bio diesel and WVO

[mcidave]

Hey wal1809...I got a question for you:
If I was to go use BioDiesel in my 1982 MCI9 6v92, what would I have to do to convert the existing setup to BioDiesel?

Thanks David

[wal1809]

To run bio diesel you don't have to do anything but carry a few filters with you.  Bio diesel is a solvent that will strip the years of dirty diesel build up out of the fuel tank and send it to blck the filters.   When you feel a slight power loss just change the filters.  I had to do it twice on my Excursion but after that I was good to go.

WVO (waste vegetable oil) on the other hand you have to replicate the fuel system that is in place and add heat sources to heat the WVO.  My suggestion for a bus is to run WVO.  The processing of the oil is a whole lot easier and it is nearly free.  Time will take a whole lot of nasty out of the oil, then with minimal work you can do the rest with ease.

I have a 300 gallon tank in the barn that I operate the bus with.  You can see the oil speration inside.  That oil has been filtered to 5 micron and dewatered.  I really didn't do much to it at all but leave it alone and pump it through a filter.

Tell me what your interested in and we can talk about it.

[belfert]

There are lots of creative ways to obtain wvo.  Recycle centers at the city, pool family and friends to obtain small amounts over time, run a craiglist add with a email contact offering to pick up locally during Thanksgiving and Christmas when everyone is frying turkeys.

Doesn't the fuel to pick up small amounts of WVO negate any savings from burning the WVO?  I guess if you have a diesel vehicle that is also running an alternative fuel you can get the WVO for nearly nothing.  The problem is the limited number of small vehicles that are diesel powered.  I had a VW diesel, but when it came time for a different vehicle I could no longer afford another diesel vehicle.  The price has gone sky high due to emissions.

[wal1809]

There are lots of creative ways to obtain wvo.  Recycle centers at the city, pool family and friends to obtain small amounts over time, run a craiglist add with a email contact offering to pick up locally during Thanksgiving and Christmas when everyone is frying turkeys.

Doesn't the fuel to pick up small amounts of WVO negate any savings from burning the WVO?  I guess if you have a diesel vehicle that is also running an alternative fuel you can get the WVO for nearly nothing.  The problem is the limited number of small vehicles that are diesel powered.  I had a VW diesel, but when it came time for a different vehicle I could no longer afford another diesel vehicle.  The price has gone sky high due to emissions.

[mcidave]

How much money are we talking to convert for WVO?

[happycamperbrat]

the system I would recommend comes from frybrid http://www.frybrid.com/index.htm the price you pay would probably depend on what type and size fuel tanks and how sophisticated you want to get with your system. I looked into it a few years ago and for me it was going to run about $3000 but I have heard $50 would get you started with a more manual system.

[happycamperbrat]

This is a pretty good read to give you an idea of what is required and all the goodies you can add to the system to make it a no brainer http://www.frybrid.com/frybrid.htm

[wal1809]

That is a good place to read and get familiar with the system you need to install.  I scavenged parts from Brother in laws, junk yards, garage sales ect.  My system was far less than $3000.
Large holding tank was $100-free tank, but refabricated to what I wanted cost me $100
Used smaller surge tank $60
Harbor freight pump $39
Valves from greasecar $300
Fittings for valves $15
2 heat exchangers $200
Filter and filter head $20
Pex pipe was $33
Fuel line $50
Call it a little over $800 or lets say $1000 for stuff I have forgotton about.  I don't know about frybrid's valves, if they are large enough for a bus.  THe first set I bought from Omar sales via internet were not at all large enough.  The ones I bought from Greasecar.com have plenty of flow to run the bus.

[happycamperbrat]

Chris Goodwin, the owner of frybrid, has a bus..... as I recall it is a neoplan. His is set up with his own kit. I was going to have a kit completely made so I could just pop it in. But that was before I found out how hard it is to get the vo out here and then my brother started making the bio up in Idaho, so I never followed thru and bought the custom kit.

[wal1809]

I am a fan of using heated filter systems if an indicator system at the driver seat is installed.  It would be trajic to start off on a Vegas trip and hit the switch and not being able to tell how hot your fuel is getting or if it is getting heated at all.

Let's throw this out there as well.  A lot of peole tried to talk me into a closed loop system.  Only a couple people talked to me about using a surge tank.  I had already installed the closed loop and was reluctant to breaking it down.  what they were telling me finally registered and I installed the surge tank.  I still have people telling me to get shed of the tank and go with a closed loop.  Not Gonna do it!!!  

The problem with a closed loop is if you, when you get air in there you can't get it out.  With the surge tank you don't have to bleed the air manually it just dissapates upon fuel returning to the surge tank.  It is also a lot easier to heat the small amount of oil up to a very high temp.  Also your going to have to carry oil in a bay.  That is say 15 to 20 feet from the pump in the engine.  Sucking cold oil that far through a line has got to be hard on that pump in the engine.  I really don't think it will operate very well trying to pull cold oil through the fuel line that far.  I beleive it would throw off your flow rate too far.

[wal1809]

Chris Goodwin, the owner of frybrid, has a bus..... as I recall it is a neoplan. His is set up with his own kit. I was going to have a kit completely made so I could just pop it in. But that was before I found out how hard it is to get the vo out here and then my brother started making the bio up in Idaho, so I never followed thru and bought the custom kit.

I ahve not been over there in a while HCB.  Is that $3000 with a tank or without?

[happycamperbrat]

like I said, it was several years ago..... Im sure the price has probably gone up. But yes that did include a tank. He had a tank that someone had custom ordered but never paid for or picked up and the tank was just sitting in the back of the shop he was going to sell me with the kit.

[wal1809]

REally that is not bad for a bolt in system.  You can put it in is a weekend and be done with it.

[happycamperbrat]

I utterly unendorse the frybrid system after actually giving them money for one and not recieving the kit or a refund or a response!

[wal1809]

Dern HCB how long has it been since no contact?  There are options to force them to pay back or provide a product.