Caution when re-fueling, diesel on the deck.

[meowguy_imp]

Pulled into my local gas station which recently installed diesel at several of the pumps. I used one of those pumps today and won't use a pump again if equipped with diesel. When a person spills diesel on the ground it does not evaporate like gasoline does. It just lies there and makes an oily - slippery mess on the ground.

So doing my straddling-the-bike fill up routine, I was surprised when I put my left foot down to balance the bike and my left foot slipped out from under like I was wearing roller blades. Luckily I put down the kick stand before I do anything, and that saved the day. Had it been my right foot, I would have landed on the gas pump.

Just a heads up.

 

[Utah1_imp]

Yep I steer clear of the pumps with green nozzles, dirty diesels! Another great reason to fill up at Coscto as they don't sell diesel here.

 

[ChipBeck_imp]

Good point and a great tip. I'm a Chevron dealer in Phoenix and we sell diesel at some of our pumps. The gas only pumps are easy to clean and the area around them stays nice for a long time. Even large gas spills evaporate very quickly. The diesel pumps are a bi*** to clean and the area around them requires constant attention and can be very slippery.

Here is a little trivia for you. Did you know that jet engines run on diesel fuel? The Jet A that is pumped into an airliner is slightly more refined than the diesel that goes into a semi-truck. A diesel car or truck will run just fine on jet fuel and a jet will run on diesel car fuel but because Jet A is more resistant to thickening and freezing at high altitudes it's not legal to use diesel in an aircraft.

Chip

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

Speaking of slick: antifreeze. My Concours popped a hose just as I was exiting the Interstate. I was following a friend down the ramp and my bike started sliding like crazy. At first I thought it was the road, but my pal was fine. The bike would slide, I'd get it back, then again. I finally got pulled over to find coolant all over the rear if the bike. That stuff is lime oil on ice.

Something CB riders will never worry about!

 

[thumper_imp]

Good point and a great tip. I'm a Chevron dealer in Phoenix and we sell diesel at some of our pumps. The gas only pumps are easy to clean and the area around them stays nice for a long time. Even large gas spills evaporate very quickly. The diesel pumps are a bi*** to clean and the area around them requires constant attention and can be very slippery.

Here is a little trivia for you. Did you know that jet engines run on diesel fuel? The Jet A that is pumped into an airliner is slightly more refined than the diesel that goes into a semi-truck. A diesel car or truck will run just fine on jet fuel and a jet will run on diesel car fuel but because Jet A is more resistant to thickening and freezing at high altitudes it's not legal to use diesel in an aircraft.

Chip

I know how sooty Jet A turns the vertical stabilizer in my helicopter--and Jet A is very clean--it evaporates like gasoline when spilled.

I can't imagine how nasty/oily/greasy diesel would burn in a jet turbine. I'd be cleaning for days after a flight!

 

[Mackerel_imp]

Yep our helos are always stained black from JP-5...

 

[Lord Popgun]

Hey Chip,

Back in the day when I was young and a line boy at Hilton Head airport, we used to put an additive called Prist(sp?) into the Jet A1 as we filled the plane. It was in a spray can with a little hose line that clipped onto the fuel nozzle. You sprayed it in as you pumped the fuel. I think it was an anti-ice/anti growth additive.

Is that stuff still used?

 

[ron1100_imp]

Thanks for the heads up on this. Didn't realize the slickness of diesel.

 

[ChipBeck_imp]

Hey Chip,

Back in the day when I was young and a line boy at Hilton Head airport, we used to put an additive called Prist(sp?) into the Jet A1 as we filled the plane. It was in a spray can with a little hose line that clipped onto the fuel nozzle. You sprayed it in as you pumped the fuel. I think it was an anti-ice/anti growth additive.

Is that stuff still used?

Popgun,

Yes, Prist is still used but not much here in Arizona. It has to be sprayed in as a jet or helicopter is being fueled and it keeps any water in the fuel from freezing. You see it used in very cold temps or in planes that will be flying into very cold temps. It's always super cold up in the jet stream and I don't know how low temps need to be before Prist is called for. Cheers.

Chip

 

[Firstfour_imp]

Thanks for the heads up on this. Didn't realize the slickness of diesel.

The narrator demonstrates just that in the last scene of this video:

 

[CB4ME_imp]

Anybody ever go by their small local airport and top off their gas tanks with a mix of regular gas and aviation gas (100++ octane)? I used to do this when I was in the navy - remarkable power gain, not too good on the engine me thinks.

 

[Lord Popgun]

CB,

Thats funny. When I was a line boy, sometimes people would stop by at night and steal avgas from the fuel trucks. They did it via the sump drains. Usually their car would be broke down on the highway not far from the airport.

I don't really know why, but everybody said avgas would burn their pistons. I don't understand that either. Maybe Chip can explain what is/was going on.

Edit to add: Back then we sold 80 octane (red) and I think 110 which was green. I have no ideal what they have now.

 

[ChipBeck_imp]

CB,

Thats funny. When I was a line boy, sometimes people would stop by at night and steal avgas from the fuel trucks. They did it via the sump drains. Usually their car would be broke down on the highway not far from the airport.

I don't really know why, but everybody said avgas would burn their pistons. I don't understand that either. Maybe Chip can explain what is/was going on.

Edit to add: Back then we sold 80 octane (red) and I think 110 which was green. I have no ideal what they have now.

Popgun,

When I started flying 35 years ago there were 3 grades of AvGas. 80, 100, and 120 octain and they were all dyed different colors so that when you sumped your tank before each flight you could visually see you had the right fuel on board. Jet fuel was clear. Today there is only one grade of AvGas and it's 100 octain Low Lead. It's the only non race fuel that is still allowed to contain lead. Air cooled aviation engines require lead to lubricate their valves and because aircraft are often flown for 50 years or more it won't be possible to go lead free for a long time without grounding 75+% of the civil aviation fleet. AvGas will not burn auto pistons and it does not produce more power than any other gas unless an auto is set up to take advantage of the knock resistance of 100 octain gas. So what exactly is 100LL AvGas? It is standard 93 octain premium unleaded auto gas with a small amount of Tetra Ethyl lead added to it. The lead raises the octain (knock resistance) from 93 to 100. If you use any leaded fuel in a car or bike with a catalytic converter the lead will quickly coat the platinum surfaces of that converter which destroys it's effectiveness. So leaded fuel in a CB1100 is not a good thing. All the best.

Chip

 

[Capo]

I dig diesel, my cage fleet is all diesel....except the Lotus!....but it is a vile fluid. One extremely dangerous and unexpected place for a diesel flop is at toll booths (this may not be a problem depending on where you live). Since the advent of electronic rolls, the few remaining cash lanes are depositories of all things that leak from cars and trucks. Not only your foot can slip, but the wheel will spin and a fishtail is almost guaranteed if you're unaware of the thick black slick beneath you. Get an EZ pass, and be careful!

 

[wildezt_imp]

Thank you for sharing this..! no fun dropping her.. not to mention some ligaments pulling..

 

[SanPete_imp]

Thanks for the heads up! My last fill up was at a Sunoco Gas/Diesel pump and I did notice the black stains all around. Fortunately I had no slips, but now I know better to stay away from those pumps.