Oil & Fuel Fuel Recommendation Questions

[sailorman]

Manual for my B2320 says use fuel with a cetane rating of 45 minimum or higher. All the fuel pumps I have seen are either marked 40 minimum or are not marked at all. Questions: 1) what is the true meaning of cetane rating ? 2) What are, if any, negatives in burning fuel lower than 45 ( I most definitely don 't want to trash my new tractor ) ? 3) Is it possible I just haven 't been to the right fuel station yet ? I live in the U.S.A.

 

[bill in ny]

i use a diesel fuel conditioner all year long in my tractor. (power service) it raises the cetane rating and helps to lube the engine. also stops fuel gelling in the winter.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I copied this from a site on the internet. I couldn't say it better myself. I never even think about the cetane number myself since tractors are made to run on fuel that you can buy at any truck stop. I am more concerned with the grade of the fuel, if it is #1 or #2 diesel:

Similar to the octane number rating that is applied to gasoline to rate its ignition stability, cetane number is the rating assigned to diesel fuel to rate its combustion quality. While gasoline's octane number signifies its ability to resist auto-ignition (also referred to as pre-ignition, knocking, pinging, or detonation), diesel's cetane number is a measure of the fuel's delay of ignition time (the amount of time between the injection of fuel into the combustion chamber and the actual start of combustion of the fuel charge).

Because diesels rely on compression ignition (no spark), the fuel must be able to auto-ignite--and generally, the quicker the better. A higher cetane number means a shorter ignition delay time and more complete combustion of the fuel charge in the combustion chamber. This, of course, translates into a smoother running, better performing engine with more power and fewer harmful emissions.

How Does Cetane Number Affect Engine Performance?
Just as there is no benefit to using gasoline with an octane rating higher than recommended for a specific engine by its manufacturer, using diesel fuel with a higher cetane rating than is required for a particular diesel engine design yields no bonuses. Cetane number requirements depend mainly on engine design, size, speed of operation and load variations--and to a slightly lesser extent, atmospheric conditions. Conversely, running a diesel engine on fuel with a lower than recommended cetane number can result in rough operation (noise and vibration), low power output, excessive deposits and wear, and hard starting.

Cetane Numbers of Various Diesel Fuels
Normal modern highway diesels run best with a fuel rated between 45 and 55. Following is a list cetane numbers varying grades and types of compression ignition diesel fuels:

Regular diesel--48
Premium diesel--55
Biodiesel (B100)--55
Biodiesel blend (B20)--50
Synthetic diesel--55
A label should be affixed to the pump that states both the fuel type and cetane number. It's important to find a station that dispenses fuel of the cetane number recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

 

[radioman]

very informative post- if using smfcpacfp summary of cetane rating- if using higher rated bio diesel or even the blend version combined with the extra lubricity of bio seems like a all around better, greener choice ? If this is the case, then why isn't the bio more readily available ?

 

[sailorman]

Thanks smfcpacfp ! Exactly what I was wanting to know !!

 

[Tablespoon]

smfcpacfp - Awesome man toys!! thanks for the good info on the diesel.

It looks like you are pretty close to Ontonagon, which is where my wife is from. I've been to that area, it is beautiful country.

TBS

 

[LBrown59]

Manual for my B2320 says use fuel with a cetane rating of 45 minimum or higher. All the fuel pumps I have seen are either marked 40 minimum or are not marked at all. Questions: 1) what is the true meaning of cetane rating ? 2) What are, if any, negatives in burning fuel lower than 45 ( I most definitely don 't want to trash my new tractor ) ? 3* Is it possible I just haven 't been to the right fuel station yet ? I live in the U.S.A.

3*Around here they only have one fuel so it don't matter who or where you get it from .

I copied this from a site on the internet. I couldn't say it better myself. I never even think about the cetane number myself since tractors are made to run on
1* fuel that you can buy at any truck stop.
2* I am more concerned with the grade of the fuel, if it is #1 or #2 diesel:

1*Should read fuel that you can buy at any service station, truck stop,fuel distributer or supplier.
*1 One and and 2 are not grades of fuel .
They are blends of fuel desginating weither the fuel is for use in the summer or winter.

 

[sailorman]

3*Around here they only have one fuel so it don't matter who or where you get it from .



1*Should read fuel that you can buy at any service station, truck stop,fuel distributer or supplier.
*1 One and and 2 are not grades of fuel .
They are blends of fuel desginating weither the fuel is for use in the summer or winter.

Pardon me, but around here ( where I live in La. ) that ain 't the case so I think it could/possibly matter where I buy fuel and what kind. Where you live it might not matter.

 

[smfcpacfp]

...
*1 One and and 2 are not grades of fuel .
They are blends of fuel desginating weither the fuel is for use in the summer or winter.

As usual, you are wrong. 1-D (usually referred to as #1) and 2-D (usually referred to as #1) are grades of diesel fuel according the organization that sets the standards -the ASTM. there are actually 3 #1 grades and 3 #2 grades. They are also blends.


Here is what they say in ASTM D975:

This specification covers seven grades of diesel fuel oils suitable for various types of diesel engines. These grades are: Grade No. 1-D S15; Grade No. 1-D S500; Grade No. 1-D S5000; Grade No. 2-D S15; Grade No. 2-D S500; Grade No. 2-D S5000; and Grade No. 4-D. The requirements specified for diesel fuel oils shall be determined in accordance with the following test methods: flash point; cloud point; water and sediment; carbon residue; ash; distillation; viscosity; sulfur; copper corrosion; cetane number; cetane index; aromaticity; lubricity; and conductivity.