LBZ and "off highway" or Heating oil...??????
#11
01-31-2010, 10:06 AM
Q: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGHWAY AND OFF-ROAD FUEL?
On September 9, 1999 I called the local fuel oil supplier to discuss fuels, DOT inspectors, and the perils of having dyed fuel in a tank. Here are the high points:
Off road Diesel #2 and fuel oil # 2 differ only in the tax applied at the time of sale. Both are dyed red.
Kerosene #1 and #2 are lighter than #1 and #2 diesel fuel. Most kerosene is dyed red.
The old method of winter treatment using 1 gal of kerosene to 10 gal of diesel can get a driver into trouble unless it is dispensed as clear kerosene from a pump which charges road tax.
Any red dye in a tank of fuel is detectable by the sampler the DOT uses, even when diluted by a large quantity of undyed fuel. As little as 1/2 qt of ATF in a tank of fuel will be detected as untaxed fuel and can cause a major headache for the driver.
In VA, fines for using dyed fuel (untaxed) begin at $1000and go up rapidly from there. Road checks for untaxed fuel began in northern VA, and have now spread throughout the state.
Subject: Re: [RAM] Highway diesel vs. offroad diesel?
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 09:27:06 -0500
From: KI4CY <my email address>
To: RTML
> A farming friend of mine w/o internet access who also owns a Ram Cummins
> is running off road diesel in his truck.
>
> My question is this: is there a difference between off road diesel vs.
> road diesel besides the dye and the road taxes. I've heard that the off
> road stuff will clog catalytic converters and warned him about this.
On road fuel has a low sulfur content to prevent catalytic converter damage. The sulfur will deactivate the catalyst and lead to soot clogging of the converter core.
The process of producing the lower sulfur content raises the Cetane rating of the fuel, but lowers the fuel lubricity. The seal shrink&swell characteristic of low sulfur fuel is different than the high sulfur stuff. Some engines need the higher Cetane of low sulfur fuel. The off road high sulfur fuel I buy for my tractors has a Cetane rating of 40, while the low sulfur highway fuel has a rating of 45.
Some older injector pumps (not the '94+ Ram) need the lubrication and swell characteristics of the high sulfur fuel or they fail. Many of the older automotive injector pumps (Ford, Dodge, Mercedes) required a rebuild when the fuel was changed. I am trying to gradually wean my tractors to low sulfur fuel so that they won't need a rebuild when the high sulfur stuff disappears suddenly the way off road leaded gasoline did.
When the law was written that changed the fuel sulfur levels, the USDOT had no authority to test for dyed fuel. The EPA had sole responsibility for testing and enforcement. Since then, many states have begun random testing at weigh stations to ensure their cut of the road fuel tax. Testing is still spotty and infrequent, so the chances of an individual pickup truck or car being caught are very low. The state safety inspection stations have never checked the diesel fuel in my car or truck. Only a few highly publicized cases have have made the news in an effort to scare people into compliance.
The bottom line: Off road fuel has no sulfur restriction, and extended use of this fuel can lead to catalytic converter failure. If you have no catalytic converter and the Cetane rating of the fuel is good enough, the fuel will not harm the engine.
Dave
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: [RAM] Highway diesel vs. offroad diesel?
hopefully this will help in some way
On September 9, 1999 I called the local fuel oil supplier to discuss fuels, DOT inspectors, and the perils of having dyed fuel in a tank. Here are the high points:
Off road Diesel #2 and fuel oil # 2 differ only in the tax applied at the time of sale. Both are dyed red.
Kerosene #1 and #2 are lighter than #1 and #2 diesel fuel. Most kerosene is dyed red.
The old method of winter treatment using 1 gal of kerosene to 10 gal of diesel can get a driver into trouble unless it is dispensed as clear kerosene from a pump which charges road tax.
Any red dye in a tank of fuel is detectable by the sampler the DOT uses, even when diluted by a large quantity of undyed fuel. As little as 1/2 qt of ATF in a tank of fuel will be detected as untaxed fuel and can cause a major headache for the driver.
In VA, fines for using dyed fuel (untaxed) begin at $1000and go up rapidly from there. Road checks for untaxed fuel began in northern VA, and have now spread throughout the state.
Subject: Re: [RAM] Highway diesel vs. offroad diesel?
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 09:27:06 -0500
From: KI4CY <my email address>
To: RTML
> A farming friend of mine w/o internet access who also owns a Ram Cummins
> is running off road diesel in his truck.
>
> My question is this: is there a difference between off road diesel vs.
> road diesel besides the dye and the road taxes. I've heard that the off
> road stuff will clog catalytic converters and warned him about this.
On road fuel has a low sulfur content to prevent catalytic converter damage. The sulfur will deactivate the catalyst and lead to soot clogging of the converter core.
The process of producing the lower sulfur content raises the Cetane rating of the fuel, but lowers the fuel lubricity. The seal shrink&swell characteristic of low sulfur fuel is different than the high sulfur stuff. Some engines need the higher Cetane of low sulfur fuel. The off road high sulfur fuel I buy for my tractors has a Cetane rating of 40, while the low sulfur highway fuel has a rating of 45.
Some older injector pumps (not the '94+ Ram) need the lubrication and swell characteristics of the high sulfur fuel or they fail. Many of the older automotive injector pumps (Ford, Dodge, Mercedes) required a rebuild when the fuel was changed. I am trying to gradually wean my tractors to low sulfur fuel so that they won't need a rebuild when the high sulfur stuff disappears suddenly the way off road leaded gasoline did.
When the law was written that changed the fuel sulfur levels, the USDOT had no authority to test for dyed fuel. The EPA had sole responsibility for testing and enforcement. Since then, many states have begun random testing at weigh stations to ensure their cut of the road fuel tax. Testing is still spotty and infrequent, so the chances of an individual pickup truck or car being caught are very low. The state safety inspection stations have never checked the diesel fuel in my car or truck. Only a few highly publicized cases have have made the news in an effort to scare people into compliance.
The bottom line: Off road fuel has no sulfur restriction, and extended use of this fuel can lead to catalytic converter failure. If you have no catalytic converter and the Cetane rating of the fuel is good enough, the fuel will not harm the engine.
Dave
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: [RAM] Highway diesel vs. offroad diesel?
hopefully this will help in some way
