I have heard that it eats rubber fuel lines and seals an o rings, dont remember what you have to change to or what years they changed over to he newer stuff. Most people I know and talk to just run it anyway. All I can say is I dont know anybody who has had that issue yet. Be nice to hear from somebody who has had problems though.

 

Try asking here maybe Bio-diesel, Propane & Alternative Diesel Engine Fuels - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

 

Thanks I will check it out. But at this point it is more for curiosity then anything. I can't buy it locally and if I could it is more money then diesel and diesel is pennies away from four bucks a gallon.

 

They are using waste vegetable oil up here, and puposely selling biodiesel cheaper than diesel. If they didnt most wouldnt buy it lol.

 

Here's a good write-up.
http://www.bioheatonline.com/pdf/Myths_Facts.pdf
Could be that we're all fine using it - and apparently many people have had good success, but our truck is too new-to-us for me to try it, personally.

There was also a scare here in WA about the bio-diesel quality control being non-existent, which was causing some bad reactions in engines, also. Home-brew might not have that issue.

 

Thanks for the link.

 

Anybody here make their own Biodiesel from Waste Vegetable Oil? I'm looking into rigging up an Appleseed processor and getting into it.

 

Good luck finding an affordable source for it. Not a single restaurant around here will sell it. Or can sell it. It all goes into containers in the back and goes to disposal companies. They sell it for more than 2 bucks a gallon. I don't know who is stupid enough to pay that for fuel use though. It's best if you can buy soybeans and press them yourself. Seriously. Unless you are a fried food junkie then that's the only way to do it cost effectively anymore. We're planting beans here next month and I already have a press. Just have to find someone to harvest them for me and rig up a processor. Till then I'm buying bio from a local company that makes it from soybeans.

FWIW I'm running straight bio now. I started with b50 then 80 and now running straight. I haven't had a single problem and neither has my son's 93 IDI engine. I got a new chip from Tony Wildman this weekend and even running pure bio that things econo tune is just down right scary compared to my 94's stock programming. The extreme tune will light up my locker rear end like it's a one wheel spinner. I am gonna save that one for the next time a dodge smokes me out on the freeway. We just did a trip to Dallas and back and I got 18 mpg running 70 so no complaints there at all. That was after Tonys tunes. I didn't keep track on the way there but the whole trip was running B100. I really doubt anyone would have a problem running bio unless you already have problems. Like dripping fuel pumps or rotted out fuel filter housings. If your system is good then I just can't see any problems from it. It IS a good parts cleaner though. I just filled up my parts washer with it and it will strip everything out of a powerstroke head. Even the carbon that was on it. I just let it soak for a day and it came out perfectly clean. So if you have leaks now then expect it to get worse is all I'm saying if you are gonna run B100. For B20 mixes. I just wouldn't worry about it.

 

yeah, there is a lot of competition now to get the WVO from restaurants.

 

I started a thread about this on another board, and they were talking all kinds of bad about running B100 in unmodified diesel vehicles. Granted, it's not a vehicle based forum, but it is populated with people who are knowledgeable on all sorts of topics. I may post what was said and see if anybody can refute the points they made. Quite frankly, they've pretty much scared me out of even considering Biodiesel.

 

Did they give any specifics on what to modify? There really isn't anything that I can think of that can be modified.

 

I built an appleseed reactor back in '05 and have been making my own juice since then. Only in the warmer months up here. I still get my WVO for free. The only actual problem I've had was the rubber coating on some wired in the liter valley being eaten. That has more to do with me not being careful when changing oil filters than anything else. It's been good since I learned about that the hard way.

 

When diesel hit $5.50/gallon a few years back, it just made me smile thinking about going home to fuel up.

 

For example, here's what one guy posted about the negatives of Biodiesel, specifically how it relates to Powerstrokes:

 

Wow, that guy sounds like a dummy.

Chew up our lift pumps?
I wonder how.

And eat the bottom of the fuel filter can?
Last I checked, our fuel filter can is METAL.

=)

Some rubbers, like the wire coatings, are very susceptible to the bio, but if you spray cleaners on them, they will do the same things.
They just are not oil/fuel rated wires. There is the answer for that. =)

I don't see how bio could effect how long your glow plugs last.
Specially when there are people around here with 200k on glow plugs that work still.
*sigh*

Comes down to that "i know better than everyone else" sorta deal, and they say you shouldn't do it, so they can get it all or whatever.


TJ Beggs has an impressive Bio reactor (i'm calling it that for fun) to make his fuel. He's got an impressive setup though.

BTW, if the fuel isn't washed properly and handled right, it can cause some damage to rubbers and such though too.
Leaving the glycerin in there, or not washing everything properly, not settling your fuel properly.
that's if you make it yourself.
You wouldn't have that issue making it from .. oh lets say, fresh soy bean oil or whatever. Your not having to clean out the wastes of the fuel.
Thus just bonding them together and filtering and settling.

You use LYE to break the WVO apart, I think some gets left in there if the fuel isn't handled right, which is why plastic tank setups (fuelmiester) are bad IMO.
The chemical reaction can get hot enough to melt the plastic.

Leftover lye can eat up the rubbers.

But like i said, I know people with 7.3's that are stock and have over 200k just running full bio.

The people who have problems switching to bio is most likely from build ups from fuel or other things that the bio cleans out.
Thus creating a leak and what not.

They could never blame their own stupidity if that was the case, its the bio's fault then.
Oh no. bio is bad, it ate though my worn out fuel pump that was already dieing.
Well duh!

If you read the fuel additives test we pass around on here a lot,
Soy Bio is THE BEST LUBRICITY ADDITIVE YOU CAN USE!
It won the test.
Why?
cause it rocks.
So imagine running b100 then?
Pure lubrication.

Just like diesel fuel, there can be bad batches.

Happens.
Diesel isn't cared about as much as petrol is, except for the price at the pump.