Biodiesel

[Newsa]

be aware oil samples won't show Biodiesel fuel dilution of the engine oil that is happening. Biodiesel won't evaporate back out of the oil like #2 diesel does. I detail the expensive downside of Biodiesel here: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/248698-ULSD-and-Biodiesel-Exposed

Why wouldn't they be able to approximate dangerous cases of fuel dilution by looking at viscosity change?

 

[Tuesdak]

Which fleet vehicles are we referring to?

Got a part number for this FLEET FILTER?

Why wouldn't they be able to approximate dangerous cases of fuel dilution by looking at viscosity change?

As usual there isn't much information out there like some dirty secret that can cost you your injection system that a failure of (stuck HPCR injector) can take out your engine.
Case in point when working with the dirty wet B99 I found that adding #2 diesel would drop water out of the B99 and trigger WIF lights. The biggest concern is the water biodiesel can hold. After all the USA is known for anything but dry clean diesel fuel evidenced by the huge filters and water separators OTR trucks have. B99 holds more water than B20, and that holds more water than #2 ULSD that holds more water than the old LSD diesel of the past.


There isn't any listed part number other than "optional water separator". Additionally other changes for B20 are listed an in older TDR thread link. I attach a older DCX PDF describing 5% 20% difference. View attachment DCX_R2B-t7-s_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR.pdf

The UOA won't see any changes to your oil as the soot attempts to increase viscosity while the in cylinder post injection dilutes the viscosity. We experienced a several quart oil rise using B99 that UOA did not find "fuel dilution" on a DPF equipped diesel as well as longer regen times. The in cylinder post injection on the exhaust stroke had enough trouble with oil dilution for some makes on #2 diesel as it was. Our only saving grace was the 28' trailer and 550 miles a day so regen somewhat worked. We had to increase our oil change intervals as 10K miles with biodiesel was setting off low oil pressure alarms. On #2 diesel 10K miles when we could make it that long on the change oil light had the oil of the day, 2008-2010, completely used up per UOA.

Biodiesel has cost me plenty in downtime and repairs so I am perfectly willing to serve as a bad example. Again the injection system that survived the bad fuel had a CAT water separator installed. The OEM fuel filters can't handle biodiesel and will allow enough water by to ruin even an old IDI injection system that eats dirt for breakfast vs. the low tolerance HPCR systems. After running thousands of gallons of B99 without much trouble the bad fuel makes me suggest you are taking a gamble on any bio% without an additional water separator. Without much trouble means change the oil more often, find a methanol compatible fuel pump (for the leftovers of it from the biodiesel process), and have spare fuel filters in the truck.

This is what the insides of a failed, corroded, DB2 IDI injection pump looked like after B99 use without an additional water separator. The pump would no longer start with the engine hot due to head and rotor problems that you can see why... part of the governor shaft shown

 

[Newsa]

As usual there isn't much information out there like some dirty secret that can cost you your injection system that a failure of (stuck HPCR injector) can take out your engine.
Case in point when working with the dirty wet B99 I found that adding #2 diesel would drop water out of the B99 and trigger WIF lights. The biggest concern is the water biodiesel can hold. After all the USA is known for anything but dry clean diesel fuel evidenced by the huge filters and water separators OTR trucks have. B99 holds more water than B20, and that holds more water than #2 ULSD that holds more water than the old LSD diesel of the past.


There isn't any listed part number other than "optional water separator". Additionally other changes for B20 are listed an in older TDR thread link. I attach a older DCX PDF describing 5% 20% difference. View attachment 98616

The UOA won't see any changes to your oil as the soot attempts to increase viscosity while the in cylinder post injection dilutes the viscosity. We experienced a several quart oil rise using B99 that UOA did not find "fuel dilution" on a DPF equipped diesel as well as longer regen times. The in cylinder post injection on the exhaust stroke had enough trouble with oil dilution for some makes on #2 diesel as it was. Our only saving grace was the 28' trailer and 550 miles a day so regen somewhat worked. We had to increase our oil change intervals as 10K miles with biodiesel was setting off low oil pressure alarms. On #2 diesel 10K miles when we could make it that long on the change oil light had the oil of the day, 2008-2010, completely used up per UOA.

Biodiesel has cost me plenty in downtime and repairs so I am perfectly willing to serve as a bad example. Again the injection system that survived the bad fuel had a CAT water separator installed. The OEM fuel filters can't handle biodiesel and will allow enough water by to ruin even an old IDI injection system that eats dirt for breakfast vs. the low tolerance HPCR systems. After running thousands of gallons of B99 without much trouble the bad fuel makes me suggest you are taking a gamble on any bio% without an additional water separator. Without much trouble means change the oil more often, find a methanol compatible fuel pump (for the leftovers of it from the biodiesel process), and have spare fuel filters in the truck.

This is what the insides of a failed, corroded, DB2 IDI injection pump looked like after B99 use without an additional water separator. The pump would no longer start with the engine hot due to head and rotor problems that you can see why... part of the governor shaft shown View attachment 98617

Thanks for informing us of the possible down side of Biodiesel. Ram says not to switch back and forth between biodiesel and petrodiesel. But it sounds like running bio is way worse than anything. I never realized that the bugs in biodiesel are so hard to kill. Sounds like biokleen might not even work!

 

[Tuesdak]

Thanks for informing us of the possible down side of Biodiesel. Ram says not to switch back and forth between biodiesel and petrodiesel. But it sounds like running bio is way worse than anything. I never realized that the bugs in biodiesel are so hard to kill. Sounds like biokleen might not even work!

Just need the right medicine for the disease. Test the fuel infection to see what biocide you need is the recommended way to do it as biocides are effective on specific, but not all, bugs. With the extra water separator and shorter oil changes you can have good luck running lower % of it. Needless to say I run a biocide now and then to make sure everything stays dead in the fuel system. The higher % of Biodiesel at the pump is becoming unavoidable so I suggest making changes to be able to run it without trouble.

 

[JR]

I believe each state has their own requirements on posting at the pump. In Ohio they can run up to B5 without posting, anything higher than that and signage is required.