Biodiesel - answers

Guys,

I don't know why I'm doing this - why tell everyone when you're onto a good thing, but there have been a few enquiries of late about Bio-D. Here's a few links to get you started.

If any of you read this material and think it's all to hard (as some have already stated) - then read no futher. But remember, anything worth having doesn't come easy. Having said that, I started with an old "Birko" electric hot water tea making urn and a few plastic buckets and I didn't find it hard at all.

There are some folks that make it, that go to extremes in final product specs, but I don't go that far. Too much messin' about.

ALL diesels will run on Bio-D. Diesels will run just about any old oil - as long as it's clean. The major probs with older vehicles are that the hoses and seals won't tolerate Bio-D in it's neat form. Best to mix it with normal diesel. More recent vehicles have hoses of non-natural rubber comounds that can tolerate Bio-D. Volkswagon diesels cans run 100% Bio-D. Also, Bio-D has major ability to scour out crud and crap from fuel tanks and lines - so be prepared to change a few filters when you first use it. OR - fit an "agglomerator" (water trap) filter that has the glass bowl and CHEAP filter underneath. It'll stop a lot of the crud before it hits the expensive main fuel filter - I'm talking Nissan here at $60.00 a pop.

Where do you get methanol from? Try any motor parts speed shop that has connections with drag cars or speedway. They use it all the time. Or phone Shell and they'll ya where ya can buy it. It's available in 20 litre or 200 litre drums. 100% Caustic is available at hardware stores - normally sold as drain cleaner. Plumbers use it all the time. It's cheap as chips too.

But be warned - there are safety issues to be considered. I have a long background in the oil industry so I know (reasonably??) what I'm doing. But if ya ain't used to messing with chemicals then perhaps ya should give it a miss.

Here's a few links to start with. AND for God's sake be careful with methanol and mixing it with Caustic (Sodium Hydroxide). Read about the safety aspects of methanol and Sodium Methoxide before you start.

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mike.html

http://www.dancingrabbit.org/biodiesel/flrecipe.html

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor.html

http://www.veggiepower.org.uk/

http://www.ballarat.edu.au/projects/ensus/case_studies/biodiesel/biodiesel.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Biodiesel/messages

http://www.kelseyville.com/biodsl/

I have a heap more links. Search "Yahoo Groups" for some good info and links.

Bilbo.