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A Clean, Green Alternative Fuel that's dead simple to make in your own backyard

rightonduderightondude Posts: 745
edited July 2006 in A Moving Train
Ok this gives me hope my friends. Take away their power and save the environment at the same time.

This project is gaining momentum. Vegetable oil...this is the water to their fire.

If we want to achieve real freedom we going to have to make it. Literally. And it's easy to do.
Here at Path to Freedom, we are running our diesel cars on home-brewed biodiesel with discarded vegetable oil collected from local restaurants in our area.

Our homemade biodiesel processor was made from a combination of recycled materials and local hardware store goods. The same can be accomplished by anyone with a concern for the environment and a vision for sustainability.

http://pathtofreedom.com/pathproject/offthegrid/biodiesel.shtml
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    truroutetruroute Posts: 251
    Only catch.........you have to have a diesle engine.
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    rightonduderightondude Posts: 745
    truroute wrote:
    Only catch.........you have to have a diesle engine.

    Obviously. However, I bet many SUV owners pay almost as much in gasoline per month (or more) as the car payment itself.

    When the gasoline is worth as much as the car...what is the car really worth?

    Time to get a different car perhaps...
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    HoonHoon Posts: 175
    rightondude wrote:
    Ok this gives me hope my friends. Take away their power and save the environment at the same time.

    This project is gaining momentum. Vegetable oil...this is the water to their fire.

    If we want to achieve real freedom we going to have to make it. Literally. And it's easy to do.
    Here at Path to Freedom, we are running our diesel cars on home-brewed biodiesel with discarded vegetable oil collected from local restaurants in our area.

    Our homemade biodiesel processor was made from a combination of recycled materials and local hardware store goods. The same can be accomplished by anyone with a concern for the environment and a vision for sustainability.

    http://pathtofreedom.com/pathproject/offthegrid/biodiesel.shtml
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    Cool site with many answered directions.


    This guy I know has a veggie oil powered bus. He is about to go on tour for a documentary.

    Pictures:
    http://myspace-112.vo.llnwd.net/00863/21/12/863802112_l.jpg

    http://myspace-009.vo.llnwd.net/00740/90/06/740646009_l.jpg



    His pages:
    http://myspace.com/hipbusrunsonveggieoil

    http://www.businmotion.com/index.html


    Veggie Oil Pioneers:
    http://www.frybrid.com

    http://www.fuelwerks.com

    WIKI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_vegetable_oil

    Many are lovin' the veggie oil in seattle.

    Nothin' like your gas costin' nothin'!
    If you keep yourself as the final arbiter you will be less susceptible to infection from cultural illusion.
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    yeah the greasecar folks have been doing this for a while too.

    good time to go get a Jetta TDI.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    inmytreeinmytree Posts: 4,741
    I've been running BioDiesel, B-100 (100% biodiesel), in my 1990 Diesel Jetta...I joined a local Co-op, Cape Fear Biodiesel, just to have access to this fuel and to get involved in this movement...I really like running it, the exhaust fums actully smell kinda good...my only concern at this time is some of the fuel line hoses...in cars made prior to 1993, some say 1990, the hoses will be eaten up by the B-100...and the fuel filters need changed more often due to the B-100 cleans out the system...

    I just signed up to be on the Site Committee...we are going to build a Appleseed Processor...so members can make their own B-100...
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    inmytree wrote:
    I've been running BioDiesel, B-100 (100% biodiesel), in my 1990 Diesel Jetta...I joined a local Co-op, Cape Fear Biodiesel, just to have access to this fuel and to get involved in this movement...I really like running it, the exhaust fums actully smell kinda good...my only concern at this time is some of the fuel line hoses...in cars made prior to 1993, some say 1990, the hoses will be eaten up by the B-100...and the fuel filters need changed more often due to the B-100 cleans out the system...

    I just signed up to be on the Site Committee...we are going to build a Appleseed Processor...so members can make their own B-100...


    cool, it'd be nice to get many of those tobacco farms just west of you growing produce for biodiesel. I bet the above frybrid.com people could probably help you with parts. It's ashamed you can't run 2 filters, but that would get complicated.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    inmytreeinmytree Posts: 4,741
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    cool, it'd be nice to get many of those tobacco farms just west of you growing produce for biodiesel. I bet the above frybrid.com people could probably help you with parts. It's ashamed you can't run 2 filters, but that would get complicated.

    We talked about that very same thing, the tobacco farms, during our last meeting...it was in general terms...no plans just yet...there are Co-ops popping up throughout the state...I met a guy in Durham who was running the Co-op their...I was on a trip back from Duke, and I needed a fill-up..so I just called this guy, He met me at the fill-up site for his Co-op and I filled up...there is an unwritten agreement that if you are a member of one Co-op, your a member of them all...at least that's how it is around here...

    from what I understand there are ways to run a second filter, but I just change mine out, it's really simple on my 52 horsepower, non-turbo, engine...I'm thinking about the Waste Veggie Oil thing, but that's a big process and it's not cheap....someday though...I'm looking to pick-up a fixer-upper diesel, a VW or Benz, and may do the WVO thing with that one...

    also, I'm a bit nervous about the WVO thing, because if you do it wrong, you'll end up having to rebuild the entire Engine...some issues: if you don't filter the oil correctly, it will literarily cook the engine...also you have to purge some systems prior to shutting off the engine...

    I'm sticking with B-100 for now...
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    inmytree wrote:
    We talked about that very same thing, the tobacco farms, during our last meeting...it was in general terms...no plans just yet...there are Co-ops popping up throughout the state...I met a guy in Durham who was running the Co-op their...I was on a trip back from Duke, and I needed a fill-up..so I just called this guy, He met me at the fill-up site for his Co-op and I filled up...there is an unwritten agreement that if you are a member of one Co-op, your a member of them all...at least that's how it is around here...

    from what I understand there are ways to run a second filter, but I just change mine out, it's really simple on my 52 horsepower, non-turbo, engine...I'm thinking about the Waste Veggie Oil thing, but that's a big process and it's not cheap....someday though...I'm looking to pick-up a fixer-upper diesel, a VW or Benz, and may do the WVO thing with that one...

    also, I'm a bit nervous about the WVO thing, because if you do it wrong, you'll end up having to rebuild the entire Engine...some issues: if you don't filter the oil correctly, it will literarily cook the engine...also you have to purge some systems prior to shutting off the engine...

    I'm sticking with B-100 for now...

    That's really cool actually. Do you know how your co-op manufactures the biodiesel and did you have to make any special modifications and how much does it cost?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    inmytreeinmytree Posts: 4,741
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    That's really cool actually. Do you know how your co-op manufactures the biodiesel and did you have to make any special modifications and how much does it cost?

    we don't make our own...yet...

    check out our new reactor: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1805/1924/1600/john_reactor_small.1.jpg

    we have been purchasing from other co-op's...right now I pay $3.50 per gallon...I'm unsure of the cost after we begin to make our own...

    http://capefearbioblog.blogspot.com/

    http://www.capefearbiofuels.com/

    as for modifications, do you mean for a car to run biodiesel or in making biodiesel...?
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    inmytree wrote:
    we don't make our own...yet...

    check out our new reactor: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1805/1924/1600/john_reactor_small.1.jpg

    we have been purchasing from other co-op's...right now I pay $3.50 per gallon...I'm unsure of the cost after we begin to make our own...

    http://capefearbioblog.blogspot.com/

    http://www.capefearbiofuels.com/

    as for modifications, do you mean for a car to run biodiesel or in making biodiesel...?


    a car to run biodiesel. for instance, could I go buy a diesel from joes car shack and run B-100 in it unmolested?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    farfromglorifiedfarfromglorified Posts: 5,696
    Science is so cool. Keep of the good work kids.
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    inmytreeinmytree Posts: 4,741
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    a car to run biodiesel. for instance, could I go buy a diesel from joes car shack and run B-100 in it unmolested?


    here you go:
    You don't need to make any changes whatsoever to run a relatively new model year (post 1995 or so) diesel car on biodiesel. Biodiesel is a powerful solvent and *may* cause problems for older diesel vehicles. In those vehicles the fuel line may have been made from nitrile butyl rubber. Those fuel lines should be replaced. In addition, biodiesel's nature as a powerful solvent, will cause fuel system deposits to loosen and clog your fuel filter. You may need to replace it a few times after first switching.

    Biodiesel quality, like "dino" diesel quality, is variable. You should ensure that you are buying good quality fuel. The fuel should meet the ASTM 6751 standard. Your supplier should be able to document this.

    There is some concern that poor fuel quality could cause (among other things) polymerization of your crank case oil. This problem is really more likely to occur with running straight vegetable oil ( "SVO" ). I replace my engine oil more frequently as a precaution.

    You definately do NOT need any *KIT* to run biodiesel. Many retail stations sell B5 (5% biodiesel) and stations selling higher grades are popping up everywhere.

    I've not changed any fuel lines as of yet...I bought Granny in Feb this year...the prevous owner had a new engine put in about in 1993...so my fuel lines may be ok...I've read that 1990 is the cut-off year for concern, and I've read 1993 and the above mentions 1995....I'm using the "wait and see" approach right now...I've only run about 25 gallons of B-100 at this point. It's my understanding that to correctly do the job, I need to replace the fuel lines with Viton Brand tubing...which, of course, ain't cheap...about 12 bucks a foot...
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    inmytree wrote:
    here you go:



    I've not changed any fuel lines as of yet...I bought Granny in Feb this year...the prevous owner had a new engine put in about in 1993...so my fuel lines may be ok...I've read that 1990 is the cut-off year for concern, and I've read 1993 and the above mentions 1995....I'm using the "wait and see" approach right now...I've only run about 25 gallons of B-100 at this point. It's my understanding that to correctly do the job, I need to replace the fuel lines with Viton Brand tubing...which, of course, ain't cheap...about 12 bucks a foot...


    Cool, thanks for the info, so a newish diesel TDI or Rabbit would be fine. I'd be willing to bet that biodiesel friendly fuel filters will soon be created.

    geez 12 bucks a foot, wow. Of course you could probably find a turbo or two in a pick a part yard and bolt them on while you're at it. :D
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    inmytreeinmytree Posts: 4,741
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    Cool, thanks for the info, so a newish diesel TDI or Rabbit would be fine. I'd be willing to bet that biodiesel friendly fuel filters will soon be created.

    geez 12 bucks a foot, wow. Of course you could probably find a turbo or two in a pick a part yard and bolt them on while you're at it. :D

    Yup, you should be fine with a newer TDI...I'm unsure if they will be putting a TDI in the new Rabbit...if they do, I'm getting one..
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