Diesel confusion

[liberty]

I have been using HSD 2000ppm sulphur in my tractor for 4 years. I had an issue once with incomplete combustion causing light blue smoke. It has not happened since. I also use Optilube Ag formula in all my fill ups. I now have an excavator with a 55hp Yanmar tier 2 engine which means it has zero emission controls. For some reason when I use the HSD it will run with a light blue haze in the exhaust. My tractor does not do this. The fuel is from the same tank and is free from algae and filtered with a water separator 10 micron filter. The tank is stored indoors. What would cause this incomplete combustion? The engine starts and runs great either cold or hot.

 

[jhellwig]

Blue smoke is oil not fuel. Black smoke is unburnt fuel.

Unless you have a very old tank of fuel it is not high sulfur.

 

[liberty]

It is definitely fuel. Incomplete combustion can cause light blue smoke just like oil. I confirmed this with a fuel swap to ULSD. It goes away. Once I switch back to HSD it comes back. The location I live still uses HSD in other forms, Here is a good read http://www.crypton.co.za/Tto know/Emissions/diesel_exhaust_smoke.html

 

[jhellwig]

Fuel oil is not the same as diesel fuel at any sulfer level. That is the problem.

 

[bullwinkle]

Why not mix it with ULSD until it's gone? We haven't had on or off road non-ULSD here for several years.

 

[liberty]

I really do not care about the blue haze unless it is going to cause a problem, Like I said my tractor with the same fuel does not do it.

 

[jhellwig]

It could cause a problem because it is not diesel fuel. Most of the newer stuff with emissions doesn't even like #1 diesel in very large quantities unless it is very cold and even then you loose power.

 

[liberty]

Can you explain the difference other than the name and what would the problem be? Diesel was always known as no 2 when it had high sulphur. I understand when emissions devices are involved but that is not the case

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted by jhellwig
Blue smoke is oil not fuel. Black smoke is unburnt fuel. .


White smoke is unburned fuel, partially burned fuel is black smoke. Small amounts of engine oil will burn without smoke, too much and you'll get the blue smoke...usually it will be grey.

 

[liberty]

The smoke color light blue is related to the fuel in this case. I verified it clearly in my previous post. I realize everyone is posting the standard interpretation on diesel exhaust but this is not the normal situation. I was looking to see if there was a fuel expert on the forum. I am not concerned about the engine or pump. More of a curiosity as to why.

 

[jhellwig]

Originally Posted by liberty
Can you explain the difference other than the name and what would the problem be? Diesel was always known as no 2 when it had high sulphur. I understand when emissions devices are involved but that is not the case

I can't realy tell you that as we don't use it much around here. I know that it is still segregated from diesel fuel in even in the low sulfer form. Depending on the supply it can be a blend of any number of things like jet or heavier fuel oil grades,

 

[Black_Thunder]

I haven't seen high sulfur fuel in a long long time.

what kind of price is it compared to regular diesel fuel or offroad diesel?

 

[liberty]

80 cents to $1 a gallon less. I just read an article going forward HSD is being phased out here. ULSD will be the choice

 

[bullwinkle]

I would love to be able to get #2 HSD for my IDIs, I could quit using 2-stroke in them to protect the IPs. Only time I've seen blue smoke is on a cold, unaided winter start-and sometimes get a pretty big cloud of it for 20-30 seconds or so. I'm sure your excavator is making operating temperature, so I'm guessing the HSD is just running a little richer for some reason.

 

[liberty]

Operating temp is perfect. You can actually smell the sulfur burning.