A friend and I have found a good source for biodiesel, so we're making the switch because of the rising cost of hway fuel. I know bio is more corrosive on stock fuel systems, so I am wondering what fuel lines I should replace before I end up running dissolved rubber through my engine.

Thanks, any and all input is appreciated.

 

there is a section here for alternative fuels i believe what it is called, there is a ton of info and i have been reading through alot of it. i have not seen any mention of people having issues with the fuel lines degrading but i could be wrong. the one thing that was mentioned was doing the in tank mod. this is more of a bump for you and hopefully someone with more knowledge and experience will be along to help you out more.

 

I don't think it's any more corrosive then normal use, but have a spare fuel filter to toss in after your first tank. It tends to clean out all the gunk!

 

If your truck and fuel system is all stock, you will need nothing. It's all compatible.

 

And another thing, as Travis mentioned above. It is a good idea to keep an extra fuel filter on hand. The reason being that biodiesel is a very powerful solvent and it will dissolve any build up within your fuel tank and could potentially clog your filter. I have heard of only a few of these incidences with our PSD's however. Probably because we have plastic fuel tanks and our trucks are relatively newer. It never happened to mine and I have been running biodiesel for 4 years now. Mostly B70-B100. It is a good idea to carry an extra filter though.

 

What percent of bio-diesel ?? Been running B5 for about 3 years now.. no problems..

 

Ill be buying b99

 

With another diesel we have the first time I ran bio in it at around 70K miles the relatively new filter clogged pretty bad within 100 miles. This doesn't seem very common though and in my opinion it depends on how much gunk in in your tank to be broken loose by the solvent action of the bio.

To prepare the 7.3 for bio I installed that kit from ITP that eliminates the in-tank screens and adds a filter to the frame rail. The second filter has a water drain like the stock filter does. I've run several tanks of b50-b90 and haven't had any problems and fuel lines look good. My tank screens were ~60% clogged and it seemed like a good preventative measure to change the system since they aren't that easy to access and clean.
Biodiesel is more hygroscopic than diesel so the chance of water in fuel is increased a bit. Most boat guys around here refuse to run any biodiesel for that reason.

 

In case you don't already know, at that percentage you will notice a slight decrease in power and MPG. Roughly 5%-12%. Biodiesel has a lower BTU content than pump #2. So if cost is a big consideration for you, you may wish to take this into account. For me, I make my own biodiesel so none of that matters.

As a side note, running up to B20 has little noticeable, if any, effect on MPG and power. I have a couple friends with IDI's that have been running B20 blends for several years now and they have not changed their rubber fuel lines, and there is no sign of the lines swelling, softening, or weeping at all.

 

thats good info, i appreciate it. i'll probably buy b99 and store it in a large tote i found on craigslist (275-gallon liquid storage totes) and just add it to my tank to get to B20 like you recommend

 

Another thing to consider is the 'shelf life' of bio-d is dramatically shorter than diesel. The stability of bio-d depends largely on the feedstock, but can be extended with the use of antioxidants and anti-chelating agents (not unlike what they put in the fryer oils). For most people, even using B100, this is not a problem - but since you indicated you'd be storing it, I thought I'd mention this. FWIW, the reason no bio-d 'at the pump' meets ASTM standards (and why no OEM will recommend over B5) is because of 'stability'. There are products out there (http://www.eastman.com/Products/Page...list=Chemicals) that improve stability, but I would still avoid long-term storage and I would NEVER let my truck sit for any length of time with bio-d in the tank and engine...

 

What's the longest you'd let it sit for without any addatives?

 

Beginning in the 90's most diesels are compatable with biodiesel because of the use of synthetic flexable fuel lines-rubber is no longer used.
Do be prepared to change fuel filters more often for a while since it will clean the fuel system (remember the free hat offer).

 

I'll ask the distributor and post what they say about storage. I don't think I'd be letting it sit for more than a month

 

A month won't hurt anything at all, but if you plan on using the same tote over and over, it would be wise to throw some additive in there to keep any nasty stuff from growing. They make a biocide for just such a purpose. I know Power Service has one as well as several other companies. You should be fine with a 6 month shelf life as I'm sure the distributor will tell you.

Any time you're dealing with fuel you store in a bulk container, it's always wise to pump the fuel through a filter / water separator as it's going into your tank. I do that with bio or regular diesel to separate out any contaminants or condensation.

The fuel lines being ok, the solvent, cleaning characteristics, extra fuel filter, and in tank mods have already been covered. The only other advice off the top of my head is you need to understand when the weather gets colder that B99 will gell in temperatures as high as the 40's depending on feedstock, so make sure you run low percentages in the winter months.