Holy crap...

Tornadoboy

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I thought I've had some seriously dumb accidents involving my games before, but I topped them all this morning. I was dumping a 5-gallon container of diesel fuel into the top of my oil tank and it slipped out of my hands, tumbled into the back of my open Turbo mini I've been working on forever and pretty much hosed down the entire interior.

Not a happy man to say the least, the few bright sides are that I didn't have the monitor, boardset or power supply inside at the time, just the harness. I've since taken everything out and paper toweled the diesel, then sponged it down with dilluted Mr Clean and a sponge, I'm going to try to clean the wiring tomorrow. Don't know what's going to happen now, originally I thought I had just totalled the game but it might still be salvagable, I'll have to see how things look when I'm done cleaning.

Holy crap am I pissed, of all the stupid retarded F'n things to have happen... :(
 
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eeek! i feel for you, man! dont take it too hard! wont that fuel eat up plastic parts- like the wiring insulation?
 
I'm hoping what I haven't sponged up will evaporate, and then I'll just be able to paint over it. At least it's not motor oil or truly all hope would have been lost.

eeek! i feel for you, man! dont take it too hard! wont that fuel eat up plastic parts- like the wiring insulation?


I don't know, I hope not, all the plastic stuff except the wiring I've already cleaned, I'm hoping the rest will hold out until tomorrow because I don't have it in me to work on it anymore today. I'm going to get freak'n hammered now and watch some cheap B-movies to feel better.
 
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Hell diesel fuel is one of my favorite cleaning solvents. That will wiring may end up looking brand new!
 
Really, all you did was just ensure that your restoration is going to be a COMPLETE, BAD ASS, OVER THE TOP restoration, because now you've completely cleaned everything inside the cabinet.

So actually if you ever sell it, I think you should raise the price.
 
Diesel fuel doesn't really evaporate that's why it's not really explosive. It will leave a nasty smell and stain the hell out of everything.
 
Diesel fuel doesn't really evaporate that's why it's not really explosive. It will leave a nasty smell and stain the hell out of everything.

Sorry that crap stink and never evaporates. Good part is you can stick a match to it and it wont burn. Good luck if its in the bottom Kitty liter will pull alot of it up.
 
I guess clean it and use a clear polyurethane and paint over it to try and seal the smell in. Or just put a new bottom in and polyurethane the sides that absorbed the stuff. Got any pictures of the aftermath?
 
Diesel fuel doesn't really evaporate that's why it's not really explosive. It will leave a nasty smell and stain the hell out of everything.

True diesel doesn't really evaporate. As far as explosive... no, it's not explosive, but it can still be dangerous. It depends on where the diesel is from. Typically diesel's flash point (the point at which its vapors will combust) right out of the refinery is about 150 degrees. However, once it gets put into the pipeline (the same pipeline gasoline is transported through) the head and tail ends of the diesel will mix with the gasoline. And depending on the controller of the pipeline (if he keeps the line tight, or lets the line go slack) more gas may be mixed with the head and tail ends of the diesel. When gasoline is mixed with diesel it will lower the flash point of the diesel. To be "sellable", diesel has to have a flash point of 128 degrees or higher. I've seen diesel with a flash point of around 110 degrees (DOT defines a combustable liquid as having a flash point over 100 degrees, a flammable liquid having a flash point below 100 degrees) which is nearly flammable. I would have no problem throwing a lit match into a bucket of diesel with a flash point of 150 degrees, but down around the lower end would make me nervous. The only way to know would be to run it through some lab equipment though. Treat fuels like a loaded gun...carefully. Sorry for ranting, but this relates to my line of work.

As far as the smell...if it got into MDF, it will probably never stop smelling.
 
I've mopped it up so there's no real danger of it catching on fire, at this point it's a matter of appearance and smell. It's the interior that caught the bulk of it so I don't really think it's going to effect how it looks, other than to me anyway, but it reeking of diesel I think could be the major problem. I guess my plan is to clean it as best I can and repaint the interior, then I guess I'll know to what extent I've screwed myself here. GOD what a freak'n waste, this was my first serious restore and I've put so much damn work in it, it's such a pity that I didn't take the precautions that were obvious at the time, what a hard lesson...
 
Then you have diesel fumes building up over time in an enclosed space with HOT electronic circuitry, that's always fun! Could the diesel that soaked into the wood of the cab possibly ignite if it got too hot? Then there's that sweet diesel smell that'll never go away. It'll be a total adrenaline rush every time you play!
 
Then you have diesel fumes building up over time in an enclosed space with HOT electronic circuitry, that's always fun! Could the diesel that soaked into the wood of the cab possibly ignite if it got too hot?

First, the surrounding temp would have to reach the diesel's flash point...then a spark would have to be introduced. But he said he cleaned up most of it and plans on painting over it...doubtful.
 
Diesel is oily and paint will not stick. You could try spraying it out with starting fluid. All these attempts should be made outside.
 
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