bio-diesel

[wharfrat]

I would like to try some bio-diesel in a small diesel engine and diesel stove. I understand that it is very environmentally friendly and is void of that diesel stench. However I also understand it smells like french fries. That might be just as unsettling on the ole sniffer.

I also understand that it burns cleaner and more efficiently. I have a Volvo-Penta MD-6 that I salvaged out of a derelict boat. I fire it up a couple times a year but it smokes like crazy. Particularly when revved above idle a sort of bluish-gray thick cloud forms. It has been at least a decade since it was run in a boat so that could have some influence. At any rate I see no harm giving the stuff a try.

I live just outside of Victoria B.C. and don’t really want to head south of the border to get it where I am told it is available in Seattle. Does anyone know of a place to buy it on southern Vancouver Island?

Thanks for any and all replies

[Concordia..41]

You read this right?

http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/ultim...=4;t=000653;p=

I think the best link/reference in the thread was http://www.biodiesel.org

Well, that is if you don't count the entertainment value of the link on codpieces

[bugeye]

Hi,
Biodiesel is a wonderful concept, but I wouldn't use it in an older engine. Biodiesel comes from any number of vegetable oils, but it has ethanol mixed in to lower the gelling point. The ethanol is very damaging to rubber parts like fuel filter seals, and lines. I worked on a boat a few years ago where we were experimenting with biodiesel, and for two months or so, everything seemed fine, but then everything went to pieces. Fuel lines swellled internally, choking off fuel flow, so we replaced them. Then The Racor filter started leaking badly. And on and on it went. We were told by the vendor that most engines built since about 1990 should have what he called "food grade" rubber seals and hold up fine. I would love to use it on my own boat, but I'm afraid of the havoc it would wreak on my dinosaur of a sabb diesel. It's also more than twice the cost of regular diesel, but over the course of an ambitious cruising season, that might only amount to $100 difference

[wharfrat]

In my research so far, I did read that butyl rubber fuel lines should be up graded because of the reason bugeye just mentioned., Bio diesel will also eat deck seams compound if it’s spilt and not cleaned up with soap and water. Bio diesel can actually begin to clean the inside corrosion of steel fuel tanks. This creates a problem with clogged fuel filters. All this is according to what I have read so far. Thanks for your personal experience bugeye. I’m getting a little *bugeye* myself reading all the resource info out there, so actual related application and experiences carries a lot of weight.
I’m also wondering why go only half way, (or actually 20%) why not go *neat* bio diesel, that being 100% WVO (waste vegetable oil). With WVO I realize it’s a bit labour intense, gathering it and filtering it and separating the water with heat. But it sure would boost my ego knowing my contributing to green house gases would be 0%

[Pierce Nichols]

bugeye is half-right. Biodiesel is made by mixing vegetable oils with sodium hydroxide and either methanol or ethanol. A chemical reaction called trans-esterfication occurs, producing (m)ethyl esters (the biodiesel), sodium hydroxide, and glycerin.

Biodiesel is a substantially better solvent than petroleum diesel. This causes the aforementioned problems with rubber seals and hoses. If you replace all the rubber bits with Viton or some other synthetic rubber that's biodiesel compatible, you will be ok. It will also remove *all* of the gunk from your fuel system and deposit it in your fuel filter. Carry lots of spares and change them frequently until the fuel system has been cleaned out.

[PeterSibley]

You might even choose to make it yourself .
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html#start
It can be very cheap , it's carbon neutral

[Rapelapente]

[QUOTE=wharfrat;
I’m also wondering why go only half way, (or actually 20%) why not go *neat* bio diesel, that being 100% WVO (waste vegetable oil). With WVO I realize it’s a bit labour intense, gathering it and filtering it and separating the water with heat. But it sure would boost my ego knowing my contributing to green house gases would be 0%[/QUOTE]

I have a German friend who runs his VW van with waste "french fries" oil for years. He takes it back in restaurants for free, filter it, and just pour it in the tank... The only problem is the smell... which makes hungry (and angry) the drivers of the cars behind... He's searcher in oceanography and environmentaly concerned...
But you know what: it's forbidden to do so in France, because you don't pay the fuel taxes that way !

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Be wary of vegetable oil in stoves.

[The Bigfella]

But it sure would boost my ego knowing my contributing to green house gases would be 0%

How could your greenhouse gas contributions be zero?

You burn fuel to collect and transport and refine the product. You then burn it and produce gases. Your greenhouse gases will be just as much as if you burnt normal diesel - its just that you will be using oil that would have been either recycled or dumped elsewhere - a totally separate issue.

[inlandlobster]

Wharfrat,

I'll be going bio here on the farm this year. Bigfella is right, you still get the nasties from burning it...but you do avoid all the refinement process. Peter S beat me to the punch with - journeytoforever - but I'm supposed to be getting another article from son-in-law who's a petroleum engineer in Alberta...I'll post it when I am able. Be aware of algae growth and its liabilities...and the need to burn straight diesel for a time before shut-down. There are 'inconveniences' - but like anything, they can be surmounted.

Craig

[katiedobe]

Posted this on your other post.
www.greasecar.com

www.biodiesel.org
Make your own, here is how.
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html
One of the makers in the NW
http://www.sqbiofuels.com/retail7_presskit.htm
One of the makers in Northern Cal. A good friend of a friend of mine runs this company.
http://www.ybiofuels.org/

Where to buy bio througout the USA. A small listing of retailers nationwide.
http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodi...s/default.shtm
Here is the map of biodiesel retail stations across the USA.

[Steve Paskey]

I live just outside of Victoria B.C. and don’t really want to head south of the border to get it where I am told it is available in Seattle. Does anyone know of a place to buy it on southern Vancouver Island?

I ran across a web site listing Canadian suppliers ... nothing for Vancouver Island. But there is a bio-diesel coop in Vancouver:

www.vancouverbiodiesel.org/

If there is a source on Vancouver Island, the folks at the co-op would likely know about it.

[Don Z.]

I’m also wondering why go only half way, (or actually 20%) why not go *neat* bio diesel, that being 100% WVO (waste vegetable oil). With WVO I realize it’s a bit labour intense, gathering it and filtering it and separating the water with heat. But it sure would boost my ego knowing my contributing to green house gases would be 0%

Hmmm... this "heat" you are using to separate the water... Where does this "heat" come from?

[FSS172]

Hmmm... this "heat" you are using to separate the water... Where does this "heat" come from?

I run a 50/50 mix of thinned and filtered WVO and petro-diesel in my truck. The filtering process includes passing the oil through a water separating filter just like the one that's in the truck and the boat. No heat required. I've been doing the 50% thing to pay what I think of as a fair share of road-use taxes. But if the price of diesel keeps getting artificially inflated by investors looking to profit from the current economic mess, I may have to rethink that ratio.... I don't understand why the streets of Washington DC aren't filled to the curbs with parked tractor-trailers..... but that's a question for The Bilge... To get back to this thread, I plan to run the same fuel in the boat as soon as it's back in commission.

[Pierce Nichols]

I don't understand why the streets of Washington DC aren't filled to the curbs with parked tractor-trailers.....

That's scheduled for April 1, according to scuttlebutt I've been hearing.

[Thorne]

Just drove my new '03 Jetta wagon back from the seller's house -- running biodiesel. Sure smells better than either gasoline or dinodiesel!

[ron ll]

I apologize if this is dangerously close to the bilge, but the discussion above seems to assume that it is beneficial to the planet to use biodiesel. From what I've heard, except for small amounts of leftover frenchfry grease, it is not wise to create a demand for it. Doing so creates a demand for acreage, irrigation, and fertilizers to produce it, resources that are needed much more for the production of food. (Unless maybe we can make it from algae or something).

Have I been listening to the wrong radio stations about this?

[Thorne]

Yes on both accounts (bilge and radio choices)...

;0 )

The demand already exists for fuel, we are just discussing options. And vegetable oil IS food, right? Seems a bit more flexible to have edible fuel than inedible -- you can eat it or drive with it. And it is not explosive or poisonous like most of the alternatives.

The market will deal with the waste oil costs/values -- currently it is free for the taking, sooner or later the restaurants will start getting decent $$ for it. Some cities like SF are exercising eminent domain and collecting the stuff themselves for the city buses.

[Mad Scientist]

I have a Volvo-Penta MD-6 that I salvaged out of a derelict boat. I fire it up a couple times a year but it smokes like crazy. Particularly when revved above idle a sort of bluish-gray thick cloud forms.

Looks like a 2-part job to me...
First, fix the smoking problem (fuel system, perhaps?), and while you're at it, replace any rubber parts that wouldn't be compatible with biodiesel.
Once you get it running properly on 'fossil diesel', you'll have a 'baseline' for comparision with biodiesel.

Tom

[soba]

Wharfrat,

Try Island Biodiesel (Kenji at 381-6502) or talk to Columbia Fuels. Columbia has B100 at their cardlock pump on Hwy 14, but I think the minimum yearly purchase might be something like 10 000 lit. They sell in smaller quantities, but it costs more, natch.

[wharfrat]

Thanks so far for all the in put by everybody, and for all the helpful links. I hope any questions asked of me were answered in following comments. Thanks for that contact *soba*. Ironically I go past that location 10 times a week. It's a wonder I didn't think I was driving by Barbs Fish and Chips (down on the Gov't wharf) lol

[Tylerdurden]

I apologize if this is dangerously close to the bilge, but the discussion above seems to assume that it is beneficial to the planet to use biodiesel. From what I've heard, except for small amounts of leftover frenchfry grease, it is not wise to create a demand for it. Doing so creates a demand for acreage, irrigation, and fertilizers to produce it, resources that are needed much more for the production of food. (Unless maybe we can make it from algae or something).

Have I been listening to the wrong radio stations about this?

Your not wrong. A marriage of many alternatives are needed if anything. Electric is the most reasonable as you can move that power anywhere on the "grid".
I did the Bio diesel thing until it became a fight to get used oil and I am in the back of restaurants every day. Its not always easy to get oil anymore and every zippy is looking for it.
Using acreage for fuel crops is wrong unless its in the form of off planting for the health of the field, switch grass, rapeseed and such that benefit the field not suck it dry of nutrients.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Waste Vegetable Oil is considered by some to emit "0 Greenhouse Gas" or to be "Carbon Neutral" because the grain grown to "replace" the WVO burned in an automobile converts the CO2 in the atmosphere as it grows.

It's a total "big picture" thing.

Moby Nick

[Tylerdurden]

Waste Vegetable Oil is considered by some to emit "0 Greenhouse Gas" or to be "Carbon Neutral" because the grain grown to "replace" the WVO burned in an automobile converts the CO2 in the atmosphere as it grows.

It's a total "big picture" thing.

Moby Nick

Nick, I get it but I think its more of a starvation thing. We stand the chance of farmers converting to Fuel use instead of grains and other food crops as prices rise on other fuels.
Dangerous row to hoe.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

You're right, ab out current Biofuel products. I believe one answer, going along with more conservation, is to figure out ways to use crops for biofuels that we don't eat; Eurasian water milfoil (a water nuisance) various fast-growing weeds, seaweed, etc.

Moby Nick

[katiedobe]

The US Government is already pushing for more Corn to be grown to add to gasoline. To the point that Mexico was selling corn for fuel instead of selling it for food to the locals. The price of a Kilogram of tortillas went up two pesos in the last 18 months. That almost caused a riot, because the one thing that every poorly paid mexican busy, every day, is tortillas, or the bag of Maiseca to make their own.
Algea is one very possible option, see the national geographic magazine from a few months ago about bio-fuels and you will see a very informed, politically nuetral report about bio fuel and the cost effectiveness of it.
As for people starving due to less land being used for food, people are already starving and we are already and have been for decades paying farmers not to produce food.

[shark_ef]

dangerously close to bilge-ing here, but i have an interesting concept...what if we (as a nation/people/species) curbed our consumption and our inability to breed responsibly? that'd work too
-waste oil has been a good way to go (cuz normally it gets thrown out anyway, so why not use it again) i had heard it was better to use it in older engines (but this is cars i'm talking about) wouldn't it be the same in boats as long as the seals and parts could handle it...it was something about the new diesel engines being computer controlled and not being able to handle the oils...i'm not sure exactly what it was, but the caryover is there
--would new boat diesel engines be the same issue?

[Thorne]

As Shark says, Baaaaaaaacck to the topic and all that.

I've heard very mixed info on the 'new diesel motor / old fuel or biodiesel' issue. Some say that the newer engines run on much higher pressures and have more contamination / coking issues, others say that the newer design handles biodiesel / svo better .... so only your diesel mechanic may know for sure.

You also hear that the older motors should run a mix of biodiesel and new ultra-low-sulphur diesel, as the new diesel lacks the lubrication of the old, so the biodiesel provides much-needed lubrication for seals and pistons.

The issues may also be engine-design specific = some newer designs may coke up badly, others run cleaner than before.

[Gary E]

Just ZACTLY how much is a punney little engine like that gona use all YEAR??? 10 ---20 gal??

Your wasting your time and effort...

Treat your Diesel to REAL fuel... it'l thank you for that by running ALL the time and specially when you NEED it the MOST.

[Thorne]

Gary -

Not necessarily, unless he can buy OLD diesel to run in his OLD engine -- check out the various issues with the new ULSD -

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-low_sulfur_diesel

Sulfur is not a lubricant, however the process used to reduce the Sulfur also reduces the fuel's lubricating properties. Lubricity is a measure of the fuel's ability to lubricate and protect the various parts of the engine's fuel injection system from wear. The processing required to reduce sulfur to 15 ppm also removes naturally-occurring lubricity agents in diesel fuel. To manage this change ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) adopted the lubricity specification defined in ASTM D975 for all diesel fuels and this standard went into effect January 1, 2005. [8]

The refining process that removes the sulfur also reduces the aromatic content and density of the fuel, resulting in a minor decrease in the energy content, by about 1%. This decrease in energy content may result in reduced peak power and fuel economy.

The transition to ULSD is not without substantial costs. The US Government has estimated that pump prices for diesel fuel will increase between $.05 and $.25 per gallon as a result of the transition.

ULSD will run in any engine designed for the ASTM D-975 diesel fuels.
It is, however, known to cause seals to shrink (Source: Chevron paper) and can cause fuel pump failures in Volkswagen TDI engines; biodiesel blends are reported to prevent that failure (Source: HRCCC.org Biodiesel Best Management Practices).

[Nick C]

The original diesel engine was built to run on corn oil. Bio diesel is a better lubricant and your engine will last longer. There will also a 10% loss of mileage.

Aside from the aforementioned problem of biodiesel and old fuel lines and gaskets not being able to handle the fuel, there is another problem with used engine conversions. Used fuel tanks build up crud from the diesel and the bio diesels improved lubricity and cleaning will scour the junk off. The solution is to add addition fuel filters to handle the problem.

If you find decent oil (sushi restaurants are the best, McDonalds is bad) you can add it direct to your tank. In fact you can burn it 100% pure. If you do run pure you need additional filtering and a heated tank and fuel line.

[Tylerdurden]

Just ZACTLY how much is a punney little engine like that gona use all YEAR??? 10 ---20 gal??

Your wasting your time and effort...

Treat your Diesel to REAL fuel... it'l thank you for that by running ALL the time and specially when you NEED it the MOST.

Oh, so you mean run it on straight vegetable oil?

[jack grebe]

wow....I got to get out of the bilge more often.
This is a topic I actually know something about.
I have had several Mercedes Benz diesels, and Yes,
They do run great on veggie oil. I have one now I am running
and have about 45 gal of "fuel" in the shed.

One thing to keep in mind is the consistancy of the oil.
Veggie is much thicker, that is the reason for all those
conversion kits out there. You normally start on diesel,
then switch over to WVO/SVO when the motor reaches normal
operating temp. The conversion kit uses the engines coolant
to heat the WVO/SVO to at least 160 degrees....that is where
it has the same consistancy as diesel.

However, mixing or blending can also be done with no mods.
This is what I do. I normally add 10% reg. unleaded gas and
mix thoughly before adding it to the tank.
No, the gas will not hurt my engine and actually MB allows
for adding up to something like 30% gas to thin the fuel
in colder climates to prevent gelling. I don't have that problem down here.

Filtering is a major concern. I filter down to about 5 microns.
Water will also destroy an injector pump in short order. Make
sure to allow plenty of time for the water to settle out of the oil.
Mine sits for at least 4 weeks.

Lastly I want to touch the subject of bio/svo/wvo being carbon neutral.
That may not, in fact be the case. If you take into account all the
energy that is used to plant, fertalize, harvest, and process the plant
into oil, there is a very small net gain, something like 15%.

On top of that, most farmers use dino diesel to farm with, so the
whole process is carbon contaminated and no longer neutral.

I feel that since the oil is already being made to satisfy the worlds
hunger for deep fried food, why not reclaim and reuse that oil in a
way that is healthier for the enviroment that burning dino diesel.
Make sense?

[Tylerdurden]

I used to make Bio diesel 10-15 years ago. I had the setup and being in the back of restaurants every day I had a continuous source.
The plant and storage took up and entire 12x12 shed with little room and two 55 drums of methonal under an awning out back.

It was good for a while and I powered a diesel one ton all over the place using it. Its a hassle getting methanol and caustic soda and it freaked out the GF when I got suited up to cook. After 9/11 I had the neighbors (Ignorant ones) who felt I was running a weapons plant even though after the first visit from code enforcement I attempted to get them to tour the plant to see what was up to.
On the second visit I was told by code enforcement that my neighbor who just so happened to be a CPA in the Department of Revenue told him they were coming after me for the fuel tax.
(now you understand why I hate CPA's so much)
My buddy who does Solar and Wind for a living came up with a big box truck and loaded it up, gave me a nice price for the truck and the rest was free. And that my friends was the end of it.
Its a huge pain in the arse and it really isn't worth it unless you live way out in the sticks or have really nice neighbors with half a brain.
I was on 10 acres in an old farmhouse but that didn't buy me any room from the busy bodys.

[Thorne]

Always good to hear from the 'been there, done that' crowd.

Some people seem to be running small WVO -> biodiesel conversion operations in their back yards these days, but I haven't really investigated the whole thing very closely.

One of our son-in-laws is really interested in making his own fuel, and biodiesel seems much safer for the suburban terrist...er...homeowner to make than ethanol which was his first interest.

http://www.homebiodieselkits.com/homeprocessors.html

[jack grebe]

Its a huge pain in the arse and it really isn't worth it

I can see where that may have been true 10-15 yrs ago.
what did diesel cost.......79, 89 cents a gallon?
Today diesel is topping $4.00 with no end in sight to the rising cost.
Also, being "green" holds alot more mojo than "road use taxes"

Many states currently have exemptions for bio fuels, with more
joining the bandwagon. It is amazing how a state can pass an exemption
on a federal law. but even Tx has done it.

My daily MB driver was burning filtered WVO, cut by 10%
reg unleaded. Do the math.
18 gal of fuel per week
diesel would cost $72 @ $4.00 gal
"going green" was 1.8 gal ......lets say 2 gal for simplicity sake
@ $3.25 a gal. = $6.50 plus free WVO
$72. verses $6.50 I'll take the $6.50 and maybe an hour work
filtering anytime.
I Like Being Green.

[PeterSibley]

Thank you Jack ....I'm going the full biodiesel route although your description of WVO is pretty good !

[hansp77]

Peter- are you setting up to make your own Biodiesel?
I've just bought my first diesel- took me a while to hunt out a good example of what I was after-
a 84' BJ42 (I've wanted a small/mid-size 4x4 and a diesel for a long time)
Getting rid of my lovely big old gas guzzling van (74' transit with ford 4.1 ltr 250)

I'll be getting the BJ in about a week (its coming down from Brissy), and will slowly be changing over the fuel (etc) lines to start running it on 100% Biodiesel (or 100% when possible). I will be buying it locally- we have a couple of places here to buy it. I am not however looking at making it myself anytime soon- maybe later- I don't have the space or the time at the moment.
I would love to have a chat about it sometime with you.

Hans.


EDIT- Peter, are you a member of http://www.biofuelsforum.com/ yet? I recently joined up there and http://www.melbournebiodiesel.org . (user name BJ42)

[PeterSibley]

Hi Hans ....I'll have a look at those 2 .I've joined this mob http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/foru...961074381/p/13
I'm very interested in the processors they discuss there .I'm still researching but expect to start building and extension to a garage and a processor in a month or so .Logged in as PeterSibley.........surprise ,surprise ! But I'm still reading , no posts yet .

What exactly is a BJ42 ???
I've just bought 1980 Mercedes 240D ..A lovely bit of kit and it gets 7.2 l/100 km !

[hansp77]

Peter,
I was thinking about getting one of those lovely old Diesel Mercs- certainly a lot more comfortable than my truck...
I have wanted a 4X4 for a while though so... time to indulge (again?? what? the wooden boat wasn't enough??!). I love old tough cars..
sorry about not describing it better- you will know the car,
its a 1984 Toyota Landcruiser BJ42 (the last year they made them for the western market)
here is a photo of one

mine is an "ivory" colour (better known as beige)- it has the 3B diesel engine in it- power steering, disk brakes on the front, not much else- and built like a tank. The only thing mine lacks that I would have liked is 5 speed gear box- mine is a 4. I may change this later if I can find an offordable 5 speed box an bits (5 speed is good for overdrive at highway speeds= economy). Its got no rust, is great mechanically, and has only done 84,000 Kms. The only mods (as a lot of them are way-overdone 4x4 toys- lifts, etc) are extra driving lights, and massive tires (comes with a normal set of split rims as well). The 33" tires will help for highway driving in 4th gear... but I will have to see how it goes. The tires are a little bit overdone.

I'll check out that site you listed-
the ones I listed are sort of connected.
Biofuelsforum is the sort of umbrella forum and the melbourne org is just a small VIC specific thing. there is probably a NSW specific group as well.
Hans.

EDIT-
heres a few other Aus sites
http://www.gfb.cc/
http://www.brisbanebiodiesel.com/
http://www.sydneybiodiesel.com/

EDIT#2-
btw, the BJ42 is reputed to get around 9.5-11.3 l/100km. Not so bad really (especially considering its 'aerodynamics')

[Tylerdurden]

I can see where that may have been true 10-15 yrs ago.
what did diesel cost.......79, 89 cents a gallon?
Today diesel is topping $4.00 with no end in sight to the rising cost.
Also, being "green" holds alot more mojo than "road use taxes"

Many states currently have exemptions for bio fuels, with more
joining the bandwagon. It is amazing how a state can pass an exemption
on a federal law. but even Tx has done it.

My daily MB driver was burning filtered WVO, cut by 10%
reg unleaded. Do the math.
18 gal of fuel per week
diesel would cost $72 @ $4.00 gal
"going green" was 1.8 gal ......lets say 2 gal for simplicity sake
@ $3.25 a gal. = $6.50 plus free WVO
$72. verses $6.50 I'll take the $6.50 and maybe an hour work
filtering anytime.
I Like Being Green.

Maybe your just lucky, I know people so getting used oil is still easy but the regular Joe will have a hard time getting used oil these days as everyone wants it and the renderer's are now going over to waste oil reclamation systems and there is talk of it becoming a requirement. The show is almost over for easy fuel boys.
I built my system from scrap, take a look at the prices on ready made systems. Then factor in the labor. Methanol and caustics are already being discussed on more regulation with permits required for large purchase.

[Tylerdurden]

If there is someone in my area who is serious about this and wants oil I will seek out those customers I can still get it from. just pm me.

[PeterSibley]

Peter,


mine is an "ivory" colour (better known as beige)- it has the 3B diesel engine in it- power steering, disk brakes on the front, not much else- and built like a tank. The only thing mine lacks that I would have liked is 5 speed gear box- mine is a 4. I may change this later if I can find an offordable 5 speed box an bits (5 speed is good for overdrive at highway speeds= economy). Its got no rust, is great mechanically, and has only done 84,000 Kms. The only mods (as a lot of them are way-overdone 4x4 toys- lifts, etc) are extra driving lights, and massive tires (comes with a normal set of split rims as well). The 33" tires will help for highway driving in 4th gear... but I will have to see how it goes. The tires are a little bit overdone.



EDIT#2-
btw, the BJ42 is reputed to get around 9.5-11.3 l/100km. Not so bad really (especially considering its 'aerodynamics')

Yeah , a brick ! lots of them round here , banana trucks , they just keep on rolling .I saw one on a farm last week that was just rust held together with bog . Mechanically indestructible ,if kind of LOUD to travel in .84,000k is good !

I'm looking for a diesel Rodeo ,1985 , 5 speed Isuzu diesel ,4x4.Reputed to get very ,very good fuel economy and last well .Gotta find one with no rust . then I can sell the Hilux and produce all my own fuel .I have about 35 litres a week organised now .

[hansp77]

Peter, I just checked out your link-
so you are going the appleseed reactor process?
From my limited understanding that looks like a good simple way.
I am starting to get silly thoughs like- you know I could actually fit a water heater in my workshop- if I moved that pile of wood, shifted that bench... Being in inner city I am sure that getting oil is not going to be a problem (unless times have severely changed since I was last cooking in commercial kitchens here)
How toxic/dangerous is the process? Could I get away with doing the appleseed process in my outdoor covered in patio workshop in the middle of suburbia just a window pane away from my bedroom? If so, just how much space would I really need?
or maybe as you PM'd WVO could be the way for my engine- as I have read it can work quite well with the 3B.

About Isuzu's, I actually became briefly interested in the Isuzu MU- a good under-appreciated mid-sized diesel 4WD, relatively cheap with a (as far as I can tell) good reputation.

oh, and do you have any plans with what to do with your glycerin?

heres a quote from the real Tyler Durden

The clear layer is glycerin. You can mix glycerin back in when you make soap. Or you can skim the glycerin off. You can mix glycerin with nitric acid to make nitroglyerin. You can mix nitroglycerin with sodium nitrate and sawdust to make dynamite. You can blow up bridges. You can mix nitroglycerin with more nitric acid and and parafin and make gelatin explosives. You can blow up a building, easy."

With enough soap, you can blow up the whole world.

I am going to go do some reading about WVO conversions...

I look forward to hearing about how your Biodiesel plant goes.

[Tylerdurden]

Don't go the reclaim route. Talk to local farmers to plant fallow field "oil" crops. there are several but my favorite is...


Too bad its almost impossible here to plant it.

Building a press is not all that difficult and the waste stream has several uses. Start a new local economy in your area.
My local farmer is considering planting a field this year of rapeseed or switchgrass. I don't know jack about the farming end but I sent him a lot of info and he brings it up every time I see him.

Most chain restaurants are reclaiming their oil and the large fryer users are doing the same. Big seafood shack I service just had two 300 gallon tanks installed. one is fresh and one is reclaim.
They are under contract just like the chain accounts. I cannot imagine it will be long until you see them down under.