Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Diesel Prices

[WPeschel]

:-{} :-laf

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Yes sulfur occurs naturally in diesel, since diesel is refined from "sweet" crude oil, which has as much as 0. 5% sulfur (which is 100 times too much sulfur!). So to meet the 50ppm standard, 99% of the sulfur has to be removed. But while sulfur in itself it does not act as a lubricant, the processes used to remove it reduces the lubricity of the fuel.

In Russia & China diesel is limited to only 2000 to 5000ppm sulfur, ie, very little has to be removed

A little reading
Ultra-low sulfur diesel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sweet crude oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[SRath]

That's interesting. When I take my tractor or one of our hundreds of trailers to our maintenence shop for service (a daily part of my job), I spend my time in the drivers' room reading the trucking industry tech journals and news bulletins sent to our fleet technicians. That's about all there is to read or do there.



Needless to say, there has been much written both before and since the forced switch to ULSD and the killer OBD III emissions crap making things even worse. Worse meaning: initial truck cost, lower fuel mileage, greatly increased maintenence, less reliability, and higher breakdown incidents. Too much of which can bankrupt a trucking company.



We have been greatly concerned over the ill effects our large fleet's fuel systems are suffering from the ULSD, not to mention the poor fuel mileage at a time when fuel costs are so high. The information I repeated about sulphur and why and how it is in the fuel came straight from those tech journals and our technicians.



As both a truck driver and an owner of a diesel pickup I highly value, the USLD and what to do about it is important to me. The maintenence foreman, a Ford diesel pickup owner himself, and I even discussed various additives for saving our fuel systems, including what I read here on TDR about the possible benefits of adding 2-stroke oil to replace the lost lubricity.



If what I read and have been told is incorrect, thanks for straightening me out. I'll pass that along and do more research. The important things that are absolutely true is that ULSD has less lubricity and damages engines and gives poorer fuel mileage. I've seen that in my own semi and dozens of others in our fleet.

 

[BTanzini]

I wonder how many ENVIROMENTILIST work or are paid by the oil companies.

 

[GAmes]

The important things that are absolutely true is that ULSD has less lubricity and damages engines and gives poorer fuel mileage.

The only thing I agree with in that statement is that ULSD produces worse mileage. Some lubricity is stripped while removing the sulphur, but it is put back with additives, probably the same additives we see all over the country on truck stop shelves. I only use them in the winter when I am buying fuel in the south and have a destination in the north, gelling is my concern, not lubricity.



I have seen no hard facts anywhere that support your allegation that ULSD causes engine damage. If that were the case the huge fleets like Swift, Wal-Mart, J. B. Hunt, etc would have it documented by now and there would be class action suits in every state. This year alone I have used over 7000 gallons of diesel in my little 5. 9 with no harm. Prior to that I regularly bought ULSD in CA and Canada because that is all they sold, long before it became national. Not a lot by big truck standards, but more than what 99% of TDR members use in 5 years!

 

[SRath]

Our terminal (and this company has many around the country) runs about 100 tractors and 600 trailers dedicated to this particular local customer alone. Our trucks average 500 to 600 miles per day. We're lucky as truckers go, most of us get home for a few hours every day.



The fuel pumps in our tractors were shucking out right and left when we first received ULSD. Since we fuel almost exclusively from our own pump, we had to get with our fuel supplier and specify additives to combat the loss of lubricity that was causing the fuel pumps to fail. More expense per gallon, but repairs and down-time were killing us worse. All wintertime fuel in this region that I know of is automatically winter-blended, but that is a different thing, often just a mix of No. 1 with No. 2. Additives for lubricity are not included. And have you checked the prices on those lately? Wow!



With that problem more-or-less "cured", we still have continued problems with the emissions junk crapping out (EGR valves are very common. Mine is out for the second time in only 200,000 miles right now. ). There is no additive to cure that. Our fuel mileage is down from 6. 3 to 5. 5mpg average. That is a tremendous amount of money. There is no additive to cure that, either.



I personally don't like the Volvo engines in our Volvo tractors. I do like the Volvo tractors due to their excellent maneuverability and reasonable comfort. But when I had the same Volvo tractor with a Cummins N14 in it, I had better power and better mileage by far. Of course, that tractor was pre-emissions. It also got 7. 2mpg with no particular effort at mileage-oriented driving on my part (hammer down!).



The emissions regulations combined with the ULSD has been a vicious hit to both the company and to us drivers. None of us can get our piddly fuel mileage bonuses anymore and the company cries "poor" when we request a cost of living increase, which hasn't happened in 3 years. The cost of living has skyrocketed in that time, as we all know. When stupid legislation takes money out my pocket, I get torqued.



The big joke is, the emissions crap and the ULSD may reduce some noxious emissions a tiny amount on a per-gallon-burned basis, but the additional gallons-burned-per-mile more than offsets that and results in an overall increase in pollutants. And a further contrived "shortage" of refined fuel. But hey, the EPA and stupid politicians can ignore that math and claim they're doing us all a favor. That favor is paid for every time you buy anything since the costs of it all are passed right on down to all of us consumers. Neat trick, huh?



Also, I can't help but wonder what noxious emissions the additives we must use produce. They certainly must add something.



You have to start getting suspicious about the true intent of such legislation when you realize how profitably this all plays into Big Oil's bank accounts with the lower fuel mileage millions of trucks are now getting.

 

[USMCBay]

Tot-ta-daaa...



I... have the answer to all of our politician problems. Return to the real election process - were... yes - real people serve.



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[SRath]

Terrific idea and website! I love it! Thanks USMCBay!!



"If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. " - Samuel Adams







Required reading for understanding today's politics:



"It Takes a Hillaryous Village Idiot"



Infamous modern names:



Borat Hussein Osama

Barak Hussein Obama (Hmmm... makes me wonder... )

 

[The patriot]

It's just under three and a half bucks here.

 

[BTanzini]

If you do a Google News search you'll see diesel prices are high worldwide. China is one of the biggest culprits. They are living what we did in the '70s. . . fuel shortages, long lines, & rationing. One article said the Chinese government was going to increase imports at any cost.

Vaughn MacKenzie,You know the only reason fuel price's where high in the 70's was the tankers where just out side the continental United States waiting for the prices to go up before they dumped there loads. Buy low and sell high.