Bio Diesel.....?

[hedgehog69]

I Hate The Bio Crap. I ran it in my dodge once, Noticable power loss, less MPG, and higher egts. I will avoid it from now on.

I know some diesels...newer ones...have some kind of sensor in the pump...like the 6.5 GM's...I was told. They don't 'recognize' the fuel.

We also had an 04 VW Jetta diesel...could blend it 50/50 or so. We traded that for an 06 VW Jetta diesel...and couldn't run any homebrew in it, which was a major disappointment...and defeated purpose for buying the car. PERHAPS if a person had equipment and knowledge, engine could be tuned to run on homebrew??? I don't know....we got rid of it...kind of a lemon.

 

[hedgehog69]

I've also got a 99 F250 with the 7.3L and it loves biodiesel. They sold it here in the mountains for about a year and I used it year round. I did add an additive during winter fill ups. My engine ran quieter and smoother with the B20 blend. I tried B100 and found that I had a loss of power, not bad but noticable.

Is the only way I can afford to travel fo GL buys. Homebrew costs about $1 gallon to make. I put 2-3 55 gal drums in the truck ...and a siphoning hose, and away I go. A little less power perhaps....but I can deal with that quite easily when it saves me $3+ per gallon.
And I love the smell of biodiesel, especially if compared to the stench of petrodiesel. Petrodiesel burns my eyes, nose and lungs. Biodiesel does not.

 

[dependable]

B-20 blend is sold at one station here, and I usually fill up there. The bio blend has better lubricity than the new low sulfer fuel. Have not noticed a loss of power (except when filter is clogged) It does have a flushing effect on tanks and lines, so you do need to change primary filter a few extra times at first. I run this in 6.2s, Cummins 5.9s, my Perkins chipper, Cat Loader. I usually don't put it in the F-800 w 7.8 Ford, as I could never determine if the injector seals were made for it (and it is a big, expensive IP) It does start to gel when it gets below 10 f. I would hesitate to use a higher blend cool weather.

 

[diverman555]

You can actually make bio-diesel yourself, at home with only a few things. It can be made for under $.55 cents a gallon. In the winter you have to use anti gel products, but the power and performance are about the same as regular diesel. Running big trucks in close areas makes it worth making, but you can even use it in small pickups. you can look online and see what you need to make it. Mostly stuff to stir it. You can use straight french fry grease. Now with the M923 I might start making 500 gallon drums of it. At .50 a gallon that's pretty cheap.

 

[cranetruck]

Hmm...methanol costs about $5/gallon now and 20% of you batch is methanol, so figure $1/gallon plus other ingredients (sodium hydroxide and the oil)...

 

[cranetruck]

Biodiesel has a lower heating value than diesel and there will be a power loss and/or higher fuel consumption/mile. The EGT will be lower for biodiesel Biodiesel/veggie oil, it contains oxygen and promotes a cleaner burn (less harmful exhaust).

Having used bio fuels off and on for about six years now, my conclusion is that making biodiesel is a waste, much better to simply add pure veggie oil in a proportion determined by the season, more in the Summer and less in the Winter. The deuce will run on 100% veggie oil when it's warm.
Images show my "tub" method for making biodiesel.

 

[hedgehog69]

Hmm...methanol costs about $5/gallon now and 20% of you batch is methanol, so figure $1/gallon plus other ingredients (sodium hydroxide and the oil)...

I buy mine from a Mom & Pop company that sells racecar parts and fuel. I take my own drums...pump it myself. Last time I bought...6 weeks ago or so...it was $2.25 a gal.

 

[hedgehog69]

Biodiesel has a lower heating value than diesel and there will be a power loss and/or higher fuel consumption/mile. The EGT will be lower for biodiesel Biodiesel/veggie oil, it contains oxygen and promotes a cleaner burn (less harmful exhaust).

Having used bio fuels off and on for about six years now, my conclusion is that making biodiesel is a waste, much better to simply add pure veggie oil in a proportion determined by the season, more in the Summer and less in the Winter. The deuce will run on 100% veggie oil when it's warm.
Images show my "tub" method for making biodiesel.

I agree...but once you get setup, it really doesn't require a lot of hands on time. Fill the processor...turn on the heat...go mow grass and come back in 1 1/2 hours. I mix my methoxide as I bring it home, so it is always ready. Add methoxide...go work on something else for 1 1/2 hours. etc., etc. Not totally painless, but I find that it is well worth the time and effort. My next truck...I want to do WVO...as well as biodiesel, thru the warm months anyway.

 

[Outlaw86er]

Diesel engines were actually never meant to run on peanut oil, although it's a common myth.

6. Diesel Did Not Design His Engine To Run on Vegetable Oil
The belief that Diesel designed his engine to run on vegetable oil makes us feel warm and fuzzy, but it's not true according to Lyle Cummins. The vegetable oil myth probably came from the French Otto Company, a diesel-licensee which displayed an engine running on peanut oil at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. However, it can be argued that Diesel designed his engine to help regular working people, since he experienced the toil of labor at an early age and had Bohemian friends in Paris.

Source: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Diesel - Cummins - Diesel Power Magazine

They got the information from a book: Diesel's Engine: Volume One From Conception to 1918 by Lyle Cummins

 

[Psywarrior]

Biodiesel has a better lubricity than ULSD and about the same as #2 (LSD) Diesel. However, it has a lower cetane rating and is more prone to gelling. ULSD will gel below 0 (depending on the additives, but most companies require drivers to add an anti gel if weather gets below 10) and bio diesel will gel at a higher temperature. Most travel centers (there is no such thing as a truck stop any more) sell only blended fuels. This is typically b20 -b5. In all actuality, it is a feel good lie. An absolute farce that is supposed to make fools feel better about not using "foreign" oil. The truth is that it does lower the fuel economy of the vehicle and you still use the same amount of petro fuel to get where you are going. However, it does reduce the available cropland to produce food. A single tank of e85 uses enough corn to provide a meal a day for an entire year.

 

[axlr8]

cranetruck....you bring an interesting point in here...if it burns cooler....does that mean you could bump the fuel up two times as much to make it run in the regular diesel EGT range? Just a thought...Which in turn you would get more fuel...and possibly power??? Suggestions help...Im subbed!

 

[BIG_RED]

I'd just like to put it out there that I don't think all biodiesel is created equally.. I have heard good things about it when purchased some places and some bad things about it when found elsewhere. I'd imagine it's highly dependent on what the base oils were (canola oil, rapeseed oil, etc) and how good their quality control is. Ethanol in gas - now that's just a scam. Around here, all of our diesel is "up to 5% biodiesel". No gelling problems. But fuel goes up in price about 10% in the winter to cover all the anti-gel additives and whatnot they have to throw in. more greenish tinge in the winter too. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[patracy]

Drop the polictical banter from the thread. Per the site rules it's not allowed in the open forums.

 

[Speedwoble]

Biodiesel has a better lubricity than ULSD and about the same as #2 (LSD) Diesel. However, it has a lower cetane rating and is more prone to gelling. ULSD will gel below 0 (depending on the additives, but most companies require drivers to add an anti gel if weather gets below 10) and bio diesel will gel at a higher temperature. Most travel centers (there is no such thing as a truck stop any more) sell only blended fuels. This is typically b20 -b5. In all actuality, it is a feel good lie. An absolute farce that is supposed to make fools feel better about not using "foreign" oil. The truth is that it does lower the fuel economy of the vehicle and you still use the same amount of petro fuel to get where you are going. However, it does reduce the available cropland to produce food. A single tank of e85 uses enough corn to provide a meal a day for an entire year.

First, #2 diesel is not the same thing as LSD. There was #2 diesel before LSD, and there is #2 ULSD.
Second, Biodiesel has far better lubricity than petroleum diesel.
Third, as a previous poster stated, the gelling temp of Biodiesel varies based upon the feedstock. Animal fat based biodiesel has a higher gel point than plant based feedstock.
Fourth, you are confusing ethanol and Biodiesel. E85 is 85% ethanol.
Fifth, if you are really concerned about feeding people and available cropland, become a vegetarian. Beef uses alot of corn too.

 

[RedbeardTheZombieHunter]

If you add 100% ispropyl alcohol to your tank with bio-diesel, that will stablize your fuel, give it a longer shelf-life, prevent gelling, and keep moss from growing in your tank.

 

[patracy]

If you add 100% ispropyl alcohol to your tank with bio-diesel, that will stablize your fuel, give it a longer shelf-life, prevent gelling, and keep moss from growing in your tank.

And give water a conduit right past the filters...

 

[ryan77]

I cant even find non bio diesel by my house !!!!

 

[PsycoBob]

I wish I had that problem. The only B20 station near me is out of stock or broken most of the time. I'd love get 10gal of B100 to use as an additive for the trucks.

Straight from the refinery ULSD needs additives before we see it, especially lubricity. B2 handles that last bit very well indeed, a VERY good thing for our old, tired trucks with relatively crap QC/tolerances in the IP. Much as I love my deuce, a NOS LDT-465 IP would get someone fired (at) if you tried to convince CAT/Cummins engineers to use it.

 

[EMD567]

My NHC 250 can't tell between 100% bio and the ulsd pump fuel with 2 cycle or filtered WMO added at 10%. Mr Cummins DOES NOT LIKE pure ULSD.

 

[randini]

What about cost? Near me is a dealer that sells Bio-diesel, its 20-30 cents more than regular diesel.