Date:         Wed, 6 Mar 2002 10:28:28 -0800
Reply-To:     Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Cheap emergency gas can for INSIDE your van (Was: Mercedes
              gas can for spare tire)
In-Reply-To:  <00ee01c1bfb3$f6d6ad80$4a52530c@pavilion>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

I wouldn't recommend it but I ran my 40 HP Beetle about 5 miles on a
mixture of kerosene, diesel, lacquer thinner, mineral spirits, carb
cleaner, and ??? (back in '93).

Was living in Naples, Italy and the local gas stations went on strike for a
week for reasons unknown to me. We had advance warnings from local friends
so we stock piled a bunch of gasoline in plastic Jerry cans (wish I still
had those). Ran out of reserve gas and the gas tank in my Beetle was so low
the gas gauge needle wouldn't move when the ignition was turned on. So
started down the road with this "new" gas in the tank. Got a couple miles
down the road before the car lost power and started smoking and sputtering.
Went the rest of trip and sat in a gas line at the gas station for several
minutes. Had to fast idle the car to keep it running. Got my gas (never
stopped the engine - what's the difference the fellow pumping it for me was
smoking???) and went back home. About half way the motor smoothed out and
all was well.

Don't think I would do this to anything modern or that had fuel injection
though...

Interesting experiment.

Chris M. <Busbodger - "TEAM SLOWPOKE">
Cookeville, Tennessee

ICQ# 5944649
scm9985@tntech.edu

'78 VW Westfalia (67 HP -> that is...67 Hamster Power)
'65 Beetle - Type IV powered
'99 CR-V AWD station wagon
'81 CB900 Custom moto-chickle
2.5 Corvair engines for my Trans-vair Conversion