Running gas in a multifuel engine

[Treeman1962]

I have a question which may seem silly to a person familiar with the multifuel engine. I have a M35A2 that a guy in California wants to buy to avoid the new emissions laws that are coming in to place in that state. He wants to run gasoline in the multifuel engine but has been told that you can only do that for a short period of time and that you should run it on diesel most of the time. Is this true and if not what can a guy do to run the multifuel turbo engine just on gasoline to avoid the new emission requirements?

 

[gimpyrobb]

Put in a gas motor.

 

[Treeman1962]

So then the term multifuel means just short term and that diesel should always be run in it. Can you add something to the gas to still make it okay? Or can you run a mixture of fuels? I am sorry for the simplistic question I am just a dumb dirt farmer and have very little knowledge of these engines but have found this site to be very helpful.

 

[gimpyrobb]

They are built to run oil. Thats why diesels are called "oil-burners". It CAN operate on gasloine, but it isn't good for it for extended periods. I run waste motor oil in mine and it likes it.

 

[Westech]

Gas does not lube the injection pump very well and it will take a dump with long term gas use... if you mix it 50% gas/diesel you should be good to go. BUT Gas has less BTU's then diesel and the savings from filling up on gas will be out the window by the lower MPG's.With diesel you get the most power and MPG's. Simply put.. its more cost affective to use diesel.

 

[cranetruck]

Biodiesel and/or veggie oil mixed with whatever fuel is in the tank will also help reduce emissions if they actually measure the pollutants, that is.

 

[Treeman1962]

Thanks so much for the info the gentleman buying the truck does not care about cost of the fuel the cost of the fines for using a non retrofitted diesel engine in California is about $10,000.00. He owns a trucking company with about 160 trucks which he has to spend about $20,000 on each truck to make sure they meet the new emission requirements that California is implementing. He wants to use the M35A2 and its all wheel drive to deliver shipping containers to rural areas where ranchers want one but his road trucks cannot get to. His main concern is being able to run gas in the motor. Any suggestions?

 

[kipman]

Run 50/50 mix of gas and waste motor oil.

 

[Blood_of_Tyrants]

Run 50/50 mix of gas and waste motor oil.

Ditto. If he has 60 trucks, he has plenty of waste oil.

 

[Michael]

It would take a clueless inspector to fall for what this guy wants to do. Now there may well be a lot of them in CA, but I wouldn't risk that kind of fine on them all being that clueless. The multifuel is going to have to have a lot of some kind lubrication additive to run on gas. The best idea was the first, convert it back to its original M35 spec with an original gas engine.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Truth be told, if I were to convert one to gas, I'd look for a 366 or 427 BBC. Those motors were put in GM's medium duty trucks so the weight should be similar. Also, the deuce trans should bolt right up to most of their bell housings.

 

[Michael]

But would that get you around CA emission laws? I was thinking going back to original specs would but I don't know for sure. The new diesel laws don't allow commercial trucks to be grandfathered. They want him to re power with an emission complaint diesel engine.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Ah, I know nothing about Ca. Sorry.

 

[Michael]

CA's new diesel emission laws are scary. If they spread to the rest of the country, most of us will be finding a new hobby.

 

[Kennay]

Truth be told, if I were to convert one to gas, I'd look for a 366 or 427 BBC. Those motors were put in GM's medium duty trucks so the weight should be similar. Also, the deuce trans should bolt right up to most of their bell housings.

And it would pull a deuce pretty well. We have the 366's in all of our 7500 series bucket trucks, and the one with 7.17 gears and 48x(25 front, 31 rear)x20 Firestone flotation tires freaking gets it. It's also well over CDL weight. So if it pulls it fine, I'd imagine it would do fine with a vehicle of half the weight.

 

[mudguppy]

my motor sargeant once told me that as long as there was at least a 1/3rd diesel, you could run MoGas (gas). personally, i'd run something thick if i were going to run diesel so it doesn't thin out so much.

i guess i'd run 50/50 mix of gas and WMO/diesel/30w/etc...

 

[Nonotagain]

Before I would re-power a fleet of 160 trucks to comply with the environmental wacko state of California, I would move my base of operations to Nevada.

My first large wrecker was a GMC 7500 with a Chevy tall block 427. It survived 6 years of daily use (225,000 miles) with a Century 20 ton hydraulic wrecker body that weighed 14,500 lbs.

The truck had 11.00x22 tires, a five speed transmission, two speed rear, and coasted at 75 mph at around 3800 rpm.

Large trucks using gasoline engines also have to use catalytic converters, smog pumps and perform emissions tests. This is not a good way to attempt circumventing the diesel truck regulations.

For a daily delivery truck, a gas motor will be problematic. The engine heat will cook the motor and under the hood components, cause vapor lock if driven a couple of blocks then shut down, and eat starters faster that his mechanic can replace them.

Move, now.

 

[Jinx]

Retroactive emissions standards? What's wrong with that state?

 

[saquishmike]

I thought it was only engines made after 2006 that had to comply? What are they going to do with all the old smokers ?

 

[swbradley1]

CA's new diesel emission laws are scary. If they spread to the rest of the country, most of us will be finding a new hobby.

Or gently persuade our government to change them.