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Bio Diesel

1789 Views 13 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  kstinson
Is anybody with a '98.5 24V cummins using biodiesel? What modifications are needed to run bio? Is anyone out making their own bio diesel?
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Biodiesel is safe and can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification needed. Although biodiesel can be used in its pure form, it is usually blended with standard diesel fuel. Blends are indicated by the abbreviation Bxx, where xx is the percentage of biodiesel in the mixture. For example, the most common blend is B20, or 20 percent biodiesel to 80 percent standard. So, B100 refers to pure biodiesel.
Is anybody with a '98.5 24V cummins using biodiesel? What modifications are needed to run bio? Is anyone out making their own bio diesel?
Biodiesel is a very good solvent so I would watch your fuel filter but other then that you should be pretty good to go.:thumbsup
after a tank or two you will need to change your fuel filter. the bio will clean out all the junk that has built up in your fuel system over the years.

check out Biodiesel & SVO Forums - Powered by eve community
for a lot more info.

also check out Murphy's Machines - Construction Plans For BioDiesel Processor Systems, Waste Oil Heating

paul is the owner he is a good guy
It plugged up my fuel filter on the first tank (from petro crap being loosened) and makes noticeably less boost, but I only take a 1 to 1.5 mpg penalty on fuel efficiency. I highly recommend running at least a little bit in ALL non common rails simply because of lubricity. Biodiesel has FANTASTIC lubricity. I never ran b100 due to some fool state law that requires a pinch of petro in the blend. I think it's like b99 or something, but my winter blend I get delivered has as much as 10% kerosene to prevent cold weather gelling.

No problems so far other than the first fuel filter. I changed it again about a month later just to be sure. BEWARE OF YOUR PAINT. Bio is a fairly strong solvent and BEWARE OF RAGS IN THE SUN. Biodiesel is spontaneously combustible on rags in the sun. Never had it happen, but my VENDOR who I buy volume from had it happen TWICE.

If you are not sure of quality, it might be wise to not let the truck sit long with bio in it either. If it has not been "washed" properly, water can be in it, and cause corrosion.

I also run it in my heavy equipment exclusively, now since it is much nicer to breathe, and not carcinogenic.
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Biodiesel is a very good solvent so I would watch your fuel filter but other then that you should be pretty good to go.:thumbsup
after a tank or two you will need to change your fuel filter. the bio will clean out all the junk that has built up in your fuel system over the years.

check out Biodiesel & SVO Forums - Powered by eve community
for a lot more info.

also check out Murphy's Machines - Construction Plans For BioDiesel Processor Systems, Waste Oil Heating

paul is the owner he is a good guy
First off... I've never used bio-diesel at all in the life of my truck (not locally available!)... Second off when I installed my AirDog 150 fuel pump I installed my draw straw kit. Here is the inside of my fuel tank in 6 years...:w:






(other than some drill crumbs)

There is no dirt, slime, etc in my fuel tank... So the junk that is plugging your filters is from the bio-diesel solely... Petroleum diesel is rather clean compared to bio-diesel...:w:
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Well that is a pretty clean tank, mine was not quiet as nice, but I feel like the northeast gets the bottom of the barrel as after as the quality of the diesel. Also most people up here are clueless over diesel and NEVER seem to change the filter at the pump. So long as the biodiesel has been properly water washed and and filtered then I would not worry too much about running it.
I beg to differ with the crud being from bio-diesel. If you do not clean it or filter it properly yes, you will have that junk in your tank, but if you do a quality job theres no worries, its common sense.

Also, biodiesel itself does not spontaniously combust. When its cooked and cleaned properly with methanol, its the methanol that ignites, not the biodiesel. Bio alone is actually harder then diesel to ignite without compression. We use aboutttt 42 gallons of methanol per 200 of bio made and have had zero problems.

The methanol is whats flammable, and also what eats paint as well as cleanes your fuel system out. I run cooked bio 100% and have since i bought the truck, and my friend who produces the fuel runs his 97 PSD, his 85 300D, his DT4700, and his fiance's 02 TDI, and other then filters in the beginning of running it, nothing. Not to mention the 2 ISB 8.3 cummins and CAT C9's and one Detroit/Mercedes in the Grooming vehicle at the ski area I work at, my fathers Duramax, a local drilling company's drill rig, a few local construction companies, etc etc etc. The methanol cleans the hell out of your system due to the fact that its basically a tree alcohol, or a solvent for the most part.

Biodiesels quality is only as good as the attention to detail and care taken to make it.

I make the same boost, a SMALL mpg boost, barely noticeable but i guess nowadays every little bit counts. Only difference i notices was there was a little less "diesel clatter". In my dads 02 Duramax his valves are MUCH quieter when mixed with bio then with not. I'm not exactly sure how thats happening, but its there and its noticable.

The only thing that i dislike about my truck with bio is the venerable VP44. Its not a bad pump overall, but the CP3 is arguably stronger and has more fueling capability then the VP. The VE will run forever, however is not very tuneable, and the P7100... well we all know its just a legend. I'm sad to say that one of the best engines to run bio in, especially straight waste veggie oil, is the Powerstroke. Its HEUI injection system (actually invented and copywrited by CAT), while not as easy to make power with, if you lookin for injection reliability is where its at. It uses an oil pump to pressurize the fuel basically. And the fuel is run through the heads to the injectors, therefore the fuel is the same temp as the motor is, and that makes WVO (waste veggie oil) much happier to run.

The reason you must add lye to a mix when your cooking bio properly is to draw the glycerine to the bottom of the mixing tank to draw it out. Glycerine itself is not burnable unless its heated to an excess of 180 degrees f. That is the reason why WVO must be heated before burning.

Currently my friend is working on a furnace that heats the glycerine before burning it to cook the bio with. So we will be using the waste product of bio to fuel its cooking:hyper:.

Can you say beat the system?:thumbsup
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Wow great post! Nice to see another New Englander!:thumbsup
i've been running bio in my 99 for over a week now, probably 500 miles. lost aabout 1mpg. can't tell much difference in power. it stinks, i hate the smell, diesel is much better! i changed the fuel filter sunday, hoping to get it out before it clogged up completely and stuck me on the side of the road trying to change it.
the filter was perfectly clean! no junk at all in/on it. i could have left it in there for who knows how much longer....
i run about B90-95, becuase i'm cheap and i like $1/gal. bio much better than $4.65/gal diesel.
Hello everyone!
As an owner of two Dodge Cummins trucks over the years I am sold on them in every way. As for fuel-never have used Bio diesel in either one. However, I am currently running B-100 Astm cert. from a reputable dealer in our 97 VW Passat and it is awesome in terms of lubricity, environmental performance and the exhaust just reminds you of a nice kitchen smell.
Thanx,
Joe
Homebrew Combination

This may be out there, but can we mix a homebrew and run it in combo with regular diesel so that we are running effectivley B20-b40, just by dumping it in the tank with regular diesel? Will they mix as you drive around? It's summer now, so cold temps are not as much of a problem. What do you all think or where do I look?
Thanks.
yup you sure can, i've got a friend who makes his own biodiesel and thats what he does in the winter
First off... I've never used bio-diesel at all in the life of my truck (not locally available!)... Second off when I installed my AirDog 150 fuel pump I installed my draw straw kit. Here is the inside of my fuel tank in 6 years...:w:






(other than some drill crumbs)

There is no dirt, slime, etc in my fuel tank... So the junk that is plugging your filters is from the bio-diesel solely... Petroleum diesel is rather clean compared to bio-diesel...:w:
If the junk is in the biodiesel then why getting it at the same place does the filter plugging stop after a few thousand miles and not reappear? :confused:
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