Hey guys ive been doing a little research and im very interested in using bio diesel. Im planning on using it in an IDI or a first generation powerstroke. I was planning on purchasing one of the processors from northern tool. Are there any bad effects on the engine if i were to run them on strait bio diesel? Ive heard of people running them on 50/50 but i would rather keep it simple and be able to use it strait in the truck. Ive also heard about special fuel hoses that i should use if i were to use bio diesel and if there are any kits? Any comments would be awesome.

 

There are 0 ill effects from using WELL MADE biodiesel. As long as you make a quality product you will have no problems. I've been making and using bio for over 6 years without any problems. You will need to mix with dinodiesel in the winter months if you live in a cold climate. All Ford diesels after 1994 have bio compatable fuel lines already, so unless you buy a pre-94 your good to go!

If you need any help just post up in this forum. We have lot's of people that are willing to help.

 

that is what i wanted to hear.

 

As Fabmandelux said. If you run fuel with a high soap content you will be plugging filters as will water in your fuel. I was told on another forum a good thing to do is use a 2 micron filter and water trap filter on your finished product before it enters your tank. I would also suggest getting soap test kit and a water test kit. Depending on where you are at 50-50 in winter is ok.

 

Also forgot to say BioDiesel will reduce your emissions and should give better lubricity over Petro Diesel. (should make your motor run longer with in spec fuel) You will notice a 10% decrease in fuel milage and power. I notice it in my 6.0

 

I don't think their would be any bad effect on engine. Because its a cleanest form of fuel means it fully burns living no percent of carbon behind. I am not expert on automotive but i think it will not harm your engine but the engines are made to run on oil and using bio-diesel that is a factor that need to be addressed.

 

only down side to using biofuel in older vehicle is that it really cleans out our fuel system and can cause you to change your fuel filters more than you normally would during initial use. everything on our farm needed fuel filters changed regularly when we started using it.

 

One of the bad effects is the exhaust smell makes people hungry...

 

As has been noted, it is critical to make good fuel. LOTS of people don't, and so they have trouble; that's not surprising. Well- and properly-made biodiesel will lower wear in your engine, and also lower emissions somewhat. MPG will also drop; the research (EPA-spec testing in properly controlled circumstances) shows ~3% drop for B20. I don't recall numbers for B100. Be aware that biodiesel is much more highly solvent than petro-diesel, so you may need to change your fuel filter(s) shortly after you begin using it. I'd suggest looking to the University of Idaho and/or the University of Missouri for technical articles and reference material.

What I'm saying above is for well-made biodiesel from rapeseed and/or soybean starting material. I know that it's popular to make diesel fuel out of WVO, but I'm not familiar with scientific research into its properties and effects. If cleaned, trans-esterified, and processed properly, I wouldn't expect the results to be too terribly different.

 

I just (Saturday) bought a 2011 6.7L F250. I haven't even cracked the 400 mile mark... if I started making and using biodiesel soon, would I need to change my fuel filters within 500 miles? I see this recommendation everywhere but it seems like a new fuel system might not need the filters changed. Thoughts?

Also, there is a lot of marketing touting the engine's ability to run B20 from the factory. Is this just marketing, or is there something new that makes this possible? Also, does B99 or B100 need any sort of modification? If not... why wouldn't they just say that it can run B100? Seems like better marketing to me.

Keep in mind that I'm new to diesel, especially biodiesel. I'm just looking for feedback and maybe some guidance . Thanks in advance!

 

To your first question, no. The filter change recommendation has more to do with older vehicles with fuel system build up which would get loosened up from biodiesels strong solvent action. This build up would then create potential clogs in the filter. I think even my 2001 PSD is too 'new' to have
problem causing build up since it never happened to me when I started using biodiesel 3 years ago. Now I run my own B100 most of the time, and B50-B70 during the colder months, and no issues.

My thinking on the factory B20 recommendation is that it's a liability issue. Even if the biodiesel were not up to spec, at 20% it would be diluted down enough with petro diesel that it would pass through without harm. It seems to me that if there were a problem with your new 6.7, and it was confirmed that bio at a greater percentage than B20 was used, it would be easier to blame the issue on the fuel. Maybe it's too much of a grey area, being that there are quite a few homebrewers like myself out there. Fuel quality can vary widely. I don't know, these are just my own speculations I'm throwing out there, and hopefully someone who knows for certain will chime in.

 

Oh, and by the way, congrats on your new rig!

 

Sorry, biodiesel in higher concentrations than B-20 will not work in your 2011 Ford. Because of the PDF system in the new Fords and the way they work ( by injecting raw fuel into the cylinder during the exhaust stroke) the excess bio will run down the cylinder and contaminate your crankcase oil.

More here: Biodiesel Compatibility - Engine Biodiesel Fuel Compatibility - Popular Mechanics

 

If you actually read that article, fabmandelux, you'll see that they exclude the engines that use DEF from the problem of fuel dilution. Since the '11 Ford uses DEF, the issue raised by that article is not applicable ...according to the article.

 

so, if I read that article correctly, I could run whatever concentration of biodiesel I like (and can find/produce) since my truck uses DEF instead of injecting extra fuel during the exhaust stroke. This is good news!

Also, thx for the 'grats, binuya. This rig has turned more heads in 2 days than any other vehicle I've owned. I'm getting compliments from random strangers . Now, if it can generate the same kind of attention that my old '97 cobra did about 10 years ago... of course I'm married now and I suppose my wife might not appreciate being flashed by college girls on the highway