homemade diesel

[slippery]

I have been brewing up for 6 months,, travelled 8,000 klms on cooking oil and have had no problems with it, am mixing 10% methanol, to seperate the glycerine I let a brew sit for 24 hrs, I then syphon filter it through a "cav filter" which is 5 micron, I'd rather smell fish and chips than $$$ out of the exhaust.

The starting engine on cooking oil my 1994 defender, it starts normally, I seem to have a small loss of power which I put down to the small amount of methanol being used, so far so good.,,,,,,,,or air filter which I haven't changed for a long time.

By the way I am a pensioner and to buy a new motor is beyond my means, however I find no problems using cooking oil.

[shorty943]

I have been brewing up for 6 months,, travelled 8,000 klms on cooking oil and have had no problems with it, am mixing 10% methanol, to seperate the glycerine I let a brew sit for 24 hrs, I then syphon filter it through a "cav filter" which is 5 micron, I'd rather smell fish and chips than $$$ out of the exhaust. The starting engine on cooking oil my 1994 defender, it starts normally, I seem to have a small loss of power which I put down to the small amount of methanol being used, so far so good.,,,,,,,,or air filter which I haven't changed for a long time. By the way I am a pensioner and to buy a new motor is beyond my means, however I find no problems using cooking oil.

What do you think the price per litre difference is. Being a former Speedway racer, I know Methanol is not cheap.
BTW. I run the Isuzu farm tractor in Bio-Diesel from the local SA Farm Fuels outlet, a mate of mine, a B-double driver wont go near the stuff, and he says most of the truck industry is like minded. Mind you a tank refill for him is over $1000 a pop.

[George130]

My understanding is there shouldn't be any hassles but I have never tried it so can't give first hand experiences.

[slippery]

I buy at 20 litres at around $43.00, < BP Depot> I have priced 200 litre drum at around $240.00, $3-00 to $4.00 for caustic soda, I buy used cooking oil for $3.00 a 20 litre drum from the same person as that I know the quality is the same,,so it is around $00.40c per litre to make.

At 10 per cent ratio to cooking oil 20 litres will make something like 190 litres after you seperate the rubbish possibly 10 per cent which sits on the bottom after sitting for some 24 hrs

I live in Townsville, a hot climate so I use 10% methanol to react with the caustic soda, I am reluctant to use 15% + methanol as to avoid any possible damage to rubber seals in injector pump.

As far as I can see after the reaction between methanol and caustic soda, the remaining un reacted caustic settles on the bottom amongst all the crap, so I doubt very little reaches the injector pump.

[shorty943]

40c/ltr? Less than1/4 the corporate price at the bowser. A s/hand Toyo 2.4D is looking pretty good. Maybe even a Turbo job.
Not interested in speed, just want to climb hills a little closer to cruise speed.

Ex-Serviceman pensioner myself, I can empathise with the financial strictures.

Okay mate thanks for the food for thought.

All the best for christmas and new year.

regards shorty.

[George130]

Shorty I and a friend have been reading heaps on the subject and once you are set up its quite cheap and easy. I never started due to my woes this year.

[shorty943]

Shorty I and a friend have been reading heaps on the subject and once you are set up its quite cheap and easy. I never started due to my woes this year.

Oh yeah. I saw the documentary, can't remember the channel, some time back.

Great-uncle of mine, a Kokoda trail vet, had a small "refinery" set up in his garage, used to "retread" his engine oils, etc. Then use it when servicing his Armstrong Siddley Saphire's. He had 3 of them. A 54 ute, his sedan, chocolate and canary in colour, and the aunties car, a sedan, was silver and charcoal. Former Tassie Governor's car.

If the tooth fairy ever comes back, I might get into this myself.

shorty.

[Mulgo]

Here is the handbook:

http://www.jaycar.com.au/ - product code CAT. NO. BE1531 - $29.95

[shorty943]

Bewdy, thanks mate.

Shorty.

[tannery]

Slippery..

in melbourne you can get 200L of methanol for $170 ..

I use 20% methanol to waste cooking oil (retrieved for free from some places)
and I use Potassium hydroxide (KOH) rather than caustic soda (NaOH)

manufactured cost of approx. $0.30 per litre.

regards,
biodiesel bob..

btw - first casualty - my generator's fuel line bascially dissolved (was rubber) now replaced with non rubber fuel line!