Toss a match into it?

[Itchy]

Every day this week of my commute I have had to go past a well travelled bus route , and lorry route (not to meantion the fact quite a few petrol tankers pass by).

My question is this , I constantly see oil slicks on the road , will it actually catch fire if I throw a match into it? , I'm usually far too busy trying to avoid coming off while at the same time usually trying to dodge the traffic at the same time and therefore haven't stopped to toss a match into it.

When I say slick I mean it, not the odd circle of rainbow here and there but a mini exon valdez type situation where it completely covers the entire lane.

There is also lots of CCTV too and I don't want to be branded some kind of terrorist. (note some of these trails go into petrol stations and bus depots and may therefore cause a very large fire.


Will it burn? , or will there not be enough heat in the match to light it, and combined with the fact it is mixed with water it won't burn.

Always been a tad curious about this.

Any thoughts? (other than try it since it that is).

Ta
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Makaveli_Rydah]

Forget the match - take a blowtorch just to make sure

As for water - doesn't petrol lay on top of water ?
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Bike History:- Vision / Phantom 100 / Aerox 100 / Runner VX125 / Honda VFR400 NC24 / Kwak ZX9R B3 / Honda CBR600 F / ZZR400 & K2 GSXR 750 / Suzuki VZ800

[Endless Nameless]

Petrol might. Diesel or oil almost certainly wont- That's why petrol engines are spark ignition while diesel engines are compression ignition. A spark (or match) won't get diesel hot enough to ignite.
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A2 passed 22/07/08; restriction up 22/07/10 (just so I don't forget)
'79 Suzuki GS550E. Yes, that's a GS550, not a GS500.
Supersports "In a video editing competition I'd kick your sorry ass"

[MattHirst]

Oil/diesel only combusts under compression, hence why diesel engines have a much higher compression.

Although diesels don't use a spark plug, they use a glow plug which basically ignites it once the pistons have beaten the shit out of the diesel.

Diesel and oil both float on top of water i believe. As does petrol but that evaporates before nutters like itchy can blow up the centre of manchester
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It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then it's bloody hilarious!!!

[Endless Nameless]

Glow plugs dont actually have any say in igniting the fuel in a diesel, it's all done by compression. The glow plugs warm the engine up from cold to get it to a high enough temp. for compression ignition to occur, otherwise its a right bitch to start as the heat used to ignite the fuel instead goes to heating the engine. Once the engine is running they do very little. I know this 'cos my Landy munched its glow plugs, and once it was running it was totally fine but starting it from cold involved standing over the engine blasting hot air into the air intake with a heat gun!
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A2 passed 22/07/08; restriction up 22/07/10 (just so I don't forget)
'79 Suzuki GS550E. Yes, that's a GS550, not a GS500.
Supersports "In a video editing competition I'd kick your sorry ass"

[McGee]

Throwing a match a bit movie style there mate.

No it won't catch fire watch mythbusters
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[UnknownStuntm...]

Diesels. Hmm. I remember talking to the old fart at work about his posting in the Army in 1383 (or something, I wasn't paying attention at this point) where he had to light a fire underneath the engine in the morning before attempting to start the truck he drove.

A fucking FIRE under an ENGINE !! Dunno if I believe him fully, but I can understand now why the development of a glowplug might have been moved up the list of 'features' for a diesel engine.

[Itchy]

There was an instance of this in that programme going to extremes where he went to Mongolia for something or other I forget the extreme.

He travelled with this guy on a motorbike in a side car,

they put hot rocks into a fire then grass over it and a blanket and slept on it,

in the morning the mongolian guy had to have a little fire under the bike engine to defrost the engine oil as it would freeze during the night.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[tatters]

[Endless Nameless]

Don't forget that oil also gets more viscous when it's cold, so the engine oil is thicker in cold conditions. That means the engine is a bitch to crank over, and when it's cold the starter needs all the help it can get. Lighting a fire under the engine is more to warm up the oil in the sump and get it flowing easier than to warm up the cylinders. Our old (1959) tractor never had glow plugs, it was just a case of cranking it over and over 'till it started. Could never get that to start in winter without a tow, now I come to think of it. Maybe we shoulda got a BBQ going under it!
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A2 passed 22/07/08; restriction up 22/07/10 (just so I don't forget)
'79 Suzuki GS550E. Yes, that's a GS550, not a GS500.
Supersports "In a video editing competition I'd kick your sorry ass"

[ms51ves3]

[Shay HTFC]

Only ignites under pressure?

Bring a blowtorch and stamp on the diesel at the sametime?

[st3v3]

Any petrol residue might alight, but diesel and oil would be hard pressed to even start off the heat off this. Simple answer, find another route.
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[Itchy]

[st3v3]

Fair enough, but it's not like there's anything you can do to improve the situation. Carry on being wary I S'pose.
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[Hetzer]

[Philious]

[st3v3]

Actually if a friend complains and they say they will clear it up(record this bit) then a couple of days later Itchy has an insignificant yet 'costly' accident can he not claim off them? Just an idea...
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[Philious]

There you go itch problem solved how do you fancy a 2 month holiday and a new bike....

Well thought of Steve
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Previously; Honda XR125 - Yamaha DT125r - Aprilia Rs125 - Suzuki GS500e, Currently; Kawasaki ZX6R + ZX10R
Theory : Passed 28/7/09 Module 1: Passed 21/09/09 Module 2: Passed 23/09/09