New to Bio Diesel - Questions...

[Ex1900Driver]

Hi everyone... First sorry if this is a basic question! I am going to be purchasing a new F450 Diesel over the next year and I was wondering. What kind of modifications will I have to make in order to run it on my own home made Bio diesel? Do new diesel vehicles come read to run Bio Diesel? Ie, fuel lines, seals, gaskets, things of that nature. What about other concerns... heated fuel tanks, fuel lines, engine block heater, and other items I may not know to ask about?? What do you all think. If it were your brand new truck what would you guys and girls be worried about or have done to run properly? Thanks in advance GDC

[zhilton]

Ford isn't too thrilled about anyone running anything more than B5 (5% biodiesel, 95% dinodiesel), so be fore warned...you could have problems with a dealership when it comes to warrenty work. Some dealers will actually put the blame where it belongs (injector, EGR, turbo...etc issues) while others are quick to say it's because your running more than B5 that caused the problem even theought the fuel had nothing to do with it. I run B20 in my '04 when it's above 40 and have yet to have any issue with it, the motor runs quiter and my mileage is ususally the same if not a little be better (less than .5 mpg improvement). I'm not sure if there are any issues with the 6.4 burning high ratio biodiesel. I wouldn't think so, but I don't own one either.

[jambroson]

Please be careful. I was running B100 in my 2005 F250. I live in Phoenix and when the temp cooled into the 30s it put a strain on my fuel pump which in turn took out 4 injectors. $3000 bill. Fighting the Middle East here at home can be expensive.

[misnomer]

I don't know what year your truck is or what engine you are looking at, if it is after 1996 then your fuel lines and seals should be fine. In Ohio, you have to think about the temperature. The thinkness of the BioDiesel can vary depending on the stock oil they used in its production. In winter I wouldn't use over B20. I would take a jar when you get some BioDiesel and put in your fridge at home and see if it thickens over 24 hrs, I had put some in overnight about 10 hrs and it seemed fine the next morning, but then the following morning it had gotten noticably thicker.

BioDiesel even at 2% increases the lubricating properties of the ULSD, which should make your engine parts wear longer.

[Ex1900Driver]

Thanks for the replies so far...

I currently live in Ohio, but my wife and I will be moving to Morrison, just West of Denver in the foothills. I'll admit it's not the summer that's concerning me, it is the winter months.
Based on the previous comments about voiding a warranty, perhaps a nice gently used diesel might be a better option until I get my mixes and procedures worked out.

Are there additives I can use to keep my B100 fluid or am I limited to fuel heaters, fuel line heaters, engine block heaters, things of that nature???

Again thanks for educating the uneducated!!

GDC

[Ex1900Driver]

Originally Posted by jambroson

Fighting the Middle East here at home can be expensive.

It certainly can, the less money I can give to "them" the better!!

GDC

[misnomer]

The warranty issue is not as big as they make it sound. They have to prove it was your fuel that caused the failure. No fuel is covered under warranty. If the failure can be proven to be caused by the fuel they don't have to cover the part under warranty. Biodiesel of not. They have to prove it was the fuel that caused the failure. But the experiences I have heard have been that the mechanic at the dealer just writes it up as a part failure.

One the other hand, I have an '84 6.9L IDI that has been out of warranty for many years. They are "cheap" to repair (injectors @ $25ea) and very tolerant engines. But it is an old truck. I saw a 1985 F250 6.9L Turbo 4x4 super cab on craigslist for $700. Not a huge investment. The new leer cab it has on it I could probably sell for $500 or so. lol I will probably get into trouble but I might buy it... it had some water in the oil which is why he has to sell it cheap. Most likely it is the oil cooler or a head gasket leak. the worst case would be a crack. But I like to work on my own stuff, if someone were to take it to a shop it wouldn't be worth it.

[zhilton]

misnomer is right, and I may have come across a little negative. I was pointing out there have been dealerships blame the fuel for the failure, even if it wasn't the fuel that cause the failure. I purposely when after a used truck when I bought my '04; (A) afordable yet younger that what I was driving (B) I'm not conviced the 6.4 is all that great and (C) there are guys out there running WVO and Biodiesel on it, so there is a support group of sorts to asks questions about the motor. Maybe in a couple of years when Ed McMann delivers that check he keeps telling me about I'll walk into my local stealership and spec order the exact truck I want and not care about the reported bad fuel mileage and the small fortune I spent for it. Until then the '04 will be doing what I purchased it for, taking me to work, taking the family on vactions and pulling the toys here and there.

[bigredtruckmi]

Please read under engine warranties paragraph 2

"Fuel suppliers should stand behind its product" From the national biodiesel organization.



http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/f...arranties.shtm

[Ex1900Driver]

Well again I appreciate everyone's input.
At this stage I think I will find myself a nice used diesel of some sort until I am financially able to buy a brand new truck, and after the 08's and onwards prove themselves. At least I will be able to fine tune my blends and see how well it works for me through the winter.

GDC

[Phydeaux88]

If you can get Fabmans attention, he is a very busy person, he knows of an additive that will lower BD cloud point quite a bit

[dzldenny]

My $.02. I just went to the local tech school for a class on making BF. I can tell you because I saw it myself that at 40 deg F B100 turns to jello. They told me antigel additives for bio get better every day, but don't work near as well as the stuff for petro-fuel. The instructor said he's been running B20 for five years, and never had a temp related problem. He did have a few clogged fuel filters after 20,000 mi when he first started running it. Beware of this with used trucks! Bio will clean out any crud in your tank, lines, ect. Keep a spare filter on board. He runs B100 in the summer months with no issues. Keep in mind I am speaking of transesterified bio fuel not swvo. I have yet to brew a batch as the wife doesn't want it in the basement. I guess I'll have to keep it in the bathtub then.

About that water in oil post. Beware! 6.9 and 7.3 are known for cavitation issues in the coolant. This wears away the cylinder walls from the back side. I had a '90 7.3 that had pin holes in three cyliders. Wish I would have known before I had that engine rebuilt. I could have bought a complete reman with warranty for less than what that bore and sleeve job costed. Have that checked before you lay out the cash.

Denny

[mejonz]

acually the cavitation problem is more 7.3 problem than a 6.9 problem 7.3 is an overbored 6.9 with thinner cylinder walls for more info check the pre power stroke 6.9/ 7.3diesel forum lots of info on cavitation there

[Phydeaux88]

7.3 is overbored 6.9?? Doubtful

A volumetric change that small, .4 L, can be achieved many ways and the easiest would be to very slightly increase stroke length.

The 7.3L engine is based on a production block, Internationals T444e. That engine has been around for many years and is essentially bullet proof.

Cavitation is a problem seen in many diesel engines not just the 7.3 PSD.

[mejonz]

I know cavition problem exist in most if not all diesel engines 7.3 have more than there fair of cavitation problems with the thinner cylder walls