Apparently bio-diesel isn't that difficult

[CatherineID]

I've seen TV programs about converting cooking oil to bio-diesel. It seems like a lot of chemistry and investment in the infrastructure to do it unless you're really, really committed. Congratulations to the people who have successfully done it.

So, this Thanksgiving we deep fried our turkey - turned out great. But that takes 3 gallons of oil plus the other oil we have from previous deep frying events. Instead of dragging it up to the hzardous waste recycling center, I put an ad on Craigslist saying if anyone wanted it, let me know.

So the guy zips over and I ask him about his bio-diesel conversion system. He says, "Oh, I don't convert it. I just pour it in the tank!" Huh?! :o

He as an older Ford, dual tank pick-up (with new seals, obviously). In the front tank he puts used, filtered cooking oil (he says peanut oil is best but he likes pure canola oil if he can find it). He filters it with a houshold water filter. He starts his truck with the diesel tank then switches over to the oil tank to run. Yes, it is THAT EASY.

He says he did put a pre-warmer on the oil tank because it is mighty cold in these parts during the winter and you gotta make the oil flow (don't put a warmer on the diesel because it'll break down - hence another benefit of the dual tanks). He also upgraded the pump on the tank and put an additional fuel filter - one he got from a tractor supplier - in the engine compartment.

I was fascinated. We have a diesel pick-up that we haven't been using much because of diesel prices. I'm thinking the next time we have used cooking oil around, I might just dump it in the truck. Even if it gets mixed with the diesel, would it be that bad?

[walls0stone]

no kidding, been doing it in my S.Stear for 3 years. I use it for filler for construction stuff not 100%. Why do you think they banned fake butter and whatever? IMO, it was to help push this sort of stuff along...more supply, easyer to get into.

half this stuff is just a big fat scam. Lots of smoke and whatever to make the masses say..yes we need this, and give the dork in the lab coat a six fig paycheck. Mean wile old farmers are brew'n corn liqure for ethonal and guess what, they are not in a chat room, cuzz they are to busy just doing what everyone elts is pay'n big money for.

This stuff is all way more simple than many people think, but we are all so hung up on tags and name brands, we think it needs to be complex to do it. now it's bio Deisle, we used to call it poverty.

[FZRaven]

Bio-diesel is different from just pouring oil into your vehicle. You do have to convert it, part of which is adding ethanol.

Rudolf Diesel who invented the diesel engine, which bares his name. And although he didn't invent the engine to run on vegetable oil, he did test vegetable oil in the engine. Citation (http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/reportsdatabase/reports/gen/20011101_gen-346.pdf)

[ryanmercer]

Bio-diesel is different from just pouring oil into your vehicle. You do have to convert it, part of which is adding ethanol.

Rudolf Diesel who invented the diesel engine, which bares his name. And although he didn't invent the engine to run on vegetable oil, he did test vegetable oil in the engine. Citation (http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/reportsdatabase/reports/gen/20011101_gen-346.pdf)

NO you don't. You can run off pure waste vegetable oil, it's just more efficient in mpg to make biodiesel with it, and you don't have to worry about it gelling as easy if you convert it.

[DM]

NO you don't. You can run off pure waste vegetable oil,

*Is this true for the newest puter controled diesels?? *I'm told that running waste oil "as is" in the puter controled diesels shortens the life of the many sending units in them, and they are expensive to replace...

*Also, what about all the moisture that's in waste oil? *You sure don't want that going through the fuel pump or injectors...

*In my older diesels, i can run what ever i want, but i would NOT do that to a new one!

*DM

[DavidOH]

Even if it gets mixed with the diesel, would it be that bad?



Yes, get ready to change the fuel filter if you do that.

Bio-Diesel will burn cleaner and remove deposits left by regular Diesel fuel. Straight veg-oil may do the same thing for you.

All the deposits are going where? ....straight on down the line through you engine.

[ryanmercer]

[quote author=DM link=board=ene-oil-gas;num=1227993628;start=0#4 date=12/19/08 at 06:02:11]

*Is this true for the newest puter controled diesels?? *I'm told that running waste oil "as is" in the puter controled diesels shortens the life of the many sending units in them, and they are expensive to replace...

*Also, what about all the moisture that's in waste oil? *You sure don't want that going through the fuel pump or injectors...

*In my older diesels, i can run what ever i want, but i would NOT do that to a new one!


Motor oil and WVO shouldn't be used in those newer diesels that use computers.

[kawalekm]

Today's computer controls direct fuel injection diesels are a far cry from the simple prototypes the R. Diesel first created. The biggest single problem with running veg oil in your engine is the injectors, which are designed to spray a very fine mist of fuel into the cylinders. It is the high viscosity of straight veg oil that adversely effects the injectors, which are gradually destroyed by the too viscous oil fuel. Depending on how thick your oil is you might get 10, 20, 30 thousand miles down the road before they fail, but then it is a very expensive repair bill.

You CAN run use veg oil for fuel under certain conditions.

1) Convert it first to bio-diesel which automatically reduces its viscosity down close to regular summer diesel.

2)You install a conversion kit that includes different injectors and an oil preheater, which heats the fuel enough to make it thin. Cars and trucks with this modification usually have two fuel tanks. One with regular petroleum diesel for startups, and the second for veg oil once the engine gets hot.

3)You dilute the thick veg oil with regular diesel (or better yet, diesel #1, winter diesel) till the viscosity is lowered to the point that the injectors can handle it. This causes endless debate amongst oil burners. The consensus is that 10% oil is OK any time, Up to 20% in winter, and as high as 25-50% if driving only in hot summer weather. Again, injector longevity is inversely proportional to oil concentration of your fuel.

By the way, all those loosened deposits end up in the fuel filters. You only have to crawl under your truck once for a filter change to know that you want to keep your filters as long as possible.
Michael