bob. I always thought it was because he can't make a fist.

Apologies in advance to our more sensitive members, but I just couldn't resist.

"Sensitive members"???? I thought the bird wasn't here any more.

 

[krush]

When our service trucks start to loose their compression (diesel) we start adding a little gas with the diesel to help them start and run long enough to trade them in.

Lenz

Diesels will burn almost anything as long as you don't clog them up with crap. I don't know how well they'd due on 100% gas, but there may be no ill effects of putting up to 25% gas in a diesel--maybe even more. The worry is probablly keeping the injection system lubed.

I know guys that dump their used motor oil in their diesel tanks. They use their engines HARD too.

 

[dwaynec]

I had a friend that had a diesel VW Rabbit back in the '80s. During our somewhat less than balmy midwest winters he would run 50% gas and 50% diesel. When he finally retired the car, it had over 250K miles on it, and it was the body rust that killed it.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

The two problems that you may have if you mix gasoline in your diesel is the lubricity issue as was mentioned and the tendency for the gas not to self ignite under compression. Too much gas content that does not light and it ends up going boom in your turbo or exhaust. Not good.

 

[Trojan]

The mixing of gas with diesel fuel can produce all kinds of trouble. The first that comes to mind is predetonation, big time on a high compression diesel. The gas will burn, but way to fast. It will totaly ignite to soon. Lots of internal engine banging. The lower the octane the better chance you will have. The lower the cylinder compression the more gas that you can stand to burn. The advantage of the diesel is the ability of the diesel to burn slower causing a longer burn time. Gas is used in short stroke engines. Diesel is used in long stroke engines. All the gas will explode in a diesel immediately and not produce as much power. The advent of injectors does help the issues. But not much. The loss of compression in an old diesel engine helps big time to burn gas and diesel. We had a tractor that you started on gas and once warm you would switch over to kerosene. There is NO lubrication in diesel fuel.

BILL

 

[BUSTER]

The mixing of gas with diesel fuel can produce all kinds of trouble. The first that comes to mind is predetonation, big time on a high compression diesel. The gas will burn, but way to fast. It will totaly ignite to soon. Lots of internal engine banging. The lower the octane the better chance you will have. The lower the cylinder compression the more gas that you can stand to burn. The advantage of the diesel is the ability of the diesel to burn slower causing a longer burn time. Gas is used in short stroke engines. Diesel is used in long stroke engines. All the gas will explode in a diesel immediately and not produce as much power. The advent of injectors does help the issues. But not much. The loss of compression in an old diesel engine helps big time to burn gas and diesel. We had a tractor that you started on gas and once warm you would switch over to kerosene. There is NO lubrication in diesel fuel.

BILL

All the old International Harvester TD series diesels had an little gas tank,carb and a complete ignition system. You pulled out the compression release,turned on the ignition,started the engine on gas,warmed it for a minute or so,threw in the compression release,shut off the ignition switch and it ran on diesel. It was a pretty inovative system compared to CAT's gasoline pony motor starter set up.

 

[Trojan]

John deer had one with a pony motor. You would start the pony motor first and after a short warm up you would pull a lever and the pony would turn the diesel motor over starting it. That was before big starters and big batteries. Quite a setup. I think we should convert our boats to air starters. Then we could use our batteries for better things. Or we could use the gunpowder explosion starters. Just drop in a cartridge and hit it. Save those batteries.



BILL

 

[Boss Lady]

Steam anyone????