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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Topping up with Diesel
Posted by: catsltd Sep 20 2016, 08:23 AM
I dropped by a restorer house and asked him about my engine.
Spitting out oil out the exhaust pipes.
Excessive oil usage.
He suggested adding a bit of diesel fuel.
Said it might help with removing carbon from heads,etc.
Long story short:
Car ran way way cooler at 75 MPH.
Engine revved so smoothly up to any RPM.
Whats the deal???.
Topped up tank,now back to normal.
I am a believer though,engine sounded like a new motor for a while.
Anyway seems worth mentioning,was really surprised how my car could run.
Cheers.
Posted by: Whitney Mic Sep 20 2016, 08:34 AM
I read about this in "The Idiot's Guide To Volkswagen Repair" by John Muir. I don't recall if he said to pour a bit directly into the carbs or not; my copy is in the 914, I will check later. If you do it that way, make sure you rev the engine some, it's near impossible to re-start with diesel in the carbs.
It does exactly as you said, I've also heard it can be hard on an older engine.
I couldn't say if it's a good idea...
-- Whit
Posted by: 6freak Sep 20 2016, 08:40 AM
its oil,just very thin oil and lubes parts well
Posted by: Whitney Mic Sep 20 2016, 08:48 AM
its oil,just very thin oil and lubes parts well
I figured that for the removal of carbon it had something to do with a slower, longer burn time in the head. This would heat and burn the carbon deposits to the point they could break loose from the head and valves.
As I said earlier, I will have a look at that page in the Idiot Guide to recall what Mr. Muir wrote when I get a chance.
-- Whit
Posted by: injunmort Sep 20 2016, 08:52 AM
a can of seafoam will do the same thing
Posted by: catsltd Sep 20 2016, 09:42 AM
You add the diesel to the fuel tank.
I had less than a quarter of a tank,so I added 1/2 cup of diesel to the tank.
Engine temp dropped drastically,could not get it over 1/2 mark going 75 MPH.I can assure you this is not how it runs normally.Car never got above 1/2 mark.
Also car felt like it could rev to 6000 RPM,was really crazy.
I am about to rebuild motor and was hoping he would do it for me,so I had nothing to loose trying it.
This is not a back yard mechanic who told me this,he is a real mechanic,who has been working on old cars his whole life.At a shop.
Anyway pretty weird.
Posted by: catsltd Sep 20 2016, 09:44 AM
a can of seafoam will do the same thing
No it wont.Engine temp drop,motor gets so quiet is crazy,more power,revs like crazy.
I have used sea-foam before,this is nothing like it.
Posted by: injunmort Sep 20 2016, 01:00 PM
seafoam is kerosene based, like diesel, yeah it will. ^ it is not tech-tron, fuel injection cleaner or a host of other fuel additives. it is a kerosene based solvent that will do all and more than diesel will. you have stumbled onto nothing new here, the british have been adding paraffin (diesel, kerosene) to their poor quality fuels since the thirties to increase octane and minimize decoking cycles.
Posted by: RobW Sep 20 2016, 02:12 PM
Interesting! The things you learn from 914world!
FWIW - I wouldn't add seafoam to a full tank. I did that to my diesel pusher and it just oozes out of the fuel filler neck.
Posted by: 6freak Sep 20 2016, 02:15 PM
its oil,just very thin oil and lubes parts well
I figured that for the removal of carbon it had something to do with a slower, longer burn time in the head. This would heat and burn the carbon deposits to the point they could break loose from the head and valves.
As I said earlier, I will have a look at that page in the Idiot Guide to recall what Mr. Muir wrote when I get a chance.
-- Whit
lubes cyclinder walls
Posted by: Porschef Sep 20 2016, 02:15 PM
Well I never hoid of such a thing... 
But I'm gonna give it a shot, just for kicks 
Posted by: 6freak Sep 20 2016, 02:24 PM
Well I never hoid of such a thing...
But I'm gonna give it a shot, just for kicks
ok but dont try it the other way around.....BOOOM
Posted by: Ed_914 Sep 20 2016, 03:08 PM
We do here over in the French Alps -27 celcius no diesel additive works well enough to stop the diesel from waxing.( I live at 5500 ft) We add a litre petrol per full tank of diesel.
Posted by: catsltd Sep 20 2016, 04:25 PM
Well I never hoid of such a thing...
But I'm gonna give it a shot, just for kicks
I hope you do.
Its not a slight difference,its drastic,especially for a beat up motor like mine.
Posted by: Porschef Sep 20 2016, 05:30 PM
Certainly an inexpensive alternative to say, Marvel Mystery Oil (honestly so!)...
Maybe MMO is just #2 HHO... Hey, it's the same color! 
Posted by: ConeDodger Sep 20 2016, 05:33 PM
My dad and grandpa told me this in the 1970's. Old school stuff...
Posted by: RobW Sep 20 2016, 05:47 PM
Did you walk through donkey poop right after they told you you'll be just fine?
Posted by: r_towle Sep 20 2016, 06:04 PM
I have used water poured slowly into the intake which steam cleans the Pistons,
Tell us...how did you put the diesel in? Just add to the fuel?
Posted by: injunmort Sep 20 2016, 06:08 PM
^ a blown head gasket on a water cooled engine will do the same thing at the cylinder where the breech is.
Posted by: Porschef Sep 20 2016, 06:43 PM
Hey, this is gettin' fun... Can I pour or mist some water down the intake of my TDI to clear out the soot that may be keeping the VVT from functioning as it should?
Like I seen on them internets? 
Posted by: injunmort Sep 20 2016, 06:48 PM
don't know joe, but what could it hurt.
Posted by: Porschef Sep 20 2016, 06:50 PM
Well that's a loaded question, Mort... 
Posted by: injunmort Sep 20 2016, 06:56 PM
misting water should not be a problem, in the seventies, holley used to sell a water induction kit for carbs to cool the charge. i believe wwII aircraft used a similar system for high altitude conditions to make the intake charge denser. i don't know if it would achieve the result you are looking for on your tdi, but what could it hurt. i would not flood the intake with water, but, water is a byproduct of combustion after operating temp has been reached, it should exit out exhaust port as steam. no harm.
Posted by: My 914 Sep 20 2016, 07:56 PM
Would adding some diesel to a fuel injected engine do the same thing?
Posted by: r_towle Sep 20 2016, 07:56 PM
Hey, this is gettin' fun... Can I pour or mist some water down the intake of my TDI to clear out the soot that may be keeping the VVT from functioning as it should?
Like I seen on them internets?
Taking the intake off and burning it out with propane look like a lot more fun to me.
Posted by: catsltd Sep 21 2016, 07:23 AM
I have used water poured slowly into the intake which steam cleans the Pistons,
Tell us...how did you put the diesel in? Just add to the fuel?
Yes,just added to the tank.
Posted by: catsltd Sep 21 2016, 07:35 AM
Would adding some diesel to a fuel injected engine do the same thing?
My 1.8L is fuel injected.
The biggest difference is how the motor sounds when going through the gears.
It does Not sound like a 914 motor,at least not mine.
If your motor is as old and tired as mine,its worth trying to see what your motor might sound like new.
I would not try this on a new car.
Posted by: Mark Henry Sep 21 2016, 09:25 AM
Diesel works, but don't do it too often. Also it will kill a catalytic converter.
Water you are playing with fire, pour too much in and you will bend your rods.
WW2 aircraft had emergency water or water/methanol injection, boosted power up to 50%. It had a seal the pilot had to break, the seal told the mechanic that it was used, as it greatly shortened the life of the engine.
Look up War Emergency Power (WEP).
Posted by: 6freak Sep 21 2016, 11:48 AM
We do here over in the French Alps -27 celcius no diesel additive works well enough to stop the diesel from waxing.( I live at 5500 ft) We add a litre petrol per full tank of diesel.
i could see that in really cold temps i had to use diesel 911 and change filter in 15 below 0 in the middle of Montana because it waxed up...NO power....thankfully filters was an easy thing to change....
how many gallons/litres are your tanks mines 40 gallons i might need that recipe next year in Canada go n way North
Posted by: Jon H. Sep 21 2016, 12:25 PM
We do here over in the French Alps -27 celcius no diesel additive works well enough to stop the diesel from waxing.( I live at 5500 ft) We add a litre petrol per full tank of diesel.
i could see that in really cold temps i had to use diesel 911 and change filter in 15 below 0 in the middle of Montana because it waxed up...NO power....thankfully filters was an easy thing to change....
how many gallons/litres are your tanks mines 40 gallons i might need that recipe next year in Canada go n way North
Some gas stations will have winter diesel which has less parafins to prevent clogging. It's really only an issue in the extreme cold up north.
Regards'
Jon h.
Posted by: Ed_914 Sep 22 2016, 01:13 AM
My Nissan Patrol 3 liter diesel has a 90 liter tank. Be careful when driving for a long time as the diesel gets warmer in the tank due to the return fuel. This is on top of using winter diesel safe up to -22 celcius. My fuel pick up filter in side the tank is to fine to handle the wax and the electric inline fuel heater doesn't get fuel due to the blockage, the same for my Webasto diesel heater for engine coolant.
Posted by: Porschef Sep 23 2016, 03:12 PM
So I took the 914 down the 495 to the 106 today, paying particular attention to the head and oil temps. Not bad. AFR in the upper 12's, oil at 195- 200.
On the way home I stopped and added 1/2 gallon of deeezl to approx 3/4 of a tank. Got some sideways looks as I pulled up to the pump in a perpendicular fashion between two SUV's.Was slow pumping with the diesel nozzle being bigger than the tank hole...then hit the road.
Didn't notice a dang bit of difference....
That's all folks
Posted by: 6freak Sep 23 2016, 03:23 PM
So I took the 914 down the 495 to the 106 today, paying particular attention to the head and oil temps. Not bad. AFR in the upper 12's, oil at 195- 200.
On the way home I stopped and added 1/2 gallon of deeezl to approx 3/4 of a tank. Got some sideways looks as I pulled up to the pump in a perpendicular fashion between two SUV's.Was slow pumping with the diesel nozzle being bigger than the tank hole...then hit the road.
Didn't notice a dang bit of difference....
That's all folks
YOU DIDNT BELIEVE ALL THAT SHIT DID YOU
OH NO
Posted by: injunmort Sep 23 2016, 03:35 PM
all it really does is raise the octane a little and clean some of the carbon coking off the valves and pistons. a good operating engine, you really wouldn't notice it. on high mileage engines that burn a significant amount of oil, you might notice a little. it really is nothing more than a solvent. just like kerosene based seafoam.
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