I've been researching this pretty much endlessly, and still feel as though I have barely scratched the surface.

Where I am now:
I have 2 solid sources providing 120-150gal of WVO per month, ready to end their current pickup at any moment. I have a planned refinery site on my property. I have capital ready to build said refinery.

My Plans:
Run my 04 6.0 Excursion on B-100 and my home heaing system on B-100, and my neighbors Dodge diesel on up to B-100. I'm going to have a 15x25' slab poured in my side yard and construct a building around it. Inside I plan to have the refinery system, 1000gal pre-processed tank, 1000gal post-processed tank. One resturant is my brothers, the other is a neighboring resturant. I can add a 3rd if I want. It's $40/mo for 120gal, I can collect up to 360gal/mo, but plan to start with one collection site per month. I plan to store a bolting waste tank on a flat bed car trailer. I'll back it into a carport area in front of the building housing my refinery. There will be a 2000lb hoist to lift the tank off the trailer when I need the trailer for something else. I will pump the WVO into the waste tank inside. Since WVO and B-100 gels much faster, I plan to keep it at 50-60F during the winter, and whatever it happens to be in the summer.

My Concerns:
I have yet to find any difinitive information regarding 6.0's and B-100. I'll convert what-ever's necessary, that's not a concern, I just need to know what. High pressure fuel lines? Tank? injector O-rings? I'm looking for someone who has done it, that's all, and what they've done and their experience. Also, home heating oil is D2 Diesel with red dye. If the 6.0 can run it, I would think home heating system can as well, probably not as sensative as the 6.0. Lines, tanks, etc, will be upgraded. I currently have storage and plan to start building my system in the near future as I can't exactly pour concrete in this weather. Once I'm up and running with B-100, can I run strait diesel from the pump? My concern is, family road trips, stuff like that. I'm also heavily considering upgrading the tank to the 100gal tank in the truck, which would reduce dependency on any fuel other than my own.

Any relevent topics I should reference? Comments or concerns? Anyone in the area interested in B-100 for cheap? I would really appreciate any insight from people who have done full B-100. B5-B20 isn't a big deal from everything I've read, but B100 is a bit more risky.

 

Hey, anything to do with biodiesel is probably too specialized for this site.

My worry is always that while theoretically, veggie oils can be burned (as in combustion), the issue is always the other properties like lubricity, gumming up the pump, injectors, etc. that is the screw up.

Not knowing anything specific, I would think that starting with 100% veggie is risky unless you can lab test its properties for lubricity, etc.

Does it coke up / gum up in the high temperatures of the engine compartment / pipes pumps, etc. durning normal use?

Conversely, does it freeze into a solid goo that makes starting engine impossible?


I think of the conversions I have seen, the most sensible ones have a switch that start the vehicle on diesel, and then run on bio diesel, with the bio purged out of the system and back to regular diesel before the engine is shut down.

The alternative is a blend, where you are assured of some safety margin from the regular diesel in the mix... but I don't know where the cutoff is where the regular diesel cease to provide its properties sufficiently to the mix.


You really need a fuel / engine engineer / chemist to work with you on this, bud.

The risk is 2 trucks with dead fuel pumps / injectors....

 

I would actually go to the alternative fuels forum that's here and see what they say on biofuel. Those guys down in that forum are pretty well in the know on that stuff(or atleast they give that appearance).

 

"Clean" Biodiesel burns as well as standard diesel, replacing the glycerine with ethanol. The problems encountered are acid content burning up rubber, and dirty biodiesel which is not properly filtered. I specifically posted in here because folks know hte 6.0 and what would need to be replaced to safely run b100. I have no intention of running SVO(strait vegi oil) or WVO(waste vegi oil), as they require the serious modifications. My concerns are injector rings, fuel tanks being eaten away, fuel lines, etc.

I checked out the biofuel section, not much action going on down there though it seems.

Lubrication is equal to or greater than standard diesel, detergents would be the primary concern, as I don't know much about them. Proper production would get soaps, etc, that would gum up injectors out of the fuel system, and I have no intent with risking a 10k engine on saving a few hundred bucks.

I do appreciate the input though. It doesn't gum stuff up, but rather the acid can eat it away if proper maintenance is not performed. High engine temps isn't a concern but rather low external temps causing gelling, as bd gels at a lower temperature. This is something I'm looking into, but finding information is near impossible. Everyone has an opinion and they're all different, so I'm going to start iwth a few test batches and since it's cold outside, I can just set a bottle outside and see what I end up with.

 

Biodiesel gels at a higher temperature then dino diesel since you are talking about B100. Now B5 and maybe up to B20 might have a different story, but as of yet I haven't heard of a formula yet for B100 that has it gelling at a lower temp. then dino diesel. That is one of the deterents of it right now for running straight B100.

That's because as of yet B100 is not truly a fuel source(hence alternative fuel), there are no standards and regulations on it right now. B20 is the highest that ASTM has standards for. There are alot of variables that can make your batch not act right even if you did everything by the book(which, of course, depends on whose "book" you use).


If it were me, I would do it where I can control the temp and where it has more even temp coverage. For instance, one side of my house is typically 5-10 degrees hotter, so where you put it outside can have a dramatic impact on your results as well.

 

If you want to talk bio, send a pm to Don (fabmandelux). He's been making and using it for a long time, and I'm sure he would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

I ran fryer oil in my 03 f-250 2 summers ago when diesel was $5 a gal. I have a restaurant, so I had control of the oil, I'd filter it hot, out of the fryers, let it settle a couple days to separate any water, filter again and use at 50-50 with diesel. I put a in-line fuel heater on also. Truck ran great on warm days 80' not so great on cool days until hot. Now my thoughts- the only injector problems I had were when using fry oil. That would be 10k miles of the 180k on the clock. I think that after reading many posts here, that 6.0 are just to finiky to risk the possible money savings to the repairs that may be needed. Also it is dirty and slimmy work and you'll ruin all your shoes. On the other hand, when you fill the tank the first time, and you smell the french fries, your gonna grin ear to ear. I did not experience any other related problems and I have had my fuel tank out and it was clean, I also did not have any fuel filter problems. You will have about 30% waste on what you pick up and also be sure that you get good pure used oil. Places throw alot of crap in with the waste oil. GOOD LUCK.

 

I'm making the assumption that you want to do this to save money. I'm also making the assumption that you are reasonably sharp. I don't think the monetary savings are great enough to justify the risk you are taking in using B100 (especially with the 6.0).
I think the heating oil idea is great. I also think that running an old diesel motor on it is fine too. Have you checked into the cost of injector replacement on a 6.0 lately?

 

I have concerns about WVO and diesel mix, but perhaps I don't know much about it. Biodiesel seems like a much better idea from what I've been able to find out.

Cost savings would be ideal, as I can source a whole lot of WVO for next to nothing. If you use 100gal of home heating oil a month, that's ~250-300$ you're looking at. Similarly, if you use 100gal of diesel fuel a month, $300 easily. Shelling out $50-80 for the WVO, then you're looking at materials to figure out how much it's going to run you for the total 200gal batch. I'm still pricing materials so i'm not sure on that much yet, then initial investment, and how long before you break even. But close to $500 saved per month, even if you went out and bought a $2500 system, you're breaking even in 5 months, anything there-after is saved. Building one isn't extremely difficult, costing no more than a few hundred.

I was going to just replace hte injector o-rings anyways. I'm at 190k, it's time. Figure as long as i'm in there, may as well do an overhaul, and get everything else that might be going replaced or repaired.

 

It is surely not something that I would try - I just am way too conservative. However, there are a few people on some of the other Forums running 100% Bio. I will look around and post some links. I certainly admit it would be nice to be "self sufficient".

Just curious - where will you be disposing of the glycerin and where will you be buying the methanol and caustic? These will certainly eat into your savings numbers.

 

There are places that will buy it, providing the glycerin that's left over is of good quality(which would depend on his source of the oil), or he could be making lots and lots and lots of soap.



Methanol isn't that hard to find, it's the storage of it that'll get you. I don't know about PA, but your only legally able to have so much of it in storage here and plus their are requirements in the containers that you store it in as well.

 

Thanks Tex!

Actually I really was wanting to know specifically where Jay was disposing of the glycerin and purchasing the raw materials (not rhetorical questions). I would also like to know prices. The quantity and secondary containment regulations for methanol can reduce the volume of the purchase. This increases transportation costs and frequently also increases the purchase price.

I have heard there is an over supply of glycerin. Also, since a "home manufacturer's" quality can vary, I have heard that many places are avoiding buying glycerin from small bio producers.

 

I think the biggest hurdle in this attempt to make fuel is getting the township, state, and EPA approval and permits. How about the road tax?

 

I haven't figured out what I'm going to do with the glycerine yet. Assuming there are no laws prohibiting it, I can store a fair amount. I have about 200 5-gallon buckets that I use for misc purposes.

Chemicals I will be initially sourcing from DudaDiesel.com Biodiesel Supplies until I find a local supplier.

Legally, from what I've been able to find, you can produce up to 400 gallons of biodiesel per year before you are subject to taxes and limitations as per the government. As far as regulation goes, it's not considered a primary fuel, and is an alternative fuel, so is not subject to such things as far as I know. I have done searches which have produced nothing, and the many sites I've visited have never mentioned it once. Still, I'm seeking information.

 

not looking at any of this from the legal side..................

The main reasons that B100 can not be run on a modern motor are
*it will gum up the emissions equipment, egr, Cat
*modern High pressure fuel injection issues.

The Emissions equipment are easy enough to remove so the only real problem is the injection system. Having stated all that,

Have you considered swapping out the 6.0 for 5.9 12 valve? That has been done alot for other reasons.

(I am not a trader, I have both)