Biodiesel Trucks

[Andy]

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Is anyone currently running BioDiesel in their vehicles? I honestly don't know much about biodiesel, but are there some diesel vehicles that cannot run it?

[AZDzlPickUp]

Some manufacturers rate the max blend at 5-20%.

[Andy]

Sounds like a pain to even try it if all you can mix in is 5-20%. Do biodiesel stations allow you select your blend?

[blue7.3]

Newport Biodiesel and TH Malloy locally provide road fuels in blends B20, B50, B99, B100. Blue is kinda persnikety w/ bio (tried B100 once), but I may try again this summer if the prices hold.
They both also produce home heating varieties...
Links attached:

Newport Biodiesel - HOME

T.H. Malloy & Sons - Home

[triple7driver]

I run B100 that my neighbor makes from Hooters fryer grease. Works great smells better.
Right now at Mississippi State University they are able to make bio-diesel from raw sewage ! Bio-diesel is truly the fuel of the future in my opinion. There are also other researchers using algae that are fed the soot from power plant smokestacks to create bio-diesel. A plug-in-hybrid-powered vehicle (PHPV) like the Chevy Volt that uses a small diesel engine for the fossil component would get in excess of 400 mpg ! If such a vehicle were to use biodiesel it would be a huge win for everyone. BTW-I'm not a granola-head, I just HATE arabs !

[graydonblair]

I've been messing around with Biodiesel for years. It's what my business is too.

It runs extremely well in older diesel vehicles, but anything 2007 or newer is going to be a struggle to run Biodiesel in high blends with. More details on that here:
Why 2007 & Newer ULSD Emission Vehicles Don't Like Biodiesel - Topic Powered by Social Strata

Ford & GM have announced plans to change the way their Diesel Particulate Filter Systems will self-clean starting in 2011 which will make running Biodiesel in higher blends MUCH easier. From 2007 through current though, if you run Biodiesel in high blends in diesel engines with the diesel particulate filters installed you risk diluting your engine oil with Biodiesel, which can cause all sorts of problems in the long run.

Also, pre-1995 diesel vehicles sometimes need to have their fuel hoses replaced with Viton hoses in order to work well with high blends of Biodiesel.

Biodiesel acts like a solvent and can break them down.

That said, barring the DPF issue, Biodiesel runs extremely well in diesel engines. I actually know the group at Mississippi State University and the work they're doing. That's cool that they're experimenting with the raw sewage now.

If you'd like to learn about Biodiesel in general, there's a great website out there called The Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial:
Welcome - Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial Website

I also have several tutorial video's on my website as well at Utah Biodiesel Supply.
Here's the direct link to them:
Learn How To Make Biodiesel With Our Biodiesel Tutorial Videos - Utah Biodiesel Supply

Now, about Mahindra & Biodiesel.
I called them and talked to them and out the gate they aren't going to recommend using ANY Biodiesel in the trucks.

I believe this is probably because they're using a diesel particulate filter system that regenerates INSIDE the cylinders (like most other diesels engine manufacturer's implemented in 2007). If that's the case, you can actually use Bio in them, but you'd have to change the engine oil a lot more frequently to avoid getting any oil dilution going on....or.....just rip out the Diesel Particulate Filter and install a DPF Delete Kit. However, my guess is those won't be available for Mahindra's for a very, very long time.

Also, I'm far from a granola head either. I'm just a Biodiesel nut.

Here's my website: Utah Biodiesel Supply - Biodiesel Homebrewing Supplies, Equipment, Processors and Information

I'm hoping that Mahindra will recognize the importance of Biodiesel in the US market place and approve blends of Bio in their engines soon, but for now, the "official corporate answer" from GV was "No. They won't be able to use Biodiesel".

-Graydon

[graydonblair]

Here's how it's typically made...

[jane1983]

biodiesel link

Well...the prime concern of this site is to provide customers with a list of places in UK where they can fill their diesel utility vehicle with the natural and keep nature alive, Biodiesel. Here's the list thus indicates each and every biodiesel filling outlets or biodiesel filling stations.
See.. basically the term Biodiesel has 2 means in UK:
i. a mix of biodiesel (5% blend with 95% normal diesel).
ii. 100% pure biodiesel.

[mdcheif]

I run it in my car. Brother runs it in an 85 Mercedes-Benz. Mom runs it in 2008 jetta tdi. Works great. We have a professional machine that does all the hardwork.

[kandrwelding]

Any word on a Mahindra bio-diesel, CNG/Diesel, or a Propain/Diesel set up?
Could you emagine a the milelage you would get on a Hybrid Mahindra Bio-CNG Diesel IF such a thing was possible? Would also be VERY GREEN !