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Author Topic: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?  (Read 9151 times)

BACKROAD

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ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« on: February 18, 2008, 02:35:33 AM »
Being new hear, I've read just a little about some using ATF in their diesels...Possibly mix it with diesel?  I'm interested in "other fuels" that don't take a big process to run.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2008, 09:25:00 PM by BACKROAD »
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altopro

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Ask Rob
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2008, 01:55:03 AM »
Rob AKA rcavictim on this forum has tried it in a small chinese diesel.
Check his previous posts!
Pat Ricard
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rcavictim

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2008, 10:01:38 AM »
Hi Backroad,

I responded to your PM but did not know that dillution of the ATF with fresh diesel was an option for you. I assumed you wanted to run AFT straight.  In the case of diesel dillution I would say a single fuel system without the complexity of line and injector heaters would be acceptable in higher ambient operating temperature environments like summer in North America.  Best way to find out for sure is to try it.  You aren`t going to hurt anything and your 195 engine is easy to pull the injector out of and clean occasionally or inspect.  With diesel dilluted fuel you could get better starts on cool mornings with an electric injector heater.

Pat is slightly mistaken.  I only have experience using used filtered ATF on my VW, 4 cylinder diesel power plant, first with a 1.6 and later 1.5 engine.  Despite dewatering and filtering to 2 microns the used ATF coked the injectors badly after only an hour or so.  Diluting the used ATF with fresh diesel only slowed this coking process by the factor of the dillution.  50% dilution took about 2 hours to totally foul instead of one hour. I have not developed a way yet to run used ATF successfully in a diesel engine but I AM working on it.  I am making a much finer filter system to try.

On a small JD175A plant I did experiment with heavy but virgin petroleum based oils, some as thick as STP oil treatment burned with no dillution.  It worked and burned as clean as fresh pure diesel when proper heat was applied to the lines, injector pump and fuel injector. The injector needed to be really HOT.  Up around 350+ degrees F.  Yes, that is a plus symbol.  Cool down and switchover cleanse cycle to pure diesel (i.e. dual fuel tank system) is required or a cold restart would be impossible.
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biobill

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2008, 03:27:27 PM »
  An old time diesel mechanic told me that he always filled his fuel filters with ATF during changes to clean the pump and injectors. Fact or fiction I don't know. Been doing it for several years with no troubles but no noticable advantages either. After reading RCA's post I'm wondering if it wasn't just more convenient to fill the filter from a bottle instead of the pump.   Bill
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Stan

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2008, 04:49:44 PM »
Just in case you have it "shut off" on your main forum page, there's a wealth of information on this topic under Alternate Fuels, in both the waste motor oil and the other catagories.
Stan

mobile_bob

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2008, 07:28:31 PM »
a 195 changfa will start and run just fine on filtered atf, that you very much :)

it will also do the same with hydraulic oils, 10 and 20weight motor oils as well.

and if it is allowed to warm up it will burn 30 weight as well, very cleanly with just a trace of smoke.

(although it is hard to start on 30 when the engine is cold)

bob g
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oliver90owner

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2008, 09:27:26 PM »
I know that a lot use a little ATF as an injector cleaner, rather than using a bought-in specialist product.  Apparently works well at much less cost. We are talking here of truckers and farmers.

Regards, RAB

rcavictim

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2008, 12:09:23 AM »
a 195 changfa will start and run just fine on filtered atf, that you very much :)
bob g

Hey Bob,

Are you referring to filtered USED ATF without dilution?  If that is so how long were you able to run the 195 before she choked, coked, lost power and smoked?  If it did not choke then I am encouraged because my 1115 ought to be exactly the same.  I have a bit of a stockpile of used ATF here that I want to use as a generator fuel and the VW engine (23:1 cr and IDI) sure as heck can`t burn it.  I found my JD175A (also cr23:1 and prechamber IDI) also coked and choked in short order on my used filtered ATF.  The prechamber had to be removed from the head and carved clean as well as the injector. Now the 195 and 1115 are DI engines with no prechamber.  They also have much lower cr at 17:1.  Perhaps this makes all the difference.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2008, 12:16:26 AM by rcavictim »
-DIY 1.5L NA VW diesel genset - 9 kW 3-phase. Co-gen, dual  fuel
- 1966, Petter PJ-1, 5 kW air cooled diesel standby lighting plant
-DIY JD175A, minimum fuel research genset.
-Changfa 1115
-6 HP Launtop air cooled diesel
-Want Lister 6/1
-Large DIY VAWT nearing completion

BACKROAD

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2008, 01:25:32 AM »
The 195 diesel actually has a compression ratio of 20-1. 

Where would I find a description of a filtering system for the ATF?  AND RCA, I drink a little, no longer smoke and dearly love all my firearms.

Does all this mean that the chinese diesel has less problems with the injection system than some of the others?

Also would like to build a heating system for the fuels.  I assume that two different fuel tanks need to be plumbed in, one for diesel and another for the ATF and/or MIXED stuff.

I was one of the truckers than used the ATF when changing fuel filters.  I was under the assumption that it helped to keep the injectors clean.  I also didn't smell as bad if'n ya got some on you.
Dung-fong #1 - Mfg. Date 1980/8kw Winco gen...In pieces
Dung-fong #2 - Mfg. Date also 1980/8kw Winco gen...runs
      totally awesome after 10+ years of sitting.
1987 Ford F350, crewcab, dually 4X4.....Cummins Powered...
1956 Willy's all-a-round great four wheeler, VERY CUSTOM....

Grael

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Re: ATF.....WHO'S USING IT?
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2008, 04:05:45 AM »
Ill add my experiences using ATF. First off, I haven't used, used ATF, only fresh. I add a bit to the diesel in my Jetta, and I get a bit better mileage; ~6L/100KM VS ~6.5L/100KM. My dad also adds some to his '02 Dodge-Cummins, and also gets better mileage. But be warned, in the winter it has a tendency to gel the fuel; don't ask me how I know... -40 was a tad too cold...
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