Making and Using Biodiesel
 

Ok guys, How many of you are making Biodiesel, And how many of you are using Biodiesel but not making it?


FABMANDELUX. :-X25

Hi Fab -

Make and use it. Current schedule kinda prevents me making all the bio that I need for a month's putting, so I'm looking at buying it. Options are B20 at the BioWillie station on the east side of Dallas (1.5 hrs away), or driving down to the north side of Houston (3 hrs away) to buy B99 or B100 from the Houston Biodiesel folks. The B99 is 2.68/gallon, so I'm kinda considering heading down there with 5 barrels. What I save on 300 gallons of bio will pay for the fuel on the trip ($75). That will carry me over while I find the time to make my own.

Running WVO 2 tank system. Collect WVO and filter @ home to about 1 micron. Belong to a Biodiesel co-op that buys commercial Biodesel.

I make my own biodiesel. Your not going to believe this but a friend of mine does WVO and gets 8k lbs at a time. So instead of going to restraunts I'll just fill up my barrels from him. I'm so exicted, I was about to quit cuz the only thing I hate about doing bio is going to restraunts oh and my wife b#$tching about the smell.

Using but not making.....so far.

neither yet but i plan on starting to make it. im just nervous i will make it worng becuse it seems very complicated

anyone making it in east TN I would like to see a setup and run it in my truck.

Biodiesel
 

Starting buying B20 a few month ago. Started recently buying B40 which just started selling in our area.

I am considering making my own biodiesel, could be quite a while yet before I get around to it. There is definetely lots of WVO around where I live.

I like the Biodiesel for several reasons:

• Quieter engine
• Less smoke
• Always 2 to 3 cents per liter cheaper than regular No. 2 diesel.
• Better lubrication properties, no longer buy fuel additives.
• Higher cetane number with hotter and more complete combustion.
• Biodiesel is Oxygenated resulting in much lower emissions.
• Got a Fuel Station nearby.

Seeing how even 5% biodiesel can significantly improve Diesel engine performace and emissions, I think there is a good possibility that Biodiesel will become an important fuel blending component in the years ahead. Many of the big oil companies including the one I work with are starting to invest in Biodiesel now.

Seb...

Making & Burning every Drop!

Have the Fuelmeister 2 tank system it was a bit pricey but for me it works very well. I usually make 1 batch a week 40 gallons I have made 2 put you need to be on it every night after work for about an hour for 2 batchs a week. If I water wash the heck out of it I can loose about a gallon & half of fuel. But that is running about 30 gallons of water through it. And i always let it sit at least a day after water washing heavy. Usually I dont see much more than a quart after another day. the guys that I bought the unit from say I could cut the water wash to 10 gallons but I like the thought of getting every bit of bad stuff out that there is after i drain off the glycern. I have been keeping a sammple of every batch I have made Will send a coupel in to the lab that tests our fuel @ work to see how the quality is. I do need to find a coupel more places to pick up oil but Ill get there.
Running B-100 in both vehicels Truck seemes to like much quieter the in the motorhome runs fine on it to. I do have fuel filters for both of them on board but have not had to change one yet. About 4000 miles on the P/U and 3500 on the M/H.....8D

I do have one question about the biodiesel system. Although the fuel lines (post 86') are not rubber and will not be eaten by the BD, what about the fuel return lines? I am not sure if they are synthetic but I just thought I would ask...

The recommended rubber components for Biodiesel are "Viton" in lieu of "Buna-N". Just change out all your return lines the next time you get around to it with a good SAE automotive fuel line if you can't find Viton.

I have made no changes to either my 91 or my 93 IDI's other than upgrade the return lines and O-rings which needed doing anyways before I started running Bio-Diesel.

The rubber return lines are all low pressure and not much would happen if you had a leak. It is a good idea to change them every 10 years anyways as the rubber gets hard and you get air intrusion problems that can lead to cold starting problems.

If you are doing a home brew the risks are probably a little be greater as you typically don't get as good a final wash as I get on the stuff I buy from the pump. Everybody who is selling Biodiesel for a living knows they don't want any bad feedback from their clients so the stuff I buy at the pump is what I would deem "Premium BioDiesel" which for all intends and purposes is the same as regular diesel in my mind when it comes to storage and handling. About the only two things to remember are:
1, Don't let Biodiesel sit in your tanks for too long (6 to 12 months) as I does Bio-degrade
2, Watch for clouding in extreme cold environments. (Again, there has been much progress on improving the cloud point of the various blends) This will be my first winter driving B40. I does not get very cold here in Vancouver in the winter. You will have a few days when it dips below 32 F but for the most part it stays above 32 so cloud point on B40 should not be a problem if properly mixed with regular diesel.

Seb....

Make it for my psd, buy it commercially for the Semi. PSD running B25, semi running B20.

Buying it for my 02 PSD. Just don't have room to make it right now.

Currently running B99, but usually blend it down to about B50 since my supplier moved further away. I just bought 140 gallons this morning.

Making and Using b100.

120 gallons per batch

try to get 2 batches made per month

Higgins

Make and use B100 in my 2000 ps and my brother uses it in his '05 Dodge. Make 100 gallons a week.