Agreed. I should of said, that the object of different size nozzles and restrictions is to prevent using an improper fuel, either intentionally or not, and the diesel nozzle won't fit in a gasoline either with or without lead fill point. I was fueling a 1979 Ford Bronco (full size SUV) in Helana Montana.THe vehicle required unleaded fuel since it had a catalytic converter. I selected gasohol dispenser, not reading that it was not unleaded. The nozzle wouldn't fit, and then I read the label and had to switch dispensers. Along the same lines, the off the road fuel is dyed bright red! I have been told the red will persist in your tank for a long time, and the fine for road use can be substantial, in the $1000's. Our standby electric generator for the house backup fuel is highway use gasoline. The 175 gallon tank is used mainly for road vehicles. Most small aircraft can be fueled either gasoline or jet fuel since the fill point is usually large enough. The fill point is required to be labeled type fuel and capacity, but a plane crashing from wrong fuel is not unusual :( Some are caused by the transport delivery driver filling the wrong tank, or a mix up at refinery or terminal! The fuels are different color and it is the pilots responsibility to check the color and presence of water or other containments after fueling and before flight. Nate Duehr wrote: > On Jul 11, 2008, at 6:55 PM, Carl Denk wrote: > > >> Last week, I picked up 40 gallons of off road (no highway tax) diesel >> fuel for our tractor at the local distributor that services farmers >> and >> businesses. I pumped from a 3000 gallon above the ground tank with a >> pump/meter unit mounted on top. This was the exception to the >> submersible tank setup. The nozzle tube was at least 1" diameter, no >> way >> could you get it into a car fill point. :) >> > > > If it was the "standard" larger diesel nozzle size used by 18- > wheelers, the Volkswagen diesel cars not only can handle the larger > diameter nozzle, but also have a special air return system (a valve > activated by the larger nozzle being inserted opens an air "escape" > valve that allows air to escape at a much faster rate from the fuel > tank up through a tube to that plastic valve in the filler port. > > This allows you to fill up at the much bigger nozzle pumps the trucks > use at a horrendously fast rate. But you'd better watch it closely > because it'll easily overfill and cause a spill at those pumps. > > You have to love VW engineers for including it, though. > > Since this air return system also incorporates a small pocket of air > molded into the top of the fuel tank, many VW diesel drivers will > carry a few disposable latex gloves or similar and on long trips where > they want the maximum fuel in the tank during a fill-up, they'll reach > in with a finger and push the air valve open while using a regular > "car sized" small diesel nozzle, which will allow for "topping off" > the tank with quite a bit more fuel into that "air space" at the top. > > It's a pretty significant amount of fuel, but I don't remember how > much. I didn't have gloves with me the day I messed with it on my > wife's Jetta Wagon, and I smelled like diesel for the rest of the day, > even with trying to wash it off... gloves highly recommended. :-) > > Meanwhile the thing's highway fuel economy is so high, that even if I > watch my water and/or coffee intake when on a long road trip, the > diesel car will always outlast my bladder -- "extra fillup" or a > regular one. One tank of fuel from just south of Mt. Rushmore, South > Dakota to the south suburbs of Denver, CO is WAY too long to be in the > driver's seat... I didn't even attempt it. But I didn't have to fill > up... > > Not particularly interested in finding out what Deep Vein Thrombosis > and pulmonary edema from a blood clot passing through my heart is like. > > Only really messed with filling the car with the larger "truck" pumps > once. It was full so fast, it was amazing, even only opening the pump > to the first "notch" on the locking mechanism. WHOOOOSH. Nice if you > had to, but not really worth the nervousness that goes with it. > > -- > Nate Duehr > nate@natetech.com > > > > -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist