E320CDI or E300D + Home Made BioDiesel

[Pendragon]

Not sure if I am allowed to post this but I am sure I will soon find out.

Go to this forum where you will learn all you need to know about making biofuel:
vegetable oil diesel - home

The heater element is fine as long as you can set it to heat to no higher than 55 degree's
Make sure you make it in a well ventilated place because of the fumes from the methanol and be careful when mixing the potassium with the methanol. Use a wooden or plastic stick. Do NOT do what some plonker did and used a plasters mixing paddle using a electric drill to rotate it.....a spark ignited the methanol and blew his shed up and he has severe burns and was lucky he didn't kill himself.

I use to make biofuel processor up until 2 years ago and I still have the instructions here for making biofuel but there are a few different methods so look on that forum 1st.

Hope this helps you some.

Keith

 

[joeysnowey]

Keith, thanks very much. Funnily enough I found that forum and tried for TWO HOURS to register but I was bu**ered if I could pass the damn image verification! I have spoken to a mod and hoping to get registered soon, so will follow you advice and have a look. Do you still make processors? Or maybe have instructions i could follow?
I am not sure whether the temperature of the element can be controlled (it hasn't arrived yet) but I am sure it could be made to be adjustable if you think its important. How important is it?
Thanks again

 

[Pendragon]

It depends on what kind of processor you have bought that will depend on how you make the biofuel and, if its a reputable company you have bought it off then I assume it will have passed British safety standards ?
If it has not got a element that shuts off at 55 then I would either be replacing it with one that has a thermostat on it because trust me, you don't want to see one of those go up. I cannot stress enough just how important temperature control is when making biofuel as the methanol is extremely flammable.

I have instructions for making biofuel on my other computer and when I have enough posts to PM I will dig them out and forward them to you. Also have the instructions on how to perform a titration test which is essential.

Stopped making processors due to ill health and now just getting over my 4th heart attack from Feb 29th.

What make & model is it and who did you buy it from as I know a lot of the guys who make these processors. Some look good but are lethal as they are ill designed. Can I ask what you have paid for it ?

 

[mejermy]

100% bio at 35p

Interesting thread this. Can I infer that the WVO is acquired free and the 35p refers to the processing and additional ingredients cost?

 

[joeysnowey]

Pendragon, thanks very much. I can't PM either. Tell you what, if you email me at jerry**attrikk**@**yahoo.co**.uk (Remove the asterixes) you can send me any other info and I will reply with details of the unit I bought. Thanks

 

[Pendragon]

Will do, but it will either be tomorrow or Wednesday as I have to fit the old computer up to get it off.

Keith

 

[joeysnowey]

thats no problem, any time is great and really appreciate the help. If you want to drop me the email I will reply with details of the processor i have whenever i receive an email

 

[Pendragon]

Will do or just email me
Keith

 

[Pendragon]

Thanks for the link.....I would run a mile from buying or using that processor....its accident waiting to happen and apart from that the design is rubbish.

Keith

 

[joeysnowey]

Thanks Keith, i am not too bothered if I lost my own face (thats happened plenty of times before!) but I don't think the misses would be fond of me if my 5 year old biodiesel apprentice was disfigured by it, which by the sound of it was more than possible! I owe ya one Pendy

 

[jgs600]

price depends on what your paying for your oil.
ive always paid 20ppl so add about 8-10ppl for methanol and about 5-8ppl for electricity and potassium then you get a price of around 35-40ppl for biodiesel.
If you get your oil free then the price comes down too.

at the moment im running my 1998 c250 on a 50/50 mix of bio and filtered waste veg oil so my price per litre is actually lower than 35ppl.

havent filled up from a garage for nearly 4 years now.

Its not easy and to be honest you have to look at it as a hobby first and a money saver second....:bannana::bannana::bannana::bannana:

 

[joeysnowey]

thats useful thanks. I hope to get oil as cheap as possible or free. I have a CDI so will need to make very clean bio to be able to run that on it, but VW 2.4D Transporter should eat it up just fine, veg oil hopefully too. Definitely see it as a hobby first, and enjoy the idea of making my own fuel never mind saving money

 

[Pendragon]

Hope you got your money back on that processor?

 

[joeysnowey]

Not just yet Pen but its a when not an if. Thanks to you I might remain as handsome as ever for a few more years yet
Top man, thanks for the heads up

 

[Damogsta]

I've done some research into this but don't have the time to pursue it any further.
My understanding is that standard diesel from the pumps, being oil based, has lubrication qualities that even properly converted Bio-diesel lacks, this can cause SERIOUS issues of wear. . . . .
Obviously I stand to be corrected

 

[joeysnowey]

Stand corrected then

The oil companies will put out enough reasons to worry to keep the main population scared just enough of damaging their cars, and its a valid fear to have. For me, listening to countless stories of people running their cars on it for tens of thousands of miles is enough, when added to my healthy scepticism of the mass media and global dominating oil companies!
The diesel engine was designed run on veg oil from the start, its only modern hi tech engines that you need to be a bit more careful with, and not because of the engine but because of the bits attached to it to improve performance.
You pays ya money and takes ya choice, but for me its bio all the way once i get my "lab" set up
(If in doubt or really worried about a car, go for a good old tractor diesel like a mercedes E300 or similar older style engine in any brand, in some countries they put used engine oil in the damn things and they run for years!

 

[artyman]

We had someone at the sailing club tasked with putting some oil in the diesel engine in the Saftey boat, he did, in the fuel tank!! It smoked a bit but gobbled it all up without too much bother.

 

[joeysnowey]

Ha ha ha, all plain sailing then!!

 

[Pendragon]

A lot of cars with "common rail" cannot take the pressure and its advised that biofuel and in particular, home mad biofuel, should not be used and I have seen some cars damaged so badly that a new engine was the only answer for repair. Having said that, I sold a few processor to a guy in London that had 2 brand new Merc's off the forecourt and run them on the biofuel he made in my processors.....that was 3 years ago and he is still running the same Merc's without them ever having diesel in them and a few of my other customers had Merc's and ran with no problems but I think its a chance you take. Most pre 2001 cars will run with no problem and it was either Renault or Peugeot that I heard had the most problems. I have a friend in the Midlands who has run his Sherpa van on nothing but filtered through a sock and left to settle used cooking oil from restaurants that he collects as this is his business and does a lot of miles per day in it.
I prefer bio to diesel as I found my Mitsubishi Delica ran better on it but I don't think my C240 petrol would appreciate it hence why I had LPG installed lol

 

[joeysnowey]

From what little knowledge I have (nothing compared to Pendragon's), home made BD can be fine in anything IF it is made extremely carefully and all the meth is removed properly. You can do a quick job, or you can sit for as long as it takes to get the stuff as clean as possible. Since I will be doing the latter I do intend to use it in my lovely shiny new car (2001 is about as close to new as I buy, but its a CDI!)
As Pendy says, you take your chances, but I am fairly confident I won't damage anything as I am pretty **** with new stuff and I will be taking great care with my production, I may also go 50/50 for a while