ramdodge

Hey have any of you guys heard or tried using veggie oil or motor oil thru the method of useing
a terry cloth to strain the oil into a bucket, then into a filter strainer, over to a vacume pump then ito a water assorbton beads then into a collection bucket. Processing items will cost about
$500.00.

CarlJensen

Do a search on bio-deisel.

BoostdCTD

Don't just use a terry towel, that'll filter 100 microns at best. I suggest using at least 5 micron sock filters. They can be bought at mcmaster.com for pretty cheap. I use 1 micron sock filters for my own WVO or motor oil. I have a few links towards the bottom of my page here, www.doy.1baddsm.com that'll give you some more information on WVO and biodiesel.

ramdodge

Carl does this system work OK? and did you see the site at www.survivalunlimited.com/biodiesel.htm#techno i was just wanting to know
it that system would work; Oh by the way the address did not go anywhere. Thanks

kd460

ramdodge, save your money, you would pick up the same stuff at the pet store. It's very similiar to some of the special kitty litters out there for about 10 bucks.

Big discussion on this at some of the biodiesel forums. Silica beads if I remember correctly. The same stuff you find packed in the little envelopes that come in a package of say electronic goods. You know the little packet that says "not fit for human consumption" or something like that.

Over on the biodiesel forums, they have pretty much came up with the term "snake oil". The beads do nothing in terms of separating the methyl esters from the free fatty acids, (transesterification process). And that is coming from guys on the group that are chemists, engineers, etc.

Seems like it would be an awful mess to put those oily nasty beads in an oven to recharge them. I bet it will smoke worse than a cummins with a bad turbo. Kevin

Meatball

hey for all you bio dieselers http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html ...........all you will ever need to know about makin this go-go juice

edwinsmith

There seems to be some contention as to whether transesterfication is necessary. If you like cleaning your injectors it might be OK to use filtered WVO or SVO. I don't know about coking up your rings though. Seems like that would be a much more costly repair.

Unless you're a diesel mechanic and just love tearing into engines, I would stick to diesel or biodiesel. (Technically biodiesel is converted organic oils that mees ASTM specs. and won't void your warranty.)

Edwin

BoostdCTD

Well I wouldn't say using WVO would automatically coke stuff up but if you aren't heating the line then I'd say it better be just an additive to #2 otherwise you're asking for problems. Making your own biodiesel would be a safer alternative, while it requires the methanol and further processing it can be ran in any diesel without modifications.

If you want something that runs on WVO without issues, the car in my sig is probably one of the most durable and well known for that. People have ran this motor on 100% used motor oil, unheated, or unheated WVO. But just as Edwin said, it is all about what you're willing to risk.

zulusafari

Watch out for polymerization too! Ever have that dark amber plastic coating buildup on your home deep fryer or cookie sheets? That can build up in the combustion chamber/pistons too. Not a good thing! That journeytoforever site is awesome! I have had that bookmarked for about a year and use it constantly as a reference for my own biodiesel production!

kd460

While journey to forever is OK, the site I like the best is this:

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=cfrm&s=447609751

Much more technically oriented, and the info is coming from chemists, engineers, and people who use bio and nothing but bio. Not just for their vehicles, but for home generators, furnaces, etc.

Even larger mass bio production companies have been known to post info there. Lots of good info for straight veg oil use as well. Good solid info. Kevin

Meatball

yea i just cant make my mind up whether to try makin it or not, im both a. not committed, b. have no money

chevummins

Hi guys. I am currently running both biodiesel and waste vegetable oil in my cummins trucks. No problems so far. I have come to the conclusion that biodiesel is nice easy solution and cheap about $.45/gal after all of the processing but boy is it time consuming to make. Sure the system can be somewhat automated but still I have never ever had a surplus and am just too busy to spend this much time making fuel. I have a heated tank on my flatbed 91 running mostly filtered waste veggie oil. I plug filters pretty often due to not enough heat into the fuel after it leaves the tank. I need to refine this, but it can work and work well. The key to not coking up injectors and rings is a good efficient burn, which amounts to a good injector spray and engine heat. The veggie oil really needs to be in the 160* range before it is introduced to your injectors. If you put the effort into the set-up it is not very much time to keep the system going and I don't see any real catastrophic failures oncoming. If I can save most of the $400 a month I am spending on fuel I will be a very happy camper and very willing to spend $125 maybe once a year to have my injectors rebuilt. Hope this helps. Also akghound@onewest.net has a nice system working well for him on a '96 12valve in wyoming where cold is a BIG issue. He emailed me detailed diagrams and instruction on what he is using. There you have it.
-Greg