Hello,

I just purchased my first diesel. 81 240d. I have read bio will clean your fuel system. Just curious if it will clog the first time I put it in.?

Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe not at first. Mine didn't, but PO may have already run through that pain.. or maybe I was just lucky.

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'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

If you run more than appx. 50% bio to diesel, there is a good chance that it will clog a filter or two. If you continue to run bio for more than a tank or two, everything should be all cleaned out. However the fuel lines will probably begin to deteriorate from the inside out. This too will slowly clog filters. A couple of tanks of bio and new bio resistant lines (less than $50) should put you in good shape, filter wise.

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John Schroader
bio burnin' 83 300D, '83 300 SD, '79 240D
"I've never met a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else" Ben Franklin
"You cannot permanently help a man by doing for him what he could and should do for himself" Abraham Lincoln

So I should just keep an extra fuel filter in the car (Well I guess 2).

How do you prime them if you dont have diesel with you?

thanks again

Jake

Replace filter or filters first...

Pump hand primer pump located on the fuel lift pump that is attached to the IP. Originally it is a white handle that needs to be unscrewed and pumped. A replacement became available and many cars already have the 'new' style. Its black. That style just needs to be pumped, no unscrewing required.

It will take a little bit, but you can fill a spin on fuel filter with it on the side of the road with the primer pump. Pump until you hear the sound change from a pump to a slight buzz. That indicates it's primed.


Personally, my opinion on using bio is that it's cheaper to drain the tank and have it steam cleaned than going through several filters. A secondary filter lets say is $10. Its not unheard of to clog 3 or 4 of them if youre unlucky. Plus the pain of the side of the road replacement and getting diesel everywhere.

Its not too hard if you DIY to pull the tank, steam clean it, clean the tank screen, replace the tank screen seal with a viton o-ring (bio-proof), and replace the 25 year old fuel tank hoses with viton lined J30R9 hoses (also bio-proof). No worries and you're filters will be crystal clear. You can use B100 with confidence instead of sweating it out.

I have cleaned out two W123 tanks from my cars and the amount of gunk that came out was frightening.

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Always carry both a primary (small plastic filter) and secondary (spin-on) in the trunk. The primer pump should be adequate to prime. If you feel the need to carry priming fuel, just put a qt of ATF in the trunk and use that. The car loves running on ATF.

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Mark in MA
05 MB E320CDI 402k Granite Grey Metallic
05 MB E320CDI 267k Black
05 MB E320CDI 232k White
05 MB E320CDI 209k Tectite Grey
99 Dodge 2500 Cummins 5sp 148k
62 Jeep CJ-6 120k

I haven't run into a lot of problems with filters clogging up when people switch over to Biodiesel. Most people start running B20 (20% biodiesel / 80% diesel) and then move up to B100. Just keep both of your filters with you. So if you start feeling the power lose, you can swap them out.

Have fun, and burn as much Bio as you can.

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Professional greasecar installer
Austin TX


98 Jetta TDI with grease car kit + veg-therm (totaled)
87 MB 300SDL running on B99 / greasecar kit + 30 fphe
www.austingreaseguys.com

Clogging usually isn't immediate, unless you've got some serious build up in the system. Biodiesel is a solvent but it's a weak one, so things have to soak a little before then break loose. Depending on how grimy your tank and fuel lines are it make take many, many tanks or it may take only a few.

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I usually have found that it takes several months of constant usage to plug the first set of filters. Also a second set will be necessary at a somewhat longer interval. After that it is pretty much the same as regular diesel , most of the junk is cleaned out already. This assumes that your Bio is quality well made fuel. Cheers Dan

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It's always something simple
91 300D 603.960 (from japan) 194K
92 Toyota Diesel Landcruiser HDJ81-t 116K
02 Golf TDI new head courtesy of PO
87 300D
97 BMW 525 TDS Wagon 5spd
bunch of Onan and other diesel generators

Im on my forth tank of biodiesel, B99. No problems at all so far.

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1985 300D (CA, 173K)

Dynamite Biodiesel Co-op, Phoenix,AZ

Where is retail B100 available in Kentucky?

I've been able to find B20 north of Indy ... But that's as close as I can find.

Don't have an answer for that one --- but do have an observation. Here in Owensboro, KY we have a bio producing plant that makes over a million gallons annually. Yet none of that bio is sold locally. Don't know where you can buy the stuff.

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John Schroader
bio burnin' 83 300D, '83 300 SD, '79 240D
"I've never met a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else" Ben Franklin
"You cannot permanently help a man by doing for him what he could and should do for himself" Abraham Lincoln

I have not had any problems with filters since using biodiesel, but what I did have were leaks. First the injector return lines, then the primer pump, then the supply lines, then the tank lines, now the injection pump seals. However, my car is old and perhaps they were all needing to be replaced anyway, though I suspect the bio accelerated the process.

I've also never used more than 75% bio. Usually I use B20 or mix my own between B5 and B50.

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1976 240D "Katja"