Morris Minor Owners Club

Anorak Question

On a log book it says Heavy oil, in the garage it says diesel and on the side of the tank in the local bus yard it says derv !

All the same thing why the different names and what does derv stand for ???

I have heard derv stands for diesel engined road vehicle and its been adopted for the name of the fuel...

Heavy oil doesn't nessesarily mean diesel, for example I could run my transit (its an old one) on white spirit, old cooking oil, biodiesel etc (as long as road duty is paid where applicable) so I think its just a catch all

Funny,
I thought what kept the Transit going was mainly wishful thinking and blind luck ;)

Nope, that was the fiesta

I have heard derv stands for diesel engined road vehicle and its been adopted for the name of the fuel...

Correct as to what it stands for, but no, the name comes from that of the chap who is credited with inventing the compression ignition (as opposed to spark ignition) internal combustion (as opposed to external combustion such a coal in the firebox of a steam engine) motor; one Dr.Rudolf Diesel, of Germany. His Diesel engine requires fuel suitable for a diesel engine, hence diesel fuel. There are many different types and grades of fuel oil (also known as gas oil) that can be used in a diesel engine, but there is a generally accepted range used for DERV - don't ask me what the specification is. DERV also has road duty paid, whereas pink diesel (gas oil, used for generators and fork lift trucks. marine diesel etc) does not have the same duty.

I knew someone would no, i can now sleep easy happy to know all this information cos it has been on my mind for a while.

Thanks everyone

I meant that DERV got adopted as another name for diesel, not where the term "diesel" came from, which was, as stated, Dr Diesel who made an internal (compression ignition) combustion engine to run on peanut oil

As stated before DERV stands for Diesel Engined Road Vehicle. This is why "DERV" is white. Red Diesel is not for use on the road, hence it does not come under Diesel Engined ROAD vehicle. If you use red in a road going vehicle, and you are stopped and fuel checked, you run the risk of having your car impounded and crushed, and also paying back fuel duty. NOT worth the risk.

Hello all,

and heavy oil is very thick and requires heating before it can be fired as used on ships for instance (well it used to be?).

And as stated Dr Diesels's engine ran on peanut oil and was intended as a stationary engine and not for vehicles.

Alec

Interestingly enough Mr Diesel invented his engine so that it could be used to burn vegetable oil (now called biodiesel) ... it was the oil companies who corrupted it and came up wth the mineral diesel oil replacement.


Ooop ... just noticed that I'm reposting the same factoid

Note to self: read previous posts!

Alec wrote:Hello all,

and heavy oil is very thick and requires heating before it can be fired as used on ships for instance (well it used to be?).


Alec

Yep, still the same. Horrible stinky stuff it is too.