James asks…
Should I run a diesel truck off Vegtable Oil or off Biodiesel?
From what I understand you don’t need to change anything with your veichle when running biodiesel, but you need to make some conversions for vegtable oil. However, from what I’ve read it’s not that much less expensive to make your own biodiesel as it is to just buy regular diesel fuel. So what should I go with? I would love to really talk to someone who has done this kind of thing on their own and has hands on experience. Thanks!
admin answers:
If you dont want the hassel of making the fuel yourself, then just go with biodiesel wherever you find it. The veggie oil is of course much cheaper but is very hands on. You first have to find a supplier that will let you have their oil before putting it in the outdoor receptacles behind their business. Once in there it becomes the property of the oil disposal company and they will prosecute you for taking their product. Then you have to get it home and go through a detailed process of filtering until the oil is as clean as possible. You will need to add a secondary tank and fule line along with a purge pump to power your truck and then clear the fuel lines upon your ending of the driving daily. Not to mention, that you can be forced to pay road taxes on the gallons you burn if you are ever caught y your state. As you can see, it is very complicated. Just decide how determined you are to drive cheap.
Thomas asks…
Convert Toyota Camry to run on Biodiesel?
Is it possible to convert a toyota camry so that the engine will run on biodiesel? Yes, no, maybe? If so, how complicated will it be? Approximately how much time and money will it cost to make this conversion?
Will it even be worthwhile to do this?
admin answers:
Gas engines cannot be converted to run on diesel. Diesels have about 2x the compression ratio requiring stronger connecting rods, heftier crank and rod bearings, new fuel injection and distribution system and timing mechanism to inject the fuel at the right time (much different timing that fuel injected gas engines), different fuel pump with higher pressure. You could inject the fuel into the former spark plug holes but you would not get the proper burn pattern at the ignition point. It would be cheaper to buy a car with the diesel engine and related components already installed. Only if you have more money that you know what to do with would it be feasible. It’s cheaper to build a car for diesel operation than it is to convert a car for diesel operation.
Richard asks…
i have a 1995 hiace mini bus do i have to make special conversions to run biodiesel and will it work well?
i live in the tropics Jamaica wil it work for me
admin answers:
Check if the rubber installed by the Toyota factory in the diesel fuel system is compatible with the properties of biodiesel. Natural rubber and Buna rubber will absorb the biodiesel and wick it to the surface. These rubbers will quickly soften and lose integrity.
Synthetic rubbers can be made with various compounds. Select replacement hoses which are both diesel and alcohol resistant to prolong their life. Viton is a good choice as it also is heat resistant, good for use near the engine.
Finally, be confident in the supplier of your biodiesel to produce a high quality consistent product. You’d not likely buy petroleum diesel from the guy with an oil well sunk in his back garden, you should similarly purchase an alternative fuel with the same quality concerns.
The advantage of biodiesel is that the plant oil has been converted to a diesel fuel. It is not necessary to convert the vehicle. As pointed out, the biodiesel mixes freely and completely in any ratio with petroleum diesel if that is desired.
The use of unconverted plant oil requires modification or conversion of the vehicle.
Donald asks…
how difficult is it to make biodiesel at home?
i have been doing some research on it and i’m considering buying an older mercedes. from what i understand the only conversion it really requires is new fuel lines but my main concern is how realistic it is for me to make it in my garage with used vegetable oil from a restaurant.
what is the main difference between biodiesel and wvo? i’m confused.
admin answers:
Latest research shows that biodiesel is far more polluting than normal diesel. This is because whilst it produces less carbon it produces far more NOX which acts as a catalyst in the atmosphere to produce far more destructive gasses!!
The European Union made a directive making it compulsory to use a percentage of bio fuel a few year ago. They are now so concerned they are actually looking at reversing that decision!!!
Maria asks…
Can I run B20 BioDiesel in my 1984 Mercedes 300d without any conversions?
admin answers:
You should be able to as its only really new cars that have a problem as far as I know.
I personally use a higher mix in my car and it works fine. Just make sure the biodiesel is filtered before you put it in your tank.
Charles asks…
can diesel engines use biodiesel?
I heard you have to replace some rubber parts or something that deteriorates from the biodiesel, and the conversion process isn’t as expensive as companies make it.. I thoughtthe conversion was a bit more intensive but I may be misinformed.
Anyone?
thanks
admin answers:
Diesel engines are the ONLY automotive engines that can use bio-diesel. Any diesel engine can burn bio-diesel without modification. Just pour it into the fuel tank and it will mix with the diesel fuel. Use a mix ratio between 5 and 20% bio-diesel to diesel fuel. It is true that when you start using bio-diesel you will need to replace the fuel filter more often. I personally never had that problem until I started using 100% bio-diesel in my mercedes. Also there probably wont be a problem with the fuel lines while using a B5-B20 mix.
A common mistake I see often is people calling waste vegetable oil (WVO) bio-diesel. Biodiesel is WVO that has been processed to remove the glycerin and cleaned and filtered. It is used as mentioned above. To use WVO as a fuel the vehicle needs to be converted by adding an extra fuel tank, lines, switches and heaters. The WVO is poured into the second tank and the engine is startred and warmed up on diesel. Then the switch can be made to burn the WVO. Before the engine can be shut down, you must switch back to diesel fuel to purge the WVO from the fuel lines so the engine will start the next time>
Daniel asks…
Looking for a good service mechanic in Melbourne, Victoria, for a 1983 Mercedes Benz Diesel.?
I live in Melbourne and own a 1983 Mercedes Benz 300D (Diesel) in nice condition. I wonder if someone could recommend a good, honest, and reasonably priced local mechanic, for regular servicing and repairs. While the car is of a vintage not to have any specialist MB electronics, it would obviously be good to find a mechanic with some experience (and fondness) around older Mercedes and/or Diesel cars (and/or possible Biodiesel conversions). Preferably inner Melbourne or eastern suburbs. Your recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
admin answers:
Use the telephone to call around, and ask about prices for routine service work. You know, oil changes, brake work, etc, and see how they react when you tell them what vehicle you’ve got. Also, talk to some other Benz owners in your area,,,,,,,someone knows where a good shop is located, you just have to talk to enough peole to find it!
Sandy asks…
Is making high-quality “Biodiesel” from Expired and/or Recycled Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) a potentially …..?
… viable business proposition for developing nations?
Assuming you:
1- can get the Expired or WVO at no or very low cost (i.e. transportation / recycle collection expenses)
2- have access to an affordable labor force
3- mean to produce it on a reasonably large scale to sustain a relatively large size business and NOT just for personal use
4- mean to produce a high-quality Biodiesel and hope to sell the glycerin byproduct to the industry as well
5- can market the Biodiesel directly to the target customers (e.g. trucks, buses, heating market, etc.)
Would the upfront cost of a reasonably large Conversion / Reactor Facility plus the other ongoing costs of production / operation / distribution (fix and variable) make this a potentially viable business opportunity for “the developing country markets”?
And do you know of similar type operations (on large scale) anywhere in the world that you can direct my attention to?
Would greatly appreciate serious comments.
admin answers:
Mr. L the mega corprations don’t like this. This is funny you should ask this one right up my alley…So check these out and if you want to talk further you know how to reach me,,,,
Other Useful web sites:
www.biodieselcommunity.org
www.veggievan.org
www.dancingrabbit.org/biodiese
Powered by Yahoo! Answers