Thanks for the info Kirk.
Can you point me to where you bought the flat plate heat exchanger?

I've been blending with great success through the spring and summer months, but would like to keep my same ratio of WVO and add heat for the winter months.

 

omarsales.com

 

Thanks Kirk!

 

Hey Kirk...How did you run your fuel lines through the exchanger?
Do you have a pic you can post up?

I'm trying to find a convenient location to mount and the lines.
BTW...I'm looking at the 26 plate.

 

The FPHE has 4 ports labelled A1, A2, B1, B2.

Grease line goes in A1 and out A2; coolant goes in B2 and out B1. This allows the grease and oil to run the opposite directions for better heat transfer. Plumb your FPHE BEFORE (upstream) of your grease filter.

 

Gotcha, thanks again Kirk!

 

Using WMO is chancey. I have been tempted to try it and have read some posts where guys tested it in Lister diesel engines, which are easy to work on and simple. They found carbon buildup on the injector tips formed quickly. Plus, old diesel oil contains acids which could etch the metal in the injection system.

 

I wish you luck. For the risk you are taking ill just buy it from the pump till its a full proof system. But then again it wouldn't find its way to full proof if it weren't for people like you! The Scientist!
Props man.

 

As carbon builds on the injectors will there be an early warning or will they just suddenly plug or what? Will running #2 through it regularly clear them?


I'm now on waste oil consisting of automotive waste and industrial pump lube that's about half motor oil and half gear oil. I don't use diesel engine waste except my own changes. I haven't run very much of it just because I haven't been driving the van much lately. My findings so far:
I did some performance testing on a big hill near my house making back to back runs on diesel and oil and found no difference.
I've run it cold (55F. overnight) and have a fair amount of gear oil in it and it pumps the thick stuff fine.
If I get on it hard on a cold motor it will smoke more than on #2.
If I drive around lightly for a while the first time I hit it hard it smokes more than on #2; a brownish color smoke I assume is built-up in the cylinders. I try to make a couple hard runs to clear it out before I park it hoping that it will clean some of it out before it sits and sticks in there. Towing my 8K Lb. boat I never noticed any smoking; I assume because it kept cylinder temps high enough to incinerate the carbon. I think I've struck a deal to pick up the used atf from a local trans shop and think that'll be safer as far as carbon & acid, and it will be more consistently lighter viscosity. I hope to pick some up soon and once I run through most of the oil in my tank I'll do the atf to see what difference it makes.

 

These people (Bluegrass Fuel Systems, LLC - Home) are selling a kit with a media that supposedly addresses acidity, filtering, and water removal. The kits are very high cosidering the actual cost of the hardware, but the key is the filtering media that they will not sell unless you buy a kit. I have been tempted to try it out, but for now have decided not to for the following reasons:

- Many repair shops are getting paid for the WMO, transmission fluid, etc., so paying for it and then blending it with diesel really would not save much money.

- The reason these people recommend blending it with diesel is to alleviate the carbon issue. I do not want carbon buildup on my injectors. Carbon buildup may possibly plug an injector, but it definitely will stop the injector from making a fine mist of fuel in the cylinder, which means poor performance. So that is definitely a no go for me.

Bluegrass fuels recommends working up a blend for your own vehicle and also that you stop increasing the amount of WMO when you see smoke in your exhaust.

 

This company does not address suspended water (different from free water) in the oil. Suspended water in fryer oil will cause cavitation and injector damage.

 

These people (Bluegrass Fuel Systems, LLC - Home) are selling a kit with a media that supposedly addresses acidity, filtering, and water removal. The kits are very high cosidering the actual cost of the hardware, but the key is the filtering media that they will not sell unless you buy a kit. I have been tempted to try it out, but for now have decided not to for the following reasons:

- Many repair shops are getting paid for the WMO, transmission fluid, etc., so paying for it and then blending it with diesel really would not save much money.

I think this has ended, at least at the shop I talked to recently. Getting paid for waste seems to come & go; maybe depending on crude oil prices, just a guess. Recycling oil is costly so it has to make $ sense to do it.

- The reason these people recommend blending it with diesel is to alleviate the carbon issue. I do not want carbon buildup on my injectors. Carbon buildup may possibly plug an injector, but it definitely will stop the injector from making a fine mist of fuel in the cylinder, which means poor performance. So that is definitely a no go for me.

According to bluegrass, oil will make LESS carbon buildup than diesel. They only cite viscosity as the reason for blending as it'll cause smoking from poor atomization. They also state oil will make more power & mileage which I haven't found in my limited testing. Less engine noise I agree with but it seems to depend on the oils being used, power is also likely to vary.

Bluegrass fuels recommends working up a blend for your own vehicle and also that you stop increasing the amount of WMO when you see smoke in your exhaust.

 

No water block filter will get the suspended water out. I have tested it at home. Wet oil that goes through a water block filter will still not pass the hot pan test. Free water and suspended water are different. This is why fryer oil that has been held at 400* in the fryer still does not pass the hot pan test. Chemistry and physics comes into play. Lots of people have posted on various grease sites the research into suspended water and why it is not removed by water block filters. Check out biodiesel.info.pop and frybrid.com message boards for more info.

 

Thanks guys. I stand corrected on suspended water. But based on the tests the guys did with the Lister diesels, I think that burning oil will produce more carbon. Is it due to the composition of the oil or poor combustion? I don't know.

 

88 E350, any update on this? I am planning to use a homebrew WMO furnace to heat my shop but I figured I would have to use WVO or Bio if I wanted an alternative to buying diesel at the pump. Any thoughts on the difference in running it in an electronically controlled Powerstroke? Im not planning on trying it any time soon but it is a rather intriguing proposition.