Posted on 10/03/2013 12:47:47 PM PDT by taxcontrol
Questions to those freepers who have produced a batch of biodiesl. I'm looking for those who have real world experience on a small scale, making and running biodiesel
I have a 2004 VW Jetta TDI my research tells me that this is a good candidate for biodiesel as it does not have the emission controls. I bought it for my kids to use to get back and forth to school. That means I consume about 30 gallons of diesel per month. What would be a good set up to feed this car?
I have found a local mexican resturant that uses an oil removal service. The resturant says that I can go ahead and take the WVO. Looks like 3-4 gallons per week. I do not yet know the content or condition of the oil. Looks really dark to me. Should I look for a different source?
I live in a HOA so I do have to be a bit careful about the actual conversion process. I'm thinking of building a lean to type shed for the side of the house to hold the equipment.
Anyone use the Appleseed hotwater processor?
Any other thoughts or recommendations?
Diesel Ping
My BIL makes and uses it in his tractors,Kobota & MF, doesn’t seem to harm them.Not sure about a car.
You live in a HOA, and you want to build a lean-to shed AND drive a car around that smells like the Burrito Grande off of Nogalitos Rd?
Good luck with that.
The booklet with my 2010 Jetta said not to use bio-diesel. But it might be because it’s not uber-green. You might talk to the dealer and ask about it. The injectors are apparently such a delicate high-tech item that the oil requires and additive just for them. 507-00, I think.
This is not a typical diesel engine. It’s much more refined and highly tuned.
30 gallons a month doesn’t seem much to me but maybe my commute has made be jaded. Seems like a lot of work for very little savings. You didn’t mention your climate but would you need to blend? This could cut into your cost savings too...
That is because of the emmission controls that were added in 2007 if memory servers, that is when the EPA rules changed.
40 mpg ish so 30 gallons is about 1200 miles. That represents the maximum I would need.
Climate is Denver, Colorado
My 1984 Mercedes 300D is the car everyone wants for conversion to bio-diesel.
Yeah, there are some local 300D that I’m looking at for the next purchase ... if this biodiesel thing works out.
“That is because of the emmission controls that were added in 2007 if memory servers, that is when the EPA rules changed.”
Ah, thanks. I had a 220D and poured all kinds of stuff into it. Old oil, kerosene, etc. Ran like a champ. Just strain the big stuff out.
My diesel can,according to the manufacturer,use a maximum of 5% bio diesel.Anything more,they say,and you void the warranty.
Research used motor oil. I don’t know how that’ll work out for a car, but others who’ve used it in small diesel engines have claimed better results than with bio-diesel.
Really? I had not heard about that. I will look into it.
Yes. I’ve read a few articles about 6 and 10 hp diesel engines running on used motor oil—filtered, of course. That’s all I’ve got, though, for now (out to mount some tires before sundown here, in the middle of nowhere).
Be VERY VERY CAREFUL!
‘Bio-diesel’ if it has not had all the glycerin removed can damage your car or truck fuel injectors if they are of the piezo-electric type. This is because they operate at huge pressures as compared to old style electro-mechanical injectors. The glycerin must be completely removed from any bio-diesel product you may use or you will have a huge and costly repair on your hands.
Are you looking to make biodiesel or just run the vehicle on waste vegetable oil or WVO?
I did a lot of research on this when the boss wanted to run a pickup truck on used cooking oil so we could look green. (He left a couple of months after we converted the truck, so we don’t have any long term stories to tell. As soon as he was out the door, so was the WVO kit.)
Avoid Mexican restaurants and hamburger joints and go for the oil from Chinese restaurants. We found that was a lot cleaner and easier to use.
Take a good look at what you are left with when you finish making a batch of biodiesel, if that’s the route you take. It’s nasty enough for it to be classified as hazardous waste, if anyone wants to check. Generating hazardous waste may be more concern to the HOA than the lean-to. And accidents do happen with that stuff.
Second, you will need a pre-heater for WVO to work in or near Denver. If you forget to turn on the pre-heater some cold morning, or think the fuel is warm when it’s not, you will have totally plugged injectors. If you have to pay for that repair, you will find that your home made biodiesel was very expensive. Even if you can do the work yourself, your vehicle will be out of commission until you do.
The same thing will happen in cold weather if you don’t get the wax and glycerin out of a batch of biodiesel. This has affected whole states when a local refiner slipped up. There’s a lot out there on the web about that, too.
Oh, and if there is any manufacturer’s engine warranty, the first tankful of biodiesel or WVO will void it.
Good luck with it!
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