Puppeteer

Author Topic: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?  (Read 53034 times)

rcavictim

  • Certified Generator Head and Grand Master Sparky
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1827
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #15 on: August 26, 2009, 06:50:47 PM »
Hey Rcavictim,

Did you ever do a flash test on Hydraulic oil?

I just might have access to a never ending supply of it.

As for an actual flash test, I never did get a round tuit.  :(  I ended up with two hundred gallons of the stuff though.  It is about the vicosity of #30 strraight motor oil and has a sulfur smell to it.  This must be an EP additive to help reduce gearbox wear wherever this oil was suppossed to be used.  Either that or some differential gear lube oil got mixed with thin hydraulic oil and that is what I got.  Whatever it is, it does not burn very well in the diesel engine and makes very stinky, smoky exhaust.  I plan to use it as hydraulic oil in my loader, etc.

This is not to say that the hydraulic oil that you have access to won't make good diesel fuel.  Get some and try it!
-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

apogee_man

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 288
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #16 on: August 26, 2009, 07:28:44 PM »
RCA,

Why not cut it with a bit of unleaded gasoline?

You might be surprised how well it works.

5 - 10% max should do it I would think.

Might be worth a shot...

Steve

rcavictim

  • Certified Generator Head and Grand Master Sparky
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1827
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #17 on: August 28, 2009, 04:21:20 AM »
RCA,

Why not cut it with a bit of unleaded gasoline?

You might be surprised how well it works.

5 - 10% max should do it I would think.

Might be worth a shot...

Steve

Well I guess the experiment is worthwhile.  That said I have been trying not to add any RUG or anything else to my indoor stored and used fuel because of the fire hazard created when gasoline is introduced, even in small quantities.  Suddenly there is vapor pressure in the tanks and explosive vapors.
-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

Irish Artist

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 131
    • View Profile
    • murphyillustrates.com
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #18 on: August 29, 2009, 05:52:15 AM »
This might be a stupid question, but I'm still going to ask it.

As two different fuel types that are mixed together sit for a while, won't they separate? Isn't one heavier than the other, hence the different grade and octane?

Therefore, if you blend your fuel and don't shake it up before running, especially if you don't run you system on a regular basis aren't you going to be burning one part and then another, that could get messy in my mind anyway.

Hey, I was taught to always shake the can of gas/oil mix before I poured it in the chainsaw.

Correct me if I'm wrong here.

Murph'
PS 6/1 • PowerMac G5 Quad • An Electric Pencil Sharpener • 10 foot Trebuchet • Woodford Reserve & A Fine Cigar, life is good!  8)

rl71459

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 121
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #19 on: August 30, 2009, 02:21:38 AM »
RCA, My Genset is located in my detached garage. The small percentage of RUG mixed in my fuel blend concerns me much less than
The straight Rug in the 5 gal gas cans I have in the garage, not to mention the 35 gallons in the tank of my truck. My push mower
holds more RUG than I use in a full tank of fuel in my car or my gen. My garage has typical roof and eve vents.

That said... I have no idea of your arrangement, so I am not suggesting that you (or anyone) take any risk's that may indanger anyone.

Murph, I have always shaken my premix also... And I share the seperation concern! So far... I have not experianced anything that
would indicate a problem. or I have not detected it yet!

Rob

rcavictim

  • Certified Generator Head and Grand Master Sparky
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1827
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #20 on: August 30, 2009, 04:37:25 AM »
RCA, My Genset is located in my detached garage. The small percentage of RUG mixed in my fuel blend concerns me much less than
The straight Rug in the 5 gal gas cans I have in the garage, not to mention the 35 gallons in the tank of my truck. My push mower
holds more RUG than I use in a full tank of fuel in my car or my gen. My garage has typical roof and eve vents.

That said... I have no idea of your arrangement, so I am not suggesting that you (or anyone) take any risk's that may indanger anyone.

Murph, I have always shaken my premix also... And I share the seperation concern! So far... I have not experianced anything that
would indicate a problem. or I have not detected it yet!

Rob

Rob,

My diesel gensets and the fuel cache are both stored indoors in my workshop building which is worth as much as my house with all the tools and stuff accounted for.  I cannot afford a fire out there.  I'm not uncomfortable having a 5 gallon jerry can full of gasoline in the building, but I don't keep it anywhere near possible sources of heat or sparks.  My VW plant shares a small room in close proximity to a propane gas furnace.
It only gets straight diesel or diesel mixed with heavier oils for fuel.  I am planning a separate cinder block room for all the generators as soon as I can afford the materials.
-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

buickanddeere

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 807
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #21 on: July 29, 2010, 04:46:57 AM »
I have watched the utility companies remove old PCB filled transformers, they empty the old one into three or four other transformers and fill them all back up with oil.  Next they take a sample from all the transformers.  If the PCB is dilluted enough the oil from all the tranformers goes into a fuel tank.  PCB's go from hazardous waste to fuel oil.

  Transformer oil is tested in parts per million of PCB's. Dilution that you described would gain nothing. 

bear

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #22 on: May 29, 2011, 01:40:04 PM »
greetings i run a changfa 195 14hrs/day 7days on a blend of hyd/deisel 30%hyd 70%deisel no problems.injecter needs cleaning ones a month.(wire brush) not smoke cheap to run bear

bergfire

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 41
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #23 on: July 26, 2012, 12:09:27 AM »
I have run gen sets that were scheduled for overhauls on straight used motor oil.  It works pretty good in hot weather, or you treat it like those vegetable oil burners and heat the fuel lines.  It does make more smoke and can smell bad.  Cutting it with cold weather diesel also helps.

millman56

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 393
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #24 on: July 26, 2012, 10:22:21 PM »
This might be a stupid question, but I'm still going to ask it.

As two different fuel types that are mixed together sit for a while, won't they separate? Isn't one heavier than the other, hence the different grade and octane?

Therefore, if you blend your fuel and don't shake it up before running, especially if you don't run you system on a regular basis aren't you going to be burning one part and then another, that could get messy in my mind anyway.

Hey, I was taught to always shake the can of gas/oil mix before I poured it in the chainsaw.

Correct me if I'm wrong here.

Murph,       Am no chemist but  as far as I know two grades of petroleum distillates mixed ie petrol and oil, dont seperate out but what happens is that if vented to atmosphere the higher volatile grade evaporates at a quicker rate than the lower volatile grade,  effectively increasing the oil to petrol ratio in the mixture.   

Mark.


Sfene

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 36
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #25 on: July 27, 2012, 02:02:25 AM »
Xfmr oil probably ok as fuel, but it has no lubricant properties. Id be concerned about injector wear over time.

Sfene

buickanddeere

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 807
    • View Profile
Re: Hydraulic oil as fuel - anyone using it?
« Reply #26 on: March 30, 2013, 05:36:11 PM »
  Hydrualic oil typically has a lower anti wear content than engine lube oil........................ How large or small your ash is important.