Please educate me about ultra low sulfur diesel

[Avenger]

I've never heard of people having issues, well, people in person anyway. The internet is full of people's experiences weather they are true and accurate or not.

On a different thread I talked about getting my childhood tractor back. Its a late 60's early 70's IH 656. Growing up on the farm, we had an inground fuel tank with a very old gas pump. We would get bulk fuel delivered to that tank. That is until the tank developed a leak. Then we put a big tank up on a stand and used gravity to fill the tractors. That tank is still there, and still fills the tractors on the farm.

At some point between 1970 and today, the fuel company switched from simple dyed diesel to ultra low sulfur. Still being delivered. As far as I know, all the tractors, including the 656, run on it without additives or enhancements to the tractors. Now, the 656 has another issue not related to fuel, and has not ran since late fall 2022, BUT I am confident that it will run, and continue to run, on ULSD for many many years to come.

I only treat my diesel for gelling. Nothing more.

 

[MHarryE]

I help my nephew on his dairy farm. He has added some newer tractors, but most are old Internationals, before Case bought them out in their 1984 bankruptcy. So let’s say 8 tractors 100 HP and up. He has 5 tractors 2000 to 2013. All run the same ULSD. Zero FIP problems during the 12 years I’ve worked with him. Only fuel additive he adds is Schaeffer’s Diesel Treat 2000 during the winter to prevent gelling of his #1 winter diesel. That’s because like this morning when it was -31, the cattle still need to be fed. So it’s quite a test fleet, a lot of hours.

 

[sd455dan]

Many people "have heard" of injection pump issues in old diesels using ULSD but I doubt they are true. I run it in my 1973 Ford backhoe and my father runs in his 1973 Ford dump truck with a 8V71 Detroit with zero issues.

I do know that some of the Ford tractor operator manuals specifically warn against using ULSD .
My 550 TLB for sure.
EDIT what i posted above is incorrect.

I always dump in a bit of 2 stroke oil and usually a bit of Howes into every 5 gallon can on my tractors.

 

[jyoutz]

I do know that some of the Ford tractor operator manuals specifically warn against using ULSD .
My 550 TLB for sure.
I always dump in a bit of 2 stroke oil and usually a bit of Howes into every 5 gallon can on my tractors.

I think that Ford quit making tractors long before ULSD, so how could the manuals address this?

 

[lman]

I do know that some of the Ford tractor operator manuals specifically warn against using ULSD .
My 550 TLB for sure.
I always dump in a bit of 2 stroke oil and usually a bit of Howes into every 5 gallon can on my tractors.

I would like to see your manual from 1975 that states not to use ULSD that was not available at that time.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

I think bosch is blaming ULSD for the CP4 failures

Some injection pumps are engine oil lubricated or purely fuel lubricated. Iirc VE vs P7100

 

[sd455dan]

I would like to see your manual from 1975 that states not to use ULSD that was not available at that time.

I do not believe I said 1975? I did say 550. So possibly 1978.
Manual is not where I thought it was.
As soon as I locate it, will post what the reference is in the operators manual.

 

[Cougsfan]

My 1957 TO35 has been using ULSD steadily since it came out with no additives or issues. And this tractor gets a lot of hours put on it. I think if an older tractor has problems, some people look for something to blame when the problem is really that it is just wearing out like all things do.

 

[alexpops]

Optilube XPD and syn 2 stroke added to everything diesel I own.

 

[NoTrespassing]

I'm concerned that the "powers that be" will run out of adjectives to describe how little sulfur our next generation of fuel has in it. Am I the only one with this concern? What happens when we go from 15 ppm to 5 ppm? Maybe SULSD where the first S stands for Super? (tongue firmly in cheek)

Kevin