Are you planning on intentionally mixing gasoline with diesel fuel for a
winter blend? If so, don't do it. Use kerosene or #1 diesel.

From Cummins Service Bulletin # 3379001-10
Fuels For Cummins Engines:

Under no circumstances must gasoline or alcohol be used to dilute diesel
fuel. This practice creates an extreme fire hazard and under certain
circumstances an explosive hazard. Gasoline dilution is not an effective way
to lower cloud point (20 volume-percent gasoline only lowers cloud point 4°C
[7°F] and it lowers the fuel viscosity, cetane number, and flash-point).
Alcohol dilution will increase the cloud point.

In cold-weather operation, the most common method of preventing fuel waxing
problems is to dilute heavier, higher wax content fuels such as U.S. Number
2-D diesel fuel with lighter, lower wax content fuels such as Number 1-D
diesel or jet fuel. This reduces the concentration of wax, and thereby
reduces both the cloud point and pour point. Blended fuels of this nature
are more expensive to use both because they cost more and because they have
a lower thermal energy content. A typical blended fuel contains 30 to 60
volume-percent light distillate fuel, usually yielding a 3 to 7°C [5 to
12°F] drop in cloud point, and a 5 to 11°C [9 to 20°F] drop in pour point.
Lower wax content fuels must be added BEFORE wax forms to be effective.

Ken

There is no doubt in my mind that they WILL mix. After all, they are
both petroleum products.

The problem is that gasoline is far more volatile (I can't remember
how to spell that word, it's pronounced vol-LIT-tuhl) than diesel. As
such, it will vaporize a lot easier, and will ignite a lot easier. May
pre-detonate and damage your cylinders.

Well it'll be winter here in KC in a few more days.  So far I haven't
"sensed" any problems and have ran about 50 miles so far.  I assume
gas and
diesel will mix, that it's not like oil & water, so if I haven't
noticed any
problems yet, I should be ok.  BTW...  it's an '05.

Thanks,
David

"David ~" <David~@hasnoaddress.com> wrote in message
news:SRMah.1056$U81.955@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...

No, I have no intention of mixing fuels...  This was a fluke that *should
not* be repeated!

Thanks,
David

This topic was discussed at a class conducted by John Holms at Carson Dodge
in Carson City, NV.  Diesel 101, "The care and feeding of a Dodge Ram
Diesel".   www.diesel101.com   A major concern, as I understand it, is the
injector pump and lift pump are lubricated by the fuel passing through them.
Since gasoline has no lubricating properties, there is a real possibility
both of these items could be damaged by running gasoline through them.
John's recommendation for correcting this issue was to not start the diesel,
or immediately shut it down, and drain the contaminated fuel from the tank.
If gas was run through the engine the fuel system should be drained and the
filter replaced.  I think you should be at your dealer by now.

Mike B

I'll admit, I have no clue what that means. Perhaps some more detail?

I've got three years of college, and an AAS degree. Chemistry was one
of my favorite classes, so I'm interested in what you meant.

Diesel has Cetane while gasoline has Octane. Those products are
inversive to
each other.

Well, not exactly.  Octane and Cetane are not truly substances found in
gasoline or diesel fuel.  Rather, the octane number (ON) or cetane number
(CN) are index numbers used to specify the resistance of the fuel to
knocking in an engine as it pertains to octane, or the igntion quality of
diesel fuel as it pertains to cetane.

The system was derived by ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials)
to qualitatively specify the properties of these fuels

Hope this helps!

Mike