Nice study going on using Peterbilt Cat engine semis. Study not finished yet, but some good results so far. Interesting reading...
http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/p...321_decker.pdf

 

The biggest issue on biodiesel is: fuel quality. This is the key item

 

bigred
I couldn't agree more. In fact I have ststed that very opinion here on many occasions.

This is a very real study. If it is properly documented we could see many of the objections of the EMA crowd diminish.

As bigred sais "Fuel quality is the key item"

 

ive run it in both my cats old 3406 B's one it did fine the othere well lets just say it cost me around 14 grand to learn. found out bio doesnt like a realy hot ,pumped up cat.the guy at the cat house said the bio run to hot and wiped out the head,headgasket so while they were that far i just told them to do an inframe

 

At least here in Ca. diesel quility is the problem.

 

Wizzard...Your Cat man said BD ran too hot?? Could that be possible?? I don't think you had a hot batch of BD...you had a bad Cat mechanic that didn't know what caused the problem so blamed the BD. Besides, if it caused the problem in that one engine, why not the other??

BD has a lower BTU content rating that dino D...it can't burn hotter. Here's a blurb I found online talking about BD vs. #2D combustion properties.

http://www.cytoculture.com/Biodiesel...n%20Properties
Heat of Combustion Properties

Relative to petroleum diesel no. 2, Biodiesel has a slightly lower heat of combustion on account of its oxygen content (petroleum diesel hydrocarbons are not oxygenated). The heat of combustion for soy methyl esters is 128,000 BTU (British Thermal Units) per gallon vs. 130,500 BTU/gal. for petrodiesel. In the Southwest Research Institute study (1996), the heat of combustion for rapeseed biodiesel in blends were compared with petrodiesel. Petrodiesel had 18,400 BTU/lb., neat biodiesel had 16,200 BTU/lb. (88%) and a 20% blend of rapeseed methyl ester biodiesel had 17,900 BTU/lb. (97%). However, with the added oxygen, the net combustion efficiency for the blended fuel is increased, which should compensate for the slight drop in BTU content. The differences would be most noticed at low rpm and high engine load when the engine would most benefit from more oxygen.

 

well the one in my freightliner is pump up to the max i pull it 300ft at a time some weekends).when it took it to the cathouse and they tore it down he called and asked if i run bio before this he had no knowlage i run it.i still run bio in my pete tho 2 years trouble free.after i got it back i was talkin to a farmer freind and he's got a couple hot johndeeres and he's had some of the same problems but on the one not turned up no problems.dont get me wrong im not trying to knock bio or any alternitive feuls they keep me in bizz haulin the corn and beans

 

What material are the head gaskets made from? Your cetane rating on bio is almost 4 numbers higher and burns all the way down the cylinder. Could it be that a turned up engine and bio(race fuel for diesels) are a head causing problem? I would be like throwing fuel on the campfire with marshmellows. Hmmmmm, that is something to think about. How would it wipe out the head unless the top clearance was compromised with a bad batch of bio with a water. ATDC (above top dead center) on diesel engines is go boom with water. No that would have bent a rod. Hmmm

 

I've been using commercial biodiesel from B5 to B20 in all diesel vehicles and farm tractors and have had no problems.

 

I've been using commercial biodiesel from B5 to B20 in all diesel vehicles and farm tractors and have had no problems for 7 years.