The new purple dyed kerosine in supermarkets and hardware shops does not make good diesel fuel, I have heard its got a detonation inhibitor in it for safety/anti teroism purposes. I recently made a batch of fuel from said kero and couldnt get my engines to start , just a few pops, made a new batch useing pump diesel and ether from the same batch as the previouse kero batch and all was well , so it definately was the kero.
Stewart

Originally Posted by clipclop

The new purple dyed kerosine in supermarkets and hardware shops does not make good diesel fuel, I have heard its got a detonation inhibitor in it for safety/anti teroism purposes. I recently made a batch of fuel from said kero and couldnt get my engines to start , just a few pops, made a new batch useing pump diesel and ether from the same batch as the previouse kero batch and all was well , so it definately was the kero.
Stewart

Is this 'Diggers' brand Stuart?

Not sure of the brand- havent the bottle anymore, but it was from my local IGA store.
I had used there Blue kero befor without problems, its only since the colour change

Hello,

For several years, I have used Naphta (EG-No 265-150-3), which is closely related to Kerosene (even similar smell), and provides a similar power output.
Works excellent - as close to kerosene as you could get these days.

Please note: Trade names could vary in different corners of the globe, so if uncertain, search by the code number above.
It is used as a thinning agent for certain paints / brush washing, de-greasing etc, so most paint mongers should sell it.

JET A1 is also kerosene isn't it? I'm not sure how you'd go about buying a litre though...

Originally Posted by Snorks

JET A1 is also kerosene isn't it? I'm not sure how you'd go about buying a litre though...

Kerosene it is Simon. But seems it's slightly more refined and filtered for aviation turbine use.
The team race guys love it as it seems it's so much better and gives more power than the modern kerosene sold these days.

Not a diesel specific thread respones but may interest for modelling in general. Here in Australia a number of products sold in commercial outlets (mass hardware stores etc.) rather than industrial sources seem to have been adulterated for one reason or another. Perhaps to reduce cost or "protect" us poor idiots from ourselves. I've found that some Acetone, Shellite and others don't seem to posses the same potency and so if you find a good batch - hoard it!

Another simple fact is that fewer people seem to use products we once knew as easy to obtain. I found out years ago in Perth (Oz) that I couldn't get Amyl Nitrate because the genuine idiots wanted to sniff it but then the pharmacist told me that those same characters would try anything from hair shampoo outwards to get a high. At that time the popular "in" thing was diahorrea suppressor!

David, I've come across the same problem getting Amyl Nitrate in the UK. The really annoying thing is Amyl Nitrate doesn't have the effect they want it's actually Amyl Nitrite that they are after.

Yes, it's getting harder to find fuel. Here is a little info.


Model diesel fuel

http://www.modeltechnics.com/


http://www3.telus.net/dieselcombat/diesel_fuel.htm


Kerosene - 42%
Ether - 30%
Castor Oil - 24%
Amyl Nitrate - 3%


The following, only in the USA. Perhaps your hobby shop can order the fuel.

http://davisdieseldevelopment.com/price_list.html

DAVIS DIESEL DEVELOPMENT
516 Johnstown Drive
Smyrna, TN 37167
Phone 203-767-1131
Fax 615-220-3455
Email: DMPDDD@AOL.COM
WWW.DAVISDIESELDEVELOPMENT.COM

All diesel systems and fuel are manufactured in the United States and embody the world's best in miniature engine combustion technology.
SHIPPING CHARGES: Fuel Shipping Charges to be added to shipping charges:
Up to $100.00 $12.95 1 Gallon $6.00
$101.00-$199.00 $15.00 2 Gallons $9.00
$200.00-$299.00 $20.00 3 Gallons $14.00

More parts from the ETA .15 D.
Note the 4 by-passes in the cylinder wall.
The cylinder and piston are heavy duty, so to speak. My crank case cracked across the bottom.

As far as kerosene, paraffin, diesel, heating oil, road diesel etc etc goes, there is not one 'substance' that covers all the bases. Fractional distillation produces ranges of hydrocarbons that are more or less similar, and get bundled together and popped into whatever it is that you might buy.

In THIS country, for example, heating oil comes in two sorts..28 second and 32 second oil. What does that mean? actually its a measure of viscosity. some standard ball bearing dropped down a standard tube of the stuff takes 28 seconds to fall or 32 seconds. The 28 is the lighter brew,, and is suitable for wick fed burners and gravity fed: the thicker is a bit higher calorific value abut needs to be pumped into a nozzle to work. Then there is, otr used to be what we called paraffin, intended for wicks and gravity fed lamps and small stoves, including the dreaded Primus..all fairly obsolete and replaced by propane or butane..but that was in general 28 second oil.and there is lamp oil, which is probably the same that you CAN still get for patio lamps and so on.

Red diesel, or agricultural diesel, is dyed to make it obvious when you get stopped for putting it in your car without paying the swingeing duty that is applied to road fuel. But its basically the same stuff used in normal diesel engines. And there is a pretty good trade in processed red diesel that has been treated to remove the dye. Usually with pretty nasty results and plenty of residue of the way it was treated left behind. I know, I bought some once.

Jet fuel is I believe a lighter fraction than diesel, more like the 28 second oil, whereas road diesel is a bit heavier. Is this because of the low temperatures at altitude? certainly diesel waxes badly below freezing point, and has emulsifiers added to absorb water and prevent it freezing.


All of which is to say that just because a given substance with a particular name works for person A, it doesn't mean it will work in some other place even if its called the same, for person B.

In short, find out what works from the above for YOU and stick with it.

G'day guys I just live south of perth west aussie I have found if you go to a airport large or small go and ask
a refueller if you can have some jet A-1 they throw it
out after refueling the aircraft the stuff that they
take a sample of from the a/c for contamination hope
this helps

John

[QUOTE=airservices]G'day guys I just live south of perth west aussie I have found if you go to a airport large or small go and ask
a refueller if you can have some jet A-1 they throw it
out after refueling the aircraft the stuff that they
take a sample of from the a/c for contamination hope
this helps

John[/QUOTE

Exactly. That's how I got mine.

Life here in Africa is very much like Australia in the 1970's! thus you don't have to wear a helmet on a pushbike, you can still buy fireworks at the local deli, the local hardware sells a mean slingshot with armbrace, you can drive 120kms per hour etc. etc. the only reason they added an agent to meths was to stop people drinking it... however you can strain the purple colour out through a loaf of bread.... the point is I'm grateful I can still buy ether, salt peter, flowers of sulpher etc etc at the local parmacy.
cheers
Simon

Simon,
the 70's was a good time hey, but we can still buy all those things , we just have to dig deeper to find were, saddly yu gonna get booked here for 120kph or no helmet.