Any one running a WVO Diesel?

[Aaron Berk]

Just bought a 97 F250 7.3L that runs on diesel and/or veggie oil.

I'm in Savannah and looking for any more like minded folks in my area. Or I guess any where else for that matter.

Looking to set up a filtering station here at the hose and might need some tips.

Oh and Happy 4th of July

Aaron

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Aaron, I suppose you intend to set your station up at your house, so just curious about the red tape that might be involved. Bet your insurance agent would have some input too.

[Aaron Berk]

Well it's not Bio Diesel so I've got no chemicals, just a bunch of oil left over from my Thanksgiving turkey fry :D:D:D

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I've seen the process on tv, so what I saw was probably edited, do you just filter it? The process that I saw involved a bit more than just a filter, IIRK.

[Joe Pelonio]

I dis some custom dash parts for a guy that converted his old Mercedes to run on old cooking oil. He showed me the way it worked and explained the process. He had bought a kit for about $3,000 that pre-heated the oil and
kept it heated throughout the tubing to the engine. It ran on gas station diesel for the first few minutes then again when he shut it down to avoid clogging. As for the filters, his came in the kit and was gravity fed, a large funnel-shaped tank at the top and a filter bag below. The oil was heated to about 90F before filtering. He built a platform with steps to pour the used oil into the top. At first he was able to get the used oil free at most fast-food restaurants but now has to pay for it.

[Paul Ryan]

At first he was able to get the used oil free at most fast-food restaurants but now has to pay for it.

That is what has been happening around here. The demand has increased greatly due to the kits available and more and more people making their own bio diesel.

[Matt Meiser]

I run biodiesel bought from the gas station in town in my tractor. The John Deere dealer told me there are supposedly some small advantages to it in terms of injector and upper cylinder lubrication. There's no cost savings buying it this way.

The exhaust has a very distinctive smell--I'm hungry for fries every time I mow. Which is better than the usual exhaust smell...

[Jason Roehl]

I've seen the process on tv, so what I saw was probably edited, do you just filter it? The process that I saw involved a bit more than just a filter, IIRK.

There are two common ways to use WVO--one is to heat and filter it in the vehicle, the other is to use lye and nitromethane or methanol (I forget which) to convert it to bio-diesel, with glycerin being a byproduct. The second method is done outside the vehicle with circulation pumps, tanks, filters and careful measurements, and is the one I saw Stacy David do on "TRUCKS!" 4-5 years ago.

Both processes have the downside that if you goof them up, you can have some expensive engine repairs on your hands, though the most common problem with the first method is having to constantly change fuel filters. The second method, if not done properly can result in a problematic fuel pH (from too much/too little lye) that starts to eat fuel system components.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Jason, the lye method must have been the one that I saw. It was on "Dirty Jobs".

[Jon Knauft]

Be aware that state governments are cracking down on home brewers of bio-diesel. There was a big case in Wisconsin where the state went after a home brewer for non-payment of fuel taxes. Funny since I think you can get a state tax credit for using Bio-diesel.

Edit: Just found the article. The home brewer had to pay 2 cents per gallon tax!

-Jon

[Joe Pelonio]

Be aware that state governments are cracking down on home brewers of bio-diesel. There was a big case in Wisconsin where the state went after a home brewer for non-payment of fuel taxes. Funny since I think you can get a state tax credit for using Bio-diesel.

Edit: Just found the article. The home brewer had to pay 2 cents per gallon tax!

-Jon
The guy I did the work for was worried about that too, but last I heard they had not caught him. And he does buy a tank a year or so of pump diesel.

[Karl Brogger]

I think in Minnesota it has to do with how many gallons are produced at one time by an individual that determines whether or not you are dodging the fuel tax. D.O.T. actually sets up road blocks and pulls over diesel pickup trucks around here and dips the tank to see if it is dyed fuel or not, which if you by off-road/no tax fuel it is dyed red.

I looked into it 3-4 years ago, and while making bio diesel yourself can be cost effective, its also a big pain in the rear, plus I'd only be able to use it about half the year. Being a natural product it also has a shelf life before bacteria get at it and start turning it into something not diesel. I figured my fuel consumption greatly out weighed my capacity for production and gave up the idea.

B100 does smell pretty awesome, reminds me of when I used to run castor oil in my two stroke bikes/quads.

[Aaron Berk]

Being that most woodworkers are quite resourceful and thrifty I thought for sure there would have been more bites on this one.

Oh well, maybe I can be a pioneer with this.

[Neal Clayton]

Just bought a 97 F250 7.3L that runs on diesel and/or veggie oil.

I'm in Savannah and looking for any more like minded folks in my area. Or I guess any where else for that matter.

Looking to set up a filtering station here at the hose and might need some tips.

Oh and Happy 4th of July

Aaron

i have a nephew that was a diesel mechanic that worked for ford. this conversation has come up a few times at family gatherings, since both my dad and stepbrother have F250s.

the main concern is i remember him mentioning that ford uses natural rubber for fittings, gaskets, etc. around the fuel line. these will have to be replaced with synthetic, since you'll be putting a bit of methanol in that bio diesel to stop it from gelling in colder weather. the methanol will destroy the natural rubber.

pretty sure there are conversion kits for this, though.