# biodiesel...should I use it?



## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

I recently purchased a 2010 F350 6.4L diesel. It requires the ultra low sulpher diesel. At present the cost of diesel is anywhere from 3.099 to 3.139. I'm presently getting about 9.5 to 10 mpg running this fuel pulling my trailers. I just noticed a fuel supplier selling biodiesel for 2.899. I looked it up in my manual and it states the engine can use it but it can't be more than 5% biodiesel.

I guess my question is, is it worth it? I mean financially it is obvious. To save about twenty cents a gallon is a no brainer and we put about 15-18k miles a year on our trucks. However, what are the side effects? i.e. worse fuel consumption, long term premature engine wear, etc. Just would like a few pros/cons from anyone that has decided to go this route and weather or not they have stuck with it or decided to stop and why.

Thanks Again-------:waving:


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## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

I do not run bio in my 6.4's and would not recommend it. Bio gels up a lot easier and is a "dirtier" fuel. When running bio in my older trucks the fuel filters go to hell a lot faster. They will also void your warranty if you are running more than 5% bio. The only good way to save fuel is to ditch the DPF.
Robert


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## Too Stroked (Jan 1, 2010)

I'd ask your dealer first. As has already been said, there is a possibility that your warranty will be voided. Replacing a blown motor will more than make up for saving a few bucks at the filling station. The cost of major maintenance on these new diesels is something most folks fail to look at when some short term "savings" pop up. Be very careful.


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## simoncx (Dec 3, 2007)

Everyone I spoke to said fuel filters go alot quicker and there not cheap for my 6.0 powerstroke. Ditching the dpf is getting harder in nj because there starting to do more road side checks ever since they got rid of the safety inspections at dmv.


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## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

simoncx;1145302 said:


> Everyone I spoke to said fuel filters go alot quicker and there not cheap for my 6.0 powerstroke. Ditching the dpf is getting harder in nj because there starting to do more road side checks ever since they got rid of the safety inspections at dmv.


you are right about that. I didn't put two and two together, but I have friends and relatives texting me all the time telling me where the troopers are doing all the roving stops...it seems to be a weekly occurance.


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## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

i will NOT void the warranty provided I stick to the min cetane rating of 35 AND no more that 5% bodiesel blend. According to the manual utilizing the biodiesel will increase the filter change from 10k miles (or whatever the reg interval is) to 5k miles. Which is no big deal to me anyway b/c I consider myself "severe" driving anyway since there is a lot of idling AND I'm constantly pulling trailers on a daily basis. So i'll already be doing the maintenance schedule for biodiesel anyway.


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## weareweird69 (Dec 10, 2010)

rob_cook2001;1144648 said:


> I do not run bio in my 6.4's and would not recommend it. Bio gels up a lot easier and is a "dirtier" fuel. When running bio in my older trucks the fuel filters go to hell a lot faster. They will also void your warranty if you are running more than 5% bio. The only good way to save fuel is to ditch the DPF.
> Robert


You do know that biofuel is a cleaner right? The reason your filters kept clogging was because the bio was getting rid of all the dirt and contaminants left behind from the diesel fuel and anything that was in it from the lines and seals etc.

A personal friend runs bio in his 01 SD, and changes his fuel filter yearly, it comes out gold instead of black.

He changed the filter monthly until all the dirt was out of his fuel system, approx 2-3 months.

As for the 6.4L Id leave it up to your own descretion, it all depends on HOW they make it, and HOW many times they filter it.

Ill be running biofuel next spring in my 7.3. Cheaper, cleaner, wont kill my seals.


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## cubanb343 (Dec 13, 2007)

Here in PA, most diesel at the pumps is already part biodiesel. And I believe in a couple years it has to all be B20


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## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

interesting....very very interesting. Guess its worth investigating further. I'll have to contact the fuel supplier about their biodiesel.


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## matt418235 (Nov 20, 2010)

all of fords diesel engines except the 6.7 can be ran on bio BUT the maintance is more and can only be 5 %. the 6.7 can run up to 20% and has alot more knowledge of what is put into the truck and so forth. the 6.7 will tell the driver through the instrument cluster when the fuel filters and oil and filter needs to be changed. i have a close friend who is in the fuel oil biz and he has several 7.3 and 6.0 all run on the diesel fuel that he gets from his supplier. and all do well. his 7.3 excursion get 20 to 22 mpg on the highway with his blend and it does have bio in it an yes the fuel and oil maintance is more intense as well just like any other alternatve fuel that is being used. but i would do alot more research from the supplier that you are going to deal with and see how finely it is going to be filtered. remember veggy oil is very bad for these engines though. i have seen and replaced engines that guys have ran veggy oil in and it does a serious number on the engines.


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## JK-Plow (Feb 10, 2008)

You can expect a 2 to 4 mpg increase. In cold weather the fuel jells and in most areas is not sold in the winter. Also if it sits a while, it will seperate/break down. A freind went to 100% bio in his 03 F350 with a 7.3 and got as much as 24 mpg. It is cleaner and most of the clogging in filters does come from the old junk from regular diesel. In cold weather, I would not use it. My only local dealer carrying the bio, is selling it for the same as regular diesel. Same dealer is the most expensive of the stations too. Another station that carried it in 2009, sold it for about .40 cents less then regular diesel. Their supplier could not get them the bio this year, so they didn't carry it.


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## nevrnf (Oct 12, 2005)

On a 6.4 a DPF/Cat delete and a tuner that can turn off the Regeneration will net you a 5-6 MPG increase. This is the most effective way to increase fuel economy. I have done this for several people and they all report the same # even towing a 32' travel trailer. He went from about 7 on his way here from Florida to just shy of 12 on his retutrn. He has been getting a consistant 17.5 empty just tooling around.
I run Bio in the summer and have even used 100% but i have a 7.3 and you can just about burn anything in that motor.


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## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

nevrnf;1149259 said:


> On a 6.4 a DPF/Cat delete and a tuner that can turn off the Regeneration will net you a 5-6 MPG increase. This is the most effective way to increase fuel economy. I have done this for several people and they all report the same # even towing a 32' travel trailer. He went from about 7 on his way here from Florida to just shy of 12 on his retutrn. He has been getting a consistant 17.5 empty just tooling around.
> I run Bio in the summer and have even used 100% but i have a 7.3 and you can just about burn anything in that motor.


I've read in my manual that any type of tuner that is placed on this truck will void the manufacturers warranty. It even goes as far as stating you can't erase the tuner infor so don't even try, FORD can find out. So with just hitting 2k miles and having a 100k mile warranty on the engine, I'm not sure its worth saving 5 mpg for voiding a warranty.


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## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

Well went to the fuel supplier to find out more about their biodiesel. Its Amerigreen Biodiesel which is combrised of 5% biodiesel with a ASTM rating of between 47 & 48. On their brochure it has a biodiesel study that shows 5 trucks that used conventional diesel versus biodiesel and on average they saw a difference of 3/10 mile more per gallon than regular. Unfortunately their biodiesel fuel price is now $3.179 per gallon compared to $3.139 for regular so at present it doesn't warrant the purchase.


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

LB1234;1151477 said:


> Well went to the fuel supplier to find out more about their biodiesel. Its Amerigreen Biodiesel which is combrised of 5% biodiesel with a ASTM rating of between 47 & 48. On their brochure it has a biodiesel study that shows 5 trucks that used conventional diesel versus biodiesel and on average they saw a difference of 3/10 mile more per gallon than regular. Unfortunately their biodiesel fuel price is now $3.179 per gallon compared to $3.139 for regular so at present it doesn't warrant the purchase.


Why not?

At the numbers you give the B5 is still cheaper per mile (15 vs. 15.3 mpg) and the lubricity is well worth the money.


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## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

weareweird69;1146529 said:


> You do know that biofuel is a cleaner right? The reason your filters kept clogging was because the bio was getting rid of all the dirt and contaminants left behind from the diesel fuel and anything that was in it from the lines and seals etc.
> 
> A personal friend runs bio in his 01 SD, and changes his fuel filter yearly, it comes out gold instead of black.
> 
> ...


Thats what I get for not reading my post before I click that button lol. I know that Bio is a lot cleaner but I meant that you will be changing your filters more often because the Bio does act like a solvent.


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## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

cretebaby;1151876 said:


> Why not?
> 
> At the numbers you give the B5 is still cheaper per mile (15 vs. 15.3 mpg) and the lubricity is well worth the money.


I'm getting around 9.5 miles per gallon now pulling my trailers around. Assuming I get 9.8 miles per gallon per tank with the biodiesel that means that per tank of biodiesel I will get 372.4 miles versus conventional diesel which will get me 361 miles (38 gallon tank). So a tank fillup of biodiesel versus conventional is $120.80 versus $119.28, respectively. So you are correct, for an additional $1.50 I can go (theoritically) another 11.4 miles. So you are correct, it pretty much is a no brainer at this point.


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## dieselmac99 (Dec 11, 2010)

bio gels at a much higher temp than regular diesel, eats the fuel system, clogs dpf faster... no. can't say I'd recommend it.


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

dieselmac99;1152824 said:


> bio gels at a much higher temp than regular diesel, eats the fuel system, clogs dpf faster... no. can't say I'd recommend it.


Got any references to that?


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## weareweird69 (Dec 10, 2010)

dieselmac99;1152824 said:


> bio gels at a much higher temp than regular diesel, eats the fuel system, clogs dpf faster... no. can't say I'd recommend it.


Eats the fuel system? The new diesel does that for you :laughing:


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## LB1234 (Oct 17, 2006)

dieselmac99;1152824 said:


> bio gels at a much higher temp than regular diesel, eats the fuel system, clogs dpf faster... no. can't say I'd recommend it.


why do you say that? Personally experienced this?


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## weareweird69 (Dec 10, 2010)

Bio does thicken at a higher temp, but its not much. You will have to cut it with diesel in the winter.

But, its not like straight vegi oil, where it needs to be heated to travel thru your lines.

I hate it when people talk in absolutes.


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