bio Question

[Cincinnati Guy]

Is it ok to mix in some Bio with my regular Diesel? Will it hurt any of my O-Rings? What is the mixture rate? Are there any other things I should know or change before doing so?

I have heard mixing will help with fuel mileage with it getting more lubrication.

 

[dakotajeep]

I have run up to 90% bioD in my 94 with no issues. I am not 100% sure about the older IDI's though it terms of seals and o-rings but I think you should be fine...

 

[tractorman86]

but I think you should be fine...

that's what i have heard too. Beware, i have also heard that you will be changing a few fuel filters at first, bio suposedly cleans your system out leaving the filters to do the grunt work.

 

[dakotajeep]

that's what i have heard too. Beware, i have also heard that you will be changing a few fuel filters at first, bio suposedly cleans your system out leaving the filters to do the grunt work.

Thats an excellent point that I omitted! I ALWAYS carry a spare filter or two in the pickup reguardless.

As a technique you might want to slowly increase the amount of bioD over time instead of running a high percentage of bioD right off the bat. I ran 30% through a few tanks and then increased from there....

Thad

 

[punkmechanic]

if it is good quality (get some in a plastic fuel can and look down through the filler opening at whats in it) you will be fine once you run a tank or two to get the grunge out. Really keep an eye on the quality though, we get trucks in every week that need new fuel pumps and a few injectors cause they ran too much through and plugged everything up. Not as ******* our mech idi's but it aint great for them either.

pros are better power, cleaner, and more lubricity

cons are cost (around here its 1-2 dollars more a gallon) and haveing to watch it some damn close, its less regulated and is a REALLY good solvent that cleans whatever its in. too much methonal from transfiguration and it will tear up your rubber parts (o-rings and lift pump for starters)

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

Well I added 5 gallons to my 19 gallon tank to fill it up. So it was 5 gallons bio and 14 gallons regular diesel. Also the biodiesel was b5-b-20 whatever that means.

 

[dakotajeep]

Well I added 5 gallons to my 19 gallon tank to fill it up. So it was 5 gallons bio and 14 gallons regular diesel. Also the biodiesel was b5-b-20 whatever that means.

It was either B5 or B20. The B=biodiesel and 5 or 20= percent of biodiesel in the fuel.

So either you put a blend of 5% biodiesel in or a blend of 20% biodiesel in.

Running the numbers you gave....if you put B5 in, you actually are running about a 1% blend of biodiesel and if you put in B20, you have about 5% biodiesel....

When I mentioned that I ran 90% blend of biodiesel I was refering to 9 gallons of B99 (close enough to 100%) to one gallon of #2 diesel.

 

[Diesel JD]

The Bx is the percentage of the blend that is biodiesel. B5 is 5% and B20 is 20% B100 is all bio(or more likely B99) Good quality control is key. Biodiesel sold commercially SHOULD meet ASTM specs which are very stringent, but in reality only the process has to be certified. For an IDI I would check a small sample in a glass or plastic vessel. It should be transparent, meaning little or no free or bound water. If its B100 you can get a small amount of methanol in the HEET gas line antifreeze and dissolve 3 ML of the B100 in 27ML of the methanol in a glass(that will not be used for beverages or food again) and at approximately room temp you should see no dropout after it has been swished together. There is a high correlation with passing this test and ASTM spec passage. If its homebrew or from a co-op pay careful attention to quality if its a blend from a commercial source like B20 from a public pump I wouldn't worry about it much at all. Biodiesel WILL eat natural or butyl rubber parts and anything latex. Our factory plastic and metal lines are already biodiesel compatible. If the return Orings are original it might eat them. I doubt there's any worse scenario out there for you as far as having problems with your fuel system and bio. You should always carry an extra fuel filter for any diesel biofuels or not.

 

[Diesel JD]

Dakota beat me to most of that info...good info

 

[Papabear]

very good info to keep in mind

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

The pump siad the bio was between %5 and 20% its the only local place to get bio I got it from a BP station, maybe next time I go back Ill investigate more. I would have to make my own bio to get b99? If my tank is empty running the either b5 or b20 wont hurt anything am I reading that right? Anyways my truck has new injectors with new returns and O-rings on injectors. Those the o-rings your referring to?

 

[dakotajeep]

The pump siad the bio was between %5 and 20% its the only local place to get bio I got it from a BP station, maybe next time I go back Ill investigate more. I would have to make my own bio to get b99? If my tank is empty running the either b5 or b20 wont hurt anything am I reading that right? Anyways my truck has new injectors with new returns and O-rings on injectors. Those the o-rings your referring to?

Keep us posted on the blend, I am curious.
No, you dont have to make your own to get B99. I by B99 from a country store gas station. Their bioD is animal fat based and not soy.

If you replaced the parts mentioned you should be fine running up to 100% bioD.

NOTE: In addition to what JD said.......Remember that bioD does NOT have the same cloud/gel point as regular diesel. You may need to do a elementry level science project with it to find the cloud/gel point. (using a thermometer and a freezer or just let it sit outside and check it in the morning to see if it clouded or gelled b4 you crank)

 

[hahn_rossman]

I've been running B99 for 5 years now. It will soften old butyl rubber fuel lines. I'd recommend replacing them with something like delco gen-2 or something else manufactured in this millennium.
I haven't had any problems with injection pump seals and I deleted the stock lift pump long ago.
I think that replacing all the rubber parts of our fuel systems is good preventive maintenance on trucks that are 14-24 years old. The hardest ones to *** to are the square profile olives on the hard lines from the filter head to IP etc.

 

[Diesel JD]

Hahn do you mean you replaced the stock fuel lines from the tanks? The hard plastic ones? I still haven't had any problems with them but I know that doesn't mean I won't. I've been running B100 and/or blends since March 2005. I did have to replace an IP but I think that was due to my running it out of fuel too many times or a poorly done rebuild or both. You can probably hook up with a homebrewer or co-op. If you can buy B99 or B100 at the pump you're going to pay through the nose for it. I also agree that if you live in a place where it can get colder than around 35-40*F at night you might want to make sure to reduce your blend to around B70 or B80 during the winter. That's what works here but in Gainesville 20*F is a REALLY cold morning in the dead of winter and my biodiesel is from mostly non hydrogenated corn and canola oil feedstock which has a lower gel point to begin with. I also usually add some Power Service fuel additive to my winter blend.

 

[dakotajeep]

JD
The B99 I have purchased was 30 cents less than the #2. I wonder if thats a local thing or maybe the place I got mine was trying to build interest/customers.......