Bio fuels only for older engines?

[ramblingboy42]

The subject of biofuels has kind of died a slow death with the advent of the new engines.

Are there any fuelling experts on the forum can explain why a properly filtered biofuel can't be run in the modern engines?

I ran them in my td5 when I could without a single problem , but the td5 was actually designed to run on basically any combustible oils.

I'm thinking it can be done but certain parameters must be met.....after all , diesel fuel has only changed to meet environmental requirements.

[Aaron IIA]

Are you asking specifically about biodiesel, or biofuel in general?

Aaron

[ramblingboy42]

I should have made it clear.....biodiesel.

[Bearman]

A mate of mine runs a 50/50 mix in his Mitsubishi outlander (2015 model) without any problems, although he has voided his warranty. It runs good.
Just get an Isuzu Dennis, I run 100% bio in mine. Even smells good :D
Trout one day, mackerel the next!!!!

[Blknight.aus]

short version.

ITs to do with the cracking pressure and temperature of the BioD.

once you get to and past the unit injector level of tech the injection pressures and temps get to the point where the Bio breaks apart and looses its lubricity.

in a TD5, unchipped and not running hard or hot perfect BioD has a small margin on the injection pressure and temps. But if its running hot, running hard for extended periods or youve chipped it up or the bio isnt perfect you will start to cause issues. They wont cause an instant failure but it will degrade the quality of injection, once that goes you get poorer combustion you begin to contaminate the rings and bores and then.........

[Homestar]

It's not requested nearly as much as it used to be within the hire industry. We used to regularly do jobs that required it, but when we recently had an enquiry, we found our Bio Diesel supplier had shut up shop and getting any decent quantities in Victoria now is very difficult.

[ramblingboy42]

thanks Dave , not a td5 anymore , but a 2.2 puma in a Ranger.

sounds to me a risky thing to do with a 2.2.

[Blknight.aus]

I would concur.

heres why.

best case scenario the stuff fails in the high pressure pump, causes it to wear out and you loose rail flow rate and eventually pressure, the engine will compensate by closing up the pressure regulator which will further reduce flow rate, which raises the temperature of the fuel making the cracking problem worse. eventually the engine will compensate some by lengthening the injection duration which raises the cylinder pressure and burn duration raising the EGT and engine temps which then causes the fuel to heat up further............

worst case scenario.

an injector wears and sticks open or leaking, with full injection pressure behind it all the time (its a common rail thing) it will dribble fuel into the combustion chamber all the time including on the intake, comprssion (which will lead to premature ingnition) power (which leads to high pressures and temps) and exhaust strokes (which leads to after burning and stupid high cat temps)

If an injector sticks Wide open it will cut a hole in the top of the piston in short order and the engine will be very very hard to start. In an extreme case you could (if all the fuel dumped and remained in a single cylinder just after TDC post compression stroke) damage the big ends when you crank it over to start and it tries to compress the fuel, Ring damage and piston land thrust damage will occur as well and if you were to try and tow start it I can see crushed bearings, bent rod and possibly even head gasket/head damage.

[ramblingboy42]

enough , enough....:o:o:o

I'm not even going to think about about it again:D:D:D

bio diesel WAS a good idea......

[Bearman]

Well you did ask!!

[ramblingboy42]

...yep....got the replies I wanted too...

I used bio a lot in my td5 but needed to sound out it's potential in the pumas.....which is nfg.

[landrover6x6]

gday mate i coming from the fuel industry and i will not put ANY bio diesel in anything diesel engine as the bio additive is no good for any engine unless the engine is designed to run on the stuff, only factory car that can run on bio or even blended bio fuels are vws . newer common rail cars can handle it but the bio destroys injectors plus all your seals in the car plus if car sits for a week it will cause major issues as it glogs up and can eat fuel tanks. few of the major fuel companies are injecting 2% bio into there diesels and that low amount is screwing up older trucks , my company is one of these and i have a fuel card but i pay to buy my diesel from bp as its the only decent diesel left in this country.

[Phil B]

I drove a hired 200series LC for a while at work recently and it had stickers everywhere saying not to use biodiesel, repair cost to hirer etc