What's the scoop on biodiesel????
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Biodiesel is amazing stuff. It is most often used in an 80%/20% blend with regular disel (20% biodiesel). When you hear B20 this is what it is referring to. Biodiesel is, among other things, a wonderful solvent and it helps clear out the crud in your engine and fuel lines. If you run an 80/20 blend you will have no problems at all, and you may notice your engine runs a little quieter and your exhaust doesn't smell nearly as bad.
Some people will claim better mileage with biodiesel, but I wouldn't expect better mileage. What is probably happening is the biodiesel is cleaning some folks' fuel injectors and it is improving their mileage, but this is not quite the same as saying biodiesel will improve your mileage. It might.
Google biodiesel and you will find sites with information about where to buy it and some great forums discussing it.
The 2004 tax bill had a biodiesel tax incentive in it that should cause more and more blended biodiesel to be available at the pump.
Once you start using the stuff you'll like it. It just feels good to be running your truck on something that doesn't depend upon politics in the middle east.
Some people will claim better mileage with biodiesel, but I wouldn't expect better mileage. What is probably happening is the biodiesel is cleaning some folks' fuel injectors and it is improving their mileage, but this is not quite the same as saying biodiesel will improve your mileage. It might.
Google biodiesel and you will find sites with information about where to buy it and some great forums discussing it.
The 2004 tax bill had a biodiesel tax incentive in it that should cause more and more blended biodiesel to be available at the pump.
Once you start using the stuff you'll like it. It just feels good to be running your truck on something that doesn't depend upon politics in the middle east.
>I read that Willy Nelson made a deal with LUVs to sell his
>biodiesel at some of their plazas . I bought Willy's
>biodiesel once at Carl's on 35 near Dallas . It was
>overpriced at the place was a dump . I've read other
>negative posts about the place .
Yes Carls place is a "work in progress".With Willies help and push it should get better and better.After all Willie claims he owns the place.(says he won it in a poker game).
On Bio-Diesel I think the jury is going to be out a long time on its benifits or downsides.
Oh,by the way the Texas BBQ at Carls is really good.
>biodiesel at some of their plazas . I bought Willy's
>biodiesel once at Carl's on 35 near Dallas . It was
>overpriced at the place was a dump . I've read other
>negative posts about the place .
Yes Carls place is a "work in progress".With Willies help and push it should get better and better.After all Willie claims he owns the place.(says he won it in a poker game).
On Bio-Diesel I think the jury is going to be out a long time on its benifits or downsides.
Oh,by the way the Texas BBQ at Carls is really good.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Ok here is my 2¢….
The stuff is good for the engine and environment.
It is really cheaper to make than everyone says (meaning Willie and his group and the oil companies). It can be made out of any veggie oil out there and also a number of oil crops that are easy to grow. The downside is that there are a few chemicals that are used to convert the oil to biodiesel, mainly alcohol and lye.
The sad thing is that many people think that they can go and get veggie oil and just put into their tank and go. There are too many things that need to be removed in order to make it a useable vehicle fuel. I just read one article that says get some waste oil, like french fry oil, strain it and put it into your tank. That is a good way to clog you filers and lines up.
Is it better? Yea… it runs cleaner and even provides some lube to the IP that was taken out, i.e. sulfur. Soot is also reduced both in exhaust and in the oil and if you use french fry oil it smells good. The mileage is a bit less because the BTU content per gallon is lower than straight diesel, but going from 2.39 to 1.10 a gallon; who really cares.
The funny thing is that it has been around for a long, long time and that the auto companies and a few engine manufactures have tested it a lot and found that there really isn’t much of a problem with it. The only real major issue is the freeze point is much higher than diesel, hence the need to blend for low temps.
I know of one person with a VW who runs their car exclusively on biodiesel (no blend) that her husband makes. Her oil is rather really clean and she has doubled or tripled the oil change miles. She easily puts on 100K a year and has yet had any problems.
I have made it and my cost when all said and done was around $1.10/gal. This included the transportation to pick up the waste oil I used to make the bio-diesel. I could have cut cost even more, but it was an experiment for me at the time and I only made 300 or 400 gallons. I have not purchase it from anyone simply because I don’t want to pay $2.00/gallon.
I have run it straight, blended 80/20, 70/30 and 50/50 with no real difference in performance. My truck did smell like french fries.
The thing that gets me is that I used off the shelf products to make it with no quantity discount and it came out at $1.10 a gallon, but a refiner or producer could make it for 30¢ a gallon or even 15¢ a gallon with quantity discounts for the materials used.
I don’t make biodiesel anymore, sold everything to pay the bills a while ago and parked my pickup. It didn’t cost much; I think I had less than $200 invested in everything I needed. The amazing thing is that there are people out there that convert hot water heaters into biodiesel processors.
The stuff is good for the engine and environment.
It is really cheaper to make than everyone says (meaning Willie and his group and the oil companies). It can be made out of any veggie oil out there and also a number of oil crops that are easy to grow. The downside is that there are a few chemicals that are used to convert the oil to biodiesel, mainly alcohol and lye.
The sad thing is that many people think that they can go and get veggie oil and just put into their tank and go. There are too many things that need to be removed in order to make it a useable vehicle fuel. I just read one article that says get some waste oil, like french fry oil, strain it and put it into your tank. That is a good way to clog you filers and lines up.
Is it better? Yea… it runs cleaner and even provides some lube to the IP that was taken out, i.e. sulfur. Soot is also reduced both in exhaust and in the oil and if you use french fry oil it smells good. The mileage is a bit less because the BTU content per gallon is lower than straight diesel, but going from 2.39 to 1.10 a gallon; who really cares.
The funny thing is that it has been around for a long, long time and that the auto companies and a few engine manufactures have tested it a lot and found that there really isn’t much of a problem with it. The only real major issue is the freeze point is much higher than diesel, hence the need to blend for low temps.
I know of one person with a VW who runs their car exclusively on biodiesel (no blend) that her husband makes. Her oil is rather really clean and she has doubled or tripled the oil change miles. She easily puts on 100K a year and has yet had any problems.
I have made it and my cost when all said and done was around $1.10/gal. This included the transportation to pick up the waste oil I used to make the bio-diesel. I could have cut cost even more, but it was an experiment for me at the time and I only made 300 or 400 gallons. I have not purchase it from anyone simply because I don’t want to pay $2.00/gallon.
I have run it straight, blended 80/20, 70/30 and 50/50 with no real difference in performance. My truck did smell like french fries.
The thing that gets me is that I used off the shelf products to make it with no quantity discount and it came out at $1.10 a gallon, but a refiner or producer could make it for 30¢ a gallon or even 15¢ a gallon with quantity discounts for the materials used.
I don’t make biodiesel anymore, sold everything to pay the bills a while ago and parked my pickup. It didn’t cost much; I think I had less than $200 invested in everything I needed. The amazing thing is that there are people out there that convert hot water heaters into biodiesel processors.
Actually Diesel uses a Cetane Rating, not Octane.
the Cetane is higher, thus giving each gallon more BTU, which gives more power per engine cycle, per drop. So thus it gives more HP.
But HP is not what its about.
Keeping terrorists out of business is what is about.
Biodiesel must have a 47 Cetane rating by standard to be sold commercially, yes there are biodiesel standards.
Average #2 diesel is around 40, #1 is around 44-45 average.
basic Chemistry says 100% Octane is C8H18,and burns at 428 deg.
100% Cetane is C16H34 and burns at about 393 degrees.
More chemistry to come!
the Cetane is higher, thus giving each gallon more BTU, which gives more power per engine cycle, per drop. So thus it gives more HP.
But HP is not what its about.
Keeping terrorists out of business is what is about.
Biodiesel must have a 47 Cetane rating by standard to be sold commercially, yes there are biodiesel standards.
Average #2 diesel is around 40, #1 is around 44-45 average.
basic Chemistry says 100% Octane is C8H18,and burns at 428 deg.
100% Cetane is C16H34 and burns at about 393 degrees.
More chemistry to come!