Biodiesel

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 2:21 pm

I have been reading about bio and all the good things about it and I want to try it. I found a place thats not too far I can buy B99 and B100. I'm going tomorrow and plan to fill my tank up with B99, by then it will be at half or less. I will take a few fuel containers I have as well.

Do I need to worry about jelling? or will the fuel most likely be treated? I have powerservice on hand I can add too.

I have been looking in to making it myself from used fryer oils but I don't know enough yet or how well my engine will like it.

UFO · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 2:36 pm

You cannot treat B100 for gelling, unless you dilute it sufficiently with diesel where it is no longer B100. I'm in Colorado where the high is currently 25F, and lows in the teens (F). I can run B50 in this weather.

chrismc · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:25 pm

If you haven't fueled up with BioD recently, I'd strongly recommend having a spare fuel filter on hand BEFORE filling up. Biodiesel is a very strong solvent, and will clean all of the petro-diesel sediment and gunk out of your fuel tank and system, and promptly deposit it in your existing fuel filter. A filter change after switching to biodiesel is pretty common. Don't put the nice new filter in until the biodiesel has had a chance to work its magic and free the goo (into the old filter), otherwise you've just clogged a perfectly good filter.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:41 pm

I have never filled up with BioD since I got the liberty in August. I don't know what the other owner may have done. Being the other owner lived in Lancaster County (Amish Country) where there are a few more places to buy it than where I am on this side of the river it may have been run on some bio. I changed my fuel filter in September so it should still be very clean now. I do not know how much gunk is in my tank and lines. I may just find out. the local Napa stocks the filter so I won't have a problem gettin one

its been in the upper 30's here in the early mornings and over night. I am going to blend B99 with petro-D not sure of what mix I'm going for.

stoutdog · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:42 pm

FWIW, I run B25 (I get the biodiesel place to put in 5 gal of 100% bio and then drive across the street to fill up my tank)

Of course, I don't have to worry about gelling in AZ...

grywlfbg · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:45 pm

When headed into the mountains in the winter to ski we'll splash blend to B50 (half tank of D-2, half tank of B100) and add in power service. When not skiing I run B100 and no additives. Ran Bio since taking delivery of the Jeep w/ 1,500 miles on it. Now at 70k w/ no problems.

As Chris said, have a spare fuel filter on hand but otherwise you are good to go. I noticed I get much less clatter from the engine when running bio.

dkenny · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:56 pm

in your winter temp..listen to UFO...run at most a B50....ok don't beleive me..take a sample of you fuel mix..what ever it may be.. put in the clear glass jar..then put it outside..if in the morning it clear..your good to go!..you will not have any problems..if its cloudy..well you might be ok..now for the tougher reality..turn the test jar over..did it pour..or is it like jello???if its like jello, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING TO DRIVE!!! you won't get far..

fyi..

yes in the next couple of weeks I'll be placing sample of B100, B75, B50, B25 and B0 in glass jars on our deck just for this purpose. and yes We run B100 most of the year..blend with D2/D1( what ever is sold around here) when is cold..

-dkenny

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:52 am

I will be filling the Tank from half full of petrodiesel and will fill it to full with b99, to give me about b50. I have some powerservice in this tank of fuel now and have a dose in my small bottle that I carry with me. I keep a 80 oz. jug of it in my shed at all times now. I am going to get a jerry can of bio to blend in later with my next fill up as well.

It's going to be warm tomorrow and it has been warming all evening here so i'm not worried about jelling right away. I will have additives to prevent that and I will run by Napa and get a spare filter to hold on to just in case.

Mostly I want to see how my engine runs on it. At this point I don't know if I will be buying it all the time. the place I found that sells it is not far but not along routes I travel every day so I sort of have to plan to go there.

I will see how it goes tomorow afternoon.

SLS · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:03 am

Great to see so many useing biodiesel!
It's a renewable resource and better for the environment. We are doing a demo on how to make your own to an Ag leadership group later today. We are also working to get more farmers growing energy seed or oil seed crops as a rotational crop. Less dependency on foreign oil.

I run no more than B40 in the winter and carry a quart of AMSOIL Diesel Recovery just in case, which will quickly dissolves gelled fuel, thaws frozen fuel filters and reduces the need for a new filter, saving both money and an inconvenient trip to a parts store. Performs well in all diesel fuels, including ULSD, off-road and biodiesel. Cheap insurance against frozen fuel.

SLS · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:16 am

-Mikey
If you work your way into biodiesel you probably will not have a filter issue. Start out at B10 or B20 and work your way up to B100 then your less likely to have a filter issue. I have done this with several older diesel engines with no clogged filter issues. That is not to say that the filter was not pretty dirty when I did change it.

ColoradoCRD · **Joined:** Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:25 am **Posts:** 60

From what I have read concentrations up to B20 do not measurably increase gel temperature.

I allways keep B100 on hand and mix as I go. If you plan to store and mix B100, I have to keep it indoors to avoid gelling. B100 seems to start gelling in the 40 degree range.

onthehunt · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:20 pm

You picked about the worst time to experiment with bio-d. I would wait till spring. Or very slowly ease into using it.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:19 pm

I got the bio. I had half a tank of petro-d and filled the rest of the way with B99 and a generious splash of power service anti gel, that should give me about B50.

If UFO can use B50 where he is and it doesn't get half as cold here, I think I should be ok. I do think the engine sounds a little quieter at idle and crusing now, but it could just be my imagination.

geordi · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:12 pm

Its not your imagination, these tractors LOVE the taste of biodiesel. LOTS more lubrication value than regular dino-D, and better cetane ratings too, so the performance is quieter. The fuel detonates when it is supposed to.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:45 pm

geordi wrote:

Its not your imagination, these tractors LOVE the taste of biodiesel. LOTS more lubrication value than regular dino-D, and better cetane ratings too, so the performance is quieter. The fuel detonates when it is supposed to.

This is a serious question. I'm not trying to be a jerk. How can this Bio be a lubricant that smooths out the engine when other posts say it will desolve the sludge in the tank etc? My dream was always Bio, but I heard it wil eat the fuel lines and other components that must be changed over to handle the Bio.

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 1:50 am

Big Montana wrote:

geordi wrote:

Its not your imagination, these tractors LOVE the taste of biodiesel. LOTS more lubrication value than regular dino-D, and better cetane ratings too, so the performance is quieter. The fuel detonates when it is supposed to.

This is a serious question. I'm not trying to be a jerk. How can this Bio be a lubricant that smooths out the engine when other posts say it will desolve the sludge in the tank etc? My dream was always Bio, but I heard it wil eat the fuel lines and other components that must be changed over to handle the Bio.

It is only hard on natural rubber. All vehicles made since 1996 are required to have ULSD and Bio resistant hoses and seals. Dino diesel (especially the older HSD and LSD) has a lot of varieties of waxes in it. Oxidized diesel can also form asphalts. These will collect on the sides of the tank and fuel lines. Biodiesel will dissolve these deposits causing small chunks to lodge in the filter, plugging it.

The smooth running is due to the much higher cetane rating and longer burn time of biodiesel. A higher cetane fuel ignites sooner after injection, which causes a lower pressure spike in the combustion chamber, which in turn makes the engine quieter and smoother.

SLS · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:11 pm

Big Montana
Great explanation!
I would like to use your comments when we do another exhibit at one of the "Earth Fest" next year. We have a display on biodiesel and try to educate the so called "environmentalist" on energy crops and biodiesel production.

UFO · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:40 pm

Big Montana wrote:

geordi wrote:

Its not your imagination, these tractors LOVE the taste of biodiesel. LOTS more lubrication value than regular dino-D, and better cetane ratings too, so the performance is quieter. The fuel detonates when it is supposed to.

This is a serious question. I'm not trying to be a jerk. How can this Bio be a lubricant that smooths out the engine when other posts say it will desolve the sludge in the tank etc? My dream was always Bio, but I heard it wil eat the fuel lines and other components that must be changed over to handle the Bio.

Having high lubricity and being an excellent solvent are not mutually exclusive properties. The Libby has a modern fuel system designed for biodiesel. I heard it even shipped with B5 from the factory.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:21 pm

still doing fine on the bio blend. I was a little worried because of all the things some have said about this being a bad time to try Bio-d because of gelling, but it started up this morning and has run great all day.

I too read in several places that our trucks were filled it the factory with B5

flyboy · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:04 am

My experience with bio diesel was a bad one.I dont know what the CRD Libertys in USA run like with bio but i used to have a 98 XJ 2.5 diesel Cherokee here in Aussie and after using bio diesel for just over a year i had a leaking fuel pump that had to be completely rebuilt due to worn internals thanks to the aggresive nature of bio diesel.That was a A$3000.00 mistake.I did ask the local Jeep dealership before turning to the alternative and they advised me against it due to lack of testing. :evil:

Have since brought a 2005 CRD KJ (your equivelent of the Liberty) and won't touch bio diesel.

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