Dieseling on grease

[rdbigfarmboy]

I am using used cooking oil in one tractor and a ton truck. I pick up grease from local convenience stores settle it, filter and fill a seperate tank. The tractor and truck both have tank switches. I start on Diesel ans switch to grease after the coolant has sufficiently warmed the grease. Shutdown for long periods is the reverse. I have posted pics on my photo gallery rdbigfarmboy.
The idea is to save money, with minimal inconvenience and no disruption or loss. Filtering both from the collection from store and filtering into tank is the heart of the project.
The tractors add on tank is from a junk yard $15. I added lines to run coolant thru tank. The tank switch cost about $30.
The truck needed a line to run coolant thru the factory front diesel tank.
The pump is a mini PTO pump run by the tractor. It sucks from the collection buckets and pushed thru the 3 filters.
Each item has its own filter water seperator that is drainable.
Works very well.
Cost of fuel after filtering is about .20 per gallon. The filters are about $2 each from Walmart or RK. The water block is about $10-12.
I am looking for feedback others using a similiar idea.

 

[beenthere]

Interesting method. I will wait to see how you like it in 6 months. I am in no hurry to switch. Hopefully it pays for your collection cost and your time, but even so, it could be like gathering wood for fuel - it just feels good to do it and not use the fossil fuels. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[RichNJKubota]

Several times I've added various new cooking oils straight to my fuel tank on the Kubota. Only in the summer and no more than about 5%-10%.
Never had an issue.

Rich
NJ

 

[Boomerang1]

Used cooking oil usually has a low ph which is corrosive and should be treated with lye be using.

 

[deere755]

My son in law was telling me something about using cooking oil in a diesel. He mentioned something about some additive and it would cost about .49 to make. I will ask him about it the next time I see him. Hope it works out for you. I am for anything that helps with the high price of fuel.

 

[BigDogues]

About two months ago there was an interesting article in HomePower Magazine about someone that built a backyard cat-cracker to process their own bio-diesel. I bet that back issue is getting hard to come by now with fuel in excess of three dollars a gallon. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

I have ran the grease for over 100 hours on the tractor and several tanks on the truck. As far as refinement I want to find a cone bottom tank to settle and drain off contaminants. I am very familiar with lye soap thats where you add a hydroxide to form a precip and with this grease skim it ( soap) off (over simplification of process). The remaining grease would be alkaline. I have noticed small floating globs of esters (fat) from the meats being cooked. My limited experience tells me the better the filtration the less problems. My logic is I can use about twice the amount I collect locally. I collect from 5 local stores that are not high volume, they produce too much trash (fines) and water. I want to batch process in order to have a stable supply. I start and warm on clean diesel and before shutdown switch back to clean the distrubitor and filters. Additionally my engine filters have water seperator drains.
Understand biodiesel and used cooking oil are not the same. Biodiesel is diesel blended with vegetable oil different companies have different recipes.

 

[Boomerang1]

Biodiesel does not have to be blended with diesel fuel, it can be put directly into an empty tank. Biodiesel can be made using a small amount of methanol and lye. The lye is used to raise the ph. The glycerin is drained off before using. You must use vegetable oil and not animal fat. The biodiesel can also be water washed if desired.

 

[L3650]

Ive thought about this for the F350 Powerstroke. I don't use enough in the tractor to justify.

http://greasecar.com/

 

[Boomerang1]

If you run straight vegetable oil, you may have problems with corrosion because the used oil is acidic.