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]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by dieselmech

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by theholycow

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]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

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]

Originally Posted by thornburg

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

[Dust]

I would say, as far as the heating stuff, if you are gonna run WVO, you might as well start installing stuff. The question about temperatures is a good one. Are you gonna use your 2nd tank for WVO? IF so, you might as well pop in a heated pickup. it will make sure that the fuel is warm.

[SD26]

Originally Posted by Dust

I would say, as far as the heating stuff, if you are gonna run WVO, you might as well start installing stuff. The question about temperatures is a good one. Are you gonna use your 2nd tank for WVO? IF so, you might as well pop in a heated pickup. it will make sure that the fuel is warm.

Home heating oil isn't Waste Vegetable Oil.

[Dust]

My comment about heating was in reply to this statement. I know that home heating oil isn't waste vegetable oil. Just saying that if the furnace oil may not be as fluid as the dino, and a WVO system is going in, might as well start installing the heating part.

Originally Posted by Lug_Nut

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?

[JanGeo]

What I find funny is that the home oil is higher in sulfur and polutes when burned in the home a heck of a lot more because you burn a heck of a lot more of it in a month than you would driving a typical truck - not a trailer truck. The polution still gets created . . . does no one see the bigger picture?

[theholycow]

The bigger picture is that oil heat, despite all the new marketing campaigns, is nasty, stinky, and just generally sucks and I wish I could afford to switch to propane.

[dieselmech]

Been gone a while. Well, I drove straight furnace oil from march 08 until about nov 08 then started diesel in the front/oil in the rear again for over winter. Forgot to switch it a couple times and although it rattles REALLY bad and smokes WAY more, it will start up on furnace oil at -15C. I have to check the glow plugs as it's getting harder to start (even on diesel) and when it does, it hits on only a few cyl's for the first 30-45 seconds before the others start lighting off.
Anyway, good to see the thread is still going. They have pretty much stopped using the red dye around here for some reason. Also, it was leaving a red tint in the filler neck but that's pretty much washed away now.
Filled up Saturday for 59 cents a litre instead of 90 cents for diesel! Woohoo!