Hey folks. Haven't visited the site a lot lately due to a new job. But I digress. What I mean is CRAP!!! I just got 6 gallons of unleaded pumped into my diesel (01 F250). The fuel light had just come on. Pulled into the local station up the road and asked the usual guy for $15. I paid the man and was about to start up and go when my wife (god bless her) said "I think he put in gas". Damn it if she wasn't right. So $15 = about 6 gallons of unleaded. The truck was not restarted with the gas in it (thanks to my wonderful wife). We pushed the truck into one of the garage bays (with a little help from some nice people), and there she sits. The station is just up the road, and we caught a ride home.


So what do I do?

Well, I did a little searching here. It seems like if I can get most of the liquid out, fill it up with fuel and change fuel filter, I should be ok. Of course that raises the question of how to get the gas diesel mix out. I think I am going to drop the tank, but then what, siphon, pump the stuff out. Is it too difficult to drop the tank? Its just the two straps I see, right? Do I have to disconnect any of the fuel lines first? I guess I better look at those articles about the fuel pump mods.

Anyhow, still looking for 2nd opinions. I am going back up there in the am, so I hope some folks see this.

Thanks,
Shawn (bummed in East Hampton)

 

Shouldnt you just leave it there garage and have there mechanics deal with it, or have them tow it to a shop to have the gas removed. I mean its not your mistake. The truck looked like it could be a diesel, sounds like a diesel and smells like a diesel. If thats not enought it says DIESEL inside the gas cap. You dont have to stay alert and do part of his job also, thats what your paying him for. Since you didnt start your truck I wouldnt worry about fuel filter. Gas hasnt made it up there im sure. Siphen all that junk out with a hose that hits the bottom of the tank. Fill it up with diesel, throw in some diesel treatment just to raise that cetane up. Remeber diesel burns faster then gas, it explodes, gas burns slower. You have a 30 gallon tank. Only a few gallons of gas in there. Siphen it out, fill er up. But lets see what the others say.

 

get all the fuel you can out. good thing it didnt get started that makes it just that much easier to fix. after you get it all out use some diesel additive and use the max dose it says you can and fill the truck full with as much as you can get in it till its to the brim. shouldnt need a filter if it didnt get started, but i would change the filter when this tank gets low. shouldnt need to drop the tank, can get one of thoose hand pumps, use them alot for kerosense and heating oil. can pump it out with that, since not a whole lot got in it would be alot of work to drop the tank when you can get at it from up top. you can pull the filler neck off to make it a little easier, should just have to take out the cap, 3 screws that hold it in the bed side, the support under the bed side and the hose clamp that goes on the tank. but a long enough hose on the pump can avoid all that.

 

Good thing you have an observant wife!!
From what I've read on here from others, if you didn't start it at all, you should be sitting ok. I'd say siphon out as much gas as you can, fill it full of diesel, change the filter and drain the bowl and just dump some fuel additive in there to counter the affects of the gas if any got in there, and you should be ok. A full tank of diesel should dilute the gas enough, even add fuel additive, to counter the affects of the remaining gas in the tank. I wouldn't want to drop the tank if I didn't have to.
Any chance you'll could at least a get a free tank of fuel from the station? I'd definitely mention something since they are causing you the inconvienence.

 

Hey, thanks for the quick replies.

Ok, so I have calmed myself. Yes, I should just have the mechanics at the place take care of it, but there are none. It used to have an active repair shop, but they just pump gas now and three bays sit empty, except for my truck. Archie (the station owner I think) has filled me up (with diesel) many times before. It is noisey too so thats another clue. I just thought he woulda put in the smelly stuff. I usually pump it myself, but this place pumps for you. But I should have paid attention too.

So I guess I won't drop the tank if I don't have too. There was no hand pump or anything at the station, so I'll go to auto parts store in the am and get a pump, some additive and a filter (I'm due anyway). I think I will pump out as much as I can, put in some (gallon or so) fresh diesel, pump that out, then fill it with diesel and additive and try not to worry about it. I think Archie should (and will) fill me up gratis too.

Cool. So thats not too bad. Could have been worse though. Man, I am so pleased with my wife. I think I will have to take her out to dinner when she gets back from skiing.

Thanks again guys.

-Shawn

 

that's nothing.
i do mobile maintaince work. got a call to rescue (2) F-450's, 7.3's, that got filled to the rim with gas, started up and ran as far as they would go, @ 1 mile, before they quit.
i drained the gas, 450's have a drain plug, drained the filter, filled them back up with diesel, and sent them on there way. that was 4 years ago and they still get up every day and go to work.
you'll be fine

 

I think your right SMB , you owe your wife big time !

 

This is what I would do, or see that the Mechanics do. Get two five gallon containers and siphon out all the fuel in the truck tank, if you only put in 6 gallons and your low fuel light was on that should empty the tank. Put in two quarts of 30 weight oil, non detergent, no additive, oil in a little bit at a time, so it will mix good and fill it with clean DIESEL. Don't use transmission fluid it has additives that are not good for your injectors as well as a dye that will make your fuel red, might get you an fuel tax fine. A little gas won't hurt anything but it is their responsibility to take some extra measures. However, don't let them convince you that the tank has to be dropped, it doesn't. That would do it completely but the chances of them screwing up your fuel line QC's, sending unit connector or the sending unit itself can be avoided. Then go out and enjoy the truck

 

Last year I put about 2 1/2 or 3 gallons of unleaded in my truck before relizing it. I just filled the truck with diesel and a quart of additive. As soon as it left the full mark I would top it off again, did that for a week or so. Never had any problems. If it would have been 6 gallons I would have drained most of it and topped it off.

 

Drove my Psd 6 mile after putting in gas, drained it filled with diesel. Runs great still. But had me worried for a while.

 

So I just wanted to say thanks folks. The truck is fine. I returned to the station to find Archie had all ready drained the tank. I drained the fuel bowl, filled it with Diesel additive and put the rest in the tank. Pushed the truck to the pump and filled it with fuel. So far no problems. I'm sure its fine.

So funny thing though. On the way home I hear a not normal noise. I was real close to home so I just drove home. The noise was assoicated with steering and braking so I thought the ps pump. Popped the hood, and sure enough the cap was popped off the ps pump and out of fluid. Filled it and thats that.

My question is what caused the ps to puke out its liquid? When the truck was first pushed into the garage, it wasn't running and a real bear to turn. Could turning it (a lot) w/o the engine running force out the ps fluid?

Anyway, like I said, its fine now, so thanks again.

-Shawn

 

I'm glad all turned out ok ! Don't know why the PS cap came off though !?

 

My brother in law one sleepy morning put 10 - 15 gallons of diesel into his boat tank. His Mercury 150 was not running to well after that. He managed to coast it back to the dock....siphon it out at home and used it to burn the grass in the ditches around the house.

 

I have seen lots of vehicles puke power steering fluid out when you turn the wheels with the engine not running. Don't know why but they do.

 

Big nozzle good. Small nozzle bad. ;-)