Saw my first "ULSD" diesel sticker today.

[Regcabguy]

I work for a school district here in San Diego. While fueling up today,I spotted the ULSD sticker for the first time on our pumps formally marked"Green Diesel". My 1992 Hino has been designated through a fuel card to run on normal sulfer diesel. Soon I suppose ULSD is all we'll be using. It'll be interesting to see how the seals on my bulletproof 4-banger injection system will react. This truck has been my friend for fourteen years,even with sub-par maintenance.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I predict a BIG rash of various fuel system component failures - especially in 2nd generation 24 valve trucks...

 

[ROADWARRIOR]

I predict a BIG rash of various fuel system component failures - especially in 2nd generation 24 valve trucks...

Even for owners who run a lubricity additive?



Dan

 

[pwr2tow]

I predict there will be no more than normal, although we'll see vendors and advertisers making claims the low sulfer fuel is killing components. The oil companies have to add an additive back into the fuel for lubricity lost during the removal of sulfer. This has been discussed many times over the last year. Really makes no difference to me anyhow since I use a product to help keep injectors clean and also contains lubricity improvers.

 

[Cummins Pilot]

Can't wait to get my hands on some liquid sandpaper for my truck. Wonderful,,, sigh.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Time will tell - and yes, I suspect decent use of fuel lubricity additives will be a MUST, especially for older trucks - hell, even the engine and fuel experts are predicting fuel system issues - and recommending fuel additives with the ULSD fuels.



Proof?



http://www.blueridgediesel.com/CUMMINS TSB_082905[1].pdf



*I* certainly am not about to trust some bleary-eyed truck driver or minimum wage station operator to faithfully drop in his gallon of "special formula" additve for me - too many reported incidents of poor fuel quality and contamination in the past - and no evidence I have seen that anything has changed in the transport or delivery methods...

 

[MCummings]

I suspect John3769 will be in here shortly. OMG, The profits... .



:-laf

Merrick

 

[Rman]

Fuel additive will go through the roof! John will belly up here shortly to spell out the end of civilized society because both fuel and additives are more than 12 cents.

 

[fkovalski]

If what I am reading is this: diesel fuel additives will do what the non ULSD did back in a day. If additive do what 'the good fuel' did, why do not the refineries put the additives in initially the way we do when we fill up?



Do our additives add to emissions?

 

[Rman]

I will go on record as saying they do.



Most will say they don't, because Joe down the street, or what Sam on the internet said told them.



The main reasoning behind them not adding the additive will be to boost their profits as well, where's John to dictate what those profits can be!

 

[fkovalski]

I will go on record as saying they do.

So, there may be a day when additives are no longer available for environmental reasons? (or for sale "off road use only"... . maybe even colored red!!)

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

where's John to dictate what those profits can be!

John will belly up here shortly to spell out the end of civilized society because both fuel and additives are more than 12 cents.

I suspect John3769 will be in here shortly. OMG, The profits... .

Be nice to John - he's passionate about an issue that troubles him - and many others share his irritation over circumstances - including me.



You may disagree with his (our) reasoning or methods - but at least HE is trying to keep the issue alive, instead of rolling over and playing dead!



There are many ways to participate in objections to the status quo - John is at least TRYING to accomplish something by way of the method that suits him best - far better than sitting complacently and just whimpering about fuel and energy concerns!



Remember - some day YOU just might become vocal about a condition you personally oppose - and will you welcome attitudes and comments like several posted in this thread, just because you are trying to make your voice and opinion heard?



This board has clear rules concerning "baiting" and personal attacks - where are our "stellar moderators" (a quote from the past!) in this thread?

 

[SHobbs]

Trucking fleets around Australia are reporting a rash of fuel-related seal failures linked to the recent introduction of diesel fuel with a lower sulphur and aromatics content. The seals in question are fuel injection and throttle-shaft O-rings and gaskets made with a rubber compound. Some of these seals are reportedly failing after as little as 3 weeks exposure to the new low sulphur diesel fuel. Engines with rotary injector pumps use diesel for lubrication, as contrasted with in-line pumps which use crankcase oil. As a result, engines with rotary pumps are, at this time, the hardest hit.



Apparently, one source of the trouble is that there are many ways to remove the sulphur content. The cheapest of these involves hydrotreating, a process that removes sulphur by treating it with hydrogen. Unfortunately, hydrogen is highly reactive and also reduces the lubricity, or lubrication properties, of the end-product diesel. Another factor in the equation is the initial content of sulphur in the base crude oil; crude from Alaska tends to be very high sulphur, Venezuelan relatively low, for example. As a result the lubrication properties of the fuel could be different for each oil refinery and can even change as a particular refinery's crude oil sources change.



Cummins engines seem to be among those hardest hit by the failures. Bob Scholtz, the director of fuel systems and electronics service engineering for Cummins Engine Company (U. S. ), said that he has received "reports of rapid, almost instantaneous occurrences of throttle-shaft O-ring leakage". Although the only leak point which Cummins confirms is their fuel pump throttle shaft, U. S. national trucking companies have reported leaks at other locations on Cummins equipment, as well as with other brands of engines. Blaine Johnson, director of maintenance for Ryder Truck Rental, said "This is not just a Cummins problem, it is a seal problem. We've verified seal failures on Navistar 743 engines, Cat 3208 engines, Mack transfer pumps... in all cases it involved a few Buna-N



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



If you operate diesel equipment, even if you have not switched from high sulphur to low sulphur fuel, we recommend that you take some steps to minimize the potential effects of this problem. The first step is to put B100 into your fuel. Second, instruct your drivers and maintenance personnel to watch for any pooling of fuel under both the chassis and auxiliary engines. If some is discovered, get it fixed immediately. Some reports have been made of fuel leaks so bad that they gushed diesel onto the ground; if allowed to get to this point it could necessitate an environmental cleanup cost.

Leakage can also occur into your oil, so also have maintenance monitor oil usage closely. If your oil level increases, or doesn't go down over time as usual, you may have an internal leak. Unfortunately, until the leakage amount becomes large enough to notice as an increase in dipstick level, a relatively expensive chemical analysis is the only way to determine that diesel is mixing with crankcase oil.



As far as we could find out, refineries aren't yet or going to putting in a lubricity additive. The cost is remarkably small, on the order of one cent per litre. Ask your fuel distributor if a lubricity additive such as B100 is being put into the diesel you are buying. If it isn't, encourage your distributor to start putting in B100.



You also might check to make sure your parts supplier has fuel injector and throttle O-rings in stock for your engines. Since the parts themselves are so inexpensive, you should consider keeping an extra set in stock yourself. If you have questions, call your engine manufacturer(s) directly to find out the latest on this situation, and find out if there are any precautions which pertain to your particular models.

 

[FATCAT]

I predict a BIG rash of various fuel system component failures - especially in 2nd generation 24 valve trucks...

Then I hope to predict a huge class-action law suit againt the EPA for $100,000,000,000. 00 in damages and fines.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Then I hope to predict a huge class-action law suit againt the EPA for $100,000,000,000. 00 in damages and fines.

Yeah, unh-huh, suuuuure - just like all the failures and problems with the reformulated gasoline back about 12 years or so ago - LOTS of big $$$ were awarded from EPA suits on that one...

 

[dpuckett]

Good one about the EPA- I'll keep my eye out for a lawyer to take that one, though I heartily agree.



I have a 92 with unknown mileage (odometer says 40K- Uh, yeah right). The Ve seems original, based on paint fade on it and other engine parts- they all match. After reading in the TDR magazine, I had decided it might not be a bad idea to get the pum pgone through later this summer, but if they are just going to use the same type seals, wouldnt it just be a waste of money? Or are there companies selling updated seal kits that can go into the VEs and VP44s without adverse reaction to required fuel from the Egotistical Pinhead Admin?



Daniel