Biodiesel and WVO - SVO links thread.

[Joe Marroso]

Gentlemen,

My last 2 WVO excursions have been unsuccessful. I am without source. I stockpiled for this day but the end is near.

Anybody know anybody in Las Vegas NV who accumulates WVO and would be willing to sell before it goes in the grease dumpster?


Joe Marroso

[Rooster300SD]

Joe,
Check on craigslist. Type in WVO.
Some guy is selling his setup but also appears to have some oil.
He is in Henderson.

Jeff in Sacramento

[Joe Marroso]

Originally Posted by Rooster300SD

Joe,
Check on craigslist. Type in WVO.
Some guy is selling his setup but also appears to have some oil.
He is in Henderson.

Jeff in Sacramento

Dear Jeff,

Thank you.

Joe Marroso

[SD300]

I am thniking of looping the fuel line by bending some 3/8" copper tubing around the oil filter several times as it can give more heat to the filtered vege oil, so it doesnt gel as easily.

Right now I am running about 50/50 atf or vege oil depends what ever i can get easily.

[John Schroader]

A couple of considerations. First --- until the engine is warm you would not be generating any heat for the fuel and most folks consider cold WVO to be less than good for your engine. Secondly ---- and I'm not at all sure of this , but I've read that copper fuel lines eventually react with the acidity of the WVO to form crud. Some research on this matter might be worthwhile.

[surveyguy]

for my CF, i was using a PS pump from a dodge dart. i was getting a lot of air (i mean a lot, so that it is foamy). any suggestions on another type of pump to get? I have a lead on a used sterling gear pump i'm thinking of getting and trying. i dont know the model (stats) on it, but it's $45. any thoughts?

[John Schroader]

. i was getting a lot of air (i mean a lot, so that it is foamy).

Are you making bio or cleaning WVO? I get a few bubbles for a moment in my bio, but they disperse very soon. If the bio still contained unreacted lye, then it might produce soapy suds. I really don't know how to answer your question, but think that a few bubbles that disappear rapidly should be of no concern. Lingering bubbles would indicate (in my opinion) bad stuff in your bio (or WVO).

[surveyguy]

John, to clarify, it's WVO. I haven't tried my new pump yet (i did buy the one, it's a sterling gear pump). I was also told that if i got a dose of animal fat it would do that too, but i can't believe that it would foam.

let me ask you another question. all this talk about 3-way and 6-way valves, what's wrong with using a bang-bang valve (two of them)? is there a return line on the 240D? if there is no need for that circuit, i would think that two tanks, and two valves (one normally on, one normally off) would work fine, and the engine could pull from whichever tank is open. running the diesel through a heat exchanger, then when warm, switch to WVO, then back to diesel before shutting off the engine (switch a few minutes before planning on shutting off the car).

where's the flaw in this?

i appreciate it

Guy

[John Schroader]

I'm sure there are lots of folks better informed than I am, but here's my take on the solenoids. I think you would need two return lines - one to each tank. You probably don't want WVO going back into your diesel tank. Keeping this priority (return to proper tank), you would need a solenoid that switched return, as well supplies. I think some folks plumb their systems so that the return fuel loops back to the supply (just before the injection system) but I really don't know exactly how that's done. The only system I built used an $80 solenoid to route return fuel to the tank that was providing supply. Given that, it seems to me that I pumped a tiny bit of WVO into the regular tank (just while the lines cleared). That never seemed to present a problem. I do think - however, that pumping return WVO to the diesel tank on a prolonged basis would not be a good idea.

[surveyguy]

i sure appreciate this John, on that $80 solonoid, did that do the full work of both systems, or did you have to buy 2 solonoids?

how much do you have into your biodiesel setup? it looks like way too much of a setup for me, and science. i am good with science, i just don't want to do it, unless it's homebrew... (ha!)

[John Schroader]

how much do you have into your biodiesel setup? it looks like way too much of a setup for me, and science. i am good with science, i just don't want to do it, unless it's homebrew... (ha!)

Being as how I already owned the air compressor and drill press, I have almost no money in my bio processor. It looks like the genuine hillbilly rig that it is but has made hundreds and hundreds of gallons of good bio.

[surveyguy]

thanks so much John, do you have photos i can see of your biodiesel setup? maybe if i search?

i am thinking it may be just as easy to do biodiesel as i'm already setting up to centrifuge wvo, just a couple more steps. i hear one must mist-wash and i'm not sure what that is, unless it's just misting the oil so water evap's, which i would like to do with WVO anyway.

I do have a compressor (2) but no drill press. i'm a hillbilly enough to make one however.

if anyone else has a relatively simple biodiesel converting setup, i'd like to hear of your setup and see photos. I will do some searching here too.

Guy

[surveyguy]

anyone use one of these to transfer oil?

http://www.amazon.com/Northern-Industrial-Multipurpose-Drill-Powered/dp/B0024GB94Y/ref=pd_sbs_sg_6

I have heard alot about harbor freight $25 pumps, but their catalog only shows this with the hose and all for $120.

[John Schroader]

Would like to boast of hundreds of gallons of sparkling clear bio passing through my hillbilly centrifuge, but I guess the truth would probably work better. A while back I posted info about using a Chrysler power steering pump and a centrifuge to clean bio. Well it was good while it lasted, and I'm pretty sure this idea will eventually clean a lot of fuel. But-----the power steering pump developed a leak pretty early on and my great pump pressure (shouldn't have bragged so much) dropped drastically. I have not taken the time to pull the pump apart and see where the leak originated. Possibly the bio ate a seall, possibly the heat of the fuel (warm was better than cold), maybe it was just time for the pump to die. Anyway, I hooked the centrifuge back to my trusty Harbor Freight pump and can centrifuge at a pressure of 30 psi. Will update when I get around to pulling the pump apart.

[firemediceric]

I read above of people having trouble getting WVO. Right now I have about 700 gallons stockpiled with more available. Although supply isn't a problem for me, I'm wanting to get out of the alternate fuel hobby.

If anyone near Vero Beach would like to get into it, I have a Super Sucker collection unit sitting on a trailer that pulls 120 gal. of WVO in 10 minutes with a vacuum pump and then can be pressurized for off loading. I have an Apple Seed made from an 80 gallon water heater, IBC totes, drums, various fittings, valves, filter set ups and of course WVO.

If the stuff sells I'll get out of making the WVO. If the stuff doesn't sell, I'll exhaust my supply of WVO and see how I feel then.