BioDiesel Kit?

[Brutis]

I've been thinking seriously about making my own fuel and I ran across this kit in Diesel Tech Magazine. It's not very expensive and I'm considering.
Also, I have a friend who wants to run in it in a 1st Gen Cummins, and another friend who wants to run it in a 2006 Duramax.

Would it be O.K. to run this in our trucks? Any feedback/pro/cons greatly appriciated!

Heres the link: http://www.bluegrassfuel.net/page2.php

 

[George_7.3IDI]

Expect the 2006 Duramax to have some expensive fueling issues. From what I read at the link all you would be doing is filtering Waste Vegetable Oil and pouring it straight into your fuel tank. This would likely work ok for the Cummins and your Ford but the newer vehicles like the Duramax aren't going to like it... not to mention from the manufacturer a vehicle that new will only be certified to run a 5% biodiesel mix. I bought and will be installing a kit in my truck to run WVO that will use the coolant to bring the WVO up to operating temperature before switching from my diesel tanks to the WVO tank. If unheated the WVO can cause coking on injectors and various multitude of other issues. The other thing you need to take into account is the climate where you are at because the WVO will jell up at a much higher temperature than diesel.

George

 

[CDX825]

Just looks like a tank you blend fuel in to me?

 

[97idi]

i would highly suggest getting your own tank pump and filter for this you could cut that 900 bucks in half real quick if not even more i would opt to goto tractor supply or a store like it and get a 35gal poly tank, a elc 12v bio pump, look around on the net for it and just plumb it up in a way that the oil in the tank will get heated also u can do a heated fuel line using ur coolant, imo that is a waste of money just my ideas hope it helps and good luck

 

[RLDSL]

Buddy, 900 bucks for a plastic tank, a kitchen water filter and a drill end pump You really need to do some research.

I can show you how to make a filtration setup out of a couple of used 55 gal drums and a couple of filters and a barrell pump to get it into your truck for around $75 or less depending on your scrounging skills Will filter to 2 micron through waterbloc filter and is well settled to reduce filter clogging. what comes out is cleaner than pump fuel

 

[97idi]

that 16gal take is 40 bucks from northern tool, their are also some nice fuel filter/heater combos on ebay depending on your sources like maby if you could find a used tank and pump exc u could probly make a nice setup for 200 bucks atleast i could, tractor supply has a nice heavy duty 35gal poly tank for 100 bucks

 

[97idi]

Buddy, 900 bucks for a plastic tank, a kitchen water filter and a drill end pump You really need to do some research.

I can show you how to make a filtration setup out of a couple of used 55 gal drums and a couple of filters and a barrell pump to get it into your truck for around $75 or less depending on your scrounging skills Will filter to 2 micron through waterbloc filter and is well settled to reduce filter clogging. what comes out is cleaner than pump fuel

x2 got any pics of ur setup? r u running straight wvo or a mix?

 

[smolkin]

You can filter WVO all you want, but it isn' biodiesel. To get bio, it must undergo transesterification to remove the glycerin and whatnot. I burned unheated WVO for the first summer I had the truck, and I can tell you, it will work, but neither you nor the truck will like it. You really need to heat the veg, and even then, using real bio is probably better.

 

[White Trash]

Wow I'm with those that say that's over priced... My dad has a '01 24 valve that has 391k on the ticker and for the last 250 of that has ran straight filtered WVO poured right into the tank. Not one single issue with the truck itself although the carter lift pump we put on there several years ago gave up the ghost when I tried running WVO in 40* weather.

It now has a holley red pump and after that $100 mistake we won't re running straight WVO in the cold weather again.

 

[97idi]

You can filter WVO all you want, but it isn' biodiesel. To get bio, it must undergo transesterification to remove the glycerin and whatnot. I burned unheated WVO for the first summer I had the truck, and I can tell you, it will work, but neither you nor the truck will like it. You really need to heat the veg, and even then, using real bio is probably better.

i agree with the non heated side of things but heated it should be just like diesel and a mix would be a must for the colder climates, although i did a test once with some used veg oil, i let it sit out side when we got (2 feet of snow here in md) and after about 5 hours of sitting it was just as fluid as it was at room temp, although it would jell quicker in lines

 

[smolkin]

Yeah, this kit is crap. My filtration system cost $1.50. I took 2 5=gal buckets, cut out the bottom of one, and epoxied it to a cut-out bucket lid. I place a 10-micron filter (i.e., a clean cotton t-shirt, approx. $1.00) between the buckets, snap the lid/bucket on, and pour it in. You can laugh, but it works as well as this kit probably does. My friend's gf's dad is an EPA biochemist, I brought him a sample, and he verified that there were no particles larger than 5 microns in it.

Send me a SASE and $900 and I'll send you detailed plans.

 

[White Trash]

Yeah, this kit is crap. My filtration system cost $1.50. I took 2 5=gal buckets, cut out the bottom of one, and epoxied it to a cut-out bucket lid. I place a 10-micron filter (i.e., a clean cotton t-shirt, approx. $1.00) between the buckets, snap the lid/bucket on, and pour it in. You can laugh, but it works as well as this kit probably does. My friend's gf's dad is an EPA biochemist, I brought him a sample, and he verified that there were no particles larger than 5 microns in it.

Send me a SASE and $900 and I'll send you detailed plans.

I dig it, my dad has used old tube socks, jeans hell he even tried coffee filters once... My favorite was when he just stuffed paper towels into a large funnel and poured the oil in slowly.

I built him an upgraded system with a 35 gallon drum, a 1" large cartridge filter and compressed air. Works nice but once I get my IDI I'll build a high volume system and put it at his place for us both to use.

 

[SparkandFire]

Yeah, this kit is crap. My filtration system cost $1.50. I took 2 5=gal buckets, cut out the bottom of one, and epoxied it to a cut-out bucket lid. I place a 10-micron filter (i.e., a clean cotton t-shirt, approx. $1.00) between the buckets, snap the lid/bucket on, and pour it in. You can laugh, but it works as well as this kit probably does. My friend's gf's dad is an EPA biochemist, I brought him a sample, and he verified that there were no particles larger than 5 microns in it.

Send me a SASE and $900 and I'll send you detailed plans.

A t-shirt is really 10 microns? Gheesh! Hey, whats your address, i can send you 900 for the plans, but since I am a prince in Nigeria I will have to have your account number to wire you the money, oh and I have an unclaimed 1 million dollars to give you to!

HAHA

 

[Brutis]

So the idea of running used petroleum based oils isn't a bad idea, it's just that kit that's a joke? I don't pretend to be real smart on the subject, but I'd love to save 70-80% on fuel costs for my daily driver. Can I really rig up a homemade kit like ya'll are talking about to make something safe to run my truck on?

 

[WrickM]

I've got about 25k miles on veggie oil in a 6.9. For the sake of longevity i do recommend heating veg oil. I am not a super stickler for how hot it has to be, but i have a coolant heated tank and a "hose in hose" (hih) system that heat the oil all the way up to the filter.

In winter i prepare the oil using the baking soda and salt method. I heat the oil in a 50 gal drum (just a water heater element on the end of an extension cord) add a canister of salt to catch water and other contaminates and pull them to the bottom. Then a box of baking soda which removes a lot of the fatty acid chains that cause gelling. Let settle for a day and filter to 5 microns with whole house filters from lowes .

I pour all my oil into one barrell. All the crap and good stuff and add the salt and baking soda and it really makes a difference. just throwing it out there for those interested.