[SEL] OT PA trip & fuel costs

[Tony & Jackie]

It's a process called 
transesterification. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transesterification  I know you don't 
like Wikipedia, but this topic is correct from all that I see 
(although I'm no chemist).

The addition of methanol and lye produce the reaction and create 
biodiesel.  Basically it turns the thick oil into a thin liquid of 
about the same consistency as diesel fuel, that will run in ANY 
diesel engine without modifications.  Although cars older than the 
early 90's will probably have natural rubber fuel lines that will 
need to be replaced with newer synthetic hoses.  Biodiesel will eat 
through natural rubber in short order.  You also should remove your 
fuel tank and clean it out REALLY good, because if you don't, the 
biodiesel will clean it out FOR you, leading to clogged fuel filters 
and all kinds of fun.  Biodiesel is an excellent solvent (I want to 
see someone try it to unstick a piston in an old engine).

Vegetable oil works perfectly well without putting it through the 
above process, but you have to filter it well and make sure all 
moisture is removed before using it.  Most guys will run a heater 
hose back to their veggie oil tank with some kind of heat-exchanger 
to heat the fuel (usually just wrapping it around the tank a few 
times).  The engines are started and warmed up on regular 
diesel.  Once the engine is warm and the coolant has heated the 
veggie oil, it is switched over.

I'll most likely have to have a similar setup with my waste oil 
burner.  I'll probably go with some type of in-tank heater.  One that 
can be wired to operate with the block heater circuit, as well as 
running off the car's 12 volt supply while driving.

-Tony


At 07:07 AM 6/7/2007, you wrote:
>I thought I heard a local fellow here ran his McDonalds grease through
>some sort of a still or something?