Bio-diesel

I have 3 diesel machines on my small farm, 2 tractors and 1 combine. I use about 300 gallons of diesel fuel/year. I have been using bio-diesel for the past 4 or 5 years, no problems yet, but I have heard guys talkin about having fuel lines plug up in tractors that don't get used a lot. I'm wondering if I would be better off to go back to regular diesel fuel. Anyone have any experience with bio-diesel plugging fuel lines and/or filters? Chris

Depends on what you call "bio diesel." The blends can vary a lot and techinically, even waste vegetable oil (WVO) is bio diesel.

Some certified bio blends do fine in cold weather. Some are awful. Same goes with lube-quality. Some bio fuels can ruin a mechanical injection pump and some have even better lube then standard #2 diesel fuel, especially if mixed with canola oil.

2 of my 3 diesel tractors set all winter from mid Nov. to mid. April. No problem at all with bio.

From what I have read, heard, or experienced myself, the bio diesel is not doing the plugging if it is good quality bio.

The plugging is caused by the bio cleaning the existing crud out of the system.

I would say since you have used it with no problems your system is clean and will be fine.

I also have used it for 4 or 5 years with zero problems. I use a 5% blend.

Try to avoid bio with lots of animal fat in the winter. Also make sure the bio is well mixed before it gets cold if you are using it in the winter.

Gary

As far as I know, it is soy diesel. Chris

Ditto that warning on animal-fat bio's. The batch I had in my tractor gelled at 40F. I figured I had another 10 degrees before it was an issue, but I was wrong. Otherwise, I've had really good luck with the fuel.

Well, the first question is what are you hoping to gain by running bio? Right off the bat, B20 (if you are running it) will give you about a 5% power loss. Are you running a detergent additive? You should consider it. I"ve seen nozzle flow rates reduced by 20% on commercial B20 without the use of detergent. Stop by your local JD dealer to pick up some bio additive to keep your fuel systems clean.

The recommendation is to turn your fuel supply every 20 days as a safe guard when running bio. Are you running a 2 micron bio approved fuel filter at your tank to catch any "growth" that might start since I doubt you are going through 300 gallons in a month?

As you start to do research, you will find more questions than answers and every "has an opinion." You know what the cost to replace your fuel systems are. Is it worth any risk?

Oh, and back when the world switched to ULSD, there was a big scare about the lack of lubricity (which proved to be false). In the event you feel you need more lubricity in your fuel, just run the stanadyne lubricity formula additive. It works pretty good.

IF youre refering to pumped bio at a gas station, I wouldnt worry about it. Homemade bio I would.

Might want to do some homework before you go posting.

http://gas2.org/2008/04/10/biodiesel-mythbuster-20-twenty-two-biodiesel-myths-dispelled/#myth7

AaronSEIA

The "scare" wasn't false as you claim. Some of the lube is indeed cooked out of the fuel, and is then supposed to be put in, by law, with additives. The amount that IS put back in is not always equal to what some mechanical pump companies recommend - especially the rotary distributor type pumps.

The plain fact is, for the most part, there is little concern for the minority of diesel users that have old equipment with mechancical and rotary pumps.

For here? There are many, this IS an old tractor forum, correct? Same applies on many older diesel SUVs and pickup trucks.

That article has many "myths" within it.

Note that the author starts out by stating -

" Biodiesel can be made from any plant oil or animal fat . . ."

Then goes on and discusses only certain types of biofuels, as if what he is stating applies to all.

The specifics he provides are true. The overall generalizations are not true.

To imply that use "biofuel" no mods are needed is rediculous. For some blends, yes, and for others, heck no.

I use between 300-500 gallons fuel/year and although would like to use biodiesel, will not take the chance with storing it over the winter in both the equipment and tank. So I don't use it and the supplier delivers 500 ppm sulfur off-road diesel. Sure would like to use bio-diesel but that is not going to happen until all the problems get sorted out. However if you have been successfully using bio-diesel with the local supplier, I might be inclined to continue.

I agree with you wholeheartedly, IAGary. The improvement in pump lubricity alone is well worth using the 5% blend. Also, to the poster that said he was being delivered 500 ppm diesel fuel, you might want to check that. VERY, VERY few suppliers will want to risk supplying that stuff due to contamination issues. They may be telling you that is what they are delivering but it may be still be ULSD and even still, 5% blend. In this area that is what all suppliers handle due to the liability of cross contamination.

The 5% blend acts just like (and gets the same bad rap) as ethanol did when it first came out. Both fuels have solvent properties and will flush out all kinds of bacteria and crud that has built up over the years due to the old diesel fuel. A few shorter filter change intervals will usually take care of this. Fuel that has stood for a long time will make this worse. It has had longer for the anerobic bacteria to grow in it. This fuel gets topped off with 5% blend and the blend is blamed for the trouble when in fact it's the old fuel it gets dumped on. I am a professional farmer and, of course, I am a big advocate of blended soy diesel. But the benefits of longer pump life are more than enough to sell me on it. High sulfur in diesel fuel is not a lubricant in and of itself. The process of removing the sulfur causes much of the lubricity to be removed. This is easily put back by the use of the 5% blend. Sulfur is an acid and causes all kinds of trouble in an engine if it isn't properly taken care of. Be glad it's gone and not polluting your engine oil.

I'll get off my soapbox now..

Mike

This goes against almost everyones opinion,but I only buy off road diesel once a year(Aug.-Sept)since mid 70s,transport load(7-8000 gal)until I cut back,now 3-4000gal.of B-20(5 yrs.)and have only had one filter needing changed(my fault)at 20 below on my snow blowing tractor.My fuel supplier has 2 unmanned fuel stations that I buy onroad B-20 at and have never had problems yet.On long trips where I don't know the fuel I use Stanadyne additive.

A friend of mine works for Ford. He also works in a diesel engine group. Ford specifically tells the dealers to NOT put Biodiesel in their trucks cause as the trucks sit the biodiesel will corrode the fuel lines.

used 11% bio for three years no problem till they took the sulfer out . Then we had to remove two tractor tanks and clean them out. Looked like we dumped a bunch of guts out of them. Our fuel man told us it had a three month shelf life so don't let it sit overwinter. WE quit using it

they took the sulfur out of the petroleum diesel there isnt any in biodiesel thats why its better for emissions and used to replace the lubricity that sulfur use to give in petro diesel.

no detergent is needed with biodiesel as it will clean like nothing you ever seen. As a matter of fact it was originally marketed as paint and decal remover.

that is correct animal fat does gel quite a bit sooner. when we get an order for bio it is all sold by cloud point that is what counts some is soy some canola some corn some animal fat. Also to make it profitable fat could be blended with say soy to create a specified cloud point. all things to think about but if you want to know about plugging issues find out what the cold soak time is that will tell the tale.

what they are talking about is either tractors that don't use bio often and then it will clean your entire fuel system or it has sat so long that it is growing algae which petro diesel will do also. The is an extend product that will extend the life of bio we put it in when sending orders over seas. Any other ?'s email is open too Chris.
I make Bio for a living.