A Mod for the TV, Because of the T.H.....

[xrated]

I've decided that I really don't want to burn BioDiesel in my 2011 F250 Diesel, and it seems that a lot of the truck stops sell mostly Bio. With the truck being approx. 20-21' long, and the T.H. another 34 1/2', I'm not relishing the though of trying to find fuel stops in regular gas stations along the highway. So, I've decided to add a 42 gal diesel tank to the bed of the truck and an Electric fuel pump to transfer the diesel from the transfer tank to the truck tank. At worst case scenario, I can exit the Interstate and pull over on the side of one of the entrance ramps and pump the fuel. Best case is to pull into a state operated rest area and do it.

The big advantage here is the fuel cost. Right now, in the town where I live, Dino Diesel is $2.15/gal. Interstate prices are in the $2.55 to $2.59/gal, so there's at least 40 cents a gallon difference. Also, using Bio Diesel requires that the oil and filter be changed more frequently, as well as both fuel filters. I did an approx calculation and a one year savings in those two factors will be in the neighhood of $350. The tank, pump, and cart. filter system is going to cost me around $550 so you can recoup the money spent for the aux. tank equipment in less than two years. Also, I won't have to deal with the truck stop madness. I'll have 68 gallons total when I leave the house and a lot of my track day trips are 500 to 550 miles from home to the track and back home. This should keep me from having to stop for buying fuel completely. My plan is to take the truck into town sometime the week before we leave and fuel everything up at the present $2.15 price and then drive right on by the Pilot/Flying J/TA/Loves or whatever.

Any of you others doing this with your truck/trailer combo?

[66joej]

We have a gasser but looks like a good idea.

[PARAPTOR]

With the proposed mod you are going to loose over 300 lbs of your 2500 truck's payload.Not sure what your margin is. Is there a fuel station in your TH ??

[xrated]

Originally Posted by PARAPTOR

With the proposed mod you are going to loose over 300 lbs of your 2500 truck's payload.Not sure what your margin is. Is there a fuel station in your TH ??

That's a good point PARAPTOR, and I have taken that into consideration, and I'm good on that point. I do realize that the added weight will count against the truck' CCC, but a least the weight will be approx. 3' in front of the rear axle. And yes, there is a fuel station in the T.H., a gallon tank, but it is for gasonline...as that is the supply for the 5500W onboard generator. There will also be two motorcycles in the garage of the T.H, plus a tool chest, the shore power cord, 4 paint buckets full of concrete for weighting down the pop up canopy ans assorted other track related parts and tools.

[JRTJH]

I was thinking the same thing. 42 gallons of diesel at 7.1 pounds per gallon is 298 pounds plus the weight of the tank, probably about 100 pounds, so it's probably closer to 400 pounds of payload. On a Ford F250, that's a lot to lose with a heavy trailer in tow.

[bsmith0404]

Get this part (easiest way to plumb it in), some fuel grade hose, and a Holley auxiliary pump from autozone. I installed a toggle switch on my dash for the pump, and can turn the pump on to transfer fuel while driving. Actually, if you have it all hooked up right, t only takes a few seconds of running the pump to generate a syphon and the pump can be turned off.

http://www.attatank.com/vent-line-adapter/

[papi]

This is my own opinion. I rather stop at least every two hours to stretch my legs, pump some diesel maybe a quick snack and then continue on the road. The last thing I want is to get a blood clot on my legs for driving longer hours. Having a bigger tank sounds nice but adding an extra 400 lb does not. Even more if your mileage per gallon goes down because of the extra weight. Again this is my own opinion. In reality it is your truck your money and you have to do what ever works best for you. Good luck.

[xrated]

Originally Posted by papi

This is my own opinion. I rather stop at least every two hours to stretch my legs, pump some diesel maybe a quick snack and then continue on the road. The last thing I want is to get a blood clot on my legs for driving longer hours. Having a bigger tank sounds nice but adding an extra 400 lb does not. Even more if your mileage per gallon goes down because of the extra weight. Again this is my own opinion. In reality it is your truck your money and you have to do what ever works best for you. Good luck.

I agree, I don't plan on driving long distances without stopping. The whole purpose of this is to have enough fuel onboard to not have to stop at locations that either only have BioDiesel (lots of the truck stops) or small stations that will be very hard to navigate into and out of to get to the diesel pumps. As I stated, most of our trips are approx. 250 miles one way (to the track), and then the same distance back home at the end of the weekend. That amount of fuel will allow for not making stops at truck stops and small stations for buying fuel.

[Tbos]

Being new to the diesel world, I have to ask, how can I tell if it's Bio-diesel or Dino-diesel? Do they label the pumps? Thanks


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2016 F350 CC DRW

[xrated]

They are suppose to be labelled if they are biodiesel, but I'm not sure if they have to post what percentage it is....and that varies from one station to another. Bottom line is that I don't want any percentage of biodiesel in my truck

[Javi]

Originally Posted by xrated

They are suppose to be labelled if they are biodiesel, but I'm not sure if they have to post what percentage it is....and that varies from one station to another. Bottom line is that I don't want any percentage of biodiesel in my truck

If that's a big sticking point for ya', you will need to stay clear of Texas... I ain't seen a station without at least 5% Bio in a long time...

[Todd727]

I'd be interested to hear what problems you've found with bio-diesel.

Does you truck have an oil minder that directs when an oil change is required?

[notanlines]

Most of the auxiliary tanks I see in the parks are just plumbed into the filler line without pumps and all the switches. Ours is a 46 gallon and just flows in like that. I don't know how much you travel the country, but take what Javi said to heart. Bio is hard to get away from.

[vampress_me]

Be careful if you ever come up to MN too. In 2014 the state mandated 10% minimum biodiesel blend, in 2018 that goes up to 20%. And right now even, the stickers on the pumps say contains 10-20% biodiesel. So some stations have said when asked that they already have higher percent biodiesel than just 10%.

And that is the only reason why we got a new truck. Our 2009 F-350 was only rated to handle 5% biodiesel. That year that poor truck had 10% biodiesel in it was not good. It lowered our mileage, regenned more often, and started to mess up the DPF system in it (it did not use DEF). And was going to get expensive in either fixing the system whenever it "broke", or deleting it. So, I understand why you may not want biodiesel in your truck!

[xrated]

Originally Posted by Todd727

I'd be interested to hear what problems you've found with bio-diesel.

Does you truck have an oil minder that directs when an oil change is required?

According to the Ford Diesel Engine Supplement guide that came with my new (in 2011) truck, Biodiesel requires that you you do the following:

Use a different visosity of oil (not really a big deal there)
Change oil and filter more frequently
Change fuel filters (two of them) more frequently.

In addition to that, BioDiesel doesn't make as much power as Dino Diesel and reduces your MPG. It is also more susceptable to algae growth and has the ability to absorb water more than Dino. Personally, what's to like about it?

My oil changes (I do them myself) require a filter that runs about $20 bucks if you use the Motorcraft (I do). I also run Shell Rotella T5 in the truck and it takes 13 quarts of oil......about $70 or so for an oil and filter change.
A set of the Motorcraft fuel filters are in the $60 to $65 range, and then you have to figure that neither filters or oil lasts as long as when regular diesel fuel is used. So, it becomes pretty clear that I do not want to use Bio as long as I can continue to use Dino Diesel.

[yatyas81]

I believe the station only has to post the percentage of Bio Diesel IF it above 21%, per Federal Regulations. This means any Bio D could be anywhere from 5 to 21%, so you have no idea what you are getting. As for problems with Bio D, it has glycerin in it where Dino Diesel has paraffin. If the paraffin gels, it will melt again when it warms up, where as glycerin doesn't. This is what the Ford mechanic told me after I had 8 injectors replaced and the fuel pump cleaned after the Bio D I was running gelled on my way home from work at 2am (That was on my 6.0 PSD).

[ctbruce]

Sounds like a good compromise to me and fits your needs. I'd love to have enough fuel for the day to not have to refuel until after we are disconnected for the night. We would still stop regularly because I am not that guy. Stretching and snacks are important.

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Fuzion Impact 312
2017 3500HD Silverado LTZ

[Todd727]

Originally Posted by xrated

According to the Ford Diesel Engine Supplement guide that came with my new (in 2011) truck, Biodiesel requires that you you do the following:

Use a different visosity of oil (not really a big deal there)
Change oil and filter more frequently
Change fuel filters (two of them) more frequently.

In addition to that, BioDiesel doesn't make as much power as Dino Diesel and reduces your MPG. It is also more susceptable to algae growth and has the ability to absorb water more than Dino. Personally, what's to like about it?

My oil changes (I do them myself) require a filter that runs about $20 bucks if you use the Motorcraft (I do). I also run Shell Rotella T5 in the truck and it takes 13 quarts of oil......about $70 or so for an oil and filter change.
A set of the Motorcraft fuel filters are in the $60 to $65 range, and then you have to figure that neither filters or oil lasts as long as when regular diesel fuel is used. So, it becomes pretty clear that I do not want to use Bio as long as I can continue to use Dino Diesel.

2014 has oil minder, and truck goes further than I would've changed otherwise for oil. I run 15W-40 anyway and in 90,000 miles, I'd change the fuel filter 6 times using biodiesel vs. 4 times without. I never go more than 5 days between fill-ups. So, other than an extra $120 for fuel filters over 4 years, I don't see any real problems that would force me to give up bed space and cargo weight while investing several hundred dollars in a tank and plumbing.

Make sure your new tank setup is set up well and doesn't increase the chance of introducing water into the system.

[bsmith0404]

Just a couple thoughts. First I'll address the oil change issue. I have done oil analysis on my truck several times. It's actually pretty interesting to understand and see what the oil is doing. I used to change the oil every 5k miles. After doing the analysis I found the properties of the 5k mile oil was almost the same as new oil. Very little breakdown or contaminates in the oil. Through several different analysis checks, I found that I'm very comfortable with doing an oil change every 10k miles with a filter change every 5k miles.

I also added a FASS system to my truck. The OE fuel filter is around $35 and is a pain to change even though it's only every 15-20k miles. With the FASS system you have the option to bypass the OE filter or keep it and go to a 50k mile change interval. I decided to keep in because the Racor is an excellent filter. The FASS system has a double filter setup for water separator and fuel filter. It is alongside the frame rail and easy to access. You have the many options for filters with the system, I chose to go with the NAPA Gold filters for their micron ratings. I can get them for about $8 each.

Another plug for the FASS system is protecting the injectors. This has been debated before and some people don't buy into it, but I'll just share my experience. I've read a few articles about the effects of microscopic air bubbles in diesel. The injectors are under extreme pressure in these common rail systems. They are designed to close on a cushion of fuel. When they close on an air bubble, they slam shut and over time it will damage the injector. The FASS system removes the air from the fuel and prevents that from happening. When I installed the FASS system I immediately noticed a considerable reduction in noise from the engine. The only thing I can contribute that to is injector noise. IMO, the injectors must have been slamming shut on a microscopic air bubble more often than I would have ever thought and adding the FASS system removed those air bubbles and the injectors are now closing on the cushion of fuel as designed.

So if bio diesel is a concern for you, there are ways to improve the quality of the fuel and the oils we use today are much better than most of us realize. I don't know that I would be running all over creation trying to avoid it, especially considering that it is difficult to know what you are actually getting anyway. I would still install an auxiliary tank, IMO it's the best mod I have ever made to my truck.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by xrated

According to the Ford Diesel Engine Supplement guide that came with my new (in 2011) truck, Biodiesel requires that you you do the following:

Use a different visosity of oil (not really a big deal there)
Change oil and filter more frequently
Change fuel filters (two of them) more frequently.

In addition to that, BioDiesel doesn't make as much power as Dino Diesel and reduces your MPG. It is also more susceptable to algae growth and has the ability to absorb water more than Dino. Personally, what's to like about it?

My oil changes (I do them myself) require a filter that runs about $20 bucks if you use the Motorcraft (I do). I also run Shell Rotella T5 in the truck and it takes 13 quarts of oil......about $70 or so for an oil and filter change.
A set of the Motorcraft fuel filters are in the $60 to $65 range, and then you have to figure that neither filters or oil lasts as long as when regular diesel fuel is used. So, it becomes pretty clear that I do not want to use Bio as long as I can continue to use Dino Diesel.

On my second Ford 6.7 diesel... First was a '12 F250 and now the '15 dually, in Texas it is nearly impossible to buy diesel without at least 5% Bio-diesel added...

Being that I live in Texas where the summer temps easily reach 100+, it is normal for us to run 15-40 oil from the get go... so that's a non-issue with the bio-diesel... I tow a 12,500 pound trailer frequently and drive in stop & go traffic daily so my oil change interval is also a non-bio issue. Fuel filters replacement intervals are also not related to the bio-diesel independently because of my location (temperature) and driving habits...

The fact that every tank that has ever gone through my two pickups has been at least 5% bio and I've seen nothing to indicate a problem.

Now... here is what I do...

Oil change 7,500 miles or when the oil minder says...

Fuel filter change every 2nd oil change...

Drain water trap at least once a month, more if traveling and buying fuel in suspect places..

I run a Cetane Booster and Lubricity additive in every tank... Not because of the bio-diesel but rather, in spite of the bio-diesel.. Because the Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel we run today doesn't lube the upper cylinders as good as the old fuel did... and the bio-diesel while it is slicker than the ULS fuel, it is also lower on Cetane than the older fuel as well...

Give it a try for yourself... there are several on the market... and in a tank or two you will notice the engine noise lessening and probably notice a slight boost in fuel mileage...

What I've found is that fill-up to fill-up, station to station I can hear and most of the time notice in mileage the difference in fuel...

This is what I use and understand it is for no particular reason except convenience (that was what was on the shelf)


Power Service Diesel Kleen + Cetane Boost
Multi-purpose
Cetane improver, bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 575, 61 micron improvement
400:1 ratio
8.32 oz/tank
$1.58/tank