Biodiesel for MEP-802/803 and 531A

[kwartk]

Fellow Steelers, appreciate any guidance / advice. Is it ok to use Biodiesel in the MEP 802/803 and 531As? We have a combination of the above mentioned gensets and will be moving to a relatively remote area with access to good supply of vegetable oil~ Canola / Sunflower. We do have a rig for making Biodiesel; my question is;- is it "Safe" or Advisable to run the gensets with a 60% Bio/40%regular diesel blend or 100%Biodiesel Any advice/guide very much appreciated!..

Regards & Salute..

 

[87cr250r]

What gaskets are exposed to fuel? There are a few seals in the injection pumps that may be, they should be Viton.l which handles any fuel. The power rating of the engine may be reduced.

 

[kwartk]

What gaskets are exposed to fuel? There are a few seals in the injection pumps that may be, they should be Viton.l which handles any fuel. The power rating of the engine may be reduced.

Hello and much appreciate the response !. To be honest I am not sure what the gasket materials / seals are made off. The main components I assume have direct interface to the fuel are:- Fuel Filter; Pump; Separator. I will have to read the tech manuals to be certain.. In terms of power output reduction do you think it may go down to 70% of rated output?

Regards

 

[87cr250r]

It's not that bad. You'll be around ~94% of rated output.

FKM rubber has the best chance of standing up to biodiesel. It is common in modern fuel systems for o-rings but is very expensive to be used for hoses. NBR is the rubber to be concerned about. HNBR is a newer rubber that substitutes well for FKM at a lower cost. I can't find any information about it's compatibility with biodiesel. There is a NBR-PVC blend that is common on Japanese stuff. I don't know it's compatibility.

To study up on hoses see SAE J30. For example SAE J30R9 has a FKM inner layer.

 

[kwartk]

Thanks!!