Cheap mixed fuel

[Cheaper Jeeper]

I've got a chance to get somewhere between 100 and 150 gallons of mostly biodiesel mixed fuel for around $2 a gallon. Only one catch. It was put into a home heating oil tank that had some red-dyed offroad diesel (furnace fuel) still in the tank.

It doesn't have that really red ATF-looking color to it like straight off-road diesel. It only has a reddish-brown tint to it - about as dark as regular LEADED gas used to look (for those of you - like me - who are old enough to remember what leaded gas looked like). I'm guessing it had around 10%-20% red-dyed diesel left in the tank when it was refilled with biodiesel.

So, since I just picked up 3 of those 275 gallon plastic totes (the kind inside a steel cage made out of 3/16" wire) and a 12 volt transfer pump, I'm thinking of buying it off the guy.

If I buy it I figure I'll be pretty safe running it in my Mercedes, but I'm a little more concerned about running it in my truck. I mean, who's ever even heard of a Mercedes getting it's tank "dipped"? Since I'm getting ready to make a 2200 mile trip, to Moab hauling my camper and towing my Jeep, I'd love to figure out a way to take it with me, but I'm afraid that with my luck, I'd end up encountering a roadblock where they're dipping truck tanks.

I'm wondering, if I put some green t-stroke oil - or maybe some filtered WMO into it, will that "disguise" the red coloring? I obvioulsy can't afford to get nailed for burning dyed fuel.

Any thoughts?

 

[Devilish]

Nice black wmo should take care of your issue

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Yeps. Also, if you're hauling across state, they may not really be able to issue you a ticket for a non-compliance with a local regulation, if you're outta state to them? Like, one of my friends got a ticket for lack of front plate down in TX, but his truck is from MI and has MI tags, so he just called the court and they dropped the ticket. Maybe you could pull off a stunt like that, if you get SOL?

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

Yeps. Also, if you're hauling across state, they may not really be able to issue you a ticket for a non-compliance with a local regulation, if you're outta state to them? Like, one of my friends got a ticket for lack of front plate down in TX, but his truck is from MI and has MI tags, so he just called the court and they dropped the ticket. Maybe you could pull off a stunt like that, if you get SOL?

Maybe. Then again, maybe they'd report it to my home state of Washington, and then I'd have them crawling up my tailpipe!

 

[Devilish]

Using off road diesel is a federal thing and every state wants those large fines. Just add enough wmo to turn it black then tarp the tote real real good so it doesn't get the coppers interested.
The coppers are on the lookout for anyone running around with totes and barrels because of the rampant fuel thefts around the country.

 

[Diesel JD]

I think that dye is indelible and will remain in your fuel system for a few more tanks even after the "dyed" stuff is gone, but I'm not real sure what concentration of the dye they have to pick up to write you a ticket. Also don't know the likelihood of that. You said in your state biodiesel is not subject to road tax so you might could say its biodiesel as far as you know... might not hold water to a judge or what have you and I know it wouldn't do any good with the DOT on the federal level. I think its just a risk you have to decide if the reward is great enough.

 

[discbrks]

FWIW, I did a little home experiment with WMO and red fuel. In a mason jar, I put 4 equal parts of red fuel and one part WMO (which gave me a 20% concentration of WMO for you guys that struggle with math). It INSTANTLY turned the red fuel to black - no shaking or stirring needed. I'm sure all of our trucks would run fine on a 20% mix. I have let that jar sit for 3 weeks now - undisturbed. I wanted to see if the red fuel would try to separate from the WMO, but it has not at all. No one would EVER know that there is 80% red fuel in that jar.

 

[Devilish]

Awesome!

 

[subway]

FWIW, I did a little home experiment with WMO and red fuel. In a mason jar, I put 4 equal parts of red fuel and one part WMO (which gave me a 20% concentration of WMO for you guys that struggle with math). It INSTANTLY turned the red fuel to black - no shaking or stirring needed. I'm sure all of our trucks would run fine on a 20% mix. I have let that jar sit for 3 weeks now - undisturbed. I wanted to see if the red fuel would try to separate from the WMO, but it has not at all. No one would EVER know that there is 80% red fuel in that jar.

maybe not by sight but it might not pass the chemical test strip.......tell them its ATF from a tranny flush.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

You said in your state biodiesel is not subject to road tax so you might could say its biodiesel as far as you know... might not hold water to a judge or what have you and I know it wouldn't do any good with the DOT on the federal level.

Kinda what I was going at with my first post in this thread, he can play dumb Or do the WMO thing, or do like Jred suggested - actually all my fuel is always red, and it ain't never offroad diesel, but regular pump ULSD with some ATF for lubrication.

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

Well, I got the fuel home tonight. It is a little redder in bulk than it looked in a sample jar.

The fuel that came out of the underground tank was a little bit dirty so my jeans-leg sock filter ended up being a good idea - it caught a fair amount of rusty looking powder. I'm definitely going to have to filter it really well before putting it into my fuel tank.

The fact that it was a little dirty enabled me to talk the seller down on price - ended up getting 160 gallons for $250 - $1.56 a gallon. Not bad...

 

[discbrks]

$1.56 a gallon. Not bad...

WOW! Mix it 50/50 with wmo and you'll have .77 a gallon! That's almost back to good ol day prices.

maybe not by sight but it might not pass the chemical test strip...

Does the DOT do some sort of chemical test on the side of the road? I thought they just dipped the tanks looking for anything red. What dos the chemical test look for?

 

[oly_fab]

Has anybody ever herd or seen them pull non commercial/passenger vehicle's for testing? I've driven all over the country and never seen that.

I just did 1600 miles down to cali from washington and hauled all my fuel with me, WVO,WMO and diesel( both on and off road). I didnt see anything that looked like a fuel check point.

I would think they are checking in the weigh stations and are not too concerned with us lil guys hauling jeeps around.

Stu

 

[discbrks]

I would think they are checking in the weigh stations and are not too concerned with us lil guys hauling jeeps around.

I think they look for the guys with the fancy new Duramax's or P.Strokes that have the transfer tank in the bed with the bright red transfer pump sticking out of them. They are just advertising to the whole world that they carry off-road fuel.

 

[mankypro]

More and more folks are starting to spout off about WMO/UMO on sites with very large readerships. Those of you running on WMO/UMO should stockpile as much as you can now, I get the feeling the screws are going to start getting tightened by the FedGoons and/or the waste oil companies that will start offering money for oil they used to charge to take. Look for it. It's coming.