I am only relaying info that I got from a good friend of mine who is a diesel mechanic for Ford. He says that the 7.3 will run on anything and bio will never cause you problems. If you have a steel tank you may have a liner issue like was mentioned about...this is not due to ph levels, but the simple fact that biodiesel is a solvent.
I have been making and running it in 7.3's for a while. Never had an issue other than fuel filters like others said. As for the 6.0L...they are a bit picky about the bio. Make sure you are passing a 3/27 test to know you don't have excess fallout in the fuel...also, if you are prefiltering your bio before it goes into your tank, make sure you run a hydroglass filter...some of the paper elements can actually get eaten by bio and will turn gummy.
6.0L - ya you can do it if you are 100% sure its good bio (perfect 3/27 test passing)
7.3L - its a work horse and will run anything.
3ml of finished bio between 68-72* F
27 ml of methanol
mix bio in with the methanol and let it settle for 60 sec...if you see a brown layer at the bottom of the vile, you have an incomplete reaction and excess glycerol left in your fuel...this can clog injectors, but won't hurt them....minimal fallout is acceptable. Too much can cause issue.
no fallout pretty much means you will pass ASTM standards
The only issue besides it cleaning out your fuel system and the need for filter changes is that running B100 or very high blends will melt your two return lines from each head to the FPR. Mine turned to a black sticky goo. Here's a photo of my replaced hoses.
I have been running B100 for 2 years (40,000 miles) and I second that. I have had the exact same problem with my 96 7.3. Had hoses made at a hydraulic shop with the correct fittings and length. Also have changed the short fuel hoses on the fuel pump.
I am starting to see some greyish color in the fuel when I open up the fuel filter and pull a sample in the fuel bowl. I suspect this is the fuel tanks delaminating. Talked to a customer last week that has had the same problem (with his 2000 7.3) and he just dropped the tanks and had them acid washed at a radiator shop. No problems since. I believe I will do the same.
I'm also on my second fuel pump (lift). I am convinced the B100 is eating away at it. Other than that, NO problems whatsoever with the HPOP, injectors or anything else. Runs smooth and quiet.
Just make sure you run quality biodiesel, but having said that, the 7.3 is pretty tolerant and can run just about anything. I personally prefer biodiesel and have many customers run SVO.
I am soon planning on selling a fuel hose replacement kit for the 7.3 FPR and fuel pump fuel hoses on my website biodieselplace.com. Stay tuned.
There is a wealth of information out there on the different alternative fuels.
I run 20-50% biodiesel regularly and have no issues. This is regular biodiesel, not blending or solvent thinning.
When I'm going on long trips I will start with 1/2 tank of diesel/biodiesel, run the truck to normal operating temperature, and then fill the tank with dry, filtered vegetable oil. This leaves me with a 50% vegetable oil & 50% B20 blend. This is blending.
Eventually I will have my second tank plumbed in so that I can start on diesel, switch to heated vegetable oil, drive to where I am going, and then switch back to diesel when I get there.
Some people blend 80% vegetable oil , 15% diesel, 5% Regular Unleaded Gasoline, and a dash of terpentine and/or acetone. They run this blend all summer long. This is definately blending. It is not biodiesel.
-Jim
__________________
Early 1999 F350 6sp Manual, CC, Dually, Long bed, 2WD, 3.73 rear end.
Almost stock, PO dualed the exhaust out after the rear axel.
Purchased 3 April 2009 with 122,500 miles on it.
9 June 2009 has 127,000 miles on it.
Mods to come later...
Last edited by FryerJim; 07-10-2009 at 10:29 PM.
Reason: Tone sounded too stern, was not meant to be.
Any vehicle built after 1994 will have viton composition fuel lines. If you still have rubber or BUNA-N lines in the fuel system, biodiesel will attack and degrade them.
Parker Hose distributors will have a biodiesel compatible fuel line for sale. I last remember paying about $1.20 a foot for it. I bought 20 feet and have the extra around for whatever biodiesel projects require it.
I replaced all the fuel lines that would be attacked by biodiesel years ago with this stuff and haven't had a problem since.
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The Green Monster: 2001 F250 Powerstroke, 2WD, ZF6 transmission. Bully Dog GT Tuner set in tow mode. MotorSilk boric oxide added to engine, transmission and diff. Showing 30mpg on the freeway running home brew biodiesel. NTZ 1/2 Micron bypass oil filter. Dieselsite Coolant filter and Caterpillar ELC next on the list. 4" open turbo back exhaust.
Any vehicle built after 1994 will have viton composition fuel lines. If you still have rubber or BUNA-N lines in the fuel system, biodiesel will attack and degrade them.
in our older idis its not just the ruber fuel lines. its all the o rings and ruber washers in the IP. the o rings on the injectors ect. bio will eat that pump for lunch. i have a friend that works in the diesel injection field and he says that ever sence bio diesel got popular they sure have been busy! you should see what IPs look like after one summer of B100. the city switched all the busses to b100 and they are constantly getting towed and my buddys shop gets over a pump a week. and the bio is from a well known source that soposidle makes it "right". i wouldnt run it more that 20% if it was me. im not that into swaping out IPs! im not as sure about the newer PSDs or tractors. just what im hearing about from my friend.
__________________ Northern Woodland & Tree Care work trucks:
old smokey - 86 Ford F250 6.9 IH navistar non-turbo idi diesel 4x4 dana 60 rear w/ limited slip, dana 44 front wishbone style, w/ 3.55 gears, C-6 w/ oil coolers, manual walbro frb-13 fuel pump, manual wellman glow plugs, K&N air filter no soup bowl and a homemade cold air intake, 3 inch pipe, class 31 heavy duty tractor truck batterys, lots of real gauges. big drippy - 86 Ford F350 4 door crew cab, long box, 7.3 Navistar IDI non-turbo diesel, 2wd Dana 70 dually rear with 4.88, c-6 w/coolers. The Swan - 87 chipmore wood chipper chuck and duck old school style. vm motori sun 4505 3.9 air cooled non-turbo DI 4 cyl diesel, rockford pto.
Did you use regular fule line for the replacements?
Do NOT use regular SAE J30R7 fuel line hose in high concentration BD applications.
Use either SAE J30R9 Fuel Injection Hose (at a cost of $4 per foot) or the Parker hose bio compatible hose mentioned earlier, sorry can't find the link right now.
The regular 30R7 stuff will literally melt over time with B100 in it. 30R9 is good to go and is fully compatible with bio.
in our older idis its not just the ruber fuel lines. its all the o rings and ruber washers in the IP. the o rings on the injectors ect. bio will eat that pump for lunch. i have a friend that works in the diesel injection field and he says that ever sence bio diesel got popular they sure have been busy! you should see what IPs look like after one summer of B100. the city switched all the busses to b100 and they are constantly getting towed and my buddys shop gets over a pump a week. and the bio is from a well known source that soposidle makes it "right". i wouldnt run it more that 20% if it was me. im not that into swaping out IPs! im not as sure about the newer PSDs or tractors. just what im hearing about from my friend.
Skunk, your friend at the shop who told you that is full of it. I've ran my remanufactured pump with biodiesel for nearly 50k miles without any mishap. The only bug with biodiesel in the IDI pump is that unwashed biodiesel will eat away at the fuel shutoff solenoid, once it goes, the engine shuts off.
I've not had a fuel leak, a trashed injector OR o-ring problem. Many people forward horror stories without knowing all the facts about biodiesel. A great deal of ignorance is out there about biodiesel, how to properly manufacture it, how to property operate and setup equipment to use it.
I'm a former diesel mechanic, and I can tell you first hand, diesel engines like biodiesel a whole hell of a lot better than petrodiesel. They run quieter, cleaner and the insides are sparkling clean.
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The Green Monster: 2001 F250 Powerstroke, 2WD, ZF6 transmission. Bully Dog GT Tuner set in tow mode. MotorSilk boric oxide added to engine, transmission and diff. Showing 30mpg on the freeway running home brew biodiesel. NTZ 1/2 Micron bypass oil filter. Dieselsite Coolant filter and Caterpillar ELC next on the list. 4" open turbo back exhaust.
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