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Old 04-20-2006, 10:25 PM
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WVOtoGO WVOtoGO is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Usually, in the skies above you.
Posts: 151
pmari - on my diesel/WVO issues....

Every batch I filter (usually 35 to 50 gallons), I pump a quart of it into a clear glass jar. After it sits a few days (outside at the same ambient temp as the batch), I look at it just to see if any “surprises” have settled or formed out of it. I do this with every batch prior to pumping any of it into my car. The first filtration is a T-Shirt that’s sole purpose is to catch the chunks of French fries and jalapeno poppers that are in it from the restaurant. From there it goes through a .5 micron filter sock them a 10 micron fuel filter. That all leaves it golden yellow and very translucent.
Translucence is the important thing. Cloudy is bad.
As far as the wax stuff goes, I’ve only seen it from a sample of diesel mixed WVO. I don’t remember where I heard about this reaction between diesel and veggie oil, but it could very well be from a post on this board. Went temps were getting cold around here (nights in the 30s), I decided to mix in 5 gallons of diesel to about 35 gallons of filtered WVO.
After sitting over night, I noticed a white/milky cloud forming in the lower 30% of the sample. A quick swirl would mix it right back in, but the translucence was not as good. The stuff seemed to burn fine. The problems came when temps got below freezing, and I had no way of swirling my car to keep it mixed. What would happen was the white milky cloud would actually form into chunks of a waxy solid. Not rock solid, but solid enough to clog my primary filter.
That batch got put aside in a drum to be put in the tractors when temps warmed up. What was still in the car was burned at the expense of about 5 pre-filters. The tank filter never seemed to have a problem with it. Back in February when temps stayed above freezing, I stirred up the drum, and it burned/ran just fine in the tractors. No sign of filter issues to date.
That was the last time I did the Diesel/WVO thing. I have not tried the kerosene thing, but have done the Jet-A mix. Did it the same as the diesel. It didn’t have the same effect on the WVO as the diesel did. Next winter, I may try some more Jet-A blends. As for the cost of it, there are two ways you can go. I happen to buy it 18,400 gallons at a time. We have 2ea. 10K gal tanks in the ground. Pumping 10 to 20 gallons out to “play with” is not an issue around here. Another source is getting to know the local aircraft maintenance facilities. When jet fuel is removed from an aircraft for maintenance purposes (need to enter a tank) it is stored in a large tank with all the other fuel removed from other aircraft. By law, do to contamination issues (mainly bio-growth), this fuel is not allowed to be put back into an aircraft. Get to know the folks, and you may get a line on some very cheap Jet-A.
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