Low Sulfur Diesel, Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, and Bio Diesel

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Bio Diesel in the Seattle area is cheaper than regular diesel as much as 25 cents a gallon.* I have run a couple of tanks through the pick up and noticed not difference.* The Puget Sound and Seattle transportation/ferry have been using the low sulfur and/or bio diesel for years with no negative effect reported.* Marine diesel is now low sulfur, 500 parts per million, and in many areas might go to the on road Ultra Low Sulfur which is 15 parts per million.* The on road ultra low has lubricants and additives added so the concern of wear is eliminated, and burns cleaner. **However, there is a concern about higher water content, and breaking down quicker but what I been able to read additives have been added to eliminate/lessen.

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I been hand carrying 10 to 20 gallons per week of on road ultra low diesel for the last year to mainly burn in the diesel boiler which is recommended #1 diesel.* The diesel boiler burns very clean with no soot, diesel smell and no carbon build up.* However, I have been adding additives to absorb water and lubricate to the boiler diesel just in case. *So having tried both the ultra low sulfur and bio diesel in the pick up and boiler I am considering burning in the Eagles engines as well.* Maybe like 50/50.

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PMM had a good article on diesel several issue back giving/explaining the technical but left a lot of un answered questions, and I can not find even on the net, the straight skinny about the LS, ULS and BIO diesel as to the pluses and minuses.* It would seem just having lower sulfur in the diesel would be a big plus being less corrosive on the tanks and fuel system as even the older very high, 5000 parts to million, diesel had water and broke down..* So does anybody have a site, information and/or an opinion that can added/clarify because in less than 2 to 4 years marine diesel will be Ultra Low Sulfur and/or BIO.

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One of the main concerns that I have read about <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="j hc">is that biodiesel, especially 100% biodiesel, will rot any natural or butyl rubber parts in the fuel system. I would love to hear anyones experience with using Biodiesel. </td></tr></tbody></table>

On road, I use B99 (~100% bio) both in my Ford pick-em-up truck and my VW diesel beetle. They both run well on it, though the Ford doesn't like to cold start on bio. But it has twin tanks - I keep one full of bio and one full of dinosaur diesel, always turning on the dino tank a couple of miles from home, and switching it to bio immediately after starting.

These are 1990 and 1999 models, so there aren't any "real" rubber parts in the system. I've also had no problems with the reported "solvent" action loostening crud in the tank and clogging filters.

That said, I was talking with one of the guys at Tri County diesel in Bellingham about it this last weekend. His position - which seems pretty reasonable - is that the pure bio has a much shorter shelf (or tank) life - 6 months or so. For ferries and other commercial vessels, not a problem. But for those of us who might barely go through our tanks in a slow year, not so good.

With the bio-dino mixes, not so much of a problem. With B20 (20% bio), he claimed it's not so much of a problem.

Best technical source that I've found so far is the biodiesel trade association: http://www.biodiesel.org/

Regarding Phil/Fill's information about the Washington State Ferries using bio-diesel for many years without effect, my WSF sources tell me that the bio-diesel test was terminated quite a while ago when it was found that the bio-diesel when kept in vessel tanks bordering sea water became contaminated. The ferry in the test had to be removed from service and all fuel lines/tanks flushed, and early injector service was required.

The issue seems to be the storage temperature, there doesn't seem to be any issues with bio-diesel that is kept in isolated tanks that are warmer than 48-55F seawater. For recreational vessels, as long as tanks can be kept isolated from sea water, bio-diesel should work. Of course, this may depend on the formulation. Most bio-diesel use in commercial vessels is blended, so it is almost never B100.

Phil/Fill
Where do you get Bio-Diesel around Everett?

so are you still moored in Everett?* Amercan Distributor in Maryville and Standard Biodiesel in Arlington, they are also a producer.***There are none in Everett.* Seattle and Bothel have several.**