Posted by Rick C. on March 10, 1998 at 11:07:12:
In Reply to: Re: Tractors, What kind of diesel to use? posted by Diesel Dan on March 08, 1998 at 20:31:36:
: Good question. Most inline pumps ( the ones running on seperate plungers in a row) can tolerate almost any type fuel, even with some dirt and water thrown in. Distributer type pumps on the other hand require good clean fuel. As you know our government required the oil companies to take out the sulfur in the fuel which should make injectors last longer since there is less acid in it. However they didn't tell'em how,so they did it the cheapest way and the result was less lubrication in the fuel.Fuel additives that add lubricant to the fuel helps.Distributer type pumps use the fuel as lubricant so use something. Red & clear fuel are the same in most cases since very few oil refinerys added more tanks. The red fuel signifies no road tax has been added so don't burn it in your road vehicles.
: Keep'em turn'en,
: Diesel Dan
Just a few clarifications and a recommendation. In October 1993, the EPA mandated that on road diesel fuel contain 0.05% sulfur or less and not be dyed. This fuel, if unadditized, generally does have less lubricity than high sulfur fuel. It is also true that distributor or rotary pumps are more susceptible to this problem. However, the older, high sulfur diesel does still exist. Sulfur content is anywhere from 0.05 to 0.50% sulfur. This fuel is dyed red (sometimes looks kind of reddish brown), is untaxed (can't use it on on road vehicles) and needs no lubricity additive. Most oil companies continue to offer both grades.
Several companies sell a true Premium diesel (Amoco Premier and BP Diesel Supreme) fuel in both low and high sulfur grades. These fuels are what's known as "straight-run" diesel. They are generally unadditized, have very high cetane (~50), low cloud and pour points (fuel won't gel, even when very cold), start and burn easier and cleaner, and are infinitely stable (that is they don't degrade very easily. If your are in the upper Mid-west area (Amoco - Indiana and neighboring states, BP - Ohio and neighboring states), these are the diesel fuels of choice. You will never have a problem with them.
If you use bulk fuel, always use a 10 micron or less fuel filter on your dispenser/tank and drain the tank water bottoms regularly to ensure trouble free operation.
Rick C.