methonal, lye, used cooking oil?

[RNation]

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone knows or has experienced any short or long term effects of using the methanol, lye, used cooking oil bio-diesel fuel?

I have a 6.2 liter. And this book my Grandpa let me borrow "From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank" seams to be pretty in depth. They talk about the history of diesel engines and alot about bio-diesel fuels.

Now I don't know much about bio-diesel at all. I'm not sure if there's 1001 ways to make it or just 1. I'm also not sure if it's ultimately bad for the fuel system and/or motor.

 

[RNation]

Did I ask a dumb question or is all bio-diesel made with those ingredients?

 

[btfarm]

There's a few 'grow your own' guys around. Give it a bit of time. Since it's summer the traffic is down some.

 

[RNation]

Oh ok. What's 'grow your own'?

 

[Unit453]

There are a few guys that make their own here.

When made properly, its supposed to be good to clean the crap out of the fuel system. It doesn't generate as many BTU's so it won't burn as hot. And in the winter months up north, you won't be able to run it at all unless you've got a fuel heater or something. It'll be like trying to suck jellow through a straw after it's been sitting in the freezer for a day.

 

[NVW]

Burning Oil, Veg Out and vegtech are members that come to mind. Veg Out sells a machine to process wvo.

 

[RNation]

Cool, I'll just wait around till I hear something.

I've heard it both ways though, that it's bad for the fuel system and good. So I'm just wondering if some guys with experience might know the truth.

The book I have has a list in the back with different makes and motors and it rates them on how good the fuel is for them. I have a 6.2 in a 84 suburban, which is rated low. But it says the raring is based on user comments. Which I guess should answer my question but I suppose I'm hoping it's inaccurate, because my grandpa said it costs about .60 to .70 cents a gallon after I buy the setup. My grandpa has his homemade setup with an old electric water heater, some pumps (from harbor freight and tools), fuel filters and a few 55 gal drums. Plus a few measuring beakers and that kind of stuff. He said it totaled about 300 to 400 dollars. The fuel would pay for the setup pretty fast since I drive my truck for work alot.

I thought this whole section of the forums was guys that made their own fuel, but I guess it's fuel additives and such.

 

[NVW]

Google "wvo centrifuge" some guys just put it through a centrifuge.

 

[RNation]

Hmmm, so the centrifuge filters the 'bad for fuel' elements/chemicals, but I think you still have to mix in the lye and methonal right? I think one of those 2 separate the glycerin.

 

[Pruittx2]

Ok,,, I make my own,, to astm standards i might add. I put 25 gal of screen filtered oil in my processor (50 Gallon Elc Water Heater) then I take a titration test (measurement of the oil to see how bad off it is, as it's not new) based on that I add a certain amount of Lye to 5 gallons of Methanol. Mix that up, and that becomes, Meth-oxide. I circulate the oil and heat it up to 140F and then slowly add the meth-oxide to the mix. Let mix for 3-4 hrs. then shut the system down. after about 12 hrs of settling, I pull a sample to check for competion of the reaction, if all looks good, I drain the Glycerin out (I save that, demeth it, and then use it to make the best soap) Take the rest out, that is now BioDiesel, Wash it,, then dry it,, then put it in my truck. I've had NO ill effects from running it in up to 80% bio 20% #2. So there is a run down of how I do it, and here is a link to a place that helped me get started, with Video tutorials that demonstrate All of the info you'd ever want to know about it!

http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/tutorialvideos.php

It may be available at a fuel station near you,, if so, you could try some. Like someone said,, it has about 85% of the BTU's that #2 has,, so you may see a slight decrease in MPG's if you use it at the upper ratios' like I did. But if you can find some B5 or B10 I'd run that at not even notice it,, accept you will no longer need any lube additives, as Bio is the #1 lube additive you can get.

 

[RNation]

Cool, thanks for the info. My grandpas setup is the same with the electric water heater. The only thing he said different was that he doesn't wash it, he said washing it cleans out some of the alcohol (i think he said alcohol). So he bypasses that step to get back the horse power you lose. Do you have any input on the ups and downs to that?

also, that's cool you get some good soap from the glycerin. I've heard that also but haven't heard how to clean it up or what needs to be seperated from it. Is it a difficult process to seperate the meth (I'm assuming your talking about the menthonal or ethanol)? Or can it just be heated to a temp that'll evaporate the meth out?

 

[Pruittx2]

Well you can get away with out washing it,, if you let it settle for a week or so,, but the goal of washing it is to get out the extra methanol & soap/lye. Some use a still type evaporator to reclaim the Methanol. Ethanol is made from corn, and not used in BioDiesel production. You wouldn't want to run unwashed Bio in anything other that maybe a older Mercedes diesel, or tractor. Soap can ruin our IP's on the 6.5 and will KILL any newer modern diesel.
You could heat up the mix to evaporate the Meth out, (this is how I do it), but breathing those fumes is REALLY BAD!!

I've never heard of Methanol helping in the combustion process or increasing the power of the bio

There are some great guides out there for making soap,, but Basically you use de-methed Glycerin,, heat it up,, and ad a lye water mix,, slowly to get the consistence you want,,, then let it set for a few weeks till the lye neutralizes then it's ready to use,,, Nothing and I mean Nothing will clean up those black hands from working under the trucks better than this type of soap. It does not dry out your skin thus it makes it way better that go-jo or the like.

Go to that site,, and check it out. More info there then I could type in a year of typing.

 

[RNation]

ok, thanks for the info.