Furnace oil...

[dieselmech]

93 7.3 non turbo, I've been running furnace oil in the back tank, diesel in the front for a while now and it runs great. Question is, (and I've had many answers) what is the difference? I've heard road tax is the only difference, other say more parrafin in furnace oil, others say it'll blow the motor.
Curious what every one thinks

[Sludgy]

93 7.3 non turbo, I've been running furnace oil in the back tank, diesel in the front for a while now and it runs great. Question is, (and I've had many answers) what is the difference? I've heard road tax is the only difference, other say more parrafin in furnace oil, others say it'll blow the motor.
Curious what every one thinks

A big difference is sulfur. Furnace oil has 0.2% sulfur. Old diesel had .05%sulfur. 2007+ diesel has .0015% sulfur.

On a truck as old as yours, sulfur won't make too much difference, but on late model trucks with diesel catalysts, it will clog the catalysts.

[JanGeo]

Don't get caught!

[dieselmech]

Thanks for the reply, I'm not concerned about getting caught. Farm country and NOBODY has even been considered getting caught! haha. 67cents a litre instead of $1.17 is about $38.00 saved per fill up!
I'm just curious if anybody knows for sure the difference in make up or is it the same except road tax. Sulphur content is interesting, considering sulphur is what lubricates the IP, and everybody yelled when they started taking it out because of increased wear. I fire up on diesel, get on the highway to work and switch to oil, then switch back 5km's from work. (45 min drive each way) It's good practise for when I convert to WVO eh? Lol!

Again, thanks for the reply's.

[Danronian]

That's pretty interesting!

[SD26]

Sulphur content is interesting, considering sulphur is what lubricates the IP, and everybody yelled when they started taking it out because of increased wear.

Actually, it's not the sulphur that lubricates. I admit that I thought that but I found out otherwise.

However, when the process is done that removes the sulphur, it removes the compounds that do lubricate.

You can actually ad two stroke oil or some vegetable oil to get lubrication into the fuel with better results than using a commercial chemical that's more expensive.

[Lug_Nut]

Sulfur is an abrasive agent. It's the main difference between metal cutting oil and lubricating oil.
Sulfur won't 'clog' a catalytic converter any more than leaded gasoline would. The compounds coat the catalyst and render the beads incapable of converting, so the emissions go way up, but there is no change in air flow.
Your 93 wouldn't have a catalyst, so the non-existent conversion efficiency isn't changed.
But be wary, Is the heating oil blended to flow when it's in someone's 10C basement in a 1000 liter tank, or is it suited for a -30C night in the driveway?

[Big Dave]

Furnace oil and No.2 diesel are one and the same product except furnace oil has a little dye in it.

Diesels will run nicely on a wide variety of fuels.
Kerosene
Jet A
JP-8
Vegetable oil (Herr Doktor Diesel intended it to use peanut oil)
Used motor oil (cut it 20:1 with No.2 and filter it)
Propane
Butane
White gasoline
Alkane synthetic diesel (Fischer-Tropsch)
Transesterified biodiesel

The Germans have built diesels that start on No. 2 and then run bunker C until hot then run on pulverized coal.

High octane (low cetane) gasoline defeats them unless you use the No.2 injectors as spark plugs.

[hound_13]

Your idea of using furnace oil or "red diesel" is outstanding. It is cheaper, but I am not sure if it would pass for emissions testing. One difference is that it more polluting and has a higher amount of sulfur than LSD: 500 ppm and ULSD: 15 ppm. However, if it's easier on your pocketbook then why not!?!?

[Improbcat]

Be aware, the "red" is red diesel is dyed specifically so that tax agents can tell it is diesel that has not been properly taxed for road use. If you get caught you'll have the IRS down on you very quickly. I know people have been caught many a times before, and with fuel prices being so high I'll be willing to bet they've stepped up their enforcement.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Be aware, the "red" is red diesel is dyed specifically so that tax agents can tell it is diesel that has not been properly taxed for road use. If you get caught you'll have the IRS down on you very quickly. I know people have been caught many a times before, and with fuel prices being so high I'll be willing to bet they've stepped up their enforcement.
Aside from taking samples from your fuel tank, how would they know?

-Jay

[theholycow]

I always assumed they enforce by spot-checking fuel samples from your tank during routine traffic stops and at highway weigh stations.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I always assumed they enforce by spot-checking fuel samples from your tank during routine traffic stops and at highway weigh stations.
so, if its in a passenger vehicle and not required to stop at weigh stations, you in theory, **should** be safe. I've never heard of the state police or any of the "County Mounties" ever checking the fuel in the tank of a passenger vehicle.

-Jay

[thornburg]

so, if its in a passenger vehicle and not required to stop at weigh stations, you in theory, **should** be safe. I've never heard of the state police or any of the "County Mounties" ever checking the fuel in the tank of a passenger vehicle.

-Jay

I have heard that the dye can leave a residue elsewhere in vehicle, such that it might be noticed by an auto shop or an observant officer. I have no first-hand experience with this.

Incidentally, the company I am about to stop buying oil from has recently been charging MORE for home heating oil than diesel costs at the pump. I seriously considered finding a way to transport ~200 gallons of diesel fuel. Presumably, I could have gotten it even cheaper by buying "off-road" diesel, used in ATVs, construction equipment, etc (i.e. diesel vehicles that don't drive on the road), but we don't have an off-road pump near enough to us for me to know the current price of off-road diesel.

[SD26]

but we don't have an off-road pump near enough to us for me to know the current price of off-road diesel.

It's just the cost of the fuel without road tax.

This will help give you an idea on day to day diesel averages state to state, including off road.
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/promiles/fuelprices.asp