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anybody running alternative fuels

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Old Nov 26, 2012 | 11:56 PM
  #1  
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From: Tollhouse ca
anybody running alternative fuels

Im running mineral oil and some atf also used motor oil love it am i the only one?
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Old Nov 27, 2012 | 07:48 AM
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From: Apple Valley Ca.
No as soon as I finish up the crewcab it will be running waste oil and anything else I can find to stuff in the tank .
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Old Nov 27, 2012 | 08:46 AM
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From: Knoxville, TN
Im running mineral oil and some atf also used motor oil love it am i the only one
In what concentration?
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Old Nov 27, 2012 | 09:39 AM
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From: north woods of Michigan
I've run B75, and WVO in the 93. I also ended up replacing the lift pump and injectors after doing that. I can't say the alternative fuels caused the issues with 18 years and 315,000 miles on the truck but I'm not running that stuff in the 92. I've also dumped ATF and 2 stroke oil in the tank on occasion just because the current ultra low sulfur diesel doesn't seem to offer much in the way of lubricity. I also usually use ATF to prefill the fuel filter when changing it so thats a near 100% shot of ATF to the injection pump for a few seconds, the only reason being I usually have a quart of ATF handy but not any spare fuel.

My stepdad also runs older MB diesels(78-8? 240D's mostly) on up to 100% WVO without a tank heater in the summer with no major issues so far.

It's kind of one of those science experiment ideas and the waste oils make me a little nervous because of the metal and other materials they pick up during normal service.
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Old Nov 28, 2012 | 10:43 AM
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From: Tijeras, New Mexico, 7,000ft up
I run Jet A on occasion, sometimes straight up with a quart of 2-stroke oil.
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Old Nov 28, 2012 | 01:12 PM
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From: Bridgewater, Maine
I used to make my own biodiesel and really liked how the engine ran on it, much quieter and smells better. It takes less than 2% biodiesel to provide a huge increase in the lubricity, more than enough to bring it up beyond what the old sulfur diesel had in it. Never had much for issues with it other than the low temperature freezing problems but that was my fault for seeing how low I could go. nothing a few filters and some K1 couldnt overcome although changing filters while its -8 isn't fun.

If I had a good supply of WVO then I would definitely do it again now that i have another diesel to drive. It is even worth looking into making small batches in a 2 liter soda bottle to run as an additive, much cheaper than most of the others out there and I believe there is a study floating around here somewhere that puts biodiesel on the top of the list for a lubricity additive.

I haven't used ATF, that seems to be the one that causes the biggest debates on friction modifiers in newer fluids and if it should be used in an injection pump or not. It seems as though the general belief is that it ATF is not ideal to use anymore, its not the same stuff that was used as injector cleaner from years ago.

There is an alternative fuels forum on this site that has lots of info on all kinds of other fuel sources, I havent been in there for a while now but it used to be be good reading a few years back.
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Old Nov 28, 2012 | 01:22 PM
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I've done what Mark does, swear it makes it run better the next couple tanks of regular fuel.
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Old Nov 28, 2012 | 05:18 PM
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From: Pasco,wa.
I run WMO in my 93.I put in a 270 gallon storage tank mix in 15% gasonline,let it settle for a week or so, I then run it through an upflow tank and then through a centrifuge and into storage drums and pump from them into my trucks tank with a couple bottles of cetane booster per tank.The truck runs great and very quiet on it and I get better power and MPG vs #2 diesel.
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Old Nov 28, 2012 | 06:43 PM
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From: Glendale, Ca.
I make my own biodiesel and have been running it for the past 7 years (B100).
The only problem has been the rubber in the lift pump not lasting.
Was thinking of going to a piston lift pump.
Use a 2 micron fuel filter prior to the lift pump and have to change it about every 1500 miles.
The main fuel filter has not been changed in the last 5 years.
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Old Nov 28, 2012 | 07:43 PM
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From: southeast pa.
i ran wvo for several years.in hot weather(over 65 degrees) 90% wvo.never any problems.i will say i got it from an upscale pizza shop that kept their oil changed and used only soybean oil.i just filtered it thru a paper milk filter and then a water filter.stopped running this past fall as the truck sits around most of the time now.
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Old Dec 1, 2012 | 12:15 AM
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From: Tollhouse ca
Yea i had issues with that diaphragm pump as well so i went with the low pressure piston pump from Cummins it works great aside from no more break downs it has way more power no more defueling at higher rpm

Last edited by BC847; Dec 1, 2012 at 10:54 AM. Reason: Short-Cut To Language
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Old Dec 1, 2012 | 10:46 AM
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I've been running bio for years. Only issue has been stock lift pumps. lately I've been gettin away from bio and have been blending. Bio is just a pain, been blending 50/50 wvo/#2. Winter I run 40/60 wvo/#2.

If it gets really cold I'll run 5% rug/35%wvo/60%#2, but it has to get into the teens to need that.

The only thing I do is add a disposable filter before the main. On one of the trucks I have a racor500 in there also but dont think it's needed.

Stu
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Old Dec 1, 2012 | 01:14 PM
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From: Skamokawa, Washington
I've run bio in mine from 100% on down, with no troubles at all. Usually a quieter engine, slightly less MPGs. Last fill was B50, runs great, smells nicer.
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Old Dec 1, 2012 | 01:46 PM
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From: Yuba city Kalifornia
friend of mine has been running 80% john Deere hy guard 20% #2 for a while now I have run 50% wmo for years no issues .
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Old Dec 1, 2012 | 09:09 PM
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From: Oakland
I run a bio blend whenever I can. From B20 - B50.
Rarely higher than that so I shouldn't have any problems.
My last 2 fill ups have been at Propel pumps (one in Berkeley, and one in Redwood city)
It's a B20 blend, but the bio comes from a company called Solazyme that is making biofuel from Algae, not recycled vegetable oil.
Same price as regular #2.
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