Bio diesel not such a hot topic any more?.

I have been using Value Plus Bio Diesel mix for a couple of years. Its 40% Bio. I have had a great run with it. Currently it is 118.9 per litre or up to 10 cents a litre less than most Sydney Servos.
No fuel filter problems. Just change at normal times

Still waiting for 40% in perth, BD20 is regularly available, although I have seen some adverts for 100% in the paper and around town, albeit a backyard job. Since the initial filter changes, Im back to regular and sometimes irregular (should have changed that at the last service;)) filter changes.

Would I use backyard fuels? Probably not, at least the servos have to stick to some standards

Hi Andrew, Are you using a blend or full on biodiesel so to speak?

Andrew - there is Biodiesel available interstate, so why do you only use it when in SA? If the answer is that you are always outback in other states, you may poke your tongue out at me. However I just wonder if other suppliers are less reliable than SAFF?

Ta
Max

to answer Axle first - B100 whenever possible which is mostly.

And Max - interstate - well there was a horror story in Sydney with one of the companies early on, but things seemed to have improved recently.

But I will poke my tongue out and say I am generally outback and Hungerford, or Charleville or Alice Springs or Halls Creek don't have it yet ... unfortunately.

SAFF is very reliable with test upon test - others I am not in a position to say.

Cheers
Andrew.

Andrew, after travelling and using regular diesel, how do you go with filters? Do you change them after the next tank of bio or what? Maybe the volume of regular doesn't doesn't warrant filter change after the initial filter isues?

Hi there Bware,

The general advice seems to be to change them after the first tank of B100 ... I would moderate that advice with the fact that like any solvent, biodiesel works best when it heated up a little (you know salt dissolves faster in hot water stuff), so the cleansing effect it will have on the dinosaur deposits from the dino-diesel you've been running for 20 years in that 80 series, will dissolve best and thus release chunks from nooks and crannies best when it is hot. Thus in winter, you might not get much cleansing effect at all - in summer you might get a lot more.

I found that many tanks after I'd replaced the filter the first time (there was little crud to speak of in it), I found a lot of crud in the filter and replaced it again - this was after 7 or 8 days running in 40+ temperatures in central Australia in December.

Now, I just replace fuel filters at the usual service intervals, but more from paranoia than any determined need - I haven't seen anything unusual in probably 90,000ks except a load of water in the filter from dud fuel from Dalby Truck stop.

Keep your eye on the filter everyone and then, and you'll see crud building up, at which time I'd replace it.

Cheers
Andrew.

oops - I'm a twit, and David won't let me edit my post ;-)

I see the point of your question now that I have it emailed to me. ughg.

So I'll answer it a little less long-widedly.

No - I'll run B100 around SA for 20,000 and then do 6,000 in the other states on petrodiesel and the come back to SA and run Biodiesel again ... the deposits take many thousands of k's to build up ... and no effects in the filter noticed except the much dirtier oil (well that's not in the filter) and the colour and smell of the smoke when starting.

Cheers
Andrew.

Haha, good info anyway in your first reply; thanks Andrew.

Regards,

Brian

Hi Charlie
Bio-diesel in place like Volume Plus on Woodville Rd. in Sydney, or one in Moree, where is big turn-over shouldn’t stuff-up the pump and fuel injectors. That fuel definitely doesn’t sit there for long. That would be very poor excuse from them.
Dana

Truckster
You got it in one!!

Mike

Volume plus in Sydney is 10 to 15c/l cheaper than average. That is $13.00 per tank for me.

I have been using the Bio for about 4 months now and have recently had concerns about it. That little gauze filter in the injector pump has clogged for the second time this year, never had it happen before. I will be checking with a well known fuel injection specialist in the near future to see what his opinion is.

Duncs

And the pump needs the fuel to Lubricate (modern Pumps) wether bio diesel is up to that task is another concern.

Axle.

Hi Axle
you are definitely right!, biodiesel on it's own doesn't lubricate as well, and it gets worst in warm to hot weather.