Posted 2008-04-10 8:01 AM (#81620 - in reply to #81567) Subject: RE: biodiesel?
Regular
Posts: 83
Location: Cheshire England
over here its avaliable at some gas stations some manufactures allow it to be used in there trucks and cars some recomend a percentage to use you could check with the manufacturer to see it its ok.. also people are "refining" used cooking oils and running on that!!! not sure id like to put it in a late model with electronics and common rail But it would be fine in a old Dodge with the inline diesel pump perhaps just seems risky to save a few Cents...hope this helps
Posted 2008-04-10 8:31 AM (#81625 - in reply to #81567) Subject: RE: biodiesel?
Veteran
Posts: 296
Location: Tennessee
I've been using it for about 6 or 7 months now, ever since it became widely available here in TN. It was cheaper when I first started using it by about 10 cents a gallon, but last several fillups it was the same price as petroleum diesel.
No setup needed but be sure your engine can handle it. Older engines may have parts that can get eaten up by the biodiesel, which has much stronger solvent properties than petroleum diesel. Any old deposits in your tank will get dissolved and clog filters up quicker, so carry extras. Even newer engines may not be designed for more than a certain concentration. I've been using between B5 and about B15 or so in my F250. So far so good. There are a lot of things than can go wrong, though, so you might want to read up on it some before you use it.
Posted 2008-04-10 8:32 AM (#81626 - in reply to #81567) Subject: RE: biodiesel?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 500
Location: West TN
Our local Farmers Co-Op started selling a B20 mixture. In fact, that was all you could get from them. I would say this lasted around 9 months to a year. I ran it in my 06 250 and did not have any trouble with it. We did have to replace a fuel filter in the process though. They recently stopped selling it and went back to straight diesel due to the increased cost of the biodiesel. Most manufacturers will not recommend anything over a B20 blend. If you have an older truck, make sure you have a spare fuel filter with you. It has a tendancy to clean out the tank and the built up sediment will find its way to the filter.
Posted 2008-04-10 7:14 PM (#81672 - in reply to #81567) Subject: RE: biodiesel?
Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah
A local station here last summer was selling a B-50 or 50% biodiesel. I ran a few tanks through my 06 F350 when it was convienent. It was about a dime more per gallon than regular diesel at other station. Since it was supposed to disolve gunk and clean the fuel system I thought it might be worth the extra money. I did change my filter, not because it clogged up, It was just due.
They stopped selling it in september, I assume because of the winter blend issues of colder weather. My truck ran fine on it.
Two of my neighbors, make their own out of Fry grease. They have a 2004 and 2006 Dodges. They run it straight, no mixing it with regular diesel during the warmer months. They do not use it when the temp drop below 45*. They are both happy and boast about how well it works in their trucks.
Posted 2008-04-11 6:01 AM (#81689 - in reply to #81674) Subject: RE: biodiesel?
Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah
I think they have lost some of their enthusiasm for the project. Not because it didn't work. But because of the hassle of running around to collect the used fry grease, They go through 30 gallons of fuel apeice each week. And your favorite McDonnalds only produces 10 gallons of fry grease each week. So they end up chasing to multiple places to pick up enough of the used grease. They have a collections of 5-10 gallons plastic jugs stacked in their garages. They have to strain the grease before they can put it in their trucks. They can't use the stuff during cooler weather as it has a pretty high cloud point. It just became too much trouble to save a buck.