Does Fuel Quality Affect MPGs?

The older iron I had usually had a form of arthritis until all of the oils and greases has a chance to warm things up nicely, takes about 12 to 25 miles depending on winter. Shes a bit stiff and needy on horses until you get it moving well.

 

Yep, winter fuel is more volitile (shorter carbon chains) and has less energy per gallon.

 

Is #2 Kerosene?

Does anyone mix Kerosene into their fuel instead of running the anti gel stuff?

 

Fuel can be blended to so many different grades, the refinery has an almost endless amount of blends they can make. I actually have fuel trucks and haul some types of fuel from rail cars brought in, and have fuel tanks in my yard to fill up my trucks. Right now the diesel blend is called " Early Winter" so while it has a clouding temp and gel point lower than summer diesel, it is still only good for -15C not the winter fuel that will come in about another month which is "Winter" which is good to -27C. Where i live and haul to it doesn't require me to use "Arctic" which is good to -40C. Occasionally my trucks have to go way north, and then we just pour in an additive.
The arctic blend diesel has so little lubricating properties left if you don't use an additive it will destroy a pump etc in a short amount of time. Winter fuel has less energy in it per the same volume as summer fuel, so the engine will need more fuel to make the same amount of power. Combine that with everything being stiff from gear oils to tires not rolling as easy, and likely pushing through snow, it all adds up to total that my trucks will burn about 15% to 25% more fuel than in summer, largely based on the temperature and amount of snow on the roads on any given day. The thing that freezes easy is DEF so good luck with it in winter. All i hear in winter is people cursing about DEF. They often can't even get it at a cardlock because the nozzles are all frozen solid. Three of my trucks are newer (2017) Macks, and if cold we either just park them, or fill the air tanks with a compressor to release the brakes, then drag them into the shop with the yard loader. Basically if a cold snap hits it only lasts a week, and the Macks just sit and i hope the frozen DEF doesn't expand enough to break hoses, fittings and tanks. They really need to develop some sort of winter blend DEF, but being 2/3 water and the rest the equivalent almost of urine maybe that isn't possible.

 

A long time ago.

Which is why I don't talk about it much. Filled it yea high then a bucket went in and then the rest of it.

 

I will never run a vehicle with DEF or any kind of fluid.

 

As far as I know, Dynamart in Lewiston ID still blends kerosene with #2 diesel for their winter blend.

 

That to me is a form of castration. You need more oil to move the same freight.

I have always stood on two things.

If you are an American, by heaven you went BIG or went HOME. cutting down on the power of a fuel goes against everything I believe in as a American. I would much prefer to see X amount of truck fuel get a 80000 pound tractor trailer to do something awesome. Like going 150. OR maybe getting 10 mpg in winter or actually have engines that have awesome compression to become awesome trucks. Maybe this fuel needs a dallop of Kero or something else. Bottom line I cannot stand buying fuel that is somehow less good than summer time fuel. Especially when it's really important to get all the power out of X amount of the fuel at all times in that engine.

 

yes.

 

It's called chemistry. Fuel that can stand lower Temps is necessarily lighter with lower btu content.

 

Thanks. My Dad says to mix in some Kerosene and it’ll be fine. Thats what they did in the 70’s through 90’s and prior. However I wasn’t sure if anyone does it nowadays.

That’s good to know. I have a 500 gallon tank at the yard and was thinking about filling it with Kerosene. I don’t want to get into any trouble though I’m case it’s against rules?

It would be nice to throw 25 gal into each tank before parking for the weekend when it’s gonna get zero or below.