Question about new fuel standards and old motors

[buzzdog]

I am 100% ignorant on this subject, so hoping to get some insight. Will there be any issues with pre-epa motors (03 and older) when the new low sulfer fuels are brought out in 07?

The boss man is in the market to get me into a new truck. There is a 03 vnl 660 with a 465hp volvo motor in it. Have yet to actually look at the truck, but the milage is on the low side, about 361k. The tranny is a 13 speed with 3.58 rears.

[Uturn2001]

There is not supposed to be any real issues with using the new low sulfer fuels in the older engines.

[tommy]

I am sure if there would be a problem that an additive would be on the market just like the lead additive for old cars....Another way to get in your pocket!

[Paul Abelson]

I've heard that the new, 15 ppm sulfur, Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) has just a bit less energy content (fewer British Thermal Units) than todays 500 ppm sulfur fuel. Other than that, there will be no differences, and the lower BTU content may not even be noticable. It may reduce fuel economy by only 0.01 to 0.02 mpg. However, since BTU content varies according to the crude that is refined, you may not be losing anything in the switchover.

ULSD will start being delivered this summer to purge tanks of LSD. Starting this October, the phase-in becomes official. 20% of refinery output can still be LSD, but the phase in must be complete by June 2007. If you have an older engine, it could pay to look for older (& cheaper) diesel until it's all gone.

[tommy]

Does this mean no more Black Smoke rolling off the trailer from them big trucks? :yikes:

[Paul Abelson]

There haven't been big, bad smoke clouds since 1998, according to EPA regulations. If you see it, it's from an older truck, a newer one sorely in need of major maintenance or some hot-rodder who is going to get busted big time for screwing around with emissions systems.

[Capt._Chaos]

There haven't been big, bad smoke clouds since 1998, according to EPA regulations. If you see it, it's from an older truck, a newer one sorely in need of major maintenance or some hot-rodder who is going to get busted big time for screwing around with emissions systems.

We have a lot of trucks with Detroit EGR engines in them, and they smoke REAL BAD when under acceleration or going uphill.

I'm driving one of the older trucks with a pre-EGR Detroit engine that doesn't smoke at all.