The comeing switch to sulpher free diesel fuel whats your take?

[Rex in OTZ]

I can see ther being a whole slew of folks that have diesel powerd equipment that will need additived to operate, Our towns powerplant in currently useing a sulpher bearing diesel fuel.

Current aviation Jet fuel has no sulpher in it because it would mess up the jet engines turbine blades.

Private farmers and truckers will have a hard time switching over, big companies that can afford to make the switch will survive for shure.

Interesting note on increase of imported used farm tractors and farm trucks from Japan, there government taxes expotentially old equipment over five years old, they maintain current technology on there farms and roads by taxing dirty emissions rigs out of existance.
they been cashing in on there old rigs by exporting ther rigs that dont make current emissions standards to the rest the world.

[squirrellluck]

I believe they have been using low sulpher diesel for a couple years now.So far the only problem I have noticed is a loss of fuel milage

[torpedoman]

the removal of sulpher will increase your equipment life, the sulpher makes sulphuric acid when it goes thru the combustion cycle it ends up in the exhaust system ,the turbo, and the engine oil, as well as the atmosphere. I have on idea why the removal of it would decrease mileage because it adds nothing to the power of the fuel.

[Oldshooter]

 One of the reasons diesel went higher than gasoline for the first time in modern history was low sulphur diesel. They have to remove it. Then they have to dispose of it and transport it! Thus the higher cost! Plus they decided to use the use of #2 fuel oil in the north during the winter to escalate the price. ( This is the oil company line and I'm just repeating it) Dont shoot the messenger!

Remember no lead gasoline, the lead was added, then they decided to use no lead and it went up, go figger.

[Sourdough]

 We made the switch to low sulpher diesel here in Alaska two years ago.  I have to add an additive to my fuel with each fill up.  The new fuel lacks the lubricating ability of the old #2 fuel.  If I forget my engine sure tells me about it.  It clanks, rattles, and knocks real bad at start up.

Now they are wanting to switch our home boilers to the same low sulpher expensive fuel.

[Oldshooter]

Sourdough, if you're using "heating oil" for home heat, could you use it in your truck? I used to move heating oil up North in my other life on the River. It Started here as #2 and was heating oil in Pennsylvania.       We burned it the EMD's We ran in the Boats.

[alsaqr]

Diesel fuel made during the 50s and 60s diesel was pretty much free of sulphur.  High sulphur content diesel came about because of one of the oil embargos.  They did it to save money and increase production per barrel of crude.   

[rdmallory]

My millage dropped when the low sulfur fuel came out. I was guessing it was due to the sulfur fuel had a higher BTU output then low sulfur.

A lot of things can effect fuel millage so it could be something else that was added or removed at the same time. We had a fuel tester in the lab at school and you would be surprised at the things that can effect the HP output.

It could be something a simple as the viscosity of high sulfur verses low sulfur fuel making it meter differently.

From what I have read the regulations now is lower than what we can test for.

Doug

[Buckskin]

It's now ultra low sulfur, <15ppm.  Before that it was low sulfur which was <500ppm. Before that it was the good stuff.

One interesting thing that I've learned from this other than that the "new" diesel trucks with the catalytic systems are crap (not supposed to let them idle more than 10 minutes and they can gel up way more than they used to).  When they started pulling the sulfur from the fuels and scrubbing it from the power plant stacks, the agriculture output has suffered.  Sulfur is the 4th most important nutrient behind N-P-K, and since they reduced emissions farmers are finding that they need to supplement.  The power companies near us are selling the collected sulfur for fertilizer.

Just a little Cliff Claven trivia for ya.

[ToadHill]

I know of many old tractors that have had nothing but problems with low sulpher diesel.  It does not have the lubrication qualities needed for the injection pump and many have had to rebuild them if they haven't used additives.

[charles p]

In the late 70s I had a Diesel auto.  I bought a 550 gal tank to keep at home since fuel was only available on big highways where trucks traveled.  A college friend of mine was in the fuel oil business.  My neighbor heated with fuel oil.  When the delivery truck filled his underground tank, the operator drug the hose over to my Diesel tank, reset the meter and topped it off. 

Fuel was the exact same back then, before the die went in.

Is home heating oil also low sulpher these days?