how do you convert to biodiesel

topic posted Sun, December 30, 2007 - 3:19 PM by  Unsubscribed
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what are the basic steps, and where do you get your fuel from?
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  • Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

    Sun, December 30, 2007 - 4:39 PM
    If its BQ9000 fuel then you you just open your fuel cap and pour it in. If its not certified fuel and you drive an older diesel then you may want to consider changing out rubber fuel lines and seals for synthetic rubber if you use concentrations higher than 5% biodiesel by volume of diesel.

    Not reccomended to run concentrations higher than B20 (20% biodiesel 80% dlesel) in areas where temps drop near the freezing point.

    There not allot to the 'conversion' however you should have spare fuel filters handy as biodiesel has a tendency to loosen up diesel crud in your system and can cause premature filter clogging.
    • Unsu...
       

      Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

      Tue, January 1, 2008 - 8:59 PM
      cool< SWEET actually, thanks very much this will even out the higher price of diesel for me, can i just go to mcdonalds and will they give me their french fry oil?
      • Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

        Tue, January 1, 2008 - 11:52 PM
        Biodiesel and SVO or WVO are not the same.
        You should spend at least a few hours reading up on this before pouring fat in your fuel tank.
        McDonalds has their own corporate program in place, and will normally not be forthcoming with their nasty cheap oil.
    • Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

      Fri, February 1, 2008 - 5:19 AM
      The way I converted to biodiesel, was I just poured it in all my cars and farm equipment. This is what I found. Biodiesel is the greatest universal solvent. I had some on my sleeve. It melted plastic inside my car. It can melt some plastic or rubber hoses, but it takes a little while. While it does seem to pick up some crud, the main issue is it tends to plug fuel filters especially in cool weather. I find adding a bottle of STP diesel fuel treatment, DIesel 911, napthalene, or some other true solvent to a tank eliminates most of the filter plugs. Adding a bottle of Diesel 911 to the tank will clear most filter plugs in real time. I have run B100 in everything I own, including VW Jetta, VW Passat, New Holland Skid Steer, Ford F250, etc. The F250 did not like it. The lower energy content of the fuel made the shift points seem awkward and the truck felt underpowered. The VW's love the stuff. It is definitely for warm weather.
      • Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

        Thu, February 14, 2008 - 7:12 PM
        Do you know what would be involved with converting a vehicle that isn't diesel? I have a '99 Jeep Wrangler Sport and didn't know if it was possible or how easy it would be to convert it so I can run it off of veggie oil.
      • RJ
        RJ
        offline 0

        Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

        Mon, February 18, 2008 - 4:53 PM
        Peter;
        How cool is too cool regarding weather. I live in Boston-or will be shortly, and am thinking of going Diesel Secret Energy to run in a diesel I plan to purchase - probably a jetta or passat. DSE sounds like WVO mixed with STP fuel treatment. You seem to have done the whole biodiesel conversion pretty easily, any ideas?
        Thanx for your help

        RJ
        • Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

          Mon, February 18, 2008 - 5:56 PM
          You need on-board heaters to run a VO fuel system, though some evade that requirement in moderate climates by mixing the oil with other fuels (not "treatments", but kerosene, gasoline, or others). Someone did a thorough comparison of additives and various fuels' cold-weather performance at a range of temps. It's exactly the info you probably need. I'm sure Google will yield it fairly quickly. Try "diesel fuel cold weather performance"

          If you have adequate, well-designed fuel, fuel line, filter, and block/coolant heating systems on board, you should not need additives,

          This is particularly true in a climate such as Boston's. And you're likely to spend real money on all that heating, whether in the form of electrical, fuel, or auxiliary heating system fuel (Espar, etc.)

          Since you'd likely have to perform many of the same of mods to run untreated bio in a cold climate, makes some sense to skip the refining step and just burn oil. But the conversion is a LOT of work regardless.
        • Re: how do you convert to biodiesel

          Tue, February 19, 2008 - 1:34 AM
          How cool is too cool is completely dependent on climate and type of oil.

          For example, running coconut oil in your diesel in Boston in the dead of winter will *REQUIRE* some *SERIOUS* modification of your vehicle before you could even think about getting combustion to happen, let alone on a regular basis.

          Heres the diesel secret.

          Just about anything that is combustlble under pressure will burn in a diesel engine. If you add benzene to cat hair, brick dust or even water, you will get combustion. The diesel secret energy stuff is just a bunch of benzene products mixed in with a bunch of hydrocarbons [ which would be the opposite of what you desire] that will make human flesh, pets or just about any flammable substance combust in a diesel engine.

          I don't recommend additives or solvents for anyone considering running WVO/SVO/PVO or whatever you want to call it. Every, and I mean EVERY batch of oil is going to have different lubrication properties than the last. Their is no magic elixir of percentages that you can mix together that is going to magically apply to from one batch to another .

          Why do I speak this nonsense?

          Well because its the truth. A diesel engine will run on fat from liposuction if the viscosity is near correct, but that doesn't mean its running good or proper or within design specifications. Newer diesels are obviously more susceptible to these problems than older ones, but none the less if your going to commit to renewable fuels you need to understand the risk and trials you may experience.

          Currently their is no "STP" treatment that will apply to WVO (waste veggie oli) and make it into biodiesel.

          Biodiesel is the result of seperating burnable oil from glycerol.

          Glycerol is a usable product, handy for making soaps, toothpastes, gauge oils and a handful of other products handy in making civilized life available to you and me. In a engine under improper circumstances it can cause problems akin to clogged arteries in your dad. Left in old use up oil it creates nothing but problems, problems even "diesel secret" cannot address.

          BQ9000 diesel will run in any diesel easily made within the last 10-15 years at almost any percentage of diesel and bio. Dirtier bio-d will create problems for just about any diesel.

          I'm being brief here, but the short work of this is their is no biodiesel secret. Only a secret of how shady folks can take advantage of others.

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