I had to drive to austin and back today and first the water in fuel light(tried draining the bowl at least a dozen different times, then 75 miles from home the truck went into limp mode, then drove fine 20 miles then limp mode none stop.
It would go 60, but only barely. It was too hot to stop, so another 30 miles and it stalls and then it drove abit and then I had to coast down a hill into a service station.
I saw a little diesel fuel dripping, all my return lines were good.
I removed the fuel filter housing(man was it hot!) and it seemed like biodiesel had finaly ruined the gasket on the water seperator, it was as if I had soaked it in carb cleaner.

I'm going back with another filter housing and my scantool in the morning.
I am thinking that the optical sensor had also failed. Edited by: quantum mechanic

Today I replaced the filter housing and it started up no problem. I drove it 30 minuites and it went limp and stalled.
got it restarted went five miles and it stalled.
At this point it was hot enough to let it sit.
I saw fuel dripping still so I replaced the 3/8 in transition between the filter and the steel inline.
I bleed it and it started and drove 20 miles without a problem and then stalled and wouldn't restart.

I could see how vapor lock could be causing the problem with all the leaking it was doing (through the water in fuel sensor and rubber inline.
What about the limp?
High IAT? the coolant temp never went over 190 deg.
FSD? the stalling seemed fuel related and there was plenty fuel in the smoke when it would almost start.

The benzene in the diesel was making me sick.
Edited by: quantum mechanic

QM,

bio diesel is likely to dissolve *all* (rubber) gaskets involved! I won't ever dare to use bio diesel on any car unless the manufacturer of the car definitely says that you can use that ugly stuff on it safely.

I'm sorry having to say that, but you might have taken serious damage from the bio diesel. In case there are gaskets on the IP, they have been probably dissolved, too ... They may be other issues, like lubrication, but I never investigated using bio diesel any further. It's just a thing you have to avoid.


In my case, it's not worth the hassle, anyway. I'm usually going the 30kms just beyond the Dutch border every weekend and fill up, saves me about EUR 15 per fill. Diesel fuel there is even cheaper than bio diesel here in Germany!

The only alternative in sight is using SVO ...

fuel lines rot, biodiesel is apart of running svo.
It will liquify the diesel fuel resins same as it does to rubber.
Edited by: quantum mechanic

I've been trying to contact our Stanadyne rep about effects of biodiesel on their pumps, I know they've tested the stuff, I've seen their results, but they only reccommended a 2% blend to solve lubricity issues. There's a lot of O-rings in these pumps, and two plastic sealing rings and one plastic spring band in the transfer pump i would be concerned about. Also, there is quite a bit of the plastic underside of the optic sensor exposed under the top cover. Best I can tell you is drain as much of it as you can out, fill it with diesel, see what leaks and see if she will run again.

I pulled these codes:
035 response too short
036 response too long
054 TIO fault
019 crank fault
018 cam lobe counter fault
016 digital ratio adapter
017 high resolution failure
measured timing 25.4 deg.
fuel system is less than 1% biodiesel at this point.
I'll see which ones return in the morning.

QM


I've hit a couple of BD sites many recommend replacing std neoprene rubber with viton rubber which is more tolerant of synthetics or blends, it's what we use on jets at work.


IMO some bugs to be worked still for BD to be a viable for all option, once all Engineering obstacles get worked out such as seal/sensor compatability only way to go.


Forge ahead with your work QM the Wright Bros. did not get it all the 1st go round either look at us now, just remember though it may be a progression of 3 steps fwd and 2 back.

With all those codes it's air inside the IP, or You'll see me recant earlier statements and put in the mechanical pump I have.

I am glad to say I got it running.
I found another fuel leak off the filter housing..
It was a pinhole leak, but I found it.
All the codes are gone, desired and actual timing are at 7.8 deg.

My thinking is that small leaks before the injector pump arn't enough to kill the engine right away but get it going 70 mph
on the road and it doesn't take long to vapor lock the IP causing it to go into limp mode.
With all those codes I got I was worried, now I'm just glad it's working again.

QM, I'm glad to hear that it's running again :)

Above, did you mean that SVO could dissolve the rubber? I'm aware that it will loosen residues from the fuel tank, but that SVO would damage any sealings, is new to me. Or did I just misunderstand you?

SVO is <5% free fatty acid unless you're burning yellow grease.
Biodiesel is what I meant when talking about dissolving rubber, plus I use THF to make the mixture soluable.
and I think you should add it to your diesel on a SVO fuel engine.Edited by: quantum mechanic

any idea what the cetane rating, flash point, burn rate is for SVO?

I don't know, but it's online somewhere. It's higher than biodiesel and biodiesel is 220 deg F, but then you're heating this oil pre injection.
The diesel engine was first exhibited at the worlds fair running on peanut oil.
I like biofuels because it gives a guy like me in a place like where I live(in the country) incintive to do something agricutural on their land in addion to what ever they do.
Have you guys ever heard of Fisher -Tropch diesel aka syn. oil?
theoroetically you could vaporize any hydrcarbon matter, condense it and radicaly cool it over a simple metal catalyst and vouila! reformed high centane fuel oil that burns cleaner than petroluem.

How about agtane which is made from volitile distilation of waxes.
Edited by: quantum mechanic

It turns out I had to pull the sensor back and the put the pump forward untill it reved up.
I drove it just now and it's better than I remember.Lots of low end torque.
My wife who happened to be with me commented on the low end torque. who said a 6.5 won't send your head back into the cushion?

I stiil have some quetions.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/583_optical.jpg
I cleaned the presure membranes thing inside the return line, was this the wire?
I also I flush out the upperelectronic part with denatured alcohol as well as cleaning the low res eyes with a toothbrush.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/598_stepper.jpg
Also, is this the place I'm sapposed to look for the stepper?
I can't see a thing, but I did notice the pump will pull itself toward where it needs to go.
Edited by: quantum mechanic

TDG, I couldn't find conformable specs yet.

SVO seems to burn slower than Diesel. Flash point seems to be at least 220 C, viscosity is difficult to figure: Some say 60--80mm^2/s at 20 C, others say 38mm^2/s at 40 C. It seems that you can blend it with Diesel to lower viscosity.

Most ppl seem to heat it up to at least 70 C before it gets into the IP. Some don't heat it at all.

Cetane # is lower than Diesel, afair about 41, but I've been reading that cetane # on SVO doesn't tell much.
Edited by: 0lee

QM,

what is THF?

As far as I've gone into it, bio diesel in the US is different from what we have here. You seem to have several different blends of bio diesel. But I think the stuff is made in about the same as they make it here.

Here, there's only one blend. It is made so that you can use it, solely, instead of Diesel on the cars that can run on it. There are only very few cars specified from the manufacturer to be able running on it. Most ppl who do, do it on their own risk. But I know of nobody who uses it. I wonder how much of it the gas stations offering it actually sell, can't be much.

There may be ppl blending it theirselfs, I don't know.


TDG, what says the Stanadyne rep about using SVO?

Lee,
I make my own. I've used virgin oil and yellow grease.
THF is tetrahydrafuran. It allows you to mix alcohol and oil into an emulsion and speeds a cataylsed reation.
It is also used to mix diesel and alcohol into what is similiar to oxydie*el.
Basicly you can mix them without clouding the fuel oil up or seperating.
Edited by: quantum mechanic

QM, the stepper motor is on the side of the pump just behind the picture you took. and no, the vent wire is screwed into the hydraulic head of the pump. If you look inside, top cover off, at the rear of the pump you will see a small round hole, it will be inside here.