Bio Diesel

[speedway]

Just thought I'de throw this one in, Is anuone running their patrol on Bio Diesel. If so what are your thoughts on this alternate fuel?
Keith.

[Clunk]

I don't have a diesel but from what I've seen on all these car programs, you shouldnt have any trouble running it on bio-diesel, or any old filtered fat for that matter.................. obviously the old fat has to go through several processes of filtration first but works very well apparently

[nowoolies]

Nissan claim it will totally stuff the fuel pump

[Clunk]

Nissan claim it will totally stuff the fuel pump

they would!!!!! I also neglected to metion there is a mod that required but for the life of me I can't remember................... anywhooo I'm sure it could be found easyily enough if googled

[Clunk]

Here's a spot of infor for you

http://www.home-made-biodiesel.com/biodiesel-conversion-kits.html

[nowoolies]

they would!!!!! I also neglected to metion there is a mod that required but for the life of me I can't remember................... anywhooo I'm sure it could be found easyily enough if googled

i ran bio diesel from a bloke down freo way
every second tank my fuel filter would be stuffed in my old hzj t...t.....t......t.....one of them
i gave it away as a bad joke. the bio diesel that is
on cold mornings it was just about solid , and if you followed behind me it smelt like a fish and chip shop hahahahahah

[trollman]

Noticed at the servo all the bio diesel pumps had extensive corrosion at the concrete footings of the bowsers. Recently they have installed plastic casings around the bio diesel pump bowsers. The dude at the servo said that corrosion had only happened since the intro of biodiesel. My patrol is old, hasn't had a service or upgrade on the injector pump, so I stick with the old grade of diesel.

[the evil twin]

Speedway... Are you talking about homemade bio or commercial B20 etc?

[growler2058]

Had a contractor using it in his old bobcat seemed to do the trick but i did smell different when he spilt it fillin up

[speedway]

I have heard a few horror stories but most were the, a friend knows someone who--- type. I did a one day workshop run by the local TAFE to learn the finer points of producing Bio Diesel.
I have been running my GQ 4.2 on my home brew for 5 years now and apart from a very few times where I have had to put 20-40lt in to get home from a trip I have used nothing else. After about 150,000 km I have had few problems. Initially I had some filter problems, this is due to the bio diesel killing the bacteria that lives in fossil fuel and it cleans the sludge off the tank walls and throughout the system. I fitted a little Z14 inline filter in the system before the standard fuel filter and initially these were blocking up in about 4-6 weeks but after about 6 filters I now just change them at my regular oil change. the only other time I had problems was when I got 1/2 a tank of fuel from an old service station that I found out later was empting their tanks because the council had closed them down as their bowsers were on the kerb and I was one of the last customers. Another problem is with the fuel thickening up in cold weather, I only had problems with this once after I got a batch of frytol which is animal fat. Bio diesel made from this has a gel point of about 8 degrees whereas when made from cottonseed oil (Which is my main oil) the gel point is about -2 degrees. In the desert area where I live it regularly gets down to -4 and I have had no problems, I still use the frytol, but only in the summer. The only other problem it has is that it lifts paint which I found with a metal jerry can that had been used for many years for petrol and diesel the bio diesel stripped the paint off the inside. Luckily I was using a funnel with a filter at the time and got none in my tank. Regarding performance driving up Adelaide Hills with a fair load in the Ute on normal diesel I would be down to 60k in 3rd gear at the top, after about 6 months on the bio diesel with a similar load I was in 4th gear at 80k at the same point. In conclusion at 30-40 cents per litre it has made my life on the age pension a lot better

[Clunk]

excellent stuff, so it's not all horror stories then

[DeJay]

I have a friend who makes bio diesel here in NZ ( 2nd largest here ) and supplies two logging firms and various others. He has been importing various oils from California due to a lack of supply here. This led him explore growing crops for oil during which he found that algae produces approximately 100 times more oil per square meter than any other land based crop. The algae grows in 350mm to 400mm deep water ( to allow for photosynthesis ) and produces on average 600ml of oil per 1000lt of water in 4 days. The algae oil once extracted is quite thick but with a settling period of a few days allows the glycerin to separate to the bottom ( about 6 to 8 % of the total volume ) allowing the thinner oil to be drained off the top. There is still a glycerin content within all bio diesels which is the reason the fuel lines and tank are cleaned so well and also the cause of SOME rubber seals to break down or dissolve, like paint will if you get it on it. The water being use to grow the algae is varied and different algae grow better in different water such as, gray water from sewage ( which is drinkable afterwards ), dairy farm ponds ( with the cleaned water being put back into the pond ), river water ( which gets put back into the river cleaner than when it came out ), town supply tap water ( which doesn't produce as much oil because of the lake of nutrients or any other healthy stuff yet is cleaned even more. Using the algae to clean water is now more important than the production of bio diesel, making the bio diesel a reward for the job and the fuel to run the process. Commercially this system and all it variations is very viable, so much so that my mate has been...'pressured'...into stopping the direction he was heading and just sticking to importing oil and making bio diesel. Sad. Stepping on the ' big boys ' toes it seems. Still his expertise is willingly shared with those of us who don't think commercially and are thinking small scale. An example of small scale he told me is this...
12 houses using a collective gray water system
Bio diesel generator big enough to supply power to all 12 houses and the process
Every week each house would get approximately 40ltr of bio diesel .
Set up costs vary due to the simplicity of the individual processes that need to be performed and the cleverness of the 'think outside the square' DIY'rs. All the people he is supplying report better fuel economy, more power, less maintenance and a smaller fuel bill.

Win win win win situation. I say do your own research on line and make your own within a group of your mates ( rather than alone ) with the idea of cleaning water. Will post pics of the systems we have been building around the greater community..

[greeny_gu_ute]

any pics of the setup yet DeJay im really interesting in setting up a processing plant and any particular site or forum you use to get info, iv been on biofuels and seems to be a good source

[greenchef]

I've been homebrewing biodiesel for 3 years now and have found most engines run fine as long as bio is well made and well cleaned. However, my dad has a terrano se 3.0lt which I've only ever managed to get to 50/50 bio to diesel. I believe this is the same engine as used in the 3.0ltr patrol.
The td42 loves the stuff and is even happy on veg oil.

Any one interested should check out vegetableoildiesel forum and biopowered, tons of info and helpful people all homebrewing. Mostly UK based.