Requirements for Running Biodiesel (B100)

[Jordan]

Is anyone making their own biodiesel or using B100 with no adverse effects? Is it possible to get IP seals that wont degrade? Are any other parts to look out for?

[jessef]

if you have the original injection pump from Japan, you most likely won't have viton seals in it. You'll want to get them replaced to handle the B100.

Same with the fuel lines. 5/16 hose compatible with B100.

[TardisDeli]

As a guideline, the gossip is that vehicles made in later 1993 have fuel lines compatible with the solvents used in fuel additives (ie the crap such as acetone in biodiesel or the ethanol in gas). Beware, those solvents that give Ooomph power will also disolve old fuel residue stuck to the bottom of yr fuel tanks and linings, so where is that newly disolved crud gonna go ... into your fuel so ensure you check fuel filter etc so crud does not clog yr fuel injectors etc. Also, investigate your source of Biodiesel, you know that exactly those same ingredients make solid bars of soap.. do you trust your source?
Regards, Christine (happily adding WVO Waste Veg Oil to my diesel) in warm weather only).

[Jordan]

Thanks for the replies. If the fuel lines and IP seals are replaced is there anything else to watch out for? Will it eat the paint in my fuel tank or will it act as a benefit after all the crud is flushed out of the system (and fuel filter replaced)?

[after oil]

it might be good idea to look inside your tank to see if its painted or not. some are, others are not

[Kuan]

It will definitely clean out your fuel tank and lines. It took me about 3 fuel filters and draining the tank over a couple months before I ran clear.

I never had to replace fuel pump seal and fuel lines (aluminum) running B100 for 3 years. There are no leaks on my system and I check it regularly.

I think its important to know the quality of your biodiesel and make sure its made to ASTM standards or at least close to. I make all my own fuel and am quite anal about the quality of the fuel I put in my tanks.

Don't worry too much though. Things don't happen right away and as long as you keep an eye on things you shouldn't have any problems.

[Kuan]

There is no acetone in Biodiesel.
The only ingredients used to make biodiesel are

1) Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) or Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)
2) Methanol
3) Vegetable Oil

The Potassium Hydroxide is a catalyst to a chemical reaction that occurs between the Methanol ester and the fatty acid in the vegetable oil.

Properly made biodiesel should have the excess methanol recovered after the glycerin is removed and the biodiesel should be washed and dried afterward. (These are some questions you can ask your producer) ---This here is really my own opinion as there are people out there running all different grades of biodiesel just as there are different grades of diesel.

THe quantities of KOH and Methanol vary per batch but generally only about 12% of methanol to amount of Veg oil is used. So while you are still using some fossil fuel its much much less than burning diesel.

Biodiesel itself is a fatty acid methyl ester (nicknamed FAME). Its a whole new molecule. Thats B100.

I've been running my truck on B100 for the last 3 years. Since fall I have been running dino-diesel as I have been too busy with other projects. I can say from first hand experience that properly made biodiesel is a much better fuel than (at least winter) diesel. Its cleaner, less knocking, just as much power, smells better and the vehicle just feels like its running smoother.

Having said all this, I am going to be installing WVO systems in my vehicle and running both B100 and WVO the better of both worlds.

Hope that helps

[TardisDeli]

Hi Jordan, Kuan is the expert on Biodiesel amongst us.

Thanks Kuan for correcting my mis-information about the ingredients, and what a great explanation you gave.

I dont' know anyone using biodiesel in our Vancouver group, it is more expensive than diesel (prices at the AutoGas station), and not available everywhere. Many Vancouver-ists use WVO Waste Vegetable Oil, and filter their own, which is cheaper than diesel. The Vancouver Island Deli-Ites around Nanaimo and Cowichan posted a lot of info about 2 to 3 years ago while they were deciding whether to use it, so look into those past postings on this site. Note that Kuan is not using a Delica, but he is very familiar with them. You might want to start with learning to filter and use WVO (but do not use without heater systems until summer weather) before you start adding other chemicals to the filtered WVO to make Bio100.

Cheers, Christine.

[Jordan]

Thanks again everyone, I have a 2 tank WVO system at the moment, I wanted to try Bio for starting/purging. I have a source here for bio but also wanted to try and make my own eventually.

[after oil]

Thanks again everyone, I have a 2 tank WVO system at the moment, I wanted to try Bio for starting/purging. I have a source here for bio but also wanted to try and make my own eventually.

well you wont really be using very much then... dont worry about it

[jessef]

Back in 2008 I was running our L300 on B100 at the main station in Vancouver by science world for 8 months. No ill affects except I had to replace the injection pump seals (but they may have been old to begin with) and I replaced the hose fuel lines with bio compatible line.

I had the fuel tanks dropped, cleaned and lined before I ran the bio.

http://www.vancouverbiodiesel.org/index.html

[fexlboi]

Does a recently rebuilt IP automatically have Biodiesel safe seals or is this a special kit you need to order for our pumps?

[wine]

We have a fleet of 4 tractors 71 Mitsu, 95 Yanmar, 05 Kubota, 08 Deutz, a Kubota engined Bobcat, F350, and 2 Pajeros, all of which ran on B20-100 here in the F.V. depending on the time of year for 2.5 years now. Fuel filters changed in half of them once so far. Surprisingly the oldest one, the 71 Mitsu tractor still hasn't needed a filter change. The F360 and 91' Pajero have the most hours of engine use on bio and no ill effects. From a positive standpoint they all smell better, run quieter, but do watch older paint, the methanol portion of the fuel will strip off certain paints.
I actually have a building I would like to build a lab in, similar to what William Kemp built beside his home, as detailed in his book 'Bio-diesel; Basics and beyond' a five stage setup that can churn out some volume for a co-operative. I have too much on my plate to do on my own so I just keep waiting patiently as fuel prices continue their upward climb and continue to store waste vegy from my favorite Sushi restaurant. Kuan may know of him because his day job is designing micro-hydro for a company in southern Ontario.

We're looking for about 15 members to spread out the capital costs and the babysitting of the lab while processing. 2 evenings a month would do it with 16 of us. We have ideas gathered from other co-ops on setup but open to suggestions.

[wine]

One other thing. I was told that when bio was mandated by the feds for 3% of all diesel sold in Canada that the oil companies cut a deal to add all of that requirement in to a half dozen or so markets; Vancouver/Lower Mainland being the one year round market for a Bio blend so that for most of the year our fuel is in fact B-20 now. The source was reliable but told to me ahead of the actual implementation. I know the oil companies pleaded for more time to get it in place but I believe it has been for 6-8 months now. I have asked the Co-op to check into it but they never do. Does anyone know whether this actually took effect? Its important if you are running a bio blend you put together yourself in the cold weather and are relying on the Dino diesel portion of your blend to be winter diesel with the low cloud point. It becomes a real concern if you leave the lower mainland and head into the interior or up north.............I am a little less concerned w my Pajeros as they both have the winter kit with heated fuel filter or is that giving me a false sense of security? I know the recycled fuel goes back to the tank warmed by the fuel pump............