7.3L IDI diesel with biofuel
 

I'm almost ready to buy a very clean 1992 F250 7.3L diesel (2 tanks), but I want to make sure I can burn biodiesel without too much fuss. From previous threads it looks like I can do it. I have a biodiesel station down the road so I hope it works!! thanks for any advice.

Welcome to FTE :-X25 The best FORD site on the web!

You are right, you can use Biodiesel in your truck. Your FORD is gonna love it:-D

can you run 100%biodiesel in an idi 6.9/7.3 or just a certain percent? is there any type of maintance you should do besides the norm if you run this stuff often? what about in colder climates?

Yes, you can use any blend of bio in your truck. From B-5, through B-100. No mods or extra maintenance required! Where you live you won't want to run more than B-20 in the winter tho because bio has a gelling issue below about 30 degrees. If you use a blend higher than B-20, you'll find it will clean out the fuel system and may plug the fuel filter, so I would carry a spare. Once the system is cleaned out that will no longer be a problem, and you can go back to normal filter change intervals.

Are you going to be using commercial fuel, or make your own? I've been making my own for over 3 years now and will never go back to Dino-diesel! You will find that with any blend over B-20 that your truck will run smoother, quieter, with no smoke, and smell MUCH better!.

If it's a 1992 you may have to frplace some fuel lines and seale.
I think Ford was still using rubber for those components at that time.
If you replace use Vitron.

well I definitely dont know anything about making my own, I've heard you can strain used restaurant frying oil... I wish I knew about that and had a diesel when I used to work in the restaurant bussiness. What are some of the methods for making it yourself? What are the advantages? I've heard you dont save that much money if you make it yourself but that was probably not relavent to taking used oil from a restaurant but instead maybe buying cooking oil in bulk and then adding stuff? Sorry if I'm not on the right track but I dont know much at all about this and maybe it would be an advantage to me being that the 6.9 can run on bioDes w/out any mods.... hoping it might save me some $$$ more than anything if I can clean this stuff out from restaurants. You seem like an expert, let me know about this stuff, thanks from Drew

Drew, you can get up to speed on everything biodiesel related here: http://www.biodieselcommunity.org When you've checked out that site come back here and search the posts in this forum, and you'll find many people who've started making there own bio. It's really very simple. My cost to make bio runs about $.50 per gallon but I buy my supplies in bulk. Most people report that they can make it for less than $1.00 a gallon. Welcome to our biodiesel forum, and if you wish to make biodiesel the people here are always willing to help. We'll have you making your own fuel in no time :-D

well I went to that website and it looks like it's jam packed w/ info on how to make this stuff... you were talking about b-5 through b-100 and not to run 'more' than b-20 this time of year, i'm guessing 'more' would be b-20 through b100? what is it about fuels higher than b-20 that will 'clean out' your fuel system and plug a fuel filter?
are you sure there are absolutely not mods I 'have to' make to my 86 f350 6.9L to run the bioDiesel? Well how bout if I were to run a grade higher than b-20 this time of year... what kind of mods could/should I make? I'm guessing that grades higher than b-20 are cheaper to make also right(maybe not?)?
$0.50-$1.00/gallon?!?!? OK YOU SURE CONVINCED ME OF THE ADVANTAGES! I'll be at that website all night tonight studying this stuff, i'm sure I'll be answering some of my own questions by the end of the night! HEY MAN THANKS A LOT!

If you use blends higher than B-20 it will scour out all the "crud" that dino-diesel has left behind. Biodiesel is a very good solvent [It is what I use now in my parts washing tank!]

You will have to replace the short rubber fuel lines on your "86" tho. Ford didn't start using synthetic fuel lines until after 1991. Biodiesel will soften natural rubber.

My cost to make pure [B-100] biodiesel is around $.50/gal. During the winter I use B-80 [80% biodiesel-20% dino-diesel] to avoid the gelling problems that b-100 has.