Diesel Fuel Substitute

Physically possible but illegal - no road tax on these.

Or heating oil but still illegal.

Speaking of tax, how about WVO? What are the tax implications here?

Yes, I see your point. But I use homebrew diesel and there's no tax on that. I was more concerned about the technical aspects of how the fuel would work in the engine or whether any harm would be done.

From time to time, I have to defuel a jet and have a lot of messy jet fuel that I cannot put back into the airplane.

Jet-A is not a very refined fuel, and has many of the properties of diesel, but of course that's no sure indication, chemically, or in the manner in which the fuel burns.

limitations, if any?

Canola oil? With price of diesel here in Canada it's going to be cheaper to drive on that. Just look up biodiesel, then go to restaurants and ask them if they would be interested in a free used cooking oil recycling service. I went up to the owner of a local Popeye's today and he immediately said yes, maybe I should check how much he pays for having that old oil removed, maybe I'll charge him less and make some money while I'm driving for free :-)

cp

limitations, if any?

drive on that. Just look up biodiesel, then go to

oil recycling service. I went up to the owner of a local

pays for having that old oil removed, maybe I'll charge

Free?...

Well... Maybe free after you spend a precious day off driving around town collecting filthy, greasy oil from back alleys. And then filter all the nasty, rancid french fries and chicken necks out of grease once you figure out a way to warm it up enough to flow on a fine Canadian March day. And then spend a few more days in your secret laboratory (which you spent hundreds of dollars and hours assembling) treating the grease with DANGEROUS acids, alcohols, bases and indicators (all of which cost money), while hoping all the while that your effort doesn't end up making useless "Jello-diesel" instead of biodiesel, because the capricious Biodiesel gods have decided to punish you randomly for your unintentional indiligence or negligence.

All this for "free"? Just to end up saving 10 or 15 bucks on a tank of diesel?

I burn a tank a week in my 300SD and that is a LOT. I spend $50 a week, or about $2500 a year on fuel. Making the same amount of biodiesel would cost me much more than $500 just in chemicals, fuel, and utilities. And at LEAST 8 hours a week away from my family or work fooling with the nasty grease and its various residues.

This means that I would, in effect, be paying myself MUCH less than $2000/400 = $5.00 an hour to make biodiesel.

I would be better off financially COOKING at Popeye's for minimum wage eight hours a week instead of picking up the grease there!

Honestly, I think the most efficient way to support biodiesel and to help the movement is to invest money in biodiesel companies instead of starting a homebrew operation.

Unless you just want a hobby, that is. I am the first to admit that it makes a cool and useful (but hardly profitable) hobby...

Well, it's definitely a possibility. Making biodiesel at home is not difficult. It is somehwat messy, but manageble. The materials necessary to build a diesel "plant" are simple. And there seems to be a ready supply of used cooking oil.

Your points are very valid, and your post hilarious! If you think about it that way, it makes no sense to "brew". Better tgo put the effort into beer brewing perhaps?

I totally agree with your statement about supporting the biodiesel industry, and would add one additional point: Buy biodiesel. Find a source--It took some doing for me to find one in my locality but I did find one source, and use it whenever possible.

Zero tax implication... legal to use on WVO or SVO.

I agree, but that's not how I go about it. The Popeye source is about 100L per week, MORE than enough for me, and it doesn't have to be messy at all. Just switch containers with them and that's it. ? Chemicals? What for? Just filter it good and add kleen-flo. Some guy actually wants to buy some from me, we'll see :-)

cp

collecting filthy, greasy oil from back alleys. And

once you figure out a way to warm it up enough to

secret laboratory (which you spent hundreds of dollars

bases and indicators (all of which cost money), while

"Jello-diesel" instead of biodiesel, because the capricious

indiligence or negligence.

about $2500 a year on fuel. Making the same amount of

utilities. And at LEAST 8 hours a week away from my

= $5.00 an hour to make biodiesel.

hours a week instead of picking up the grease there!

movement is to invest money in biodiesel companies

a cool and useful (but hardly profitable) hobby...

You are using the oil straight, without treatment of any kind?

NO treatment, just good filtration, looking into setting up an efficient system, like Paul Valois said, it can get messy, IF you do it wrong. I personally am just starting on USED oil, till now it's been NEW cooking oil, which costs as much as diesel. Taking cues from another guy who has been running his VW TDI for years on straight used cooking oil, it has to be filtered well of course, though from the oil I picked up yesterday it looks like new anyways. Of course, a micron filter will see much more :-)

Of course, there has to be a regular source, NOT a problem here at least, like I said, on my walk to work, I setup in 2 minutes a supply of 100L per week, I will supply them with 40L-50L containers (which they will pay with a non-refundable deposit, beats paying to have your old oil removed) with a primary filter, don't want to deal with no mess.

Will post how everything goes, it doesn't look like there's many people on the group who do this, I'll do the experimenting and let people know :-)

cp

hope irt don't get cold there

the case, minus a few cans!

You burn STRAIGHT waste oil?

With chicken fat in it?

In WINTER?...

In CANADA?...

You are a BRAVE man!....

cp wrote:

system, like Paul Valois said, it can get messy, IF you do

cooking oil, which costs as much as diesel. Taking cues

cooking oil, it has to be filtered well of course,

course, a micron filter will see much more :-)

I said, on my walk to work, I setup in 2 minutes a

they will pay with a non-refundable deposit, beats paying

group who do this, I'll do the experimenting and let

Please do post it. I have read in various places that there were some maintenance and performance problems with straight, unadulterated oil, as opposed to oil washed chemically and treated to condition it for use as a diesel alternative.

Good luck and good going!

no no, we're in Vancouver, I noticed some trees were blooming in January, February was a warm sunny month, though we gots some rain now. Car starts quite fine on the canola...

cp

Not yet! :-) I know a family that works for the company that handles all the restaurant waste oil in Vancouver, they have a lot of the processed stuff, I might hook myself with the clean oil, or install a kit

We're in Vancouver, BC, NO winter here, in fact this is vancouver in January-February

www3.telus.net/cplas/vancouver.jpg

Yeh, so? It's not Toronto

You gots that right! :)

cp