[Don_G]

That study, by Spicer over at TheDieselPlace, is pretty definitive. A good discussion of it can be found there. OptiLube has been questioned and answered there.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=177728
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178848

What seems to get short shrift is the performance of Soy BioDiesel as a lubricity improver. That study got me to digging a bit, and I dug up the study below.

http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Lubricity.PDF

This shows #2 diesel + 1% bio gets essentially the full lubricity benefit of biodiesel....
so we can add one quart of Soy BioDiesel and get the best lubricity going.

 

[Don_G]

I'm from CO, so I was worried about the affect of SoyBioDiesel on gel point. I found this seemingly trustworthy info on diesel fuels and bio blends.

1% and 2% Soy diesel (B01 and B02) have cloud points of -16C (3F) pure dino diesel is listed as -18C (0F)- so there's not not much impact on the cloud point of #2 diesel. Wish they listed effects on #1 diesel or winter blends, but I suspect it's about the same.

Note that below are links to 2 specific pages. You can thumb around in there and find a seemingly endless amount of data and discussion of varying scientific content.

Digression on Diesel Fuel Properties


igression on Cold Flow-Continued--->>>:

I still have not decided on whether to use the B01 lube formula in the depths of the CO winter.

 

[Don_G]

Another factor to watch out for is biologics (slime) growing in your diesel tank. (I wish they'd put drain on our factory tanks.)

I found some Kathon FP 1.5 biocide at a farm fuel distributor in Lexington, NE (Davis Energy.) He swears by the stuff. It meets MILSPEC, so it has to be pretty good.

Wading through the Rohm & Haas data (true mfg), it appears that only 3 PPM is required to kill mold, and <1.5 PPM for everything else. (That's where the 1.5 in the name apparently comes from.)

The data sheet I got from the seller said use 13 oz/1014 gallons for "kill", and 13 oz/2028 gallons for maintenance. Thus the recommended maintenance rate of 1:20,000 (50PPM) is 16X the actual required kill rate. The stuff prefers water, so water in your system will reduce the amount in the fuel, but the bottom line is that 50PPM is overkill for our use.

I would never use the 100 PPM "kill rate" application, except in severe problems with a lot of water present.

I will mix mine at 3.3 ounces per 500 gallons, roughly 50PPM.

The Brits recommend 100 PPM. but the mfg data does not support the need. The mfg data (in links inside the links below) indicates that it's safe for all normal fuel containers/systems at concentrations <400 PPM.

Here's some links on the stuff.
http://www.fqsinc.com/docs/Kathon_FP_1.5_Brochure_FQS-136.pdf

Fuel Quality Services, Inc.

Fuel Filtration and Fuel Polishing Systems - Separ UK - Kathon FP1.5 Microbiocide

I suspect that Power Service Bio Kleen (different from Diesel Kleen, and harder to find) would do a good job also.

 

[Don_G]

Dr Don's Snake Oil

Colorado has almost no biodiesel across the state.

In light of the info above, I make up my own pre-mixed additive in 5 gallon batches.(Actually I do two 5 gallon cans at a time, since I have to drive 20 miles to get the soy biodiesel.)

In a yellow 5 gallon diesel can:

120 oz Power Services Diesel Fuel Supplement
2.3 oz Kathon FP 1.5 (may substitute 8 oz Bio Kleen)
4 gallons Soy Bio Diesel (pure if you can get it)


I use the empty 80 oz DFS bottles to carry the snakeoil in my truck, and add 40 ounces at each fillup. Since my fillups average about 22 gallons, the above ratios work out about right for #2 (summer) diesel.

If I decide to use it in winter, I'll be adding a full 80 oz bottle at each fillup to get the full lubricity with #1 diesel.

 

[Don_G]

I'll have to investigate Arctic Fox. It'd be great if I could get a lift pump/filtration setup with a heater for those few mornings below -20 F in the Colorado high country.

 

[Don_G]

I believe that Stanadyne and Power Services both recommned 2x strength for antigel with high percentage bioD. I suspect in FL you'd be OK with 1x, though. My uncle said it never got below 26F in Polk City.