Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-21-2012, 09:59 AM
Doktor Bert's Avatar
Das Sturm Uberdoktor
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Palm Springs, CA.
Posts: 2,670
B-50 & B-100 in So Cal:

Anybody know where to find it and what are the implications of using it????

__________________
Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-21-2012, 10:58 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 590
"The google" has many answers. Also, use the search feature here, as bio-fuels are discussed often. There's even a section up top of the page called Alternative Fuels.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-21-2012, 11:23 AM
Biodiesel300TD's Avatar
|3iodiesel300T|)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Albany, OR
Posts: 4,845
Here is the National Biodiesel Boards Map of retail pumps.
http://www.biodiesel.org/using-biodiesel/finding-biodiesel/retail-locations/retail-map

In short you won't have to do anything to run biodiesel. It will degrade your rubber hoses quicker than diesel will, so be prepared to replace them. With low blends it will take a long time, with higher blends it will take a shorter time. But it all depends on the type of hoses on your car and how old they are. Also biodiesel gels at a much warmer temp than diesel. So if/when temps are hovering around freezing you need to be blending. B50 will cover you pretty well around freezing, but if it drops much more you'll want B20 and even less if temps go go further down. It will ungel(is that a word?) when temps come back up, but often a new fuel filter is needed after the system gels up.

Properly made biodiesel has no negative affects, other than the cold temp issues which are easily taken care of with blending. Improperly made biodiesel often still has methanol in it while is very hard and engine parts.
__________________
Andrew
'04 Jetta TDI Wagon
'82 300TD ~ Winnie ~ Sold
'77 300D ~ Sold
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-21-2012, 11:23 AM
Doktor Bert's Avatar
Das Sturm Uberdoktor
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Palm Springs, CA.
Posts: 2,670
I have heard rumors of IP trouble with B-100. Any validity????
__________________
Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-21-2012, 11:26 AM
Biodiesel300TD's Avatar
|3iodiesel300T|)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Albany, OR
Posts: 4,845
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doktor Bert View Post
I have heard rumors of IP trouble with B-100. Any validity????
Not that I've ever seen. I know plenty of folks here and personally, that have well over 100k miles of B100 use with no issues. Biodiesel has higher lubricity than diesel does, and therefore causes less wear on IP parts. The later 60x engines have IP leak issues as do VW and many other makes. But the MW pumps on the 61x engines don't have leaking issues.
__________________
Andrew
'04 Jetta TDI Wagon
'82 300TD ~ Winnie ~ Sold
'77 300D ~ Sold
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-21-2012, 11:50 AM
Doktor Bert's Avatar
Das Sturm Uberdoktor
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Palm Springs, CA.
Posts: 2,670
Thanks,

It was +17°F this morning here...
__________________
Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-21-2012, 12:17 PM
Jeremy5848's Avatar
Registered Biodiesel User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sonoma Wine Country
Posts: 8,402
My refrigerator tests some years ago showed significant gelling in B100 below 32F. A blend of B100 and D2 will resist gelling. Somewhere between B20 and B50 will be safe in your area. I have been using B20 for several years and B100 before that (pure B100 got too expensive). As has previously been said, B100 will weaken and eventually dissolve rubber parts so you'll have to switch to Viton hoses and o-rings. B20 is much slower to act but does eventually need precautions. Any small amount of biodiesel (example: B5) will improve the lubricity of the fuel.

Commercial or well-made home biodiesel will not affect the IP. Poorly made biodiesel can contain not only methanol but water, which is bad for the IP and can damage injectors. I have heard that VW IPs have internal rubber seals that are attacked by biodiesel, resulting in an expensive rebuild, but my information is 3rd hand and should be verified. Mercedes IPs apparently have no such problems, at least I have had none. My '85 300D-T (OM617 engine) went 30,000 miles on mostly B100 with no problems.

One preventative you might consider is a rubber or plastic "diaper" for the fuel filler pipe. The rubber seal between the car body and the filler pipe is attacked by biodiesel; it gradually loses its ability to seal and will allow water into the trunk or other rear area of the car. A simple protection for this factory part is a small flap of rubber or plastic sheeting (used for home water-feature lining). A square three inches on a side with a hole in the middle, pushed over the filler neck, will protect the factory seal. The flap can easily be replaced and is somewhere between free and cheap.

Jeremy
__________________

"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
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-21-2012, 01:47 PM
Biodiesel300TD's Avatar
|3iodiesel300T|)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Albany, OR
Posts: 4,845
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doktor Bert View Post
Thanks,

It was +17°F this morning here...
You'll definitely want to be blending then. At that temp I would be running no higher than B20. I've always played it safe when temps start dropping, because I've had gelled fuel and there isn't much you can do to get the car started with gelled fuel. The only solution is heat, either wait it out, or adding electric head or moving the car to a heated garage. When temps start dipping below freezing at night I always switch to about B50. Then when temps start hovering around or dropping below freezing all day then it's B20 or less.

You can experience hard starts with cold biodiesel. It gets thick and doesn't flow as well. So even when it's not gelled it can be a little harder to get the car to start on those cold mornings. Blending solves this issue.

The bottle necks for gelled and thick fuel are the fuel lines and the fuel filter. The tank is more resistant to gelling because of the volume of the fluid in the tank, and it's somewhat sheltered, being in the trunk.
__________________
Andrew
'04 Jetta TDI Wagon
'82 300TD ~ Winnie ~ Sold
'77 300D ~ Sold
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-21-2012, 02:23 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ventura, California
Posts: 15
Loss of Power

I ran B100 for several months in my 300SD. I had no issues - but the power (and mileage) loss was just too annoying for me. I'm running B20 now, and that seems like the best of both worlds.
__________________
- Nate

'85 300SD (200 kmi), Running on Biodiesel
'83 300D (230 kmi, RIP)
'80 300D (150 kmi, Foster Car)

Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-21-2012, 03:57 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SoCal
Posts: 661
Propel Fuels: Renewable Fuels | E85 Ethanol | Biodiesel – Propel Fuels

This is the first time i tried using biodiesel. Filled up $25 worth of B20. My daughter gave me a coupon so we checked it out. I didnt see any B50 or B100 at the Fullerton location.
__________________
'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-21-2012, 06:58 PM
Diesel911's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Long Beach,CA
Posts: 51,258
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeremy5848 View Post
My refrigerator tests some years ago showed significant gelling in B100 below 32F. A blend of B100 and D2 will resist gelling. Somewhere between B20 and B50 will be safe in your area. I have been using B20 for several years and B100 before that (pure B100 got too expensive). As has previously been said, B100 will weaken and eventually dissolve rubber parts so you'll have to switch to Viton hoses and o-rings. B20 is much slower to act but does eventually need precautions. Any small amount of biodiesel (example: B5) will improve the lubricity of the fuel.

Commercial or well-made home biodiesel will not affect the IP. Poorly made biodiesel can contain not only methanol but water, which is bad for the IP and can damage injectors. I have heard that VW IPs have internal rubber seals that are attacked by biodiesel, resulting in an expensive rebuild, but my information is 3rd hand and should be verified. Mercedes IPs apparently have no such problems, at least I have had none. My '85 300D-T (OM617 engine) went 30,000 miles on mostly B100 with no problems.

One preventative you might consider is a rubber or plastic "diaper" for the fuel filler pipe. The rubber seal between the car body and the filler pipe is attacked by biodiesel; it gradually loses its ability to seal and will allow water into the trunk or other rear area of the car. A simple protection for this factory part is a small flap of rubber or plastic sheeting (used for home water-feature lining). A square three inches on a side with a hole in the middle, pushed over the filler neck, will protect the factory seal. The flap can easily be replaced and is somewhere between free and cheap.

Jeremy
My Volvo IP is similar to the older ones used on the VW. The whole pump is lubed by the Fuel. It has a Drive Shaft Seal on the End and O-rings on the Throttle Shaft.
In sidethere is also some small Kidney shaped rubber dampers.
I have only read of the Shaft O-rings and Seals being changed but that was also cased by the new Diesel Fuel.
The Drive Shaft Seal leaked on mine and I changed all of the above stuff including the Kidney shaped dampers.

Another problem caused by the various changes in the Diesel Fuel is where the advance Mechanism in side of the IP rides on the Aluminum Housing wears faster. That also includes the Standyne (Roosamaster) IPs.
__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-21-2012, 08:56 PM
Diesel Nut
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Santa Cruz, Ca
Posts: 24
One thing that nobody here has mentioned is the cleaning the BD will do. If you have a clean system - no problem. If not, get ready to change filters a couple of times on short intervals and notice.

Need to do an oil pickup run tomorrow.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-21-2012, 11:17 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: coquitlam bc canada
Posts: 427
My experience

I have used B100 in a dozen or more vehicles in the last 8 yrs . The only things I have ever had to do is change the return line hoses to Viton and change fuel filters a few times at first. My fuel has a cloud point of around -5C and a gel point of around -10C. I run about 30% D2 for one or 2 tanks each winter other than that it is B100 all the way. Cheers Dan

__________________
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
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:59 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page