Bio-Diesel FAQ for the terminally lazy/bored/short attention span.


Some random factoids for you:

(I am hoping to start a bio-diesel co-op up here in NJ-- Email me if you're up here and interested. my email ISNt a secret!)

1. Regular Diesel engines can run up to a 3 part ratio with "PURE veggie oil" to diesel without gunking up the engine.
   
1. You cannot use "recycled" vegatable oil like this unless you process it to remove the gunk, and do some (not much) chemical processing (can be done in a parking lot if you are going cross-country)
2. MAX ratio of 3 parts oil to 10 parts diesel, because at higher percentages, it will gunk up engine because it wont burn smoothly (MORE LATER)
   
3. If you have a diesel engine with a 10 gallon tank (to make it easier)this means:
1. You can take 2 gallons of Veggie Oil from the supermarket and add it to your diesel tank, and mix with the 8 gallons of diesel fuel.

2) If it were me I wouldn't run an unmodified diesel engine for anything more then 10% for at least a month, and would go up 10% every OTHER month.(3rd month=20%). I would be quite cautious-- esspecially if a new car!

3) The reason you need to modify a diesel engine to run SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil) is that OIL is heavier and larger particles then diesel. In order to rectify this, modifications are made that will pre-heat the veggie oil to the right temperature, so it is thinner, and burnable as easily as diesel-fuel. In addition, one of the things the conversion also does is make it possible (when you get to your destination) to burn all the Veggie oil out of your engine (so it doesn't solidify when your car turns off) This usually takes about 20-80 seconds and can either be automatic or manual.

1. USED veggie Oil (like from McDonalds/Wendys,etc)
   
1. For one person, (for example: going cross-country) could easily just walk in, sweet talk manager, and take the used oil out in the 5 gallon can, and process it in parking lot.
2. Processing essentially is
1. Filter/filter/filter (several times)
2. run it thru a few chemicals to get rid of residue so that it is purer.

That's essentially it

For a large group, the used oil will need to be collected, processed someplace, and then dispensed

Hope this helps you!