Fuel Quality

RBBailey

RBBailey

0
Callsign: KF7KFZ
What difference does fuel brand/quality really make when it comes to diesel? When running the V8s, I could tell the difference in the way the engine sounded with regular vs. supreme, and sometimes you could tell when you just really had a good, fresh batch of gasoline.

With the Tdi, I think I've noticed that the IP seems to be quieter with B20, and the exhaust smells different, but I hear such inconsistent noises from the car that I'm not sure if fuel type/quality has anything to do with it.

So other than actual bad fuel because of some kind of defect, do you guys recommend a certain brand, etc...?
 
Napalm00

Napalm00

Technical Excellence Contributor
I use regular diesel no bio. Any regular diesel from any station in the US is safe to use as long as it hasn't been sitting g so long it allows alge to grow in it.

Bio has actually less energy and burns cooler than standard petroleum based diesel. It can also eat non rated fuel lines and seals.


If you were in a super cold climate you can add a small amount of anti gelling agent to your diesel if we're going to leave it sit at below zero temperatures.

Frankly these engines can probably run on tiger piss. Run what you want but keep in mind the "corrosiveness" of bio .

I run whatever is cheap. keep in mind diesel fuel is a compound not a mixture like gasoline so in a controlled environment it can sit indefinitely without breaking down
 
4RF RDS

4RF RDS

0
I ran B20 in 300Tdi until the local station stopped carrying it. Mine also ran quieter and smoother with B20. I once put 20 litres of veg oil in it as well and it ran really smoothly though it smelled like a deep frier. That was just an experiment. I always just used regular diesel.
 
R

Red90

0
An a minimum. you should use a fuel conditioner with a lubricity additive. B20 will suffice. The fuel in the US does not receive proper 3rd party testing and it is quite common for the distributors to not use adequate levels of lubricity additives. The minimum spec for the US is also a bit on the high side to be comfortable.

An "anti-gel" is a good idea if you live anywhere that is humid. This prevents water from settling out, which is what leads to the fungal growth.

A cetane booster will help power. It is noticeable. Minimum cetane in North America is too low.
 
O

O2batsea

0
There is no such thing as algae or fungi growing in diesel fuel. This is some kind of old wive's tale. What this may be referring to are wax compounds that can congeal. Heating the fuel to remelt and dissolve the wax cures the problem.
 
R

Red90

0
O2batsea said:
There is no such thing as algae or fungi growing in diesel fuel. This is some kind of old wive's tale. What this may be referring to are wax compounds that can congeal. Heating the fuel to remelt and dissolve the wax cures the problem.
Click to expand...

Ummm. I hate to tell you, but you are wrong. It most definitely does. I had two loaders' fuel systems full of the stuff last year. It is not fuel. It does not dissolve with any solvents. Trust me, I tried. As soon as you get free water, it grows like crazy, using the fuel as food.

It is not algae, despite everyone using that term. Algae requires light.
 
O

O2batsea

0
Red90 said:
Ummm. I hate to tell you, but you are wrong. It most definitely does. I had two loaders' fuel systems full of the stuff last year. It is not fuel. It does not dissolve with any solvents. Trust me, I tried. As soon as you get free water, it grows like crazy, using the fuel as food.

It is not algae, despite everyone using that term. Algae requires light.
Click to expand...

It actually grows in the water that sits in the tank, not in the fuel itself. If you get that stuff it's due to dirty and/or contaminated tanks. Then once you start moving the gook sloshes around and mixes into a mess.

https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp-country/en_au/media/fuel-news/microbes-in-fuel.pdf
 
Uncle Douglas

Uncle Douglas

0
Callsign: delete
O2batsea said:
It actually grows in the water that sits in the tank, not in the fuel itself. If you get that stuff it's due to dirty and/or contaminated tanks. Then once you start moving the gook sloshes around and mixes into a mess.

https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp-country/en_au/media/fuel-news/microbes-in-fuel.pdf
Click to expand...

Pain in the ass when you buy 200 gals @ a marine fuel dock for your offshore boat and get 60 miles off the beach and start clogging up racor 1000's in not so gentle rollers.
Ah, the joys of yachting....
 
R

Red90

0
O2batsea said:
It actually grows in the water that sits in the tank, not in the fuel itself. If you get that stuff it's due to dirty and/or contaminated tanks. Then once you start moving the gook sloshes around and mixes into a mess.

https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp-country/en_au/media/fuel-news/microbes-in-fuel.pdf
Click to expand...

I thought you just said it is an old wive's tale?

It needs water and fuel. It grows in the interface between the water and fuel but can break off and live happily in the fuel. The fuel is the food. All that you need is a tiny bit of free water in the tank or the sedimentor and the stuff goes nuts and it gets carried with the fuel through the whole system. You won't tell anyone it is an old wive's tale the day you need to deal with it.
 
blueboy

blueboy

0
When living in Brasil had a 2003 110 with 300tdi.

Bio diesel was common at stations.

Landy Rover owners manual specifically stated not to use Bio diesel.

Most stations also had 2 grades of fuel - higher C basic difference.

Didn?t inquire as to why no Bio as the higher C grade was inexpensive anyhow.

And yes, it was pretty cool that the engine would even run on fuel found in BFE.

Just throwing it out there as information.
 
javelinadave

javelinadave

Administrator
Staff member
Diesel is very much like jet fuel. Commercial jet fuel has an anti bio agent to kill off algae and other microbial contaminants. Years ago I went to pick up a 737 with JT8D engines (P&W version of a 300Tdi) that had sat for 30+ days. I watched the fueler sump out almost 4 gallons of algae contaminated water out of each fuel tank. Crap grows in stagnant fuel just like in a stagnant pond. I don't know what the mechanics did but we waited for several more hours before we could fly it out.
 
RBBailey

RBBailey

0
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I do remember fueling jets back in the day, and one of the A&P guys was telling me basically the same thing. That Jet-A is just a super filtered/purified version of diesel.
 
rovercolorado

rovercolorado

0
AdamSanta85 said:
Jet A is filtered kerosene
Click to expand...


My local BIO fuel station replaces the BIO in the winter with kerosene.
They told me they clean out the tanks in the spring and fall when switching back and forth between the fuels. Not sure how bad things get but it's only one of two stations that carry BIO in town so I'm sure it doesn't lay around for very long.
 
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