Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

[Anonymous Poster]

I think Mercedes quit importing diesels. They may start again, what with (I read this in the paper) VW having sold every TDI they imported and could have sold more.

Europe is full of diesels, from what I read, around 40% of the market there. Here it is less than 1% for cars.

I agree with you on the smoke issue with old MB's, though. I wonder if they did it when they were new.

 

[toddler]

Maybe California will start growing and producing soy diesel. Less toxic emisions, although I think the same particulates. Read somewhere that you could use a different catalytic converter however to decrease the particulates more.
Todd

 

[Nuru]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

cp1969; GM's Detroit Allison diesels are among the world's best. Trucks have been running on them for decades. However GM and other U.S. car makers did do some skimping in their auto models and has since corrected those problems, but I don't know if they provide diesels on anything but their large trucks now. . Mercedes, definitely the best in auto diesels, this has been proven by longevity and low repair costs under all driving conditions, and as you mentioned there are tons of them around and a lot with over 200k+ miles.

Nuru

 

[jimgerken]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

Rat, my 2001 J.D. 4100 is a IDI. Guess Yanmar isn't so backwards afterall...

 

[Nuru]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

Same here, Yanmar may have had some other issues in the past, but on the 4100, the engine seems to have a reputation for being quite tight.

nuru

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

<font color=blue>Maybe California will start growing and producing soy diesel.</font color=blue>

Guess I missed that the first time it came around... /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

My sister-in-law uses "bio-diesel" already for her generator (lives off the grid in North California).

According to her, it includes soy diesel as well as other "re-refined" oils. She says that she believes that it must contain re-refined cooking oils, as sometimes the exhaust smells like french fries. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

 

[Nuru]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

GlueGuy, who makes that soy-diesel fuel? What are the specs?

nuru

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

The short answer is "I don't know" because I don't use it. However, I can find out, and I'll get back to you on it.

 

[EdDekker]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

Here are a few soy diesel links from an earlier thread and the web search I did as a result of that thread:


http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mike.html How to process vegtable oil (new or used) into soy diesel.
http://www.soygold.com/
http://www.premiumdiesel.com/
http://www.kelseyville.com/biodsl/
http://www.ott.doe.gov/biofuels/docs/lifecycle.html
http://www.veggievan.org/
http://www.projectbiodiesel.com/


One company I know of does internet sales of soy diesel fuel ($$$):
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://worldenergy.net/order.htm>http://worldenergy.net/order.htm</A>

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Direct Injection & Indirect Injection Diesels

Nuru,

Got some more information about bio diesel. You can get some of this same information at the biodiesel website, but her first-hand experience is valuable. I did find that "most" bio-diesel is soy-diesel. It's just that the term "bio-diesel" is more generic.

Here's her reply:

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>


Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel. It can be used in unmodified diesel engines with the current fueling infrastructure. It is safe, biodegradeable and reduces air pollutants such as soot, particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and air toxics. Performance, storage
requirements, and maintenance are similiar for biodiesel blend fuels and petroleum diesel. It contains no aromatics or sulfur, has a high Cetane number (good for ignitition capabilities) and is a great lubricant. (technical info provided by the U.S. Dept. of Energy)

B.D. is made by chemically reacting alcohol with vegetable oils, fats or greases. It's most often used in blends of 2% (partly for lubricity) or 20% biodiesel. It may also be used as pure biodiesel. Sensitivity to cold weather may require special anti freezing precautions. B.D. does act like a detergent additive, loosening and dissolving sediments in storage tanks. This problem is solved by changing the fuel filters on the storage tank and , in my case, the generator, a couple times. I've changed both twice and things seem to be ok now. I plan to get a tank that will just hold the B.D. so that problem will be eliminated. As far as the cold goes.....right now I'm just staying at about 30% B.D. until I get my new tank and the weather warms up a bit. Still experimenting and learning about this. May have to put some kind of fuel warmer in (under) the new tank for next winter.

There is a list of biodiesel suppliers at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.biodiesel.org>http://www.biodiesel.org</A>. Right now it costs between $1.25 and 2.25 per gallon depending on the how much one purchases and delivery costs. It is taxed as a diesel fuel. So it is about 13 to 22 cents more per gallon than diesel. The cost will go down as petroleum costs go up and the new EPA rules requiring reduced sulfur content in diesel go into effect. Also larger facilities are being built to produce B.D.

I'm am very happy with the performance of my generator....no problems. I have heard that older vehicles (pre 1994) can have deterioration of rubber and other components because B.D. is a solvent. Don't know much about that and haven't really talked to anyone who's had the problem. So, need to find out more for the older tractors and trucks.



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