9 Worst Things You Can Do to a Diesel Engine

[CalG]

These lists are always so pathetic.

How is fuel selection a "worst thing you can do to an engine" Efficiency and emmissions doesn't harm the engine in any way.

Sure, gasoline would be wrong, but that is NOT in consideration with selection. That extreme condition is akin to failing to refill the engine sump with oil after draining.

Like I said, these lists are pathetic!

 

[big bubba]

These lists are always so pathetic.

How is fuel selection a "worst thing you can do to an engine" Efficiency and emmissions doesn't harm the engine in any way.

Sure, gasoline would be wrong, but that is NOT in consideration with selection. That extreme condition is akin to failing to refill the engine sump with oil after draining.

Like I said, these lists are pathetic!

? please explain, can't follow your thoughts

 

[Too many Kubotas]

what's the current new vehicle 1st oil change since factory? 5-7k? can't imagine

It's 15,000 on Ram diesel pickups, I think.

But I should admit that my 3500, and several others of our vehicles, do not get the stipulated 6-month oil changes. Some often don't get changed until there's two years or more on the oil, which is still well below the allowed mileage.

My reasoning? There's no logical reason to do it based on time, and I have oil analysis results to prove my point. But, and this is important, when our vehicles get started they're driven until the oil is up to temp. Most of our drives are 75 miles or more...one way.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

what's the current new vehicle 1st oil change since factory? 4-6k? can't imagine

On my Cummins X15 engine in my semi-truck, 1st oil change is at 60,000 miles, and every 60,000 miles thereafter! By the time we sell them off at 4 years, 600,000 miles, they are using 1-2 gallons of oil in the last 60K, they hold 11 gallons ...

Not my truck, I just drive it ... but on my own stuff, I change at half what the manual calls for, and recommend changing front axle oil/fluid on MFWD tractors at a tenth of the recommended interval for the 1st change ... As they don't have a filter...

 

[big bubba]

incredible, guess i'm too old school. glad all mine are paid for & running smooth.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

incredible, guess i'm too old school. glad all mine are paid for & running smooth.

That makes two of us.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

That sounds like something AI would come up with.

How would a diesel engine know or care if the fuel is red or not??
But I wouldn't mind seeing idling on the list.

I had the same thought re: AI... guess just a fact of life now.

-------------

re: dyed fuel they did say on / off road diesel not really talking about just the dye as now we have access to petroleum diesel, bio diesel in all different concentrations, and renewable diesel at the pumps.

I believe in the old days the dye only difference was true. Diesel was diesel and dye added whey taxes taken off. Today though not so much. Times have changed. So many different types of diesel out their to buy. (pure petroleum, B5 all the way up to B100, renewable, etc...) All very different. Each with their own ASTM manufacturing spec.

imagine 2 jerry cans of diesel side by side.
- one red / one clear. we can no longer say they are the same as one could be B100 and the other pure petroleum. Vastly different more than just the colour.
- or image 2 jerry cans of clear side by side. One B100 and one pure petroleum. Lots of differences more than just color as B100 is oxygenated and pure not.

Red B5 is vastly different than clear B100.
Red B100 is not the same as clear petroleum only.
Both are more different than just the dye

red vs non red diesel can be way different than just the dye.

So like you I don't think the engine would care about the dye but would care if red B100 was used when long term storage is planned VS clear renewable diesel which can be stored for years. So using the right type of diesel does become important.


Not so simple as it was in the old days.
So I can see why using the right type of diesel hits the list.
- A guy who puts on only 20hrs per year should not use B100 diesel, etc.. as B100 only stores for couple of months and attracts moisture way more than pure petroleum diesel.
- i won't use B20 in winter when it gets really cold as bio starts much harder and B100 has noticably less ability to make power. Bio diesel is oxygenated which makes for harder starting in winter and shorter shelf life, less power, etc... So sometimes in summer I will use Red B5-10 but in winter I will only use Red petroleum diesel. Color is the same but fuels vastly different.

Way to technical and confusing for this old soul. But red diesel can be vastly different from clear diesel AND red's can be vastly different as well.

cheers

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

These lists are always so pathetic.

How is fuel selection a "worst thing you can do to an engine" Efficiency and emmissions doesn't harm the engine in any way.

Like I said, these lists are pathetic!

I would disagree. But heck difference of opinions makes the world a much more interesting place.

A guy who only puts on 20 hrs per year but chooses oxygenated B100 diesel has made a very wrong choice I will would guess sure to have fuel related problems in his very near future.

A guy who blows snow and cuts wood at -30 like where I am from may l soon regret trying to start his diesel if using B100 unless almost everything else on the tractor in top notch shape.

So I think lists like these can offer some wisdom and make for good discussions.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Way to technical and confusing for this old soul. But red diesel can be vastly different from clear diesel AND red's can be vastly different as well.

To me that has little to do with whether the diesel is red or not, but is instead about various kinds of diesel blends.

So again, take one specific blend. The engine won't know or care if there's dye in that blend or not.

 

[garry1p]

How do you know B5 from B100?

I never noticed on the pump where I buy my tractor fuel any "B" information.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

my Cenex pumps lists its choices.
My Shell station only list premium and regular diesel.
I guess its up to the station??
and what fuel you choose to use can make a big difference.

 

[CalG]

Apears to be a canadian problem.

The pumps I go to offer diesel fuel, the pump next to it offers kerosene.

If I want gasoline, that is a different island and there are three choices.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Apears to be a canadian problem.

The pumps I go to offer diesel fuel, the pump next to it offers kerosene.

If I want gasoline, that is a different island and there are three choices.

nope... not a Canadian problem as we don't have Cenex stations.
These are American pumps
I would guess coming to a station near you eventually as the laws keep changing on us.

 

[CalG]

The nine WORST things you can do to your I.C engine.

1) Run the engine without oil
2) Run the engine without coolant (Or cooling fan if air cooled)
3) Run the engine without an oil filter. (Exception would be splash lubricated engines such as my Fordson E27n, it doesn't have a filter ;-))
4) Over rev the engine for extended periods of time
5) Run the engine without an air filter in dirty air conditions
6) run the engine without a fuel filter
7) use excessive amounts of ether attempting to start the engine in very cold weather
8) Repeatedly allow a diesel engine to wet stack
9) Lug the engine for extended periods

 

[garry1p]

According to AI.. B5 and B10 meet the specs for a tractor.

Given a choice I would not use anything but plain diesel, saving a few dollars skimping on diesel for my tractor is just a non starter.

 

[CalG]

According to AI.. B5 and B10 meet the specs for a tractor.

Given a choice I would not use anything but plain diesel, saving a few dollars skimping on diesel for my tractor is just a non starter.

I've decided to run straight fry-o-lator oil that I collect from the local hardlees burger shop. I'm going to filter it through freshly shearn alpaca wool. I will use hyper-milage techniques whenever possible. ;-)

Now can we start a conversation on which brand oil (or filter) is best?

 

[deserteagle71]

I own several diesels - tractors and trucks. I've never seen any type of biodiesel for sale anywhere in northern Nevada...thank God!

 

[scootr]

Short trips where the engine doesn't really get a chance to warm up.
Putting gasoline in it.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

In the OP it didn't talk about different blends, just ...

Using the wrong grade of diesel (e.g., #1 vs. #2, or off-road vs. on-road diesel)

#1 & #2 are different "grades" ... On-Road & Off-road are just different taxes ... And neither really effect emissions ... As ALL currently produced fuels must meet emissions in both on and off road applications.

Using different "blends" of diesel/biodiesel is another whole can of worms ... Similar to gasoline which has E85, E10, Pure 100% Gasoline ... And different amounts of octane ... Usually somewhere between 86-93 here in the States ... Some small airports you can get 100LL which still has lead in it! A few stations near racetracks have 110+ octane!

I run 100% petroleum dyed diesel from my local farm store in my tractor's and use HotShots additives as I see fit ...

 

[greenie]

My first diesel pickup was the 6.2 - an engine that doesn't have a great reputation - the truck rotted away around it but the engine never failed me. 3,000 mile oil changes (100 hour tractor) is cheap insurance to a reliable and long lasting engine.
Heating oil BTW is the same as diesel - untaxed and illegal for road use but is also ultra low sulfur - at least in the state I reside in.