Diesel Ram has terrible problems with the injection pump & new fuel. What about the mighty SD? Are additives necessary?

http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/f.../Lubricity.PDF

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

I cant say it is a problem, but the use of a little bit of aditive, IMO is sound.

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (113k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
1993 300SD (291k)
1993 300D 2.5T (338k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K)
1985 300D (233K)

That's a very interesting link, Junkman. I read the whole thing and it got me thinking now. They are saying that they report a huge improvement in diesel fuel viscosity by adding just 1% biodiesel. I've heard about the corrosive properties biodiesel has on the fuel system's rubber components (i.e. cigar hose, etc.) so I'm wondering what a small percent of biodiesel would have. I'm also wondering what the viscosity effects would be in adding 1% of SVO (not necessarily WVO) to the tank or if this would cause IP or injector clogging problems... Hm...

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[/SIGPIC]~cirrusman

1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD - Wife calls him "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
[SIGPIC]




1983 Toyota Tercel (Tommy, The little Toyota that could)
1965 Ford F100 (Grandma Ford)
2005 Toyota Sienna (Elsa, Wife's ride)


Gone:
1988 Toyota Pickup
2004 Subaru Outback

1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
1986 Volvo 740 GL Station Wagon - Piece of junk.
1981 Volvo 242 DL 2 Door - Hated to see it go. R.I.P.
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT

Having experience with mixtures of biodiesel and petrodiesel in ratios of 0% to 100%, I can say that increasing the percentage of biodiesel increases the likelihood that you will have to switch various lines and o-rings to Viton or some other synthetic rubber impervious to biodiesel. A low ratio such as 2% to 5% biodiesel will minimize this potential problem while improving the lubricity of ULSD.

I recommend trying biodiesel as an additive and keeping an eye on your fuel lines, especially the little fabric-covered injector return lines. They will not fail catastrophically but gradually, so you will have plenty of time to see an incipient failure, providing you pop the hood every once in a while. Commercial diesel fuel additives will also help lubricity but may be more expensive on a per-tank basis compared to biodiesel -- I will let you do the math.

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

Ditto to what Jeremy said. 1-5% Biodiesel blends won't degrade the "rubber" in any reasonable amount of time. In MN, all pump diesel is B5. I have not heard of anyone having issues with fuel lines or the such degrading.

I have also read people on here and other forums that run B100 and use regular old fuel line from the parts store and just change it out every year or two. It doesn't eat new rubber lines instantly. It takes time. The problem to me seemed to be old fuel line that had already started degrading. People added B100 and leaks showed up. When in reality the old line was probably on its last leg anyways.

On my 6.5 forum, I know of a person or two that uses fresh vegetable oil as an additive to their tank of fuel. Small amounts that would equal out to less than 1%. It seems many of the hardcore 6.5ers use additives in their diesel as well with the hopes of helping out the lubricitiy. In MN, with B5 (and in summer I run higher blends) at the pump, I don't worry about it.

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2009 ML320 Bluetec
1985 300CD
1981 300TD

Past Mercedes
1979 300TD
1982 300TD
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1998 E430
1984 300SD
1980 300SD

I haven't looked into bio much. There is a place around here that sells an 80/20 blend. It may be a good idea for the Ram because those things eat injection pumps at $1,000 for a decent factory spec reman. It is a 3-4hr install. Carrying a can of fuel as additive in the SD would be a pain.

Other studies that I've read don't show much lubricity improvement from additives ie power service, lucas, standyne etc. In fact, I was surprised at how little benefit there is.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

The MBenz IP is cooled and lubricated by engine oil, the way God meant it to be.
Lubricity of diesel is not as important for this style of IP, as compared to those that use fuel as lubricant and coolant for their pumps.

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Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D

If you're stuck using petro-diesel, try adding about 1 oz. TWC-3 2-cycle oil per gallon of fuel. That will take care of the lubricity problem & it's designed to burn...plus it won't harm hoses.

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1987 300DT
2002 Ford F-250 7.3 Crew Cab Short Bed

--Err, ONLY the cam and rollers at the bottom of the pump and the Governor in the rear case are lubed by the engine-oil....

The Pumping Elements The parts that actually do the work!)are lubed by the Fuel They Pump, and Nothing else!

--So, Yes, the fuel lubricity is just as important as on any diesel-injection-pump....

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http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...0TDnoplate.jpg

Alastair AKA H.C.II South Wales, U.K. based member

W123, 1985 300TD Wagon, 256K,
-Most recent M.B. purchase, Cost-a-plenty, Gulps BioDiesel extravagantly, and I love it like an old dog.

W114, 1975 280E Custard Yellow,
-Great above decks needs chassis welding--Really will do it this year....

Yeah, and as someone recently pointed out, it's at least partly cooled by the return lines.

The best way (and least expensive) is to just throw in a little cooking oil or biodiesel. If you want to spend the few extra bucks for 2-cycle oil or something else, go ahead, but I don't think it'll make a difference what you use, as long as it's thicker than ULSD and burns.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

Too bad Lance isn't here to straighten y'all out.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I have a 92 Dodge/Cummins truck, and over the last couple of years, I have run at least some amount of biodiesel in it almost all the time. Lately it's been less than 5% but I've run it all the way up to 100% for a few tanks, and for about a year or so on about 20%. I've noticed no fuel line troubles, or pump issues. I did clog a fuel filter up pretty quickly when I first ran the b100, but only once. Since then it's been very well behaved. When I am running mostly ULSD from the pump, I do use an additive, but I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head.

From everything I've read in the dodge/cummins forums, it's a good idea to add lubricity to the ULSD with something, and biodiesel seems to be widely recommended as a good solution for that.

I'll be picking up an old 240D in the next couple of weeks, and by the end of the summer, I plan on having my own BD reactor set up and working here. I've been saving up fry oil for a while now, and have about 150 gallons set aside.

What type of Fuel Injection Pump does it have?

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Yes! to the above. And, there is a large volume of Fuel that circulates past the Elements and keeps that part of the Pump Cool.
However, most Fuel Injection Pumps have a lot of Fuel going through them to cool them.

Some companies like Stanadyne (Roosamaster) us all O-rings to seal there Fuel Injection Pumps and there is a few on the Bosch VE type Fuel Injection Pumps.

Also the older Mercedes Fuel Injection Pump Camshafts and Governor were not lubed by the Engine Oil but just the Oil inside of the Fuel Injection Pump. On those that only cooling was from the Fuel going through it and what ever heat dissapated into the Air.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Why does the IP need to be cooled, anyway? I fell like, with the engine not surpassing a certain temp. (approx. 80*C), why would the IP get so hot that it needs any additional cooling?

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition