GT451

I've got a strange question about fuel.
I work for a electrical utility and a guy I work with deals with all the transformers and other apparatus. He has been burning used transformer oil in his truck for thousands of miles and has had no real problems. He said I should give it a shot. So I did.
His truck is a 03 CTD and according to him it runs exactly the same as it does with diesel. Mine on the other hand ran somewhat rougher, didn't have normal power and didn't seem to get as good of mpg.
On the second morning with it in my tank, I went to leave for work. It was only about 52degrees out but my low fuel pressure warning light came on if I gave it very much accelerator pedal at all. I chalk it up to the transformer oil being a bit thicker than diesel and making it harder for the lp to move it.
I was thinking about trying to cut it with diesel, maybe 50/50, to see what that would do. I'm a little leary though. I would like to do something to help with fuel costs but not at the expense of a VP or worse yet an engine.
Has anyone here heard of burning this stuff? Pros, cons?

Thanks

By the way, he ran it in his old 7.3 non powerstroke for about 80k miles with no problems and acquaintance of his has been running it in his Duramax for almost three years with no problems.

GT451

Sorry, I didn't check this section before I posted.

kd460

I think you nailed it, the viscosity is to high. Need to cut it. However, I am a little concerned about whats in the transformer oil. I have read they have some pretty heavy duty toxins in the oil. I am no environmentalist, but spraying this junk out you exhaust pipe may be very bad.

I would try to find out what is in it. Even exposure to you or your family can be of a concern. Don't get me wrong, if it's not a hazard then go for it.

Cutting it with kerosene or #2 should work. Be careful, your pump does not like funky fuel. KD

PS, just did a quick google on "transformer oil" while there are different brands, the info on this one seemed pretty benign. I stand corrected. This particular brand does not seem any worse in toxicity than #2. It even lists the viscosity, which is twice as thick as the highest reccomended viscosity for #2 (#2 has a standard range).

http://www.camd.lsu.edu/msds/t/trans...l.htm#Disposal

Good luck, KD

Silverjay

Make sure that the oil came out of a transformer manufactured after 1979 and you will be fine. Prior to that the oil contained PCB's and you really don't want to be burning that.

w4xtc

Sir, please make sure you are not expopsing yourself to the older transformers as they contain an extremely toxic form of PCB. When transformers are on fire we cannot do anything until the power company assures the Department that they are PCB free. Only after that do we attempt to extinguish and that is only after the power is disconnected

Hemi Dart

w4xyc,

Have you seen this transformer? fire video?

http://www.mikeholt.com/img/mojonews/XfrmBlast.mpg

w4xtc

I have not, it was great. Where was that fire located?

ctdnwakulla

I posted a similar question on biodieselnow a few days ago. I got a little feedback,however I was asking about food grade mineral oil. One response linked to wikipedia was interesting. It appears that your transformer oil is most probally a mineral oil,as this was one of the many uses listed. One reply said that if it was petrol based not to use it. Well, Deisel is petrol based! I am still unsure what to persue with this. Wish I could be of better help.

Silverjay

Mineral oil is post 1979 and PCB's are pre 1979. You still have to be careful with older transformers that have been flushed. They will leach PCB's over time.

Hemi Dart

I don't have any info on it. Why wasn't the Fire Dept spraying water on it before it blew up?

w4xtc

The FD will not "spray" water on live electrical sources, or when there is the threat of washing a hazardous material into a water shed. Some things are better left to burn themselves out, while protecting exposures that are not yet threatened by the fire or hazard itself.

chuxtruk

I believe that "smoke" was from the burning of the oil (not water being sprayed on the fire)...kind of like a fuel/air thermobaric weapon the USAF drops on things they don't like. It (the fuel/air weapon) sprays out a mist of exposive vapor (a volitile liquid or a metal or explosive powder) on the way down to the target via a small exposive charge which scatters the material forming an aerosol cloud, then that cloud is ignited by a secondary explosion. The resulting blast that's created is among the largest non-nuclear yields in the bomb industry and is bad news & lights out for those near the business end of the weapon, as one could imagine. I noticed there that the camera was at a fair distance away not only because of the dangers of electricity but the exposiveness of the oil cloud. Firefighters would be located back near the camera till this thing burned itself out and the dangers at least subsides somewhat before being allowed near that substation.