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Biodiesel

20K views 34 replies 15 participants last post by  steve 
#1 ·
Ok I know this has been talked about but I had a bit of an issue today. I was heading for the mountains towing my 30ft travel trailer and HAD to stop for fuel. All the pumps In the area had biodiesel but it was labeled 5-20% how the heck are you supposed to know, that's a pretty broad range!? Will it hurt anything? This was at a LUVS truck stop. I check the big truck lanes had the same. Would have been a lot easier if I could have used those lane with the giant nozzles!!
 
#4 ·
If it wont hurt anything, they why does the manual say 10% bio MAX? Not trying to be flippant, I am actually curious as to the reason Cummins recommends 10% max if it is ok to use above that

Second, I though Federal regs state that anything over 5% has to be labeled like B6, B10, B20, B50, etc. not lumped as somewhere in between?
 
#6 ·
I'm sure the motor has been tested at a higher % than 10 & 1 fill up isn't an issue. Plenty of people go to Mexico where there isn't Low Sulfur and Run it. They just have more Regens until they put the right stuff in.
Tank of Gas = new fuel system
Tank of Dirty Diesel = new fuel system
Tank of Diesel with lots of water = New fuel system + new motor most likely.
Tank of 20% Bio = Most likely some more chatter & maybe some fussyness and reduced mpg's.
 
#5 ·
I would avoid this stuff if you can,this as well as ethanol are horrible things to put in your fuel tanks,not to mention drastically reduced mileage and higher emissions.This crap will give you trouble in the winter and it has a tendency to seperate and cause more algae in your tanks if stored for too long,it makes no sense putting food crops in your engine when oil prices are this low.
 
#8 ·
MODERN DIESELS AND BIOFUEL

Modern diesel passenger cars currently being offered in the U.S. were designed to use B5, or 5% biodiesel content; as a consequence, using blends with as much as 20% biodiesel have caused problems ranging from check engine warnings to reduced fuel economy and outright engine failure. In addition, the manufacturers’ warranties on these cars support the use of only up to B5, which was the biodiesel standard when the cars were engineered to meet U.S. and especially California Emissions standards. The move towards higher biodiesel content fuel has the unfortunate side effect of, putting the consumer on the hook for the cost of repairs which can be rather expensive.

All manufacturers of passenger cars available with diesel engines in the U.S. support the same B5 standard, while heavy trucks and other diesel machinery generally support a B20, and some even endorse 100% biodiesel content. Despite the move to B20 in some areas, the manufacturers are largely holding their ground.
 
#11 ·
Bio as a fuel, it burns almost as well as no bio added fuel, sans for some storage issues and shorter filter change intervals if all is well and dandy. It is more susceptible to bacterial growth and geling, which is why I'll explain further (we ran it in many military assets but not without more maintenance). For our trucks, it's an issue mainly due to our fuel delivery system and filtration, and our nice 300lbs of tin under your feet courtesy of the cow fart catchers.

For the fuel system, we run a tight ship, upwards of 29,000psi from the dual piston variable common rail pump, to our very particulate sensitive piezoelectric injectors. The two filters have a pretty tight micron rating that doesn't lend itself to tolerating a lot of contaminants without frequent changes. Fun fact, don't ever disconnect the injector harness from the injector while the engine is running or ignition on. You'll be in for a Heck of a shock, apparently the drivers to the injectors output up to 270v DC at a whopping 19amps, talk about a game ender:/ But basically being bio doesn't have the refinement or stability of non-bio, at worse you shorten the life of the pump and injectors, and at a minimum, your changing filters and oil much more often due to the burnt byproducts that make it into the oil and potential bacteria/geling issues clogging your filters. We ran hundreds of thousands of gallons in our units equipment, big military is slowly rolling it back due to issues above and staying strictly ULSD non-bio.

Now this brings me to the next component that may have issues with bio, the DOC/DPF and SCR systems in our trucks. The reason for limits on bio for our trucks specifically is longevity of the aftertreatment system. The more byproducts that enter the unit, the more regenerations, and subsequently more oil dilution during active regens due to fuel injected on the exhaust stroke. This is to increase the temps to clean the system when normal loads fail to keep the system at proper temps for a passive regeneration. Essentially, a catalyst can only break down all the bad things for so long as thermocycling over time deteriorates the unit therefore requiring a fat wallet and a few curse words. In short, follow your owners manual and maintenance requirements for the type of fuel usage. Modern fuel systems designed with ULSD in mind are not built the same as units of old so lubricity isn't an issue with current fuel, which is why they say not to run additives as it effects the aftertreatment as well. Tolerances are much tighter and once again very sensitive to bio oils and contaminants that effect these internal clearances. That's my take on it, YMMV;)
 
#14 ·
In Texas the pumps should be labeled if dispensing a biodiesel blend, and it's percentage. Now for that actually occurring I can't say. I know my favorite local station the diesel pumps have biodiesel stickers that come and go. So I assume the station is keeping track when bio-diesel is delivered.
 
#30 ·
What is biodiesel’s impact on engine performance versus regular diesel? According to the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA), the net impact of using pure biodiesel is a loss of 5-7 percent in maximum power output. That is with 100-percent biodiesel. As long as fuel quality meets ASTM standards, lower ratio blends, such as B-2, B-5, or even B-20, seem to have little, if any impact on perceived performance. One performance concern is due to biodiesel’s higher lubricity. On one hand, high lubricity helps prevent premature fuel system wear and tear. However, when first transitioning from existing diesel systems to biodiesel, the higher lubricity could cause problems. For example, it can act as a solvent to some fuel system components and concrete-lined tanks, releasing deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from diesel fuel storage, initially causing fuel filter clogs. The EPA recommends vehicle owners change fuel filters, especially after the first tank of fuel. Another concern is cold weather performance. “The performance of biodiesel in cold conditions is markedly worse than that of petroleum diesel,” says Anthony Radich, with the Department of Energy, in his analysis paper “Biodiesel Performance, Costs, and Use.” He says that the temperature at which wax crystals can form and potentially clog fuel lines and filters in a vehicle fuel system is higher than that for petroleum diesel.
 
#31 ·
I ran B99 quite a few times in my common rail Cummins. I did notice a drop in fuel economy but not in performance. Also had to change my fuel filter more often. Plus side the exhaust smells good! Fish frying! With B20 I didn't notice any difference in performance or fuel economy.
 
#34 ·
If everything in my area is B10 or higher, are there any additives that cause the worst of the stuff to precipitate/congeal out? I'd far rather replace my fuel filters more regularly than have CP / engine failure, where Nissan/Cummins turn around and say "Doh! Use the "right" fuel, idgit"!
 
#35 ·
Farm aid is all it is, I must say though I have over 100,000 miles running bio up to 20% no clogging,no premature filter changes,no gelling down to minus 30 F. Engine is less noisy with improved lubricity. B5 in winter months B20 may thru Sept. Minnesota
 
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