2% bio diesel

pennwalk · Aug 3, 2011

I bought 5 gallons if diesel at my local station yesterday. I noticed a sticker on the pump saying it contained 2% bio diesel. What are the pros and cons of this? I add opti lube to make sure the ultra low sulfer diesel has enough lubricity for my Yanmar. Will this clean the fuel system and cause the fuel filter to clog?

Chris

boomer1025 · Aug 3, 2011

pennwalk said:
I bought 5 gallons if diesel at my local station yesterday. I noticed a sticker on the pump saying it contained 2% bio diesel. What are the pros and cons of this? I add opti lube to make sure the ultra low sulfer diesel has enough lubricity for my Yanmar. Will this clean the fuel system and cause the fuel filter to clog?

Chris

Diesel in Pa has been 2% bio for awhile now.

Iowachild · Aug 3, 2011

boomer1025 said:
Diesel in Pa has been 2% bio for awhile now.

Yeah, and gasoline is 10% ethanol. Fortunately I have a place to buy regular gasoline and off-road diesel without bio. Neither the bio or the ethanol are very good at storing any length of time and the use of bio-diesel in Kubota engines states the engine should be flushed with regular diesel for 30 minutes before storage. Gotta love this "feel good" crap!:thumbdown:

Ken45101 · Aug 4, 2011

To my knowledge, biodiesel lubricity is better than pure diesel but the fuel economy and power is reduced. Also the algae buildup is worse and storage longevity is less.

Ken

pennwalk · Aug 4, 2011

Diesel in Pa has been 2% bio for awhile now.

Shoot! I must be living in a cloud this is the first time I noticed the sticker on the pump.

Chris

pennwalk · Aug 4, 2011

Looks like this is another darned thing to have to think about. I would like to burn bio diesel just because the fumes are supposed to smell better. Having to worry if it will go bad over the winter is a pain.

Chris

Ken45101 · Aug 4, 2011

Probably less of an issue over the winter than over the summer. Algae growth isn't an issue when it's freezing :laughing:

Iowachild · Aug 4, 2011

Ken45101 said:
Probably less of an issue over the winter than over the summer. Algae growth isn't an issue when it's freezing :laughing:

It was an issue in Minnesota when they mandated bio in school buses and the operators ended up either leaving the buses run 24/7 or put them in a heated garage when not running.:confused2:

jonyyuma · Aug 4, 2011

Iowachild said:
It was an issue in Minnesota when they mandated bio in school buses and the operators ended up either leaving the buses run 24/7 or put them in a heated garage when not running.:confused2:

I was in shock several years ago, when our board put the buses on Propane..I had a call to go to one off the road and sitting in danger of puncturing the tank. The main refill tank was behind the school. I believe I like the diesel idea a lot better.

Ken45101 · Aug 4, 2011

Iowachild said:
It was an issue in Minnesota when they mandated bio in school buses and the operators ended up either leaving the buses run 24/7 or put them in a heated garage when not running.:confused2:

Was that due to algae growth, or wax formation? AFAIK, algae is a summer issue, wax is a cold weather issue.

Ken