Bio-Diesel
bvance
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 280 The Great Pacific NorthWet, Olympia, WA Pics |
2008-05-05 153442
I have seen several threads here on diesel fuel and its additives etc. but I have not seen anything on Bio-Diesel.
Today I went to my local gas station to get some diesel for my 'Bota and noticed that they are only selling diesel that has 5% bio-diesel added. Anybody have any concerns with a small amount of added bio-diesel for tractors?
I always add the recommended Power Service, so my guess is that is OK to have a bit of bio-diesel addded.
Thoughts on this?
Brian
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Bio-Diesel
candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota Pics |
2008-05-05 153443
Brian,
Bio-diesel is a very generic term. Bio-diesel can be produced from a wide range of different plants. Each type of plant produces a bio-diesel that has a particular set of characteristics.
Some plants produce a very heavy bio-diesel fuel, which will gel up at about 30 degrees above zero. Other plants produce fuels that will not be as greatly affected by cold weather. However, ALL BIO-DIESEL FUELS are inferior to petroleum based fuels when it comes to cold weather operation. Even with the best additives, and at the highest concentration levels recommended, bio-diesel fuels will gel up LONG BEFORE even the cheapest petro based fuels.
I wouldn't worry much about a 5% mixture of bio-diesel during the hotter summer months. However, I'd stay wide and clear of that stuff during the winter.
Take a look at the information contained at the link below. It helps explain a whole number of other issues involving bio-diesels that may be a cause for worry.
If you're interested in some other good reading, do a little research concerning which plants produce the best bio-diesel fuels. The quality of the fuels produced vary WIDELY......but good luck getting your supplier to tell you which plants were used to produce YOUR bio-diesel. He'll likely not have a clue.
Joel
Moderator edit: Murf fixed the bad link. ....
Link: Bio-Diesel Fuel Cautions
 
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Bio-Diesel
greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky Pics |
2008-05-05 153450
A big concern about bio-diesel in older engines is the potential for clogging filters and injectors. It's related to a characteristic that actually cleans accumulated residue from the inside fuel delivery systems. In extreme cases, this can also lead to fuel leaks.
But that's at 100% "strength". I can't see any problem with burning a 5% blend After all, think about how many gasoline pumps have that same kind of sticker on them; "Contains 10% Ethanol". And the winter-summer thing would be a non-issue for me: Because of the ULSD I use Power Service year round anyway; silver jub in the summer, white (anti-gel) jug in the winter.
//greg// ....
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Bio-Diesel
auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2168 West of Toronto Pics |
2008-05-05 153452
You can run a diesel on just about anything from peanut oil to used cooking oil to (so I'm told) vodka. Any "bio" additive does not have quite the punch of diesel, but you won't notice it at that dilution; it's the diesel equivalent of refiners diluting gasoline with a bit of ethanol. And if it comes from a commercial pump, you can be sure it's properly filtered and appropriate for the season. There's a better savings from searching out a supplier of off-road (meaning road-tax-free) diesel fuel. ....
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Bio-Diesel
Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada Pics |
2008-05-05 153454
The topic of road tax comes up here every so often.
The bottom line is that any diesel you buy any place for certain off-road uses, tractors are one of them, is road tax free. You just have to go through some hoops sometimes to make it so.
Generally speaking, every jurisdictions tax authority has provisions to refund the road tax on fuel purchased for qualifying off-road uses.
Contact your Provincial or State tax people and they will usually give you a form to complete, you attach copies of the receipts to the completed forms and they will send you a refund.
Best of luck. ....
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Bio-Diesel
hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa |
2008-05-05 153457
Other than #1, I don't think anyone around here has straight diesel anymore. I've ran the bio for a couple years now with white jug PS, and never had any problems even at ten below. Frank. ....
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Bio-Diesel
bvance
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 280 The Great Pacific NorthWet, Olympia, WA Pics |
2008-05-06 153467
Thanks Guys.
I figured it would be OK, but thought I would ask all you knowledgeable experts out there. Thanks for your help.
Brian ....
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Bio-Diesel
AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 463 Troy OH Pics |
2008-05-06 153475
Quote:
|
This seems a bit of a strech to me - As the producer of this stuff you would open yourself up to all sorts of liability issues if your diesel gelled at 30°F
"We had a frost, Oh and the diesel is gelled" ....
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Bio-Diesel
candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota Pics |
2008-05-06 153480
AnnBrush,
I wasn't kidding about the high risk of gelling when using bio-diesels in cold weather.
Here's a report from the North Dakota Agriculture Extension Office regarding the use of bio-diesel fuels.
I've copied a small portion dealing with the cloud point of bio-diesel fuels.
________________________________________
"In cold weather, biodiesel begins to cloud and thicken at about 30F.
Biodiesel thickens at warmer temperatures than No. 2 diesel fuel, but additives are available that will lower the pour point. Pour point is the point at which flow of the fuel ceases.
Mixing biodiesel with No.1 diesel as is currently done with No. 2 will lower the pour point. Installing an in-tank or fuel line heater may also be needed to keep the fuel flowing in cold weather.
A blend of biodiesel/diesel fuel has a lower pour point than 100% biodiesel, but gelling may still occur unless care as mentioned earlier is taken."
_________________________________________
Note that the gel point is very high, at 30 degrees ABOVE zero. (Some Bio-diesel fuels (YG) gel at 48 degrees ABOVE zero!)
Please visit the link below.
Joel
....
Link: Bio-Diesel Fuel Report
 
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