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Biodiesel experience

Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 6:49 pm
by jcolvin
On Galianio island the ONLY diesel pump at the gas station got knocked over, so I had to track down the guy making biodiesel on the Island (he converts it from cruise ship WVO and then filters to 1 micron). Filled the tank (which was empty by the point) the bio, so I was running B100.

It ran just fine..in fact, it ran better than on regular diesel. Appreciably more power. No starting problems. No smoking. And cheaper than regular diesel. Is there any reason at all not to run 100% bio from now on?

Jonathan Colvin

Re: Biodiesel experience

Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:24 am
by BCDelica
Awesome! Your Deli's performance and milage will get better with a couple more tank fills to boot. Just remember to check or change your fuel lines in case of deterioration, and I would recommend after a couple of tank fulls to remove the drain plug on a tank to check for sludge from dissoling paint. If a liter or so drains out clean with no black/grey sludge - rock on!

Otherwise, happy veggie power!!

Re: Biodiesel experience

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 11:38 am
by delicanuck
Hi JC,

Well since you ask, yes there is. At some point, the biodiesel is going to dissolve the inside of your fuel lines. They will start to soften first and later, start to sweat fuel before eventually failing catastrophically. Things don't normally start to go bad for at least 6 months or so but at some point, you'll have to change some tubes. I did the whole job in about an hour and 1/2 with the car on floor stands and spent about $60 on Flourel fuel lines, Viton also works. Other than that, biodiesel is better for you engine than dino diesel. In fact, the original diesel engine was designed to run on peanut oil.
OK well wait a sec. I guess there is still a big question about what biodiesel is going to do to the gaskets in your fuel pump. I just don't have an answer to that except to say that I've been running B100 for more than a year and no leaks yet (he says as he frantically raps on a chunk of baltic birch plywood, hoping that it counts as wood).

My next year project is to build a biodiesel reactor because I just found a company that makes a space heater than runs on glycerin, the byproduct of the biodiesel reaction.

Re: Biodiesel experience

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:39 pm
by Kuan
Hey Brett,

Whats the company making the space heater? We're just about finishing up our biodiesel reactor here and should have our first test batch out sometime in October. We followed Joe Streets design at nonprofitfuel.ca.

It would be great to have a solution for all that glycerin produced.

Cheers
Kuan