Cummins OCI for B10 Fuel

[HEMIMANN]

Anybody with a Cummins 6.7 diesel engine know if their Owner's Manual states to reduce the OCI when using biodiesel fuel?

Years back, they used to require OCI's cut in half, when I worked for them. Curious to what they're saying now, since we still have a couple of diesels in our inventory (though not Cummins).

 

[06 Dodge]

Anybody with a Cummins 6.7 diesel engine know if their Owner's Manual states to reduce the OCI when using biodiesel fuel?

Years back, they used to require OCI's cut in half, when I worked for them. Curious to what they're saying now, since we still have a couple of diesels in our inventory (though not Cummins).

From my 2022 manual: {For Diesel Engines, configured with optional B20 capability are operated with greater than 5% levels of biodiesel, the oil change interval must not exceed 12,500 miles (20,000 km) or 400 hours, whichever comes first under any circumstances.} I've had a few suggest when using 10 % Bio to go to 10K OCI, when using 20% Bio 7500 miles OCI...

 

[HEMIMANN]

From my 2022 manual: {For Diesel Engines, configured with optional B20 capability are operated with greater than 5% levels of biodiesel, the oil change interval must not exceed 12,500 miles (20,000 km) or 400 hours, whichever comes first under any circumstances.} I've had a few suggest when using 10 % Bio to go to 10K OCI, when using 20% Bio 7500 miles OCI...

What is OCI on straight diesel fuel (if there is such a thing anymore)? All Minnesota diesel fuel mandates B20 summer B5 winter. Ag lobby bribing legislators, of course.

I wonder what Cummins means "configured with optional B20 capability"? I don't recall that statement when I left in 2016. B20 is mandatory here.

 

[tjfdesmo]

Standard OCI is 15K. I have been doing 10K anyway.

 

[06 Dodge]

As I have been told our engines are capable of running B20 but to do so you have to shorten the OCI that is normally 12 months or 15K due to fuel dilution from Bio, when I left IA in 2018 their was no mandate on Bio but do recall Mills Fleet Farm had to change their winter additive due to it not playing nice with MN Bio, I loved that additive as it allowed them to sell #2 diesel longer into the winter instead of the normal #2 diesel cut with #1 diesel that gave poor mileage...

 

[HEMIMANN]

Bio doesn't dilute, it clogs and doesn't combust as completely as mineral diesel. And it degrades quickly in storage and high temperature, growing bacteria and mold quickly.

Due to the less complete combustion, the oil contamination is greater, requiring shorter OCI's.

5-20% biodiesel < 12.5k/15k mile OCI (83%) So Cummins latest recommendation basically is 83% OCI mileage maximum with biodiesel fuel, compared to straight diesel fuel. And ONLY for engines "configured with optional B20 capability", whatever that means.

This further says to me, that any diesel engine which doesn't have some special biodiesel equipment needs to change oil @ 50% of normal OCI with straight diesel fuel. i.e. - nothing's changed except whatever Cummins has done with their engines.

 

[06 Dodge]

What Cummins & FCA is doing is covering them selves being they have no way to control the Bio you may use or its storage & handling. IIRC Dodge about 10 or so years ago had a severe duty filter kit that you could buy an install on your truck plus I think you had to have a flash so that you could run B20...

 

[HEMIMANN]

What Cummins & FCA is doing is covering them selves being they have no way to control the Bio you may use or its storage & handling. IIRC Dodge about 10 or so years ago had a severe duty filter kit that you could buy an install on your truck plus I think you had to have a flash so that you could run B20...

I wonder what the flash recipe is? Maybe they optimized injection(s) based on the different fuel types?