Bummer

orange150

orange150

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Fairfax City, VA
well after not getting any response what so ever from Chris at Frybrid I finally decided to join their forum and ask what few questions I had.
http://www.frybrid.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5754
I have found out that Frybrid doesn't make a kit for my year/style truck because of a weak fuel pump. Crap, ok what else? www.vegistroke.com makes a kit for my truck, basically replaces the mechanical fuel system to a '99+ electric fuel system... whole kit is $3000! a bit more than I had planned on spending. My bro in law has been running the Greasel kit for about 30k miles and has had few problems with it, he has coincidentally had to replace the fuel pump already though. Everyone on Frybrid said something along the lines of "if you love your truck you won't run a Greasel system", I love my truck... but filling it up is a drag.
So Im thinking about making my own bio diesel, however i haven't had anytime too look into it yet; or finding some cheap alternative to the fuel pump problem. Just kind of thinking out loud because this throws my whole diesel truck plan outa whack.
 
Drop the Furd :gay: and get a chevy...Frybrid makes a kit for the 6.5L TD plus Chevies are just better. :driver:

Seriously though....It takes a lot more processing to make biodiesel than just using SVO. (although no conversion is needed for BioDiesel) You have to do all the same things as you would with SVO to process the oil, plus do the actual converstion to Biodiesel. It is a time vs money thing really. SVO takes less time to process, but has a higher upfront cost because of the converstion. Also, you will go through several fuel filters at first when you switch to biodiesel. It tends to clean out your tank and lines, but plugs your filters.

One more thing, as for having a few problems with SVO kits in general, just remember it is still in a somewhat experimental phase still. High quality oil should be your number 1 priority with SVO. Lower quality oil will tend to amplify the problems with lower quality kits.
 
nah, if I had known SVO wouldn't work on my truck I would have gotten a Cummins.

Been looking at making my own bio, doesn't seem too bad except acquiring the methanol and lye. and also dealing with the waste soap and glycerin
 
You should look into local biodiesel coops, or setting up one....that way you can spread the cost out over several folks, along with the fuel.

In theory....I bet we have enough folks in the NC4x4 community to start several regional coops!

YES, biodiesel is cheaper...and for many of us that will "just" mean having enough for one way on a long trip, and filling up with the other on the way back...but it would prob cut our daily fuel costs in 1/2.

http://www.biofuels.coop/

That is a great place to start...again you may find you don't "need" to start your own co-op, but it might be nice amoung fellow 4x4ers...

Sam
 
I am aslo looking at th Bio for my main tank To startup on and then run the WVO tank. may make a small batchand see how it works.
 
bio

A little research would save each of you quite a bit of cash.:shaking:
 
Do you really feel like you need a "kit"? All the parts you need are available either on Ebay or locally...Just find someone that's installed a system and copy what they have...or con them into "helping" you...
 
nah, i looked around on the net last night before bed time. found the "appleseed" instructions. find a working used hot water heater and its about $150 worth of hardware for the processor half of the bio. they also have plans to make a washer out of a 50gal oil drum. Im thinking i might try it as long as I can find a used hot water heater.
 
dieselsub98 said:
You willing to run the risk of an invisble fire? Does anyone else have comments on this? Methanol is used to convery wvo to biodesl...
Click to expand...


You've been watching too many Indy races! :D

IMO, compared to the gallons of flammable household solvents & fuel stuffed in/under/around most houses, the "threat" is minor... pretty sure we're not talking gallons of MeOH & open flames anyways...
 
orange150 said:
Im thinking i might try it as long as I can find a used hot water heater.
Click to expand...


go behind any Lowe's store and look where they toss the old appliances that delivery picks up from customer's houses. the store's rtm clerk will bash returned water heaters with a sledge hammer a few times to damage the casing of the heater and then toss them out there for sanford&son to pick up so they can do whatever they do with a broken heater.... most of the time the problems with the returned heaters are faulty thermostats, improper installation, or a dent that won't look pretty in the customer's garage :(

keep in mind they don't throw them away every single day and billy bob camps out in the store parking lot waiting for nice things to show up outside so he can take them and sell them on a corner so it might be a good idea to actually go into the store and walk back into receiving to talk to the RTM Clerk.... or call and speak to him/her and request that they hold a defeective heater inside the store and call you next time they have one rather than just throwing it out back.

if you were closer to wilmington i'd get you one as i am a deliery driver and see this every other day or so... but i doubt it's worth your time and money to travel.

-Erik
 
Caver Dave said:
You've been watching too many Indy races! :D
IMO, compared to the gallons of flammable household solvents & fuel stuffed in/under/around most houses, the "threat" is minor... pretty sure we're not talking gallons of MeOH & open flames anyways...
Click to expand...
i definitely will admit that I have little experience in this area. The fact that it was a possibility and the amount of time required to convert wvo to biodisel detered me from trying it.
As for the household solvents i agree with what you are saying, We have a gas water heater in our garage so I keep all flammable solvents in our shed out back. :D
 
dieselsub98 said:
i definitely will admit that I have little experience in this area. The fact that it was a possibility and the amount of time required to convert wvo to biodisel detered me from trying it.
As for the household solvents i agree with what you are saying, We have a gas water heater in our garage so I keep all flammable solvents in our shed out back. :D
Click to expand...
BIO:
Takes about 2 hours to do all the "work" of getting a batch going. Titration, 500ml test (blender test) then mixing the KOH and meth in. (I'm doing about 90 gallons a week as part of a co-op). Then it mixes for about an hour, sits over night, then comes the washing part. Takes about 15 minutes to set up, then let it run over night, repeat 3 times, pour into truck.

SVO:
I spent about $550 on line for the major parts (Racor filter, LavaLine, Pollack valve) then another $100 or so for fittings, switches, wire, etc. I had the tank already, but add another $100 for a used one or $500 for a new one...Copied someone elses set up, and Bada-Boom, Bada-Bing....I was running SVO.

I've simplified both systems here, both were more complicated, but this gives you a good overview. Find someone that is making Bio or using SVO and look at their set up...Then decide for yourself if this is for you.
 
lomodyj said:
BIO:
Takes about 2 hours to do all the "work" of getting a batch going. Titration, 500ml test (blender test) then mixing the KOH and meth in. (I'm doing about 90 gallons a week as part of a co-op). Then it mixes for about an hour, sits over night, then comes the washing part. Takes about 15 minutes to set up, then let it run over night, repeat 3 times, pour into truck.
Click to expand...

That is 2 hours after you collected the oil, settled, filter, and dewatered right?
 
lomodyj said:
BIO:
I spent about $550 on line for the major parts (Racor filter, LavaLine, Pollack valve) then another $100 or so for fittings, switches, wire, etc. I had the tank already, but add another $100 for a used one or $500 for a new one...Copied someone elses set up, and Bada-Boom, Bada-Bing....I was running SVO.
Click to expand...

Are you not heating the oil, or is that what the lavaline is?
 
dieselsub98 said:
That is 2 hours after you collected the oil, settled, filter, and dewatered right?
Click to expand...

It's after collecting. Then is sits overnight, bottom is drained, then I start the "cooking" proccess. All in all it takes about 2 hours to collect 90 gallons, 2 hours to "cook", 1/2 hour 3 times to wash and de water. The KOH and Methanol are costing us about $1.50 per gallon of Bio. If I'm not saving money, I am helping the planet some...

dieselsub98 said:
Are you not heating the oil, or is that what the lavaline is?
Click to expand...

That is what the LavaLine is. It's two 1/2" coolant lines and a 3/8" fuel line wrapped in an insulating sheath.
 
Have not looked at any of the "systems" or "kits".

LavaLine Fuel line runs from the add on fuel pump back by the tank up to the lifter pump (Dodge CTD). Coolant lines run in a loop off the line going to the heater core.
 
Something a bit ironic happened today.

While I was at the hospital (waiting for MY ultra sound, for the blood clot in my 20yr old body) someone called my dad to see if he had any open shop space so they could start a bio diesel co-op. I think he's waiting for them to call back?
 
orange150 said:
Something a bit ironic happened today.
While I was at the hospital (waiting for MY ultra sound, for the blood clot in my 20yr old body) someone called my dad to see if he had any open shop space so they could start a bio diesel co-op. I think he's waiting for them to call back?
Click to expand...

good deal on the co-op.

As for the blood clot...i was in the hospital today getting an ultra sound in my 26yr old body...even more ironic... They didn't find one in me. Hope yours gets better!
 
lomodyj said:
The KOH and Methanol are costing us about $1.50 per gallon of Bio. If I'm not saving money, I am helping the planet some...QUOTE]

Helping the planet is great, but that doesn't seem worth the time to me.

90 gallons at $2.75/gal is $247.50, now given diesel is cheaper than that now, so the savings would be even less.

90 gallons at $1.50/gal is $135

Basically you would save about $115, less now that diesel is cheaper than $275.

Is 6-8 hours of your time worth $115? That is pretty much like working for about $15 an hour, which is OK (wish I made that much), but that pretty much sets in stone what I will decide when I get the $$$ to either do Bio or WVO. The initial $$$ for WVO just seems like a much better deal in the long run, because there is no extra cost (except filters I guess).

Now, I have not really researched this any, so I could be completely wrong about all this, and if so, please let me know, because is Bio is much better and cheaper in the long run, then by all means I may go that route.
Click to expand...
 
That's why I said "If I'm not saving money, I am helping the planet some..." I like knowing what my fuel costs will be, this wondering what I'm gonna get raped for this week bugs me. I'd rather pay $0.50 more per gallon if I knew it was always gonna be the same. Plus, doing my small part to save the planet is good...It adds to everything else I do to make this a better place for your kids.
 
Tacoma747 said:
Is 6-8 hours of your time worth $115?
Click to expand...

From what I've read, once you have everything setup (reactor, plumbing, storage, etc.), the time outlay per batch is minimal. Seems the folks that brew regularly use thermostats to control temp & timers to control the circulation, bubbling, washing, etc... which makes it a bit more automated.

Seems like a good way to save $$ & reduce dependency on dino fuels. I'm not so sure I want the "mess" of it all inside my house or the waste getting flushing into the septic system, but a crap building inside the city limits (city water & sewer) with a floor drain *would* be optimal for this type of operation!
 
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