Some time in 1967, while I was on alert with B-52's at Robins AFB, GA, ready to take off at a moment's notice to strike targets in The Soviet Union with nuclear weapons, our alert force commander suddenly decided that we aircrewmen should polish and wax our vehicles - four-door, crew-cab pickups (that's where "crew-cab" came from) in order for him to impress a visiting general from higher headquarters. Amongst the five officers on each crew, there were grumblings such as, "If an officer prisoner of war (POW) can't be required to do manual labor, how can we be required to wax and polish our verhicles?" We officers were damned mad. We had finally decided that we would do it, though, and were mentally prepared to start the job as we returned to our parking space outside the alert facility early one morning after performing the daily inspection of the aircraft. As we backed into our space we noticed a sergeant (gunner on another crew) wiping lightly with a rag on the bright and shiny truck beside us. Only 20 minutes before, when we had left the parking space to go out to the aircraft, that vehicle had been as drab dark blue as ours and all the rest of them. We jumped out of our vehicle and asked the sergeant, "What did you do? How did you do that?" His reply, "Bucket of water with a little diesel fuel in it - just dip the rag in the bucket and wipe the vehicle down with it." In about 10 minutes, all of the alert crew vehicles were glistening in the sun with their new coats of diesel fuel - worked pretty good for several weeks, too - didn't look oily, etc. 'Really looked like we had waxed them, and we never heard anymore about waxing vehicles. BTW, I'm not advocating using diesel fuel as a substitute for proper wax job, merely relating how it worked for a group of defiant B-52 aircrewmen 35 years ago.

I like that one...

You can also use diesel fuel as a parts cleaner. I do volunteer work with a youth boating program, an dwe've used #2 to clean gunked-up and oily parts...they'd come out good as new.

Your wife can also use diesel fuel to dab behind her ears when she wants your attention...

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2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999

We ran out of starter fluid for the charcoal barbeque last summer, so I started the brickettes a few times with diesel. Much safer than gasolene, but you do need to ensure the diesel has all burned off before you start grilling food.



Ken300D

You will never have termite problems in any area of soil that diesel fuel is spilled onto. I figure you would not have any other type of insect issues either.

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Jim

While changing the fuel filter last week, diesel spilled all over the floor while I primed the engine. I scrubbed the oil spots on the floor with diesel, and the oil easily came off.

I must agree, diesel is a good parts cleaner. Where ever the diesel splashed on the engine, it is clean.

The way the fuel system's set up on our boat, there's an overflow pipe that happens to drain into the galley. One day while taking on fuel, a valve was open that we didn't know about, and diesel came out the valve and onto the galley deck. A couple months later, pancakes were made (I wasn't onboard at the time), and everyone noticed an unusual taste.

Turned out that some of the diesel went into the food stores and soaked into the batter.

Diesel fuel does NOT make a good cooking additive!! *lol*

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2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999

I heard that years ago people used diesel as an engine flush when doing an oil change.

Wilton, I am in the Air Force and my first aircraft I worked on was the B-52 H model at Griffiss AFB, Rome NY. I am an Avionics/Engine instrumentation technician. I left Griffiss and the B-52 in '94. Currently I am out of the country "taking care of business".
With regard to spit and polishing everything for visiting officals, I know what you mean. Unfortunately most of the vehicles have paint that has long since faded that waxing it seems useless.

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

Rick, I was a maintenance crew chief on B-47's before I was commissioned via OCS in 1960 (see http://ocs60c.com). I was then a navigator/bombardier for almost 15 years on B-52's. 'Had 5,000 hours in B-52D, E, F, G & H, including Linebacker II in Dec, '72 (see, also, http://ocs60c.com; click on "war stories").

I was also a civil engineer at George, CA & Sondrestrom, Greenland.
We completely rebuilt 10 large diesel, main base power generation engines in Greenland in 1978 - that's what "sold" me on diesels. The engines we removed/replaced had been running for 36 years. We replaced them because repair parts had gotten so expensive. Whenever a part was needed, manufacturer had to make it from scratch.

Thanks for "taking care of business". Good luck and be careful.