Some Biodiesel Facts to Consider

Here are a few interesting things to think about if you are considering using biodiesel as a fuel.

Some Things to Think About When Considering Bio-diesel for Your Engine.

Number one with me is that fuel cost are lowered. Another bonus is that repair costs are lower too, you can expect a diesel to operate up to 400,000-500,000 miles with no problems before engine work is required. If you have been doing regular oil changes your repairs will probably be a new set of injectors and you will be off for another 2 or 300,000 miles.

Finding good small diesel pickups are a challenge as the last ones built were in 1989. Used diesel vehicles are now hard to get or expensive. Some vehicles are better than others. Joshua Tickle in his classic biodiesel book, From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank, has a rated list in the Appendix.

Direct injection turbo diesels are the best and there are some Toyotas and Mazda pickups from late eighties that get up to 40mpg on the highway.

For North American trucks, it seems be wise to go for a Dodge / Cummins and Ford Powerstroke engines rather than big 3 engines. Try to check Phil Edmonston's Lemon Aid guide at your local library to see which would be best for you.

Biodiesel runs cleaner than diesel such that it dramatically reduces black smoke from even older diesel engines that builds up on the outside of the vehicle. Biodiesel fuel causes engines to run more quietly with less vibration than petroleum diesel and without the objectionable diesel odor. When burned it burns more cleanly, reducing particulates, but there is an increase in nitrous oxides that cause ground level ozone after interactions with sunlight.

Biodiesel is non-toxic and biodegrades easily 95% in 30 days in soil which means it is unable to contaminate soil, ground water supplies, rivers, lakes and marine areas if used in 100% pure form. I have to add that it is not used in 100% pure form often. It is mostly sold as a blend - say 80% petro diesel and 20% bean oil. The biodegradable claim cannot be made for blends. Again, when used 100% it does not leave unsightly oil slicks on water.

It has found a good following in the hydraulics industry where a broken hose or pipe can dump gallons of oil in a couple of minutes. The use of 100% bio-oil is a big bonus when looking at cleanup cost vs perto oil.