Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel

[LargeCarMan]

It's mandated to appear in the markets by October 2006. Sulfur as I know it lubes the injectors, injector pump, and other injection parts. I remember when fuel was 34 cents a gallon and I looked for the darkest fuel to run in my rig.

With the advent of low sulfur fuels...additives are common place for lubebrosity and many as well as me mix a few ounces of two stroke engine oil in on a fill up or add a quality additive in the Winter.

Today's diesel fuel really smells weird and when I replace a fuel filter instead of messing with filling the filter with diesel fuel, I fill it with ATF for a easy purge upon replacement of the filter.

QUESTION: Does anyone know how the new fuel will effect current diesel engines in these area's.

1. Lubrosity
2. Cetane levels
3. Long injections system life.

I understand that over the road rigs and farm equiptment will be exempt. Any other issues this new fuel could cause?

 

[Bio-T]

Off road diesel will be 500 PPM in the future. OTR rigs will be using ULSD AFAIK. All diesel fuel being shipped from most refineries is ULSD. But some of the 500PPM diesel is still in storage tanks, so the dilution factor is working now.

The ULSD is shipped from the refinery meeting lubricity specs. However this spec is a bare minimum spec. I recommend you add a lubricity additive.

Cetane levels are running 39-42 depending on the refinery. Some are higher, but it will be noted on the pump and you will pay according.

Longer injector life?? Running pure ULSD, don't bet on it. With the inception of ULSD the refinery is now doing a wear scar test on their diesel fuel. This was not required prior.It has to meet a minimum spec, and there is wear using ULSD.

 

[tdi-rick]

FWIW, i believe that the aromatics in the fuel that are removed as a consequence of removing the sulphur are responsible for its lubricity.
We've been using ULSD ( Haven't heard of any wholesale problems attributable to ULSD in the last two years at all and it is now available Australia wide. That's not to say there haven't been any, just not a common occurance.
Currently running two vehicles, one just over, one just under 200,000km on the original injectors, although they have been fed a steady diet of Redline RL2 for the last 70-80,000km. Less particulate emmissions, less soot loading in the oil and a much tighter controlled fuel spec are some bonuses here IMO.

 

[JHZR2]

yes, its generally the 2,3 dimethylbenzothiophene, 4,6 dimethyldibenzothiophenes and similar compounds that are present in fuel, as they are most refractory (the sulfur atoms are guarded by the methyl groups that stick out), so the typical refinery desulfurization operations cant easily get them out.

Now with ULSD, they are running more and more severe processes, and pulling more of that stuff out, taking away from the lubricity characteristics that those sulfur-laden aromatics provided.

JMH

 

[oil pan 4]

It is just like when the motor oil makers came out with the "energy saver" oil.
It had less anti ware addtives in it. People would buy this oil, put it in there older car with flat tappet cam and flat lifters.
Energy saver oil was made for full roller engines that became common place by the mid 90's.
In turn people with the older engines would ware them out faster.
Zink anti ware addtives have gone for as high as 1200ppm before the mid 90's to as low as 650ppm in the last few years.
That way you get an old car off the road. And Some one some where has to buy a new car.
There doing the same thing to diesels, but through changing the fuel.

 

[LargeCarMan]

oilpan4, I believe to a certain extent your right. Big Goverment and Business have tried to get older vechiles off the road for decades...

With this new fuel, only proper additives with lube additives and cetane additives will keep the old iron running....OR....you/me/us/we can start making Bio-Brews of diesel fuel ourselfs at home///I am thinking Bio-T already knows this.

 

[doctorr]

ULSD needs help even to just meet the minimum specs - refineries are using an Ethyl Corp. additive, Hitec 4848A, to raise lubricity to pass the wear scar tests.
.
.
.
doc

 

[JR]

Will there be a way around the ULSD? I am farm tax exempt so off-road is on the table. I am not worried about high sulfer. My diesel is a 84 VW Rabit L 1.6 litre IDI N/A. No cats, no egr, and so on. Is off-road a good idea or not? I have farm plates so it is legal for me to run it if I am doing farm work.

 

[refuse2]

Farm plates or not it should run the on hiway fuel but it would run just fine if not better on the farm fuel.

 

[Master ACiD]

how does this emissions friendly fuel effect the older bosch "ve" mechanical pumps and injectors commonly found on older cummins, etc that are lubricated by the diesel fuel and not oil?

reduced component life? do they add something at the tanker to increase lubrication to meet some sort of minimum spec? and is this minimum spec good enough for the older bosch injection systems?

 

[Bio-T]

The lubricity agent is added at the refinery prior to shipment for ULSD.

In the older Cummins, and in fact any PSD, Cummins or Duramax I would recommend a lubricity additive.

Oil pan, the new off road RED diesel will be 500 PPM sulfur. Nothing drastic, the same diesel that you have been using on road prior to the ULSD. I won't touch the use of off road diesel in a vehicle used on the road. I can say I have been stopped at a road block twice by the Arkansas DOT. I was using taxed diesel.

 

[wwillson]

Bio-T,

Do have they ever checked you when running B100? I wonder what they would say?

Wayne

 

[Bio-T]

Wayne,

As long as the fuel does not show red on their dipping stick that they use I don't think anything would ever be said. I have never been checked with Biodiesel in the tank. #2 diesel here seems to have a greenish tint and bio has the golden fry oil look.

 

[Ken2]

"Sulfur as I know it lubes the injectors, injector pump, and other injection parts."
Sulfur isn't a lube. When sulfur is taken out, the stuff that does lube is also lost.

"many as well as me mix a few ounces of two stroke engine oil in "
Waste of time and money. Use a real lubricity additive if you feel you need something, preferably in a good multipurpose diesel fuel additive. FP60, Schaeffer's additives, and many others work great.

"when I replace a fuel filter instead of messing with filling the filter with diesel fuel, I fill it with ATF"
Bad idea. When the ATF burns, it leaves abrasive ash behind.


Ken

 

[George7941]

Ken2. Is Howes Diesel Treat a good additive for adding lubricity? I use it but there is an evaluation of various diesel additives at either the Racor site or the Stanadyne site and they said that the only two additives providing decent lubricity were Racor and Stanadyne.

 

[wwillson]

Bio-T,

We've been checked be the Iowa DOT at least a dozen times!!!!!

Wayne

 

[Bio-T]

Wayne,

WOW, you keep your DOT busy up there. Down here, they mainly set up where the logging operations are running. Checking the logging trucks that run to the mills. You are in a big farm area where Off Road diesel would be more prevalent.

 

[wwillson]

Bio-T,

Virtually every farmer has a large storage tank of off-road (no road tax) diesel. The I-DOT didn't check until about 20 years ago, when they figured out how much tax revenue they were missing out on. Now if you drive a VW Jetta diesel you will get spot checked....

Wayne

 

[JHZR2]

Ive seen them checking trucks at the 16W exit on the NJ turnpike...

In my MB 300D Ive just slipped on by... not that I had anything red in my tank anyway... unless FP counts.

JMH

 

[JHZR2]

These guys all were your friends... the sulfur laden aromatics... and now are no more.

Lubricity enhancers, when done right, really are the better option, IMO.

JMH