BioDiesel Whats your views

[Rob-b]

Cool Ive read some mighty debates on that topic when are we going to be able to just buy rapeseed oil or similar and put it straight in ?

You can now Muz, twin tank system, loads of folk do it. The only thing is the cost of the twin tank system and space required to do so, most simply switch to Biodiesel, I fill my Audi B7 2L TDI up for 35p per litre. I've not been to a tax station sorry petrol station for two years, happy days.

[MadMike]

wow didnt know that, I'm off to do some googling

Isnt the big issue reliability of he engines, when using the bio stuff ?

[Rob-b]

Not at all MadMike, the issue is with the reliability of the Biodiesel, any Diesel engine will run on GOOD Biodiesel, that's the tricky part. Biodiesel has strong solvent properties and will clean your system brand new, people get cheesed off when their fuel filter clogs after the clean out. Change the filter and once clean it's clean.

[Stock]

Now Rob you have me interested...................what is the raw product you are using??

[Rob-b]

Waste veg oil from chip shops, restaurants, schools, care homes or anywhere you can get it. If you can get a supply of oil you are home and dry, but that's the hard part now as loads are jumping on the band wagon and offering silly money for their oil, I buy mine for 20p per litre, but you can pay as much as 70p.

On top of that you have chemicals but all in all it costs around 15p per litre to process including power, it is then down to what ever you can get oil for after that. The initial set up can be expensive but I worked on a 12 month payback and the whole set up cost me around 2.5k. You can legally make up to 2500 litres of biodiesel for your own use tax free per year.

[Muz]

So what are the others chemicals required Rob ?

[Rob-b]

You need Methanol and Caustic soda to keep it simple although there are 3 different catalysts (caustic).

You can make a small batch at home in a plastic bottle if you can put your hands on small quantities of chemicals (ebay), anyone wanting to try let me know, it beats buying the full kit and deciding it's too much hassle.

[Muz]

Biodiesel has strong solvent properties and will clean your system brand new, people get cheesed off when their fuel filter clogs after the clean out. Change the filter and once clean it's clean.

Isnt that a dangerous thing though ,.. I mean all diesels will build up a laquer inside the bores for example from normal use. I always remembr the problems of running old engines, and using the new high detergent engine oils in them, which had the same effect, it removed any laquers to supposedly 'clean' up the engine, but all it did was to reduce compression amongst other things, and didnt do the engine any favours at all.

It was different if you ran the engine on those oils from new though, then there was no problem, so isnt it a bit the same for biodiesels , so in effect some engines will just pack up after using it ?

[ianoz]

Know of a couple of guys over here that were doing it .. Problems with getting the oil , as rob said was one of the biggest problems . Plus government deciding they were missing out ,and wanted X amount of cents per litre on every litre made took the shine off it .

[Rob-b]

Isnt that a dangerous thing though ,.. I mean all diesels will build up a laquer inside the bores for example from normal use. I always remembr the problems of running old engines, and using the new high detergent engine oils in them, which had the same effect, it removed any laquers to supposedly 'clean' up the engine, but all it did was to reduce compression amongst other things, and didnt do the engine any favours at all.

It was different if you ran the engine on those oils from new though, then there was no problem, so isnt it a bit the same for biodiesels , so in effect some engines will just pack up after using it ?

Not at all Muz, some of the biodiesel fraternity have been running their vehicle for 100,000,s miles without concern, the only bad feedback it gets is from the mechanics down the pub who blame worn wiper blades on the stuff. I have run my Audi common rail now for 10k and a Toyota Landcruiser before that for 30k no concerns other than changing the filter. Lots of urban myths no real proof unless you make bad biodiesel and lets face it if you use biodiesel from a commercial supplier how would you know it was good? you wouldn't but we do, we test it and have found that the bad feedback comes from them that's why we make our own even though they claim to work to BSEN standards. scary really. The only time you can't use it is in a vehicle that was made before 1990 when they used rubber for seals and hoses, it destroys em.

Methanol and caustic makes a substance called methoxide and is dangerous horrible stuff so you need to be careful there.

[Rob-b]

Know of a couple of guys over here that were doing it .. Problems with getting the oil , as rob said was one of the biggest problems . Plus government deciding they were missing out ,and wanted X amount of cents per litre on every litre made took the shine off it .

Yes the government did the same here and biodiesel production died a death and loads of waste oil became a problem again so they lifted the allowance to 2500 litres a year tax free, makes perfect sense, keeps some of the public sweet, helps with their green credentials, helps with the volume of fuel needed and they don't need to get rid of waste il at their waste dumps.

I use it in my wee machine also.

[Muz]

. The only time you can't use it is in a vehicle that was made before 1990 when they used rubber for seals and hoses, it destroys em

Aye fair comment .. maybe thats what was bothering me... so its always got to be a vegetable based oil then ?

[Rob-b]

Aye fair comment .. maybe thats what was bothering me... so its always got to be a vegetable based oil then ?

It does yes although folk have dabbled with other stuff, but wouldn't be tax free.