Coleman fuel

[Nil]

I found a quart can of Coleman fuel in my basement. It's been many years since I used my old backbacking stove, so this stuff must have been sitting on the shelf for a long time. The can is labeled "Peak 1 Model 8555-300 - Fuel for gasoline backpacking appliances." I can't find any reference to this model number on the 'net. The can has no indication of what the actual composition of the fuel is, whether it's naptha, gasoline, "white gas", or whatever. The warnings on the back of the can include, "Do not use this fuel as a fire starter, for cleaning purposes, or in kerosene, alcohol, or lamp oil appliances" and "Handle with the same care as gasoline." I don't know how I'd get rid of this stuff if I wanted to - throwing it in the trash would not be not a good idea and is probably illegal. So, I'm wondering what else I can do with it.

Suggestions? Can this be substituted for regular gasoline? That is, can I dump it into my lawn mower or car without ill effects?

[Ed Pawlowski]

It is naptha. You can use it in the lawnmower but since gas has additives, I'd mix it so you have the benefits of the additives if needed.

[gfretwell]

Short answer, no This came up in the 70s when gas was hard to come by and it was never advised as something to do, I suppose if you used it a pint a tankful you might away with it tho. This is more like naphtha than gas.

[Bill]

FWIW, I used unleaded gas in a Coleman stove a long time ago. It seemed to work fine. Maybe the Coleman product burns cleaner due to fewer additives?

[Clare Snyder]

I've run the stuff in a lawnmower engine. I'd mix it about 25% with unleaded gasoline

[dpb]

On 9/6/2018 8:47 PM, Clare Snyder wrote: ...

W/ an engine that's never run leaded, probably ok, years ago in days before unleaded neighbor borrowed my lawnmower and dumped a bunch of Coleman fuel in it...it dissolved all the lead accumulated deposits and completely coated the inner workings with the remnants--trashed the engine completely.

Even w/ new I'd dilute it 10:1 or greater to get rid of it.

[Mike_Duffy]

On a sort of related note, does anyone know what should be done with a few tankfuls of fuel oil which have been mixed with 2-stroke oil?

(During the last few years before my Dad was 'put into' a home, he made a few such mistakes.)

[Clare Snyder]

just burn it.50:1 2 stroke oil in fuel oil (furnace or diesel) isn't going to hurt anything

[Mike_Duffy]

I'm a bit leary about soot build-up in the flue, or fouling the ignitor.

[Bud]

Why throw it in the trash. Give it to someone, sell it for 50 cents at a rummage sale, or whatever. People still use it.

But yes, it's naptha, and naptha is a great octane booster. The old racing cars in the 1950s thru 70s used it to boost power. I know this for fact. In the late 70's I acquired about 5 gallons of it. My early

70's Chevy had a carburetor and I was told it was safe to use on that engine. I added a half gallon of the naptha to 10 gallons of gas, and I was impressed by the extra power I got. It also did a good job of cleaning out the bore in my carb, and I suspect it cleaned the whole engine and fuel system.

I am not sure what it would do to a modern fuel injected computerized engine, so I would hesitate to try it, But if I had an old car with a carb, I'd use it without worry.

You only have a quart, Add about 2 ounces to a gallon of gas for your lawnmower and seee if the mower goes faster....

If i see a lawn mower flying across the horizon, with a tail of flame in back, I'll know you added the whole quart and went airborne. :)

Naptha is also a good solvent for some oil based paints as well as a paintbrush cleaner for them.

[Wade Garrett]

Chuck it, unless you're a gambling man ;-)

[Ed Pawlowski]

Not a real concern, especially if well diluted in the oil tank.

[Nil]

On 06 Sep 2018, Bob F wrote in alt.home.repair:

My town holds a few hazardous waste disposal day in October. If I haven't disposed of it by then I'll take it there, along with some other nasty stuff I have hanging around like old paint and obsolete anti-freeze.

[Frank]

Why waste these things?

Naphtha can be added to any gasoline based product if diluted or used as paint thinner or brush cleaner. I've even used it to make Ed's Red gun cleaner.

I never heard of obsolete antifreeze. Even saved used could be used in the winter to help prevent drain traps freezing.

[Nil]

On 06 Sep 2018, Bill wrote in alt.home.repair:

I used an Optimus camp stove for decades and I always ran it on unleaded gas. I had to clean out the pinhole spout occasionally, but it never failed me. I have a newer, lighter, more modern stove now, not Coleman brand, I think. That must be what I bought the fuel for, though I don't remember actually doing that.

My backpacking days are probably over, and if they're not I'll get some fresh fuel at that time. This can's gotta go.

[Nil]

On 06 Sep 2018, dpb wrote in alt.home.repair:

I think this will be my solution. I'll just dump a few ounces of it in my mower and car when filling the tank until the stuff is used up.

[Nil]

That is, plan of attack... I'm going to mix a few ounces of the Coleman fuel in with each tank of regular unleaded gas in my lawn mower and car until I use up the can. I probably have only one, maybe two mows left this season, so I guess most of it will end up in the car.

I'm still not sure whether the fuel is naphtha or white gas, but from the comments here and others I found on the web tell me that either will burn reasonably OK in a gasoline engine.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

On 06 Sep 2018, Nil wrote in alt.home.repair:

[Nil]

On 07 Sep 2018, Frank wrote in alt.home.repair:

It's Dexcool. It can't be mixed with regular antifreeze and I don't have that car any more.

I've never needed to prevent drain traps from freezing.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Old paint is easy. Take the lid off, let it harden, then toss in the trash.

[Frank]

I have friends that do it at their hunting camp and house went left for a few months in the winter.

Dex Cool is mostly ethylene glycol with a few percent of another additive. Could be safely washed down the drain.