diesel in so cal

[lvmci]

Hi All, just got back from getting the Italian Greyhound from So Cal, for some R&R and some work on it, stopped at  Flying J Barstow CA, to get a 6 cent discount on diesel, couldnt find a pump that wasnt a biodeisel blend! Tom C is this a complete change over in So CAL? Maybe that explains the poor performance on the Baker Grade? Lvmci...

[lvmci]

Hi Clifford, got the bus to a high pressure steam place in Barstow and got the squirrel cage radiator fans steam cleaned, cut the vibration down by 3/4s! Thanks so much for the advice, tom, lvmci...

[luvrbus]

I don't think it is just Southern Ca with the blend Tom I read in the Oil Journal  by 2022 it will be 50/50 nation wide it's gone from 5 to 15% in a year the EPA says we don't have any oil in USA lol

[TomC]

Currently, the most modern engines can only take up to 20% or B20 Biodiesel.Otherwise, the fuel gets to "thick" to flow through the injectors blowing the tips off. Our engines putting out around 2,000psi tip pressure is a bit lower then the DD engines 36,000psi tip pressure. I have run B20 in my Mercedes and haven't noticed any difference. Maybe check your fuel filters? Good Luck, TomC

[lvmci]

Thanks Tom, the decal on the pump said the bio portion of the diesel could run from 5 to 15% of the content, by the way everyone, this Flying J at the Lynwood exit of the I15,  in Barstow, is set up very well, and we boondocked there overnight in the parking lot across away from the 18 wheeler lot, less noisy and a Dennys and every restaurants and gas station you could imagine, lvmci....

[dukegrad98]

The issue with biodiesel is less its viscosity (particularly in the hot months), and has to do more with its solvent properties and compatibility with rubber hoses, seals, and the like.  Any diesel engine will burn biodiesel fine, even at B100 levels.  The question is how long all the ancillary parts will last.  

I don't have any big-truck experience, but I ran homemade B100 in an IDI Mercedes (W210-era E300) at about 2000psi injection pressures -- over 75k miles with no problems other than the occasional replacement of a small fuel return line weakened by the biodiesel.  I later ran my same homemade B100 in a TDI Volkswagen (V10 TDI Touareg) with 30,000+ psi injection pressures -- over 50k without any problems at all.  My current Cummins Dodge (6.7) sees lower blends, as I just don't have the same amount of time to make fuel as I had in the past.

You do have to watch cloud points and gelling temperatures depending on your climate and what feedstock the biodiesel is made from when you're running it straight or at very high blend levels.  I've only had "frozen fuel" once, in an unexpected snap freeze when I hadn't made time to go splash a couple gallons of D2 in the tank.  Lesson learned!

Cheers, John

[luvrbus]

John, you don't see many of the V10 Touareg my son has one he bought new when diesel cost more than cooking oil he would dump pure vegetable oil in his from the restaurants he never used old oil never a problem. He still has it and loves that SUV and fwiw those are running jokers his will fly from the get go and so quite