Can I use Fuel Oil for my 98 TD

1st off, thanks to everyone's recommendations with my fuel injection pump problems. Turns out, I really did need pump, so I bought one and had a mechanic I found on Craigslist, who works for GM put it in for me. He was really good and followed up with me to be sure it worked well after I got it back, and his prices were very reasonable. If anybody in the Philadelphia area needs a diesel mechanic, just let me know, and I'll forward you his info.

As for my question, let me give you a little background. I am in the real estate business, and I buy and rehab old homes in the Philadelphia area. ONe thing I come across often are old oil tanks often half full of fuel oil. In order to bring these houses up to code, I have to remove the oil tank from the basement. Last year, I bought a 500 gallon tank, which I store at my warehouse, and I have been pumping the oil into 5 gallon buckets and storing it in my tank. Over the winter, I used some of it in Kerosene Heaters, but I am quickly filling up this 500 gallon tank.

Now, for my obvious question, I was wondering if it would be possible and what is involved, in using this fuel in my truck. I don't want to do anything to mess up the truck, so, please tell if this is a no no, but as far as I know, Diesel fuel and fuel oil, are essentially the same thing.

Tom

They are exactly the same thing, though fuel oil is non-road taxed thus it is illegal to drive on public roadway's, though if you do off road driving that is perfectly legal.

How old is it? Older diesel actually probably stored better than today's stuff but really old I question how much crud is dissolved in it rust, dirt, water etc. And what condition were the original storage tanks?

Might want to read about how damaging water and crud is to the fuel system.

If its not that old and fairly clean you probably could run it but NOT raw. You'll need to filter it (maybe a couple of times) and treat it for possible fungi growth and water contamination. Read up on differences in emulsifier vs demulsifier and good water seperating filters. Also add better filtration to truck in addition to filtering it before putting in tank. Then blend it in with regular diesel. Might be an ok plan.

But you'll still be taking some significant risk if its not clean enough and contaminate the tank on your truck. Clean fresh fuel (high turn over truck stop diesel with good filters on the pumps) is so much better for the system and whats recommended. But at $4-5 dollars a gallon and a 6.5 its hard to throw away fuel. I wouldn't run it in a newer common rail diesel.

Also you'll run the risk of fine if its dyed because its not taxed for road usage.

I've used it for extended periods with no noticeable negative effects. It was run through a filtr and I added stanadyne blue fuel treatment.
Home heating oil is not subject to cetane levels and can be low therfore the additive to boost cetane,It does however have higher BTU's per Gal and that is where the bang is! It also is higher in sulfer and has considerably better lubricating qualities for pump and injectors. Keep it clean and your truck will love it.
Dave

The 98 truck you own has an optical sensor in the injection pump.

I have been told that these will not be effected by the dye in the off road fuel, BUTTTTTTTT I am not absolutely sure.

Mixing in maybe 30% along with ULSD should be fine. As has been mentioned the cetane is probably low but additive will help.

Be sure to filter the stuff through a 2 mic filter in case there is crap in it.

Rust, water and such will lay on the bottom of the tank and be fine as long as you don't disturb it.

What can happen though is there is an algae that can grow in diesel and it will foul up filters real good.

Bottom line is filter it with a 2 mic and dont use it straight on an electronic IP and you should be able to use this stuff up and benefit from the BOOTY. :)

Now this said, the issue of the tax is certainly one to consider. Large class 8 trucks get their tanks dipped by the IRS in supprise inspections and the penalty for having dyed fuel is stiff. $10,000.00 the last time I heard even if its only a trace amount in the fuel.

The tanks on pickups and such are so tough to get into but if they decide to pop an inspection I would think they would have a way to do it.

I recently had a chat with a long haul trucker that had been nailed by the IRS in a roadside inspection.
He was on a small town delivery out in some remote area and the regular route was being worked on so there was a detour in place. The detour took him about an hour out of his way and he ran out of fuel 15 minutes from town (In the middle of the road)

A nice farmer came along and pumped in a few gallons of RED Off road and the trucker made it to town only to get nailed at the scales on the edge of town for an inspection and they also dipped his tanks. OOOOOOOOOOPS RED fuel.

Hmmm now he has a $10K fine to deal with and the feds dont give a rip about his running out of fuel and the Farmer and so on.

It can happen but not likely in a small rig

Robyn

Sounds like I can do it as long as it is thoroughly filtered. I will look into finding a filter and see if it works. I will be interested to see if there is an increase in milage, as it seems fuel oil has more btu's. I will let you now how it works.

do any of you know where I can get a filter system for the fuel oil??