Please dont laugh, I've read this somewhere im sure, or maybe it's some rubbish I dreamt up in my own head - does adding a small slug of diesel to the tank on this type of bike help allow smoother running?

Has anyone tried this? Only thing I can think it would do is make the spark plug a bit manky and produce some smoke!

email (option): Adh325@hotmail.com

Hi Andy

A friend of mine had Algae in his truck diesel on the way up to Beltring, he said it was like cleaning slugs out of the filter

I seem to remember another friend used to put some paraffin in his Bedford QL tank, he believed it helped with top end lubrication, I just remember it smoking a bit.

I realise that neither of these stories answers your question, but I won't be putting them in my M20 tank.

Rob.

email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk

Hi Andy,
A friend of my fathers used to swear by a small amount of parrafin in his M20 when octanes got better after the demise of pool petrol.
M20's do not really require a diet of high octane and it can help to reduce fuel evaperation in the carb in hot weather - or so he used to claim.
However, he never did say how small the amount was. If it did work it would save on fuel bills as Parrafin has nothing like the duty of petrol or diesel.
I would be interested to know what others may think.
regards
Clive

email (option): cliveandjo@lineone.net

castrol R if it doesnt do any thing to the running of the bike at least it will smell nice

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

The question is, what is the aim of adding something to the fuel?, upper cylinder lubrication, an alteration to the combustion characteristics of petrol or both?
If it's upper cylinder lubrication then there are products on the market to do that which are designed to burn without leaving excessive carbon deposits etc...a dash of two stroke oil would fit the bill here I would have thought. Though the M20 doesn't suffer from any deficiency in this department under normal circumstances, it may help during the early stages of running in a new engine..
Adding diesel to the fuel will lower its octane rating..as will adding paraffin. I am unsure of any potential benefit in that. I have heard, though it is unconfirmed, that Parafffin still contains some lead and if that is the case there may be benefits as there were when it was used in petrol from the point of view of valve seat lubrication and enhanced 'anti knock' properties, though the quantities of lead added were minute by volume.
Briggs and Stratton recommended for thier engines the addition of paraffin in small quantities to lead free petrol when it first appeared..I believe that was done to counter the higher combustion chamber temperatures resulting from the use of lead free..so maybe there are some advantages there.
The addition either of these two elements to petrol should be approached with caution in my opinion..firstly there is the question of whether there are any worthwhile benefits and secondly, if there are, the exact ratio of the mix would be an important factor to be identified correctly...I would like a lot more information before trying it, rather than 'chucking a bit in' and then trying to determine what is going on...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

just got back from a camping holiday. Bought 4 litres of paraffin before I left for £6.60. That is 1.65 per litre!

I am with Ian on the 2 stroke option. Modern synthetic 2 stroke oil is amazing stuff. It smokes very little and gives vastly superior wear resistance to ordinary 2 stroke oil. You mey need to experiment with ratios and spark plugs.
Paul

what do you think a tad or a smidgen as someone mentioned algee do you think there might be an algee that eats methenol and turns it into anti corrosion material

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

hi ,be careful with castrol 'r' it doesnt like mineral oil, it certainly does'nt mix, it will turn your tank oil to concrete if you mix it .a bit in the fuel does smell nice ,but be careful.also be wary of redex if it is about,you could buy it for 1/- (one shilling £0.05p) a shot on the forecourt of most filling stations in the 60s/70s (upper cylinder lubricant) did what it said on the can, also removed all the nice carbon that had built up ,dropped your compression to zero and turned your pride and joy into a smoke generator,but your valves were nice and clean cheers rick p.s. whatever happened to STP ?

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

not algae but there is a fuel additive that is enzyme based that eats water and debris to break down the surface tension and keep it all well blended.

No Rick your memory is faiding! When I bought my first car in about 1965 (ford 100E van) Petrol was 4/11d a gallon and a shot of Redex was 1d. I could use my car all week for £1. Then after a while petrol went up to 5/- shillings, so I dropped the shots. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Ron..You should have found a garage giving away more Green Shield Stamps to offset the price increase ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Ian I was too much in love with both of these to worry about green stamps Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

So that will be 0 out of 10 for subtlety then ... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Ah yes Ian, but I was only 18, and I did change it for a much more subtle "WOODY" effect Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Fablon?... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

hi andy
dont laugh i pulled up at a bowser on a rally and started filling my bike before noticing it was deisel. (put in nearly a litre)highly embarised looked around and no one had noticed so quickly filled tank full of petrol and crossed my fingers (as ive heard of storys like yours). bike ran great all day only noticed exhaust note changed a bit (a bit less of a note)and a small puff of smoke when started after a rest break. also carby smelt like a deisel bowser. i never drained tank just filled it with "petrol"

email (option): kgbshepherd@wstnet.com.au

I'll have you know, it was genuine Formica! Sod to cut with my blunt junior hacksaw blade Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

When I first moved to Belgium, I put 35 gallons of what they call 'petrol' in my old Series Land Rover

Unfortunately, 'petrol' is what we call paraffin and they call proper petrol 'benzine' (which of course it isn't).

The poor old thing started and ran OK but it was a bit asthmatic and smelt like a primus stove.

I did drain it out. I didn't have to buy 'Gunk' for about ten years.

hi ron,now lets start another argument,your 100e van was it an escort or a squire? if escort then surely this is the true mark 1 escort,so that makes all the other marks 1to5 6 7? wrong what do you think ?i couldnt afford luxury like you,i settled for an e93a sit up and beg,he wanted a fiver but i got it for £2.00 .ROC641 in theory i still own it,alas i dont know where it is but thats another story cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Rick it was a 100E Thames van with windows and rear seat added to make it look like a Squire.
I loved it at the time but it wouldn't pull a sick whore off a piss pot Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

It's 15BHP! 15 I tell you. I spent a fortune getting it thus. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron, Was it formica ? I used fablon, Used to use it In 1967onwards and sign write over it, Was this the first use of plastic signwritng andrew,

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com

Yes it was Formica Andrew, a sort of plastic substitute wood veneer
Fablon you could cut with scissors but you had to be careful will sticking it to your job. As once touched to a surface you had a job to un-stick it. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ah, what a difference a generation makes..all that wood effect was 'old hat' by 1971 when I was busy spraying metallic purple through a paper doyly to create psychedelic custom paintwork on my first attempt at a BSA chop...right on, man... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Yes Ian, and i've see the pictures of you and Henk with shoulder length hair..... Nothing lasts forever Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

My hair certainly didn't... ..I wonder where it is now?.. ... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com