ULSD White diesel

[CalicoJack]

If red diesel is replaced by white, one of the proposals of the HMCR, will it be safe to use a low sulpher diesel in older engines, or will there be problems with valve lubrication?

 

[Guest]

This is an old subject thrashed out again and again ... trouble is too many non-tech people comment on this subject and many get conflicting info.

The reduction of sulphur did increase wear factors of pumps and valves in diesel engines - in ALL engines. During development and reduction of sulphur levels in Road Diesel ... special additives were developed to combat this factor.
BS EN 590 is specifically detailed about all specifications for Diesel (not Red / Agricultural though - that is a different spec). It includes a minimum spec for Lubricity - the wear scar ratio determined by costly lab equipment. Should the result be higher than spec - we add sufficient additive to reduce waer / scar result to BS EN 590 figures.

In most applications - it is not necessary to augment this and most engiens unless real vintage should run ok.

I have a Perkins 4-107 in my boat ... probably 35 - 40 yrs old. I run it on any diesel that "slips" through my lab hands !! Plus of course standard 590 Road diesel ex pumps out here. We don't have Red in Baltic - except for home heating - then it's blue ! Diesels I regularly pass through my Perky :

B5 .. 5% Biodiesel / ULSD mix - this is a common ULSD mix for N/Europe

ULSD base .. Less than 50ppm Sulphur Road Diesel untreated.

ULSD final .. Less than 50ppm Sulphur Road Diesel treated.
REGO .. Russian Export Gas Oil of 0.2% sulphur (which is base for most red diesel) untreated.

For info - note that most 50ppm diesel nowadyas is far lower than 50ppm .... often in fact nearer 35ppm. partly due to the soon to be further reduced Sulphur levels as EU presses for near zero Sulphur level.

You can add a teaspoon of lub oil - but in fact we have found that a) that only increases smoke factor, b) gets burnt up with the fuel anyway - has limited effect..... other than fuel pumps on way to engine.

You can buy over counter additives ... but these are weakened retail versions of industrial additives ... costly and IMHO not worth the money. And anyway - diesel that you have access to will be Lubricity treated ......

 

[CalicoJack]

Thanks for that Nigel Most helpful! Godd luck and good boating.

Nigel Ames