Idiot Mistake

[Gene Blister]

My B2601 was low on fuel. I accidentally filled it with gasoline v diesel. In my defense, my wife was yammering at me, throwing off my routine. Still an idiot mistake. What now? Ran about 8 minutes, some whitish smoke, some missing. Shut it down immediately.

 

[skeets]

Drain the tank all the way,, yeah I know that sucks at the prices today, change the filter run fresh fuel through the fuel system and have at it
You aint the first and you wont be the last,, dont ask
And tell the better half you are sorry, even if you have no clue what you did!

 

[Gene Blister]

Thanks, Skeets. Sounds fairly straightforward.

I’m draining the tank by letting it drain at the connection to the filter, replacing the filter, filling the tank with diesel.

Can I then fire her up and let the remaining gasoline in the system simply go into the engine and be quickly replaced with the new diesel?

 

[#40Fan]

Doesn't it have an electric fuel pump and a bleader by the injection pump? If so, I'd crack the bleader and turn the key on to let the pump run and purge as much gas as possible before restarting.

 

[bearbait]

My B2601 was low on fuel. I accidentally filled it with gasoline v diesel. In my defense, my wife was yammering at me, throwing off my routine. Still an idiot mistake. What now? Ran about 8 minutes, some whitish smoke, some missing. Shut it down immediately. View attachment 177713

Happened to me more than once, not the fuel thing, the wife yammering at me making me make mistakes even when she's not there. Good luck but the guys have given you good advice.

 

[JasonW]

It was low and you filled it with gas? How much gas? Almost empty tank filled fully with gas? What do you think the gas/diesel ratio is?

I’d take the fuel lines off or loosen them and purge until diesel flows out at the injectors.

Definitely don’t “fire it up and run the remaining gas though it”

 

[Gene Blister]

The tank was practically empty, now tippy top full with 6 gallons of gasoline.
I never let it get that low, and I was a bit concerned it would run dry before I filled it-the urgency pushed me to hurry. That and the yammering distracted me from seeing the difference between the bright red gas barrel and the bright yellow diesel barrel. Dumb. Dumb.

 

[GeoHorn]

It is NOT “ok” to run a diesel engine on ANY mixture of gasoline. Not even for a moment.

Drain the mix…. pump-out or blow-out the lines… clear thru the injectors…. fill with diesel only before running it again.

 

[nbryan]

That and the yammering distracted me from seeing the difference between the bright red gas barrel and the bright yellow diesel barrel. Dumb. Dumb.

Ya ya, but remember:
Specialization is for insects.

 

[dlsmith]

I don't have a wife yammering at me (thank goodness), but I still make some knuckle headed mistakes occasionally.
We're human, we make mistakes.

 

[Gene Blister]

Thanks for the support, you guys. Giving myself a little grace over this is easier since things have turned out 99.7% ok:

Pulled the line from the tank to the fuel filter and drained the gasoline; pulled and drained the line that runs into the other side of the filter to the injectors(?); replaced the filter; opened the “bleeder plug;” ran clean diesel thru the tank and out said lines and plug; retightened the plug, taking care not to over tighten the copper washer; reattached lines; filled the tank with diesel; cranked and prayed.

A little smoke and the engine settled down and seems to be running just fine.

The .3% problem is now there is a slow leak right around the plug/injectors/line connection. I didn’t touch the injectors (they have a special Torix bolt with a post in the center-can’t work them without a special tool…)

Any insights?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm pretty sure you have your terminology on parts wrong.

These are the injectors.



This is the injection pump, the top of the pump are the delivery valves.
DO NOT loosen the tamper proof screws.
If it's leaking around the base of the delivery valves, give it a few days to see if it will reseal on it's own.
Spray it all down with Brake parts cleaner to make sure it's just not just residual fuel that's just trapped and looks like it's leaking.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I don’t want to turn this into a “I’m the dumbest, because_______________”, for fear that I would win.

Sh1t happens, learn from it and move on.

Glad it has worked out for you, it could have been much worse.

Just an FYI….Those Torx bits are called “tamper proof” and the bits are sold at Harbor Freight for about 3 buck a set.

The first time I ever saw them was when I was trying to remove a radio in a Ford truck circa 1988’ish…...

 

[Gene Blister]

I'm pretty sure you have your terminology on parts wrong.

These are the injectors.
View attachment 177735


This is the injection pump, the top of the pump are the delivery valves.
DO NOT loosen the tamper proof screws.
If it's leaking around the base of the delivery valves, give it a few days to see if it will reseal on it's own.
Spray it all down with Brake parts cleaner to make sure it's just not just residual fuel that's just trapped and looks like it's leaking.


View attachment 177734

Youre right, I misnamed the pump and delivery valves-that’s the area that seems to be leaking.
I wiped everything down last night and will check today to see if there’s new fuel present.

 

[Gene Blister]

Nope. Still leaking. I’m at the “aw, f**k it” stage. I’ll just run it like normal and pretend nothings wrong. Keep an extinguisher handy when it bursts into flame.

 

[jaxs]

When I first saw this I figured RWS was posting under an assumed name. When I got to the part where engine smoked a bit and died I knew it wasn't RWS. Had it been it would have looked like a Forth Of July celebration, complete with grand finally.,,,,,,,,,,,,in the basement no less.