Running Lehman 120 on home heating oil

I have been running my Lehman, Naturally Aspirated, 120hp diesel on home heating oil for the last decade. (I have filled up maybe 1x a year at a dock)

I travel a-lot and use boat frequently use it year round, so i can go through 1500 gallons a year.

I ask the fuel oil guy to fill up drums when he fills the house tank. (Obligatory tip of course)

Recently, my brother ran out of fuel oil, so he borrowed a few barrels. He was going to fill them back up and return from the gas station. I told him just to wait until he gets fuel oil and have them filled.

He then said, well, you should not run your diesel on heating oil because it does not have any lubricants added. Since he is a smart guy, I looked up “on road” (green tinted) diesel from the pump and saw they added lubricants!!! I suddenly second guessed my brilliant idea of saving $1.50 a gallon by using heating oil.

So I did some research and wanted to share the good news (i was right!) with the group.

Long story short, heating oil is high sulfur diesel and has more lubricating qualities that low sulfur diesel that is destined for your local pump. . The low or “ultra low” diesel has lubricants added prior to hitting the pump because the refinery process to remove sulfur also removes other naturally occurring lubricants.

To note, if you use high sulfur diesel in modern diesels (post 2007) you might have a problem that could hurt your engine.

So in summary, if you have an old Lehman, she was designed for, and loves to eat, home heating oil, lmao. Also, i have never experienced water in my fuel, or algae etc….

One more note, I realize that high sulfur diesel is not the best for the environment, But its 2k$ in fuel savings each year. (Sorry)

https://fueloilnews.com/2010/03/04/taking-the-mystery-out-of-lubricity/

Yup, #2 diesel and #2 heating oil are basically the same thing. Heating oil may (but doesn't necessarily) contain more sulfur. And they may not necessarily be filtered to quite the same standard. But for off-road (untaxed) diesel applications where it'll be dyed red anyway, it's generally pretty equivalent. I do second the "check the sulfur content" thing for newer diesels.

Worst case, even if you need to add some lube to the heating oil, you're not going to spend $1.50 / gal on additives, so you'll still come out ahead.

Thanks Rsl…

I wanted to share because i cant stand paying the extra bucks on the water. I sue that 2k to make sure I maintain all maintenance schedules. (And add autopilot, lmao)

It's possible that you might save some money using home heating oil in your boat's engine, but it's also possible that you could harm it. I think checking with the manufacturer would be wise.

That said, I used to keep my boat at a marina that didn't sell diesel fuel so there were times when I had to throw my four five gallon jugs into my truck, drive to a gas station, fill them up, drive to the marina, offload them onto a dock cart, roll the cart down the ramp and to my boat and then try to pour the diesel fuel from the jugs into my boat without spilling too much. It was a royal PITA.

So I saved a few dollars, but in the end, it wasn't worth the time and trouble, at least for me. I try to buy fuel at the lower priced marinas when I'm travelling, but at my new marina, if I need fuel, it's far simpler to pull up to the fuel dock and just pay the price.

When you consider depreciation, dockage, insurance and maintenance, fuel costs are not the major costs of boat ownership.

I guess for folks that store boats in marinas and have work done like bottom paint, then fuel is not a major cost.

For me, it is. I don't pay for storage and I do my own work. I make a decent living, but 2k is 2k no matter how much do you make.

For me, i lift the barrels in truck with lift in garage and then just drive up to boat and siphon out. At 80$ saving a barrel, I enjoy the process.

When it comes time to changing my cooler every 2 years, or exhaust elbow, injectors, overfill tank cap, thermostat etc…. The old girl (lehman) gets what ever she is due. I only have that attitude since save that money each year.

I am a retired chemical engineer who worked in the petroleum refining industry, so from that perspective:

Diesel fuel has two specifications that are not present in heating oil specifications: lubricity and cetane index. Lubricity is self explanatory and cetane index is an indication of the fuel's ability to compression ignite.

Small refiners in the south who don't have a big heating oil market may only produce one formulation for both diesel and heating oil, so it has to meet the diesel lubricity, cetane and sulfur spec. So it is fine to use that heating oil in a diesel engine. The oil is the same.

But bigger refiners, particularly in the midwest or northeast refine two separate products. For diesel they add lubricity additives as well as cetane improvement additives or blend it to meet the cetane spec. They also refine it to meet the sulfur spec.

For fuel oil they don't have to worry about lubricity or cetane so you get what you get. It may be ok for diesel use or it may not be.

Caveat emptor.

David

Not sure of the level of adjustment of referenced chemicals etc…. Nor any depth of detail related to the ATSM 520 micron lubricityscar requirement of all diesel, whether in a house or engine room.

But from the perspective of an old dinosaur diesel owner that has saved over 20k in the last decade, i think its awesome.

?

DavidM said:

I am a retired chemical engineer who worked in the petroleum refining industry, so from that perspective:

Diesel fuel has two specifications that are not present in heating oil specifications: lubricity and cetane index. Lubricity is self explanatory and cetane index is an indication of the fuel's ability to compression ignite.

Small refiners in the south who don't have a big heating oil market may only produce one formulation for both diesel and heating oil, so it has to meet the diesel lubricity, cetane and sulfur spec. So it is fine to use that heating oil in a diesel engine. The oil is the same.

But bigger refiners, particularly in the midwest or northeast refine two separate products. For diesel they add lubricity additives as well as cetane improvement additives or blend it to meet the cetane spec. They also refine it to meet the sulfur spec.

For fuel oil they don't have to worry about lubricity or cetane so you get what you get. It may be ok for diesel use or it may not be.

Caveat emptor.

David

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Now this is the best kind of response! No guessing or dubious second-hand info. Actual, real world knowledge and experience. Thank you, David!

(And I’m not specifically speaking about this particular thread, but replies in general…)

Call the supplier...

In several places (Mid-Atlantic) I have used home dock type delivers had the response..."it's the same as we deliver to toad stations."....

No problems with my Cat 3208s.

Trouble big time

I’m not sure how much you would really be saving if during the unlicensed , uninsured transport of these hazardous materials you were in an accident and the stuff ended up outside the non approved shipping containers or caught fire, etc., etc.

Would not matter how much money you had it wouldn’t be enough.

You would be in so deep they would have to pump air to you.

No offense but this is not smart.

Lamuncha said:

I’m not sure how much you would really be saving if during the unlicensed , uninsured transport of these hazardous materials you were in an accident and the stuff ended up outside the non approved shipping containers or caught fire, etc., etc.

Would not matter how much money you had it wouldn’t be enough.

You would be in so deep they would have to pump air to you.

No offense but this is not smart.

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What the heck are you talking about?

“I ask the fuel oil guy to fill up drums when he fills the house tank. “

“For me, i lift the barrels in truck with lift in garage and then just drive up to boat and siphon out. At 80$ saving a barrel, I enjoy the process”

Well if the drums are loaded onto a truck I assume there is transport involved.

I believe up to 2 - 55gallon drums carried is unregulated from my basic research.

Lots of pickup have extra fuel tanks in the bed.

Now I see the scope of post #10

I have a friend who for many years ran his old Volvo diesel wagon on home heating oil. No problems. Maybe not so good in a recent diesel.

No offense but this is not smart.[/QUOTE]

Drums are DOT approved. I fill up where I need to, where ever the boat is. (Sometimes on dock behind house. Sometimes at dock, sometimes at buddies place etc…

Nothing illegal. Boat takes 2 drums at a time. Sometimes I throw a 325 fuel bladder on deck for longer hauls thats filled from barrels.

Telling someone they are doing something “not smart” (aka stupid) is typically insulting, but your uneducated response dulled the blow, lmao.

The reason i wanted to tell folks is that sometimes money is tight and having options like this would keep
Folks on the water and using boats.

Have a good night

Well, that went south pretty quickly.

Edit: Actually, I have no idea where that saying came from.

Maybe from here, Andy. Get the T-Shirt!

Home heating oil will not hurt your engine . old Ford Lemans run on anything . When I change my oil it goes right in my fuel tank. There’s a lot of brain surgeons on this form . and at least one guy claims he’s a rocket scientist . I’m just a dumb blue-collar guy that gets dirty when he works .this website is full of people that will tell you what to do. I buy diesel all over the United States .for my over the road trucks . you never know what you’re getting when I fill my truck I always look at the stream coming out of the nozzle sometimes it’s green sometimes it’s clear sometimes it dark , that’s the oil change oil from when they change oil at the truckstop . a lot of the over the road diesel Has biodiesel that stuff is junk . most all over the road diesel now has bio diesel in it pure crap in my opinion. Anytime I had fuel related problems on the road it was always related to biodiesel I would burn between 100 and 150 gallons of fuel a day run through a single filter water separator .that would get changed when I change my oil I carry a spare because you never know what you’re buying sometimes you can get some really bad fuel . it takes five minutes to change the filter . there’s a lot of rocket scientist on this website that will spend thousands of dollars putting in so-called fuel polishing systems on their boat when they barely burn 100 gallons a year .these are the people that are lecturing you.Try to find a commercial fuel dock Where commercial boats by their fuel . sometimes the fuel nozzles are quite large you might need an adapter . that is off-road fuel without all the fuel tax. I live close to a commercial fishing port so it works out for me . otherwise if you’re only burning a couple hundred gallons a year get a 10 gallon portable fuel tank with wheels and put 10 gallons in your boat at a time some marinas Frown on this but oh well

A guy at our marina used to use heating oil in his Cummins 210. Never had an issue.
I also know many guys who used heating oil in their old VW Rabbit diesels. Those guys would pump it out of their home oil tanks into a jerry jug and then fill up their cars.

Thanks for “rebounding” the thread. Was not trying to start any war of words, etc….

I cant stand “armchair experts” that make vague assertions with simply nothing backing them up. Even worse, the sycophants who hang on every word like its bible. (e.g. “Now this is the best kind of response! No guessing or dubious second-hand info. Actual, real world knowledge and experience. Thank you, David!“)

Thousands of gallons of heating oil over a decade. SMH

Thanks again.

I did the same in tractors for years, but that was back when tractors were fine with high sulfur fuel, which also is high lubricity. At the time I checked with the oil company and they said they delivered the same fuel for heating and off-road diesel, so I was very comfortable doing it.



Today I do something similar, but different. I get deliveries of off-road diesel. I haven't compared cost to "heating oil", but by buying off-road diesel I know it's suitable for use in an engine, and in particular meets the lubricity and cetane specs. And of course it doesn't carry the road taxes so is much cheaper. I don't use this fuel in my boat because it's a few thousand miles away, but I do use it in a variety of diesel machines.


To the OP, if you wanted to remove any doubt, you could request off-road diesel instead of heat oil. Then you know it's suitable for your Lehman, and your furnace will have no issues with it either.

Thanks for the input. I am comfortable with it. (Its been a decade of running heating oil.). My pop is old time lobster boat captain and he was the one that turned me onto it. I remember we used to do exactly as I am doing now back with his boat. (the boat had a detroit)

I never doubted my own personal choice to use, I only second guessed it when my brother chimed in.

After I did a little research i felt comfortable posting because it might actually help folks with old Lehman's like mine.

Its folks personal choice about how they live their life and what they spend money on.

Thx again

I've never checked to see what the price difference is, if any, between off road diesel and heating oil. My guess is that they will be the same, or very close. Anyone ever checked?

twistedtree said:

I've never checked to see what the price difference is, if any, between off road diesel and heating oil. My guess is that they will be the same, or very close. Anyone ever checked?

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Good question and you inspired me to look. Local Long Island Company, will fill boat in back yard in the water $2.49 a gallon. (300 gal minimum). That might be a good solution for filling the 300 gallon bladder.

Fuel oil can be had for a about 25 cents less a gallon. No brainer on the bladder.

Thx

My suplier in NJ until recently, can't say for sure the situation now, price was the same as long as you bought 200 or more gallons.

Alisske said:

Good question and you inspired me to look. Local Long Island Company, will fill boat in back yard in the water $2.49 a gallon. (300 gal minimum). That might be a good solution for filling the 300 gallon bladder.

Fuel oil can be had for a about 25 cents less a gallon. No brainer on the bladder.

Thx

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Interesting. That's a bigger difference than I thought. Could there be additional fees for filling a floating boat? I recently looked into getting filled by truck and there was a significant "environmental fee" tacked on. They described it as a fee in case of a spill into the water. But when I told them my boat was hauled and not in the water, they still wanted to charge the fee. But we are talking about different states with different regs, so maybe not the same. I ended up filling at a pier, $2.49/gal.

I actually called a few lore places and the prices tend to be within 10-15 cents of one another.

I even had a heating oil price that was 10 cents more than off-road. Go figure.

But in summary, you could say prices are comparable. I will tell you the home heating oil guys would NEVER pump into a boat. They get squeamish about drums lol. (I asked if they would fill boat before and they were like NO WAY!)

Thanks for the suggestion. Is a good option

Well, i don’t want some folks to get scared for me, but i decided to dump in some of my $2.07 cent home heating oil into my boat. Simply role it into my back yard and out on the finger dock next to the lift.

May sound stupid to some folks, but sounds about right to me.

I know thats an a-hole thing to say, but I'm still stinging from the stupid comment, lol. (So my apologies to all the good folks who did not judge)

twistedtree said:

I've never checked to see what the price difference is, if any, between off road diesel and heating oil. My guess is that they will be the same, or very close. Anyone ever checked?

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Actually this issue of off-road diesel is interesting. It appears the US is like Australia, and incorporates road user tax in the diesel price at the bowser, which then means they have to produce an off-road version for farm machinery, etc. However, here in Australia anyway, the fuel we get from the bowser at the marina is not off-road, so carries the extra tax.

But, we boat folk are not using it on the road, so morally we are being charged a tax we don't deserve to cop. It is therefore no wonder that folk often go to significant inconvenience (and ? risk), to get off-road fuel into their boat - often however, this is coloured to discourage the practice of using it for other than the purpose it is produced. So, you are stuck.

This annoyed me quite a bit when I moved from NZ to Australia, because in NZ, they solved this in quite a good way. Off road petrol was coloured red to stop you using untaxed farm petrol (gasoline to you guys), in road cars, but diesel did not have road tax in the price, but rather, all trucks had hub-ometers attached to a wheel, and they were charged road user tax based on mileage done.

This meant diesel was way cheaper than petrol (gas). Of course, that was back before there were hardly any diesel cars, so nearly all diesel vehicles were trucks. However, it suited diesel-engined boat owners fine as well.

Things may have changed since diesel cars became so much more common, however, it appears NZ owners of diesel cars still pay a road user tax as a separate thing based on distance travelled, so presumably diesel there is still cheaper than gasoline. However, even as diesel private vehicle ownership has increased a lot, many countries are once again moving away from diesel fuel on the roads because of pollution issues. So, round we go again...maybe..? But it still used to bug me that there was no way of dodging the road tax in the diesel price for our boats here. Is off-road diesel use in boats legal in the US or Canada. Or does the pollution issue now over-ride that..? Just interested...

But, we boat folk are not using it on the road, so morally we are being charged a tax we don't deserve to cop. It is therefore no wonder that folk often go to significant inconvenience (and ? risk), to get off-road fuel into their boat - often however, this is coloured to discourage the practice of using it for other than the purpose it is produced. So, you are stuck.

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In CT you used to be able to get the road tax portion refunded at tax time. (It may still apply)
It was a quick (5 minutes) and easy form to fill out and submit, provided you attached your receipts.
I used to get back $25 to $50 each year (I didn't use much fuel).