I have used a mix of 3 gal of used "veggie" oil (could be canola, peanut, cotton seed, corn etc.) filtered trough a 12 micron filter mixed with 2 gal gasoline. I have run this in my 2000 F250 7.3L many many times when gas/diesel prices get high and have had zero problems.

Now I change my fuel filter freqently and live in TX and don't do this if the temp drops below 50deg F. I also use Lucas upper cylinder lube and cleaner on a regular basis. So if you try this and it detroys or damages your engine, you voluntarily chose to do this!!

OK, MY question.
Could E85 be sustituded for regular unleaded gasoline without seal failures or swelling causing leaks? I'm not a chemist, but it would not be run full strength (E85) through the fuel system. Its cheaper than gasoline, but is it worth the savings of having to replace all the o-rings in the fuel system?

Thoughts, comments, welcome.

 

I would not suggest using gasoline in your 7.3l of any amount... It is not designed for it..

 

holly crap, your mixing gas and wvo in a diesel. this should get interesting

 

i have seen aft and gas mixed and it runs great. more power and mpg.

 

Mixing gasoline with diesel probably will damage your injectors... they are not cheap to replace... from this on the net:

Gasoline will raise the combustion temperature. This might or might not reduce carbon deposits in the cylinder. This also might or might not overheat the injector nozzle enough to cause coking on the nozzle. That’s a clogged injector tip in layman’s terms. The fuel being injected is the only thing that cools the nozzle. Diesel fuel has a lower combustion temperature than gasoline. The fuel injectors depend on the fuel burning at the correct rate and temperature for a long life. If the combustion temperature is raised long enough, the gums and varnishes in gasoline will start to cook right in the fuel injector and turn into carbon. These microscopic carbon particles will abrade the nozzle. High combustion temperatures alone will shorten fuel injector life, gasoline makes the problem worse.

For the entire article, click:
http://www.turbodieselregister.com/m...and_diesel.htm

 

i would think that 10% gas would not raise the temperature enough that it would cause harm if blended with wvo that burns at a lower temperature, gas is hotter but the oil would keep it cooler.

 

fixin737s

Be very cautious with E85, since it is 85% ethanol. VO can only absorb about 8% ethanol. RUG containing about 10% is a better choice for thinning/anti-gelling vo.
I do not use E85 for the reasons stated. I do use RUG.

What is your fuel conversion system composed of? Mine is in my signature.

 

Don't you mean 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol.. ? My 2008 Impala will run on E85 according to GM.. (flexfuel)

 

Ethanol, before it was used as a main alcoholic drink ingredient, is usually produced through fermentation -- the carbohydrates' presence by specific yeast species when oxygen is not available. Ethanol is deemed as a depressant and a psychoactive drug component of liquors. Alcoholic drinks with over 50% ethanol in a volume (100 proof) are flammable while alcoholic drinks with too much ethanol results to more than 191.2 proof, which is not edible.

Ethanol today is utilized as an alternative fuel for it can be blended with regular gasoline. It increases octane and improves the emission quality of burnt gasoline. Ethanol can be blended with gasoline to produce alternative transportation fuels like E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

The oxidation of ethanol can form ethanal such as acetaldehyde, an organic chemical compound present in coffee, fresh bread, and fruits. Ethanol can be oxidized with acidified Sodium Dichromate (Na2Cr2O7), or with acidified potassium permanganate (KMnO4), or with acidified Potassium Dichromate (K2Cr2O7). If ethanol is excessively oxidized, it can produce ethanolic acid (acetic acid), a chemical compound responsible for giving the vinegar its pungent smell and sour taste.

Another component of E85 is gasoline or petroleum. Gasoline is usually utilized as fuel in internal combustion engines and the only known establishments who produce gasoline are oil refineries. The regular gasoline is made up of hydrocarbons with between 5-12 carbon atoms in a molecule. Iso-octane or benzene enhance gasoline to add octane ratings, the most relevant feature of gasoline. Octane ring measures the gasoline's resistant spark-ignition internal combustion engines.

One gasoline type that is utilized in producing E85 is the unleaded gasoline. Studies show that unleaded gasoline has at least 15 hazardous chemicals present in different amounts from 5%-35% by volume of gasoline. Among the dangerous chemicals are benzene, toluene, naphthalene, trimethybenzene, and MTBE.

 

Well, I stand corrected.. on the E85.. interesting. thx Alan.

 

From a chemical viewpoint, if the o-rings are Viton and withstand bio-diesel they should tolerate ethanol. I make no predictions for the rest of the engine.

 

No, it is 85% ethanol.

 

The carbon deposits/coking from putting ANY VO-blend in your engine can eventually cause a slow, but eminent death blow. Some seem to 'get away with it' for longer than others, but its Russian Roulette at best.

Combine that with higher CP's and advanced timing from a fuel with a flash point up to 200* lower than diesel and you are playing double Russian Roulette. If you really think blending crap and calling it 'fuel' for your engine is a good idea - you should do some reading about DSE. I have personally met a bunch of folks who learned this the hard way. PSD guys were sometimes lucky to only lose injectors, but the D-max and 24v guys usually ended up with a new engine.

Do you REALLY want to save money on fuel? Do you want your engine to last as long as it was designed for? Then do a 'proper' VO conversion that will adequately heat the VO before injecting it into the engine and provides a complete 'purge' of the VO from engine before shutdown. NEVER inject cold VO into a cold combustion chamber and only put dry (read: dewatered) and filtered oil into your trucks VO tank.

The factory fuel filter is 6 or 7 mic - ABSOLUTE. Not sure what '12mic' filter you are using, but if its 'nominal' rated, it is letting much larger particles thru...

This concoction you describe is also very susceptible to separating in your fuel tank. The heavier animal fats, hydrogenated oil and emulsified water will settle out and the RUG/E85 can 'float' on top of the diesel. Beyond that, E85 has a voracious affinity for water. A little water in an E85-powered car causes little problem - but putting water with your cocktail will create an emulsion that will not pass thru any fuel filter.

I'm just a dum redneck, but I do have almost 250k trouble-free miles burning SVO in my 'converted' PSD's. Lets just say I recovered my 'investment' a loooooong time ago!!

I like to say "Choose wisely, or PLEASE post pics of the carnage!!"

Meanwhile, lots of good info on this subject at frybrid.com and a forum full of PSD's on the high cholesterol diet at biofuelstechnologies.com

 

You seem to have an awareness concerning vo use. Please describe your "proper" conversion.

 

That is a very accurate description - awareness. I sure ain't no expert, but I've met most of the people who could be if there were any!! Seriously, I'm a dum redneck - although I did get to disassemble my engine after 120k miles on VO, and there was no sign it had ever seen anything but dead dinosaur fuel. I have also met several people that used 'alternative' fuels that ruined perfectly good engines (there are LOTS of them out there!!).

Redundant (2) tank system segregated by check valves. Frybrid In-Tank HE (primarily heats small quantity of oil). Tube-In-Hose coolant heated fuel lines, FASS HPFP, coolant heated VO filter and a 16plate FPHE (flat plate heat exchanger). I use an aux coolant pump to boost coolant flow thru VO loop.

I switch to VO at 130* engine oil temp and see 180-200* VO before the heads. I have a purge valve that allows me to flush the VO out of heads with diesel before shutting engine down. NO cold VO in a cold engine - ever. Not even a 'blend'...

I pre-filter all of my WVO by pumping it thru a screen/strainer (200mic?) and letting it settle for 2 weeks to 2 months. I used to use a modified water heater to 'Heat & Settle' the oil to finish removing the water - then push that thru 10mic and 2mic FUEL filters into trucks. Now I have a gravity-fed bowl type centrifuge after 'pre-settle' and pump thru 2mic filter for the hell of it.