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IIRC many of the old-fashioned fishing boat engines ran on paraffin, but used petrol for starting, switching over when warmed up.
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Fuelling a car with the engine running is Forbidden on petrol forecourts but yes the fuel has a reduced flash content and several additives including anti oxidents. I still consider these to be dangerous due to the sealed nature of can.
Peter
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Tractors, too, were often set up to start on petrol and run on paraffin, but they were far less sophisticated than modern car engines. Personally, I'd stick to the fuel that the engine was designed for.
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My grandfather is said to have used some of his precious brandy as fuel during the war when he needed to use his car for an essential journey and had run out of petrol coupons.
I wonder how an exhaust catalyst would be affected by running on alcohol? I suppose it would be OK since (hopefully) it wouldn't contain lead!
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In any case, is a litre going to get you far? Maybe 6 or 7 miles at 35 mpg and if you're that low you've got a dry tank, pump and pipes!
I'd rather keep a gallon or two in good quality cans. If the seals are sound you'll get very little evaporation.
One of the cans we've got is a heavy duty 10 litre plastic one which we bought in France, although it was made in England.
I believe that the official limit for a plastic can in the UK is 5 litres. Goodness knows why the regs. are different, I'd have thought that the risks were exactly the same in each country. If they can harmonise the curvature of bananas then surely fuel can sizes must be a cinch!
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Wouldn't it just be easier to fill up with petrol before you're down to fumes? I fail to see why anyone should run out of petrol. It's not like there's a shortage of garages around.
Alistair
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Our cans get filled at the weekend and used to top up the motorbikes during the week to save having to stop at a petrol station every day.
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Our cans get filled at the weekend and used to top up the motorbikes during the week to save having to stop at a petrol station every day.
Fair enough, that is a good reason to use cans, given the limited tank range of bikes.
However, the original thread was about cars and I remain curious how anyone could let their car run out of fuel.
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Brian,
Unless you live somewhere remote, isn't it just easier to fill up each day ?
As for running out, the only reason I ever used to run out was trying to drive further than I could afford petrol for. And at that time I couldn't afford the spare can either.
Surely if you are not short of money, there really is no need to ever run out of gas or need the spare can ?
M.
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Mark
NO
Would you stop every evening in all weathers to buy 3 1/2 or 4 litres, using cash rather than a credit card, and not getting 4p per litre off on Sains****s vouchers?
It is MUCH easier to fill the cans and the car at the same time once a fortnight!
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A good few years back, a lady hit the headlines by pouring a bottle of whisky in her tank to get her home. I expect vodka would contain less sticky stuff. By the way, I understand remote oil palm estates in Africa run diesel engines on palm oil, probably obtainable from a chip shop near you.
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Thanks Casper(&Stevieboy)thats all we needed to know.
Simon T.
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In the RAF in 1948 in Germany the MT wallahs used to pour some Steinhaeger or similar - the illicit stuff made from undiscovered dumps of V2 fuel was best, because of the high proof - into carburettor intakes for a cold start.
Speaking of the RAF, there has been some reference to "snowdrops". I never heard the term but if it means what I think it might, I'd better not write what terms we used, other than SP!
I was not in MT, by the way. I was in radar, though, and they put us at the back of bull parades along with MT at the like, the Regiment's prussians being used to adorn the front. Entirely the wrong time to be in, no commission and no chance to fly - mind you, we were not told the accident rate or we might have been happier.
Did get to drive the jeep (motoring - of a sort) that retrieved the tow rope for the gliding club on Sunday - everything with wings booked up by the time we got there after Saturday night in the Malcolm Club!
Tomo
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In the RAF in 1948 in Germany the MT wallahs used to pour some Steinhaeger or similar - the illicit stuff made from undiscovered dumps of V2 fuel was best, because of the high proof - into carburettor intakes for a cold start.
Speaking of the RAF, there has been some reference to "snowdrops". I never heard the term but if it means what I think it might, I'd better not write what terms we used, other than SP!
I was not in MT, by the way. I was in radar, though, and they put us at the back of bull parades along with MT at the like, the Regiment's prussians being used to adorn the front. Entirely the wrong time to be in, no commission and no chance to fly - mind you, we were not told the accident rate or we might have been happier.
Did get to drive the jeep (motoring - of a sort) that retrieved the tow rope for the gliding club on Sunday - everything with wings booked up by the time we got there after Saturday night in the Malcolm Club!
Tomo
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Sorry, having troubles. My bit on Honda bikes has vanished, too!
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I met a chap who claimed his Mazda rotary ran on paraffin. I never got further than two of petrol to one of paraffin, and even at that my fearful imagination thought it could smell it.
Tomo
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No Way. The non octane rating would pink the engine to death under any load. Back in university days I knew someone who tried aviation jet fuel(JP3 i think) in a morris minor. It could start, just, but rattled like a bag of nails. JP4 wouldn't work at all.
In any case it would be untaxed and highly offensive to H M Custome & Excise
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"The non octane rating would pink the engine to death under any load."
Could be, Casper.
Only, we must remember these tractors running on paraffin (first thing I ever drove, come to think of it, you were supposed to stop to change gear but with a bit of wear in something it could be done on the move). And the rotary has constrained breathing and a very strange combustion chamber shape which may amount to low effective compression, accounting perhaps for the high specific consumption.
Certainly one gallon in two made no discernable difference at all, and perhaps even helped lubricate those tip seals.
I had an R100, and later an RX4; lovely engines, not so brilliant chassis on the latter; complaints from rear passengers as they hit the roof while the pilot was enjoying himself. Did get to drive the early RX7; lovely drive, but a bit short of horses non-turbo. If Littlewoods would only come up with the goods I might put might put my name down for an RX8!
Cheers, Tomo
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