Off Road diesel over store pump diesel

[zzvyb6]

The off road diesel I buy for my lawn mower and farm tractor is specifically billed as "High Sulfer Diesel". I buy it in town at Corrigan's home office. Green tank, red fuel.

 

[Capricious]

Heating oil is now the same as ultra-low suphur diesel:



"... Because NYH {New York Harbor} is the delivery point of the Nymex futures contract and because most terminals are expected to store only one commingled product (ULSD), rather than segregating two distillate products (home heating oil and ULSD), physical delivery of higher sulfur home heating oil would become difficult in the near future..."

Heating oil futures contract now uses ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel - Today in Energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)





It is now difficult to find any diesel fuel that is not ultra-low suphur. Sulphur in diesel acts as a lubricant in the injectiion system, so running older diesels on ultra-low may cause issues:

http://cliffordpower.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CP_info_sheet_26_low_sulfur_fuel.pdf


There are additives one may add to the fuel to restore lubricity. Biodiesel also has good lubricity.

 

[chopped]

Wondering if we will need to consider the lube factor now in the oil furnaces?

Heating oil is now the same as ultra-low suphur diesel:



"... Because NYH {New York Harbor} is the delivery point of the Nymex futures contract and because most terminals are expected to store only one commingled product (ULSD), rather than segregating two distillate products (home heating oil and ULSD), physical delivery of higher sulfur home heating oil would become difficult in the near future..."

Heating oil futures contract now uses ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel - Today in Energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)





It is now difficult to find any diesel fuel that is not ultra-low suphur. Sulphur in diesel acts as a lubricant in the injectiion system, so running older diesels on ultra-low may cause issues:

http://cliffordpower.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CP_info_sheet_26_low_sulfur_fuel.pdf


There are additives one may add to the fuel to restore lubricity. Biodiesel also has good lubricity.

 

[old gray]

chopped, good point about what ulsd does to a heating unit if it is in fact ulsd. Also it seems to me that if the fuel oil is NOT ULSD (higher sulfur content) and is used in a 2007 or newer diesel the only effect would be more lubrication or perhaps hurt something with the emissions system. Sounds like you guys with older diesels need to be concerned about the ULSD Thanks for the input everyone. I got an education, but still not ready to put fuel oil in my machine just yet. It would be convenient but I don't burn enough to take the risk.

 

[chopped]

Mine is close to 30 years old and yes im concerned about the new fuel. But I only have only used about 4 gallons in the last 10 years.I used strickly the home oil. and even that is pre ULSD

chopped, good point about what ulsd does to a heating unit if it is in fact ulsd. Also it seems to me that if the fuel oil is NOT ULSD (higher sulfur content) and is used in a 2007 or newer diesel the only effect would be more lubrication or perhaps hurt something with the emissions system. Sounds like you guys with older diesels need to be concerned about the ULSD Thanks for the input everyone. I got an education, but still not ready to put fuel oil in my machine just yet. It would be convenient but I don't burn enough to take the risk.

 

[Capricious]

I would not be concerned about burning ULSD in a boiler/furnace:

Cleaner Home Heating Oil


http://www.oeconline.org/resources/publications/factsheetarchive/biodieselforboilers


We burn it in a very old 300 hp ABCO boiler and a 20-year-old 800 hp Cleaver Brooks boiler @ work.

 

[old gray]

I would not be concerned about burning ULSD in a boiler/furnace:

Cleaner Home Heating Oil


http://www.oeconline.org/resources/publications/factsheetarchive/biodieselforboilers


We burn it in a very old 300 hp ABCO boiler and a 20-year-old 800 hp Cleaver Brooks boiler @ work.

Interesting read. Looks like B20 will be the next fuel pushed on us. Not saying it isn't good or not. Then comes more questions about running it in our machines. I know now the info we are getting is it is great, but I have to wonder why there is no mention about less lubrication with ULSD and I assume B20 also. Also is the worry about less lubrication in our older machines a non issue?

 

[Capricious]

"...is the worry about less lubrication in our older machines a non issue?..."



A few comments here:

One Year Later: The Impact of ULSD on Diesel Engines - Article - Work Truck



...and here;

New Diesel Fuel and Old Diesels | Mercedes-Benz Club of America



Where I work, we have been running B20 in new John Deeres, old Detroits & and old EMD's with few issues. B100 gels badly in cold weather, however, so a blend of B100 & #2 might have more gel issues in cold weather than straight #2, if that is a concern in your situation.

 

[XMS]

Ever watch Penn and Teller bullsh** show. That guys quote was pure BS. There is no difference in off road and on road fuel other than the dye. I don't know what was wrong with your tractor but it was not the road taxed fuel. At certain times of the year with cold weather approaching there could be some held over number 2 fuel in the pumps and farm diesel might be #1 already. That should not make your tractor loose power unless it was very cold and the fuel was gelling up a bit. Transmission oil wouldn't make the gelling go away though. Could have been a quart of Power Serve or some other anti-gel agent or a fuel treatment to remove free water from some contaminated fuel that you got.

Around here, I can get offroad from a pump the same as on-road. There is a pretty significant difference between them. The "on road" diesel is the ultra-low sulfur stuff, and the tractor fuel is not. The machine belches less smoke and generally runs quieter with the on-road, over the off-road.

I think there is a locality aspect here. Living in MD, we might have different regs than Iowa. I know we have a lot of agricultural exemptions that let us get away with things other people in the state cannot. In this case, I don't see anything for on-road use other than the high-grade ultra low sulfur stuff. I think it is mandated. Of course, the President of the State Senate comes from an Ag area. He is about as much a farmer as our National President, but doesn't poke the hornet's nest if he can avoid it. So we get our little exemptions from their big rules.

I know about ten years ago the difference was only dye and taxes. Today not so much.

 

[Raspy]

Just when I thought I had the fuel thing figured out, no, not so much.

The more this thread goes on, the less I know.

I have a diesel tractor for general property work (no crops), a diesel Skytrak two common rail Cummins and my house is heated with solar and oil. I have two 300 gallon tanks for the house.

I haul fuel from town in five gallon cans for the tractor and sometimes for the house. Last year I had a couple hundred gallons of heating oil delivered and it was a little cheaper because of no road tax, but the delivery makes it almost the same as what I pay in town at the gas station.

In my old '93 Cummins and '80 Mercedes, I would run whatever fuel was handy. I ran filtered crankcase oil, very old heating oil, bio, and even got myself home one night by running the Cummins on straight lube oil with no diesel fuel. With the new common rail engines I haven't run anything but pump diesel.

Then there is the whole "winter blend" thing. Not sure when or what the percentage of #1 is in the mix. Here in northern Nevada at about 5,000 ft, it does get cold enough to gel fuel.

I guess I'll just go along blissfully ignorant, 'cause even if I do figure it all out, it won't make any difference as long as the fuel police don't dip my tank and find red dye, or some other heinous crime. But then, what if I pay road tax and burn the fuel in the house boiler? OMG.