Who's Using Biodiesel

[Hook n ladder 1]

I need some help. I had a reman motor put in my 98 CH613 and before I left the Mack dealer I asked about using bio. He printed out a bulletin saying Mack trucks only approves of B5 bio and not anything else in the E-techs, Ascert, MP7 and 8. SO the service manger says thats about '98 and up.

I'm in the CHicago meto area (SOUTHSIDE/WHITE SOX) everyone has bio of b10 or greater..or "might contain bio". What the hell is that?????

I can't find non-bio or B5 anywhere near me.

My question is this.....is anyone running higher % bio and having any problems???????????? or having problems with any bio??? ( I'm familiar with the changing of the filters soon after a few rounds of bio).

thanks

[LocomotiveBreath]

We ran B20 in our locomotives for a year and a half with no problems, we were very pleased with it. You have to be careful where it is coming from though as some suppliers do not keep their tanks clean. We recently were forced to switch to ULSD to which we add a lubricity enhancer.

[heavyhauler]

We sell scientific instruments to the biodiesel producers and the only problems you might find are with higher blends of biodiesel in cold weather i.e.-B-85 for example. Cold flow properties and fuel filter clogging can be an issue in cold weather. I suggest you buy half a tank of B10 and then fill the tank with standard ULSD. If you do that, you'll be close to the B5 that you need and you won't need a lubricity enhancer.

Best regards,

John

[storkmack]

We are based out of Northern Illinois area. We have been running B11 in our trucks for 2 years. We have all Macks, ranging in years from 1976 to 2006. We have not had any problems at all with it. In the winter we do back it down to 2% and run a winter blend. Thanks, Brad

[Gambi80]

I've got a '97 CH and run the bio all the time. I've never had any problems with it, just add an additive when it gets cold. Usually Stanidyne(not sure on the spelling)...and have had no trouble. I too am in north central IL.

[vanscottbuilders]

This has been a good forum -

I'm concerned about the lack of lubricity in the ULSD,

and the effect it could have on the antique diesels that

many of us have.

My understanding is that the bio-fuel does have a better

lubricating action.

Anyone here know that for sure?

There are shortcomings, obviously, to the bio-fuel. Primarily

in the areas of fuel consistency and the problem of cold-weather

thickening.

As for being a "green" fuel, I'm not totally sure that's really true.

Rumor has it that it takes almost as much energy to produce the fuel as

there is energy potential in the fuel. Not much return on that, if it's true.

I do like reducing our dependency on foreign oil, but I'm not sure bio-fuel answers this issue.

The fact that the bio-fuel has become so readily available, and in so many mixes, says that

the industry must be reasonably happy with the results that they are seeing.

Interesting times -------

Paul Van Scott

[heavyhauler]

Paul:

It depends on the feedstock as to whether you can make a judgment on greenability. Some of our biodiesel producers use yellow grease and/or french file oil and this would normally be dumped but now it can be processed into biodiesel so this is definitely a green type of fuel. Many of our biodiesel producers were geared towards using soybean oil. You know the rest. Biodiesel definitely has a greater lubricity factor than ULSD and the reason is this: highway diesel fuel used to have 500 ppm sulfur in it but ULSD or Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel has to have 15ppm sulfur. When you remove that sulfur, you also remove nitrogen, oxygen and water which makes the fuel more paraffin-like and not able to hold very much water or any lubricity factors. ULSD without additives can be a problem in cold weather because there are no charged chemical groups like the nitrogens, oxygen etc to hold the water and other organic compounds in solution. So ULSD needs to have lubricity factors added to it or simply mix it with biodiesel. I have tried to keep this fairly simple without adding a lot of chemistry. Email me if I have goofed on the explanation.

Best regards,

John

[Gambi80]

By the way, for the initial poster...GO CUBS!!!

Anyway, the main truck stops around here...Sapp Bro's and the now bankrupt Flying Hook and I think Loves...have their islands split between low sulfer and ultra-low sulfer, all of which are bio.

I've noticed a difference in MPG's between ULSD and the 'regular'.

[LocomotiveBreath]

We did extensive testing before we switched to B20 in August of '06. The HFRR lubricity testing we did showed substantially better lubricity than LSD and ULSD. I have the actual test results filed in my office at work . Another thing we noticed was the stacks were noticeably cleaner under load, sometimes you couldn't even tell it was a diesel the stacks burned so clean. The only reason we are now using ULSD diesel now is because our division ended up being part of a previously purchased fuel hedge. I don't have enough data yet to verify, but we seem to using more fuel since switching to ULSD this past October. We normally average 87K gallons a month, this past Oct. and Nov. were both a little over 90K usage.

[Underdog]

I've noticed a difference in MPG's between ULSD and the 'regular'.

I have noticed a drop in power AND MPG's using ULSD. I try to get the 15ppm LSD as much as possible; my bulldog just seems happier for it.

Looking at the big picture, I don't see any economic or environmental gain if we all must burn more fossil fuel to achieve the same amount of work. Another example of big government steamrollers smoothing the way for us.

[peterj]

there has been no ON HIGHWAY LSD for along time...only USLD..the differnce at the truck stop is that they have not certifyed the tanks and pumps for ULSD.. to put the stickers on, the tanks have to be cleaned in a special way and certifyed...so the truck stop cleans a limited number of tanks and puts the stickers on...the others they use as is..BUT they all get the same fuel....

clear as mud?

peterj

[PedroR]

This is good info, i wounder what the real price per gallon is on bio, i know a guy that runs bio on his UD tow trucks, i think he uses used cooking oil, i know it smells kind of funny when they go by, but never really asked how he makes it.

[95k1500]

Here is a link to an article about bio in an ASE newsletter:

http://www.ase.com/Content/ContentGroups/S...s_the_Story.pdf

[RowdyRebel]

I run whatever the station has when I pull in. Sometimes its 100% dino, other times its a bio blend of some sort. If a station (such as flying j) has both, I buy whichever is cheaper...usually that's the bio. I figure if peanut oil was good enough for Rudy D. 110+ years ago, I'm not going to worry about using a bio diesel blend today.

[briguy520]

I run whatever the station has when I pull in. Sometimes its 100% dino, other times its a bio blend of some sort. If a station (such as flying j) has both, I buy whichever is cheaper...usually that's the bio. I figure if peanut oil was good enough for Rudy D. 110+ years ago, I'm not going to worry about using a bio diesel blend today.

well rob this is a good topic man but dont forget brother you and i use to run together and im thinking youll have that fuel burned out of the tank before you know it .........ya let it rip man ass,gas, or grass nobody rides for free just think of all the topsoil you and i have delivered all over the chicago area we never use to worry about fuel then ok later brother