I just put diesel in my tank for the last time...

[Gateholio]

...Well, at least for a few months..

The truck is now running on vegetable oil. It's oil that has been used in a deep fryer, filtered, and now it powers my truck.

How it works:

You have 2 fuel tanks. You start up the truck on diesel, which sends hot coolant through a series of heat exchangers, to warm the oil. Then, when it's hot (about 2-3 minutes) you switch to oil, and an electric heater is activated, to further heat the oil.

When heated, the oil becomes more liquid, and fuels the engine properly.

It starts here, with the in tank heat exchanger:

http://www.plantdrive.com/shop/product_image.php?imageid=25


Then fuel gets to a plate heat exchanger:

http://www.plantdrive.com/shop/product_image.php?imageid=26

And through a filter/heat exchanger:

http://www.plantdrive.com/shop/product_image.php?imageid=75

And finally through the electric heater:

http://www.plantdrive.com/shop/product_image.php?imageid=20

My fuel consumption has dropped from $13-$15 per day to under a dollar a day. Won't take long for that to add up.:cool:

[30-06]

thats crazy.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

I followed a Van powered by veg oil the other day in PG ... I had a craving for McDonalds french fries for about 2 hours after that ...

Seriously tho ... are you noticing any power loss like that evident when a gas job gets converted to propane?

[BCBear]

You can now sit in your rig and wait for the bears to come to you:cool:

[Gateholio]

Seriously tho ... are you noticing any power loss like that evident when a gas job gets converted to propane?

No real power loss, wasn't on my Ford that I did it on, either...maybe slightly less "pick up" from zero.

[Tarp Man]

How much was the conversion, did you do it yourself?

[Gateholio]

It was about $2500 including the tank. If you had a truck wiht 2 tanks (liek my old Ford) it is cheaper.

Took me about 2 days to install it.:cool:

[overthetop]

How long till or tax-grabbing leaders start taxing that too..:roll:

[Browningmirage]

how much will the veggie oil run you???

Saw a show on a car running on veggie oil...it was pretty innefficient, how does yours run?

seems to me like a good idea, but if everyone went and did it, they would start to charge you for your veggie oil

[ruger#1]

Clarke, you are just going to make canola oil go up in price. It is getting harder to find canola. As it is being used as diesel fuel.

[Gateholio]

how much will the veggie oil run you???

Saw a show on a car running on veggie oil...it was pretty innefficient, how does yours run?

seems to me like a good idea, but if everyone went and did it, they would start to charge you for your veggie oil


The veggie oil is FREE. It is a waste by product of deep fryers. Oil used in deep fryers gradually degrades to the point that you shoudln't cook in it- But it still has value as a fuel.

Restrauants pay reduction companies to cart away thier used oil. I take it away for free. (Although since I am in charge of 2 restaurant kitchens, it's even easier for me.):cool:

But I think an individual woudl have NO trouble making arrangements wiht a few local eaterys, especially in this "green" age we live in. Actually, restaurants that view it as a PR move could capitalize on it :cool:

Efficient? Probably uses a bit more veggie oil than diesel to go the same distance, it was like that with my Ford, anyway. But not double or anything. My bank account thinks it's VERY efficient, though..

Sure, if everyone did it, some restaurants would view it as a money making opportunity. I don't see that happening anytime soon, because most people don't drive diesels, are too cheap to outlay the initial investment, too lazy to do the installation and too lazy to go pick up thier own oil.;-)

[WoodOx]

Im gunna put a system like this in a new truck I buy next year.

Did you follow details from some other site gatehouse?

Plz pm me anymore info

[Gateholio]

Here is where I got my parts and instructions from. They are tremendously helpful, excelelnt service.

http://www.plantdrive.com/

Keep in mind it will void the warranty of a brand new truck....

[Will]

Keep in mind it will void the warranty of a brand new truck....
Yes but think of all the Bears that will follow the scent trail home......:shock:

Pretty Cool ! :smile:

[ruger#1]

You should put a big yellow M on your tail gate . And dye your hair red.

[ruger#1]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/CIMG0348.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5965) Hope this isnt your new truck there Clarke.

[Hilgy]

Do you still have the option of running only diesel if you want??

[Gateholio]

Yes, the truck has 2 tanks. You start and finish on deisel.

[Forthright]

you live in pemberton?....have you been experiencing gelling and thickning from the cold, i realize you have heat exchangers, and you finish on diesel to purge the veggie out of the pump and lines. we have a couple customers on bio, and the winter isnt good for it, lots of fat deposits (actual chunks of fat) filters are solidified. mind you they don't have heaters. but as the day warms up, and the over flow back to the tank is warm they start to disolve. your winters are a little different then our Richmond, Vancouver winter, just wondering how the mornings, and nights are.

steve

[Gateholio]

you live in pemberton?....have you been experiencing gelling and thickning from the cold, i realize you have heat exchangers, and you finish on diesel to purge the veggie out of the pump and lines. we have a couple customers on bio, and the winter isnt good for it, lots of fat deposits (actual chunks of fat) filters are solidified. mind you they don't have heaters. but as the day warms up, and the over flow back to the tank is warm they start to disolve. your winters are a little different then our Richmond, Vancouver winter, just wondering how the mornings, and nights are.

steve

Keep in mind that I am using straight waste veg oil, and NOT bio deisel. The oil is taken out of the deep fryers, then filtered.

We use a non trans fat oil in the deep fryers, for our customers health, but ironically, the other stuff (with trans fat) clogs up fuel systems, just like arteries. So if your customers are using poor quality oil, it will solidify in cold weather easier. The oil I use doesn't harden in cold weather.

When I was running my Ford last year, I only experienced problems during a very cold snap,and my solution was to mix in 15% deisel.

So, for me, mornings, nights are not an issue. Start up on deisel, and let it warm up...Just takes a couple more minutes in cold weather.:smile:

[Rhys]

Clarke, what type of truck are you running this on now? Turbo diesel?

Do you have any info on your filtering system to originally clean the oil? Are you just getting the oil from work, bringing it home running it from one barrel through a filter and into another barrel?

How about storage do you need to keep a lot on hand or is the filtering process quick and easy enough that you can keep small amounts on hand and make more when needed?

I have been thinking of selling my ranger and getting a diesel pickup for a while now but school and work have been getting in the way for the past few years. I might look into it this coming April.

What kind of milage are you getting? Obviously a $12-15 day down to a $1 is great any idea how much it works out to in MPG?

$2500 is pretty good deal if you have access to the oil that should take a year or less to pay off at the costs you have stated above!

Thanks for all the info keep on enjoying the benefits!

Rhys

[Gateholio]

[QUOTE=Rhys;183095]Clarke, what type of truck are you running this on now? Turbo diesel?

1995 Dodge 2500 Cumins


Do you have any info on your filtering system to originally clean the oil? Are you just getting the oil from work, bringing it home running it from one barrel through a filter and into another barrel?

I get the guys at work to run it through a paper deep fryer filter (think giant coffee filter) That removes 90% of the solids. Then the oil is poured back in to the jugs it came in. I take it home and let it sit for a week or 2 and settle, and then pour the top part into the gas tank. Any particles left over get trapped by the Vormax fuel filter.

I will be rigging up a pump to do this easier, but this method works fine for now.


How about storage do you need to keep a lot on hand or is the filtering process quick and easy enough that you can keep small amounts on hand and make more when needed?

I keep quite bit on hand, but you can buy or make pump/filter combos that allow you to skip the settling process.



What kind of milage are you getting? Obviously a $12-15 day down to a $1 is great any idea how much it works out to in MPG?

No, I'd have to measure it calculate it, etc...I'm not that smart or motivated. When I did my old Ford Powerstroke I noticed I was filling up *slightly* more frequently than with diesel


$2500 is pretty good deal if you have access to the oil that should take a year or less to pay off at the costs you have stated above!

For me, I am spending about $500 a month in fuel, So, 5 months would be break even....I already got 2 months out of the system on my Ford, so 3 months form now I break even.

I'll keep the truck for several more years, as long as I dont' encounter dumbass pedestrians in the middle of the highway in a blizzard.:cool:

[Rhys]

Cool thanks for the response!

Rhys

[newhunterette]

hmm we have same truck - was thinking of putting the for sale sign back on it hmmmm

[Wildman]

My old man has been putting used oil into his Mercedes for a few years now.

[Forthright]

i never thought of the non trans vs trans fat before.....that could be something worth reading up on. as far as i know (and i might be wrong, going on 2nd hand info) but some of the bio diesels out there (and there are a few) are just as you stated, 15%(+or -) diesel, and the rest veggie, or similar. the non trans fat its something of real interest.....thanks for the insight!!!

steve

[Gateholio]

The thing about the trans fat fryer shortening is that parts of it will solidify at room temperature. Non trans fat shortening, or regular vegetable oil- will not.

Old style lard type shortening cannot be used, as far as I know.:cool:

[Elkhound]

very cool Clarke......keep us posted on how it does for you.