Low Sulphur Diesel

[niemeyjt]

Low Sulphur Diesel / Biodiesel issues

I've just been talking to the local garage owner here in UK, and he advises that his supplier is reformulating their red / rebated / off-road diesel from 13th December to meet a new EU directive. After 1st January 2011 all such EU diesel must be of the ultra low sulphur grade (less than 10ppm sulphur).

Now obviously, this law won't affect most readers on here - however I read some of the background information. Apparently, probably to bring it into line with regular / road diesel (or to reduce storage costs) it will also contain up to 7% Biodiesel.

Amongst other things we are advised when storing and using this new formulation there is a risk of:

- bacterial growth in tanks (all tanks need to be kept free of any water - drain valves may have to be fitted);
- risk of failure of gauges, seals and pipes on older engines and tanks;
- blocked filters (engine and tank);
- shorter storage life (max 6 months recommended).

Apparently the issues are such that heating fuel and diesel for static engines like generators can continue to use the older type fuels (if available).

So (eventually), my question is: does anyone already have experience of this new formulation in your area, and if so have they encountered the above issues (or any others) and if so what did they do to address them?

J

 

[RPW]

Re: Low Sulphur Diesel / Biodiesel issues

In the US we've been using the ULSD for awhile. Water regardless of formulation is a bad idea and should be kept out of the fuel as best as possible. As far as storage there are products out their (stabil?) that will prolong the storage of fuel. As far as myself I don't keep much on hand as I don't go through that much in a year (at least for now). You should be ok.

 

[tommaple]

There has been a great deal written on this site about the ULSD and how it affects the longevity of the engines. In particular, the sulphur provided some lubrication which will be lost with ULSD. Injector pumps were one of the areas that raised concerns. Many small tractor owners are using an additive to make up for this lack of lubrication.
If you search this site for Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel, Fuel Lubricants or similar subjects you should get plenty of reading material and opinions.
Good luck.

 

[niemeyjt]

Apologies. I tried to edit the title of the posting but somehow it only changed the title of the one posting.

The issue is not just the ULSD, but the addition of 7% Biodiesel that seems to cause most of the issues.

note to mods - can you amend the thread title to match that of my first post please - Low Sulphur Diesel / Biodiesel issues?

J

 

[knightrider955]

I have burned Fuel Oil in my diesel tractor many times and it works great. It has all the lubricants you need without the price. Might wanna go that route.

 

[flyingcow]

The biodiesel blend can have problems. Especially if not refined correctly to keep filters from waxing and plugging up. keep an extra set of fuel filters handy. If in cold climates, there have bee additional problems with gelling.

 

[vaskeet]

The owners manuel for my new kubota L3700su says
"since this engine adopts EPA Tier 4 and Interim Tier 4 standards the use of low sulfur or ultra low sulfur fuel is mandatory in epa regulated area (North America). " Randy

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

mandatory to meet the EPA guidlines, the old stuff is actually better for your tractor.

 

[jonyyuma]

mandatory to meet the EPA guidlines, the old stuff is actually better for your tractor.

Meaning that mostly, I don't have a choice on the fuel, even though it is off-road. .Jy

 

[vaskeet]

with my dodge 2500 cummins I run 16 oz power service gray and 4 oz of ashless 2 cycle oil per tank (30 Gal) to help lube the injectors should I do that with the l3700 Randy