Thoughts on Biodiesel

[ROADWARRIOR]

I went to fill up my truck today and found that my favorite truck stop changed their regular #2 pumps all over to Biodiesel. The sticker said something about an 11% soybean oil mixture. Is this going to become the norm everywhere? This sucks, because this was the only place I know of in my area that I could get unblended #2 year round. The last I heard, biodiesel had a lower btu rating than #2 and it wasn't approved in our Bosch fuel systems.



Thoughts anyone?



Thanks,

Dan

 

[curatchko]

Take it and run. These things run much better on bio-diesel in my opinion. Quieter, stronger, smoother... . it's good stuff.

 

[fox]

Good info. I agree that bio is great, especially the bean oil.

I wish it was more like 50%.

 

[ROADWARRIOR]

Well if it is a good stuff, then great. I like the business for our farmers amongst other benefits. I thought I read before though, that Bosch didn't like it and that it yielded lower mpg's. It was an FS station if anyone is looking for some. Their website said they were offering it at up to a 20% blend at their stations.



Dan

 

[MLimpert]

I've had no problems, and I run B20 on a somewhat regular basis. It keeps the fuel filter clean, and plus my main reason for buying it is its 20% less money going to OPEC.

 

[WBusa]

This is starting to be a big trend where you are in the midwest... the biodiesel refineries are sprouting up where the soybeans are, and selling all their product locally. You'll prolly love the enhanced lubricity. An 11% blend doesn't have much impact on rubber, and anyway you don't have any rubber in a '99 (this is mostly a problem for '94s and earlier). Finally, regarding BTUs and performance, the National Biodiesel Board says: "Biodiesel has a higher cetane number than U. S. diesel fuel. In more than 50 million miles of in-field demonstrations, B20 showed similar fuel consumption, horsepower, torque, and haulage rates as conventional diesel fuel [... ] and it has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel (falling in the range between #1 and #2 diesel fuel). " ( http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Myths_Facts.pdf )



Lucky you. I wish somebody sold B11 where I live.

 

[JFaughn]

I read that bio has a higher centane and a slightly lower btu's , what I have'nt read in a lot of studies is nobody has tuned the engine to the fuel ,[I'm guessing becouse if they'er doing a scientific study they only want a stock setup ] one varyable at a time, but just like reloading for accuracy , I think you should tune for fuel , I suspect that power and millage would go up. At the first meeting of a new biodiesel co-op in my area , one of the guy's there said he had a VW pasat that he got 86 mpg , I've had a bunch of VW diesels and the best I've seen was 50 mpg on dino , he was running B100 and tuned for it.

 

[WBusa]

what I have'nt read in a lot of studies is nobody has tuned the engine to the fuel

That's a good point... any volunteers to do a timing study?