diesel4life

I just logged in to say she's looking good! What are your plans for the doors now that you have stretched the cab?

Same as these https://www.genosgarage.com/product/bil-24-185776/bilstein-front

Cummins recommends plugging in at 0*F and colder. It surely doesn't hurt to plug them in in warmer temps (except for the wallet) I generally plug in once it dips down into the single digits unless I'm at work, then I plug in pretty much all the time during the winter months LOL.

Or it could be the injectors people are using...I've started dozens of 12 & 24 valve CAPS engines over the years in construction and Ag equipment with no grid heaters and they will start just fine down into the low teens/ upper single digits. They will start down below that but will run pretty rough the first several seconds. We try to plug them in anyway when it gets that cold. On my truck I don't even wait for the grid heaters until the temps drop down below 15 or so degrees.

The lift pump isn't ideal but likely not the problem here. You'd be surprised how many guys are still running around on the OEM lift pumps. I know a guy with an 01 with original VP AND block mounted Carter lift pump. It's a dually with a dump body and a plow and gets worked hard every time it gets fired up. Hes not the only guy i know with the OEM set up, either. Go figure. Did you correct the slow cranking issue? Diesels need cranking speed to light off. That definitely needs addressed.

QRE which spec oil is superior, all one has to do is reference the manufacturers tests. Note the ISB test that is specific to CJ4 oils to ensure proper valve train lubrication. CJ4 oils have been around nearly 2 and a half times longer than the CI4 spec. When CJ4 was introduced it was widely anticipated that a new oil would be needed for the 2010 update. That wasn't the case. CI-4 PLUS vs. API CJ-4 Diesel Engine Tests API CI-4 PLUS API CJ-4 Diesel Engine Test Measured Parameters Fuel Sulfur Content Comments 500PPM 15PPM X CAT C-13 Oil consumption and piston deposit control, iron piston X New test, with closed crankcase ventilation X X CAT IN Oil consumption and piston deposit control, aluminum piston X Aluminum piston X X Cummins ISM High temperature sludge, soot-related wear, filter plugging X Replaces MII EGR X Cummins ISB Valve train wear X New test X X Mack T-11 Soot-related viscosity control X Higher discrimination level X Mack T-12 Ring/linear wear, bearing corrosion X New test X X GMRFWT Soot-related wear X Status quo X X Navistar 7.3 L Aeration X Status quo Also for those that are interested, some pretty good info on the new PC11 oils http://www.chevronlubematters.com/category/industry-matters/pc-11/#sthash.k99TxPMu.M9Z5cjhS.dpbs

What level of bio are you seeing that is the same as straight #2? B2 and even B5 should be pretty close in price to regular #2 and shouldnt be a problem with your fuel lines.

Dave you might be right on that. For some reason I thought B10 was the cut off but according to this site it is B5. http://www.natso.com/blog/truckstop-biodiesel-pump-labeling-requirements-unraveled- Not exactly an official page but seems pretty solid. Kind of unrelated but for anyone that might be interested in ethanol posting requirements for your state here it is. They vary quite a bit. http://www.fuel-testers.com/state_guide_ethanol_laws.html

Every state is different in labeling requirements at the pump. Some states have to label the level of biofuel used at the pumps regardless of amount and some are not required to label anything. Ohio is not required to label their pumps if the level is below B10, and the ethanol labeling requirements are even more lax than biodiesel.

Again referring to the Cummins page, " What materials are incompatible with biodiesel? Natural rubber, butyl rubber and some types of nitrile rubber (depending on chemical composition, construction and application) may be particularly susceptible to degradation. Also, copper, bronze, brass, tin, lead and zinc can cause deposit formations. The use of these materials and coatings must be avoided for fuel tanks and fuel lines. Fuel fittings and connectors are acceptable due to the small surface area in contact with the fuel. Note: Contact your vehicle manufacturer to determine if any of the OEM supplied components are at risk with biodiesel in order to prevent engine or vehicle damage." So the rubber fuel lines are the primary concern however the early VPs did have a brass bushing and brass is one of the compatibility issues. If your pump has been replaced in the last several years it shouldn't be an issue so long as you don't get a bad batch get by the filters. The other reason not mentioned is filtration. The older trucks have poor filtration when it comes to bio, you need a good 2 stage filtration at a minimum and our trucks didn't come with them from the factory. It all comes down to personal preference but I'm not sure why anybody would WANT to run higher doses of bio. Just changing your filters out an extra round will negate any minor advantage in price (along with the slight decrease in mileage). I see the advantage in running B2 or even B5 for lubricity reasons. B2 offers nearly 2 and a half times better HFRR improvement over the 2 cycle mix that many like to use on this forum. Much beyond that and the potential problems that can arise pushes it past the point of diminishing returns for me. Part of the reason I posted the Cummins link was for their requirements on fuel standards and storage. It is nearly impossible for us to know where our fuel has come from, how its been handled and how long it's been stored. Another quote from Mercedes in the link I posted: "The problems seem to be occurring in distribution and Mercedes reported that (in 2014) as much as 15% of retail biodiesel was out of spec. There is little regulation or concern at this point as to what happens to the product once it leaves the terminal. Our infrastructure transports and stores bio much the same as it does regular #2 and that is where the problems arise. Until there are better laws and regulations put in place to transport, and store biodiesel the problems will continue.

If your truly interested on the effects of biofuels and what OEMs have to say about them, here is a good read. http://www.theenergycollective.com/jared-anderson/450416/fuel-stability-problems-challenge-fame-biodiesel Here is what Cummins has to say, take note of the part where they talk about maintenance intervals when switching from #2 to B20: "Due to the solvent nature of B20, and the potential for ‘cleaning’ of the vehicle fuel tank and lines, new fuel filters must be installed when switching to B20 on used engines. Fuel filters will need to be replaced at half the standard interval for the next two fuel filter changes. After this initial period, you may revert to the intervals specified in your O & M manual. For EPA 2007 on-highway midrange engines only, oil sampling will be necessary for the first 6 months of operation with B20 to monitor fuel dilution of the lubricating oil." http://cumminsengines.com/biodiesel-faq More opinions from OEMs http://www.eia.gov/conference/2014/pdf/presentations/woebkenberg.pdf

Now we are editing my posts because I stated someone was mis stating facts?? Wow.

LOL, if you think bio is the end all cure to diesel fuel quality you are sorely mistaken. The ONLY reason we have bio fuels is due to government driven subsidies and mandates. It has absolutely nothing to do with it being a superior product to #2. If it was superior the EMA and ASTM would recommend and possibly demand its use, as it is they say you MAY use up to x amount BUT knowing the quality of the fuel is YOUR responsibility, and your warranty WILL be voided if/when you get a bad dose. The only saving grace for bio is its lubricating properties, aside from that #2 is superior in every way. Ever see a dmaaged fuel system from a bad batch of bio? It ain't pretty.Bio is much worse than ULSD in terms of water retention and solvency, even worse than gasoline and methanol.

Biodiesel has a higher and narrower boiling range than regular diesel fuel, and does not evaporate from the crank case like #2 does. and because of its molecular structure it atomizes in Larger droplets coming out of the injector. This is particularly a problem in engines that use post injection cycles to burn the soot out of the DPF. Engine oil companies add specific antioxidants and additives to counter this. Second, biodiesel that has been incorrectly mixed or stored (or stored too long) will plug filters regardless of the time of year, winter simply has a tendency to show b weaknesses quicker than #2.

Material compatibility (particularly rubber hoses), oil dilution,corrosion, filter plugging, decreased fuel mileage are all potential drawbacks associated with running higher blends of bio. Not to mention the higher the concentration the more prone the fuel is to mishandling at the terminal and fuel stations. I think I mentioned before I run B5 from a trusted station but am very hesitant to run anything more than that especially from an unknown source.