Biofuel blend, runs a while, stops, rests then starts again.

[jackofalltrades1980]

I have a problem on my 95 F350 7.3, after trying a fuel blend.* First, I built a fuel processor that uses a 1/2HP water pump and house water filter with a 2 micron filter to filter the WVO.* I prescreen the oil prior to putting it in the processor.* I blend it before running it through the processor so its already pretty thin to begin with.* The stuff runs just fine in my homemade diesel generator, even when its cold outside, but anyway....On the truck I tried a 50/50 blend of diesel/WVO and ran the truck a while.* It always started up pretty good and would idle smoothly, in fact smoother and quieter than on regular diesel.* I drove the truck a couple of times to and from my job (approx 70mi round trip), then on one night when driving back when I started getting up to highway speed (70mph) the motor started to stutter a little and the fuel filter light came on.* I figured that the oil mightve thickened up since the night time temp probably was around the 50ish degree range.* Long as I stayed around 60mph or lower, it was fine.* Next, I checked the fuel filter, it wasnt clogged up with visible fat or other crud so I restarted the motor, it started just fine, ran at an idle for a long time, took the throttle good too.* Even though the real test would be to put it under load.* I kinda figured that the mech. fuel pump mightve not been able to draw the blended fuel up into the filter housing fast enough to supply the engine when its running at high speed under load so it would create a "fuel filter" problem.The real problem started then when I tried another fuel blend (dont anybody burn me in effigy).* This time I tried a blend of approx 80%WVO to 20% gasoline.* Now when I mixed this stuff, it mixed up to be thin enough to compare to diesel (it seems).* I tried a small sample in the fuel filter housing and it started and ran good, so I dumped some in the fuel tank.* At that point we did our weekend drive to town to run errands.* The truck ran good and started doing that "dont wanna go above 70 for a long period of time before turning on the fuel filter light and stuttering" crap again.* So, again I kept my top speed below 65 to stop that problem.* We drove around all day from around 3:30PM going to different places, until we finished our final task around 9:00PM give or take.* At that point we're heading back home, and all of a sudden, the truck just stopped.* I tried starting the thing to no avail.* A couple of times it acted like it wanted to start but nope.* Then it seemed like after sitting a few minutes, the crazy thing started right back up like nothing happened.* So we continue on home again, this time running on regular diesel from the other tank.* The truck ran for about 5 min and stuttered a couple of times then BLAH, died again.* Same crap, wait a few min, start right back up.* By this time we called a tow truck.* While waiting, we started the thing back up again after sitting and let the thing idle, damned thing idled for approx 30 min while the truck came.* He then started escorting us and again, ran for 5-10 min, on diesel now, and BLAH, died again.* This time, tow truck guy hooked us up and pulled us home.* Got back home, dropped the truck, damned thing started again just fine, drove it into its resting place in the driveway.* The tow guy said it sounded like the injection pump possibly, maybe building up too much pressure and just stopping until the pressure went back down to an acceptable level.* Sounds possible, but Im welcome to more possibilities before trying to work on an expensive component like that, any help?

[Rob]

Originally Posted by jackofalltrades1980

I have a problem on my 95 F350 7.3, after trying a fuel blend.* First, I built a fuel processor that uses a 1/2HP water pump and house water filter with a 2 micron filter to filter the WVO.* I prescreen the oil prior to putting it in the processor.* I blend it before running it through the processor so its already pretty thin to begin with.* The stuff runs just fine in my homemade diesel generator, even when its cold outside, but anyway....On the truck I tried a 50/50 blend of diesel/WVO and ran the truck a while.* It always started up pretty good and would idle smoothly, in fact smoother and quieter than on regular diesel.* I drove the truck a couple of times to and from my job (approx 70mi round trip), then on one night when driving back when I started getting up to highway speed (70mph) the motor started to stutter a little and the fuel filter light came on.* I figured that the oil mightve thickened up since the night time temp probably was around the 50ish degree range.* Long as I stayed around 60mph or lower, it was fine.* Next, I checked the fuel filter, it wasnt clogged up with visible fat or other crud so I restarted the motor, it started just fine, ran at an idle for a long time, took the throttle good too.* Even though the real test would be to put it under load.* I kinda figured that the mech. fuel pump mightve not been able to draw the blended fuel up into the filter housing fast enough to supply the engine when its running at high speed under load so it would create a "fuel filter" problem.The real problem started then when I tried another fuel blend (dont anybody burn me in effigy).* This time I tried a blend of approx 80%WVO to 20% gasoline.* Now when I mixed this stuff, it mixed up to be thin enough to compare to diesel (it seems).* I tried a small sample in the fuel filter housing and it started and ran good, so I dumped some in the fuel tank.* At that point we did our weekend drive to town to run errands.* The truck ran good and started doing that "dont wanna go above 70 for a long period of time before turning on the fuel filter light and stuttering" crap again.* So, again I kept my top speed below 65 to stop that problem.* We drove around all day from around 3:30PM going to different places, until we finished our final task around 9:00PM give or take.* At that point we're heading back home, and all of a sudden, the truck just stopped.* I tried starting the thing to no avail.* A couple of times it acted like it wanted to start but nope.* Then it seemed like after sitting a few minutes, the crazy thing started right back up like nothing happened.* So we continue on home again, this time running on regular diesel from the other tank.* The truck ran for about 5 min and stuttered a couple of times then BLAH, died again.* Same crap, wait a few min, start right back up.* By this time we called a tow truck.* While waiting, we started the thing back up again after sitting and let the thing idle, damned thing idled for approx 30 min while the truck came.* He then started escorting us and again, ran for 5-10 min, on diesel now, and BLAH, died again.* This time, tow truck guy hooked us up and pulled us home.* Got back home, dropped the truck, damned thing started again just fine, drove it into its resting place in the driveway.* The tow guy said it sounded like the injection pump possibly, maybe building up too much pressure and just stopping until the pressure went back down to an acceptable level.* Sounds possible, but Im welcome to more possibilities before trying to work on an expensive component like that, any help?

is this a typo?? hope you arent trying to create your own new type of diesel.

[Rob]

also, are you rnning WVO or biodiesel? if i understandit right, WVO needs to be heated to 180* or something like that to run properly in a diesel. if it is real Biodiesel, then check the filters, bio is a strong detergent and may be doing a real good job at cleaning the crap out of yor fuel system.

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Last edited by Rob : 02-09-2008 at 10:15 AM.

[4everlearning]

Dumping WVO will also clean out your system extremely well and Yes it needs to be heated before running. You might think its thin enough but it is not. Especially if its cold. You need to do some more research before continuing this journey.

[4everlearning]

Change your filters (both) and get regular diesel threw it.

[jackofalltrades1980]

I did change the cylindrical filter on top of the engine during that incident, I also had the thought that with the night time temp starting to go down, the fuel blend mightve been too thick to make it through the system without a problem. Ive just started the truck now and let it run and it started up without even using the glow plugsand stayed running on the fuel blend, granted its probably in the high 60s-low 70s outside and sunny. Truck doesnt even show sign of wanting to stall out. I was thinking about possibly replacing the stock filter housing with one of the heated filters used for normal straight oil conversions to at least heat the fuel blend to a higher temp before it hits the injector system. As far as the fuel blend, nope its not a typo, I did read of another person that runs that particular blend in a cummins diesel, so being "adventurous" as I am I had to try it out and see what happens. Im not sure if that 50/50 stuff may have been a better bet instead, at least until I get some extra hardware in place.

[4everlearning]

Your fuel pump probably wont last very long running any amount of WVO threw it and also you really need to change the Fuel filter that is in the frame rail.

[Rob]

so you mxed WVO with gasoline???? to run in your diesel???? bad idea......

[4everlearning]

I didnt catch the GASOLINE part in that. WOW that is not a good idea at all.

[Rob]

yeah i know. i have never heard of that.