Bio Diesel, any one run a deisel?

[Biff]

We were talking about running vegetable oil in a diesel engine the other day,
Any one here do that?

[Pu241]

Yes, I used to run it in a 1.6 VW rabbit, which is out for an IP replacement due to seals, nothing to do with WVO.
In the summer can run 70%WVO to 30% kerosene with out heat.
With heat to WVO and startup and shut down on straight diesel should be able to run 100% WVO year round.
Mine was settled and filtered down to 1 micron and a bottle of Red HEET (Isopropanol) every other tank seems to have worked well.
Have a centrifuge in the works.

There are others here who have more experience and I'll let them chime in.

[crusher773]

I bought the whole rig a few years ago to make my own and it was a big pain in the butt. Never could find any WVO that had low enough water content to actually work.

[Biff]

I see that you have to get rid of the water in the oil by cooking it above 212 F'.
I was checking on you tube some videos on centrifuging the oil to clean it up.
I have a 1976 Honda XL175 and on the end of the crankshaft there is a centrifuge for cleaning the engine oil. Cute little thing about 1.5" in diameter,I thought that was rather clever for something 36 years old.

[Pu241]

I bought the whole rig a few years ago to make my own and it was a big pain in the butt. Never could find any WVO that had low enough water content to actually work.

Larger volumes of water can be removed via settling over time or a centrifuge.
What system did you purchase?

[Biff]

My son just called me the other day and he is interested in doing this. I am just beginning to learn as we talk here. It is like first coming to the FordFestiva site. Once you start looking around and asking question there will be a point of no turning back.

[Pu241]

I see that you have to get rid of the water in the oil by cooking it above 212 F'.

Very expensive way, energy wise, to remove water!
A good means of testing for water though via the "hot pan test".

I was checking on you tube some videos on centrifuging the oil to clean it up.
I have a 1976 Honda XL175 and on the end of the crankshaft there is a centrifuge for cleaning the engine oil. Cute little thing about 1.5" in diameter,I thought that was rather clever for something 36 years old.

Yes, the centrifuge filter and electric motor driven centrifuges are both well developed means of removing water and particles for either direct WVO use in a diesel or as a means of cleaning the oil for conversion to bio-diesel.

[Biff]

Oh yes, long sleeves and goggles!! (Hot Pan)
Just to be safe.

[lessersivad]

Funny that this was posted. Just yesterday I got 1 of my diesels going after an extended outside storage period. Changed out the starter that was bad and away she went.

It had been sitting for at least 2 years. Probably closer to 3. Started and ran on the 50/50 mix of WVO and off road diesel fuel that was still in the tank when I parked it.

I tried the "make your own biodiesel" thing. After making 3 batches,(2 successful, 1 degreaser soap) I decided to try running the 50/50 mix.

Making homebrewed biodiesel for me, was a major PITA. The combination of titration, mixing the lye with the methanol, waiting for the reaction, draining off the glycerin, bubble washing, etc., etc.

Now I simply let the oil settle, bubble wash, and pump it into a 500 gallon storage tank. I have intentions of going this route;

http://www.oilcrusher.5u.com/

Lots of pages and reading.

I'm not going to squeeze my own oil but I would like to use RUG as a thinner for the WVO.

[Pu241]

I tried the "make your own biodiesel" thing. After making 3 batches,(2 successful, 1 degreaser soap) I decided to try running the 50/50 mix.

Making homebrewed biodiesel for me, was a major PITA. The combination of titration, mixing the lye with the methanol, waiting for the reaction, draining off the glycerin, bubble washing, etc., etc.

Now I simply let the oil settle, bubble wash, and pump it into a 500 gallon storage tank. I have intentions of going this route;

I'm not going to squeeze my own oil but I would like to use RUG as a thinner for the WVO.

I agree straight WVO is the way to go!
I have been a chemist and a nuclear scientist, among other things, and I will not run the risk of using large quantities of sodium methoxide (made by mixing NaOH and Methanol) it is a very powerful caustic agent. One small mistake and you could easily be disfigured, blinded , or killed.

Easier and more reliable to run the WVO through a centrifuge and blend with kerosene or RUG. Better yet, setup to startup on diesel then switch to heated WVO and then prior to shut down switch back to diesel.

I have used RUG, kerosene, and mixtures of both to thin WVO and they seemed to work OK.

[lessersivad]

Easier and more reliable to run the WVO through a centrifuge and blend with kerosene or RUG. Better yet, setup to startup on diesel then switch to heated WVO and then prior to shut down switch back to diesel.

I was seriously leaning in that direction with my pickup. I had a tank built just for that purpose.

A neighbor of mine has the heated tank set up on his 2001 F250. He's been running the system for the past couple of years. He decided to go that route after I told him about the hassle ( and danger) of making biodiesel.

So far he's been real happy with the heated tank. Tried to talk his brothers into doing the same to their trucks. They don't want any part of it. Yet when they have a trailer to haul for a pretty good distance they borrow his truck 'cuz the fuel is free....LOL.

[Pu241]

Me and TominMO were working with Na Methoxide and there was an over pressure issue and we got sprayed with it.
Fortunately, we were lucky, and are no worse for the experience, as you can see below we are still handsome gentlemen in our working attire finery.

[resuwrecked]

been running wvo and wmo for over a year in my 300cd. Centrifuge gets it very clean! I just started putting a 1.6 vw turbo diesel in my '88 to see how much over 60mpg I can get on wmo. Last summer I was running 100% 'fuged wvo and wmo. I like wmo. I started a thread here somewhere about my fuge setup. Im using a vw p/s pump with a pabiodiesel fuge w/ home made oil heater. It really works great.

[Biff]

learning as I go here, What is "Rug" and what is "Bubble washing"
I will also check the web site out, Thank you guys!!Any thing elso you want to throw at this, great!

[Pu241]

learning as I go here, What is "Rug" and what is "Bubble washing"
I will also check the web site out, Thank you guys!!Any thing elso you want to throw at this, great!

RUG = Regular Unlead Gasoline