I have found a reliable source of used vegetable oil and am considering buying a 50 gallon per batch biodiesel kit. I have done extensive research on this topic and am ready to pull the trigger. Does anyone on here make and/or use biodiesel and what problems have you encountered? I drive a 6.0L PSD ('03 model) and have one of the good ones. I have never had any issues with mine and it gets about 17-18 MPG.

I just wanted to reach out for input before I do this. My plan is to make some small batches before I buy the expensive kit. If it looks good (and from what I have read and heard, it will), I would buy the kit.

Thanks in advance,
Ron

You probably need to do alot of reading to become comfortable with whatever mixture you might use. I would get registered at a few Ford sites and maybe a biodiesel site and read read read.

http://www.thedieselstop.com/

http://www.ford-trucks.com/

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums

From what I have read the 6.0 injectors are sensitive so saying that would mean one of the most important issues would be cleaning the bio.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. I would love to do it for my 06 6.0 but just too scared at this point since I am still under warranty.

i also ran across a free supply of 150 gallons of oil a month, friend says they dont cook it over 300 degrees. curious as to how you do, and will keep watching

What about the by products? Disposing of them is the only thing that is keeping me from doing it. Is it considered hazardous waste? Just bag it up and put in the weekly garbage run?

The only by-product is the glycerin. From what I have read, this will be about 40% by volume. I don't know if it is hazardous waste, but I was going to take it to the Frisco place that takes old paint, used motor oil, etc.

I've been considering getting a deisel that'll be ok with using bio-deisel. I'm just not sure which engine is most compatible with it. But I've seriously thought about making my own... I just need the truck first.

The byproduct of making biodiesel is mostly glycerin but it contains methanol and any impurities that was in the oil. By volume its around 10 percent but can be more depending on the oil used.

The methanol that is used to make biodiesel can be partially recovered by heating the glycerin. The methanol turns into gas and you can capture the vapors like in a still. Somewhere around 20 percent of the methanol used to brew biodiesel can be recovered by this method.

The glycerin can be used as a soap or degreaser

I've done a bunch of reading on biodiesel but my thoughts above are just that. From what I have read.

Ford only allows a maximum of 5% biodiesel to be used in their vehicles.If any more than it will void your warranty on injectors and any other damage caused by the fuel. The injectors are about $350 a pop plus labor! I would pay the extra money at the pump for the sense of security. I spend alot of my time at work replacing injectors due to poor fuel quality(ex.water in fuel,biodiesel) so save yourself the time and headache and run pump diesel. The 6.0 is a great engine if you take care of it.

Wes Srianekkul
Ford Diesel,Gasoline,CNG,LPG Certified Technician

Wes,

Thanks for the reply. I read the 5% bio limit for warranty. Do you know why they have that specification? If the bio is properly made, cleaned, and dewatered, what problems should one expect? You used an example of bad injectors from water in the fuel. Do you know what caused this?

Everything I have read has clearly stated that if you carefully make each batch of bio and dewater properly, you will not have any problems, as long as the motor is newer than about 1990. I have regularly changed my fuel filters on my truck and pulled out a little water from time to time through the drain on the main filter under the frame. So obviously some water has gotten in the tank from petro diesel, but has not made it to the injectors. So if I do the bio thing, I will just increase the frequency of fuel filter changes.

To me the bottom line is that a fill-up now costs me about $140. The way things are going, this is not sustainable. Soon a fill-up will be $200+. Either the truck has to go and I need to find a more economical means of transportation, or I need to find a less expensive source of fuel. Even if I need to change fuel filters every thousand miles or something like that, I will still save about $80 per fill-up.

Thanks again and I would appreciate any insight you might have into the specification and the details of the injector problems.
Ron

Ron, Water in fuel is the most common problem I see in the field.
I work in North Richland Hills now and we have alot of fuel related injector problems. Alot of it has to do with fleet trucks filling on the job site from remote tankers and just the lack of quality fuel in our part of town. Six years prior I never really saw any fuel related problems when I worked in Irving at Westway because dallas was right there and big truck fueling stations are abundant.What will happen is the water in the fuel will dilute the fuel and will internally score the injectors causing poor fuel economy,rough idle,lack of power etc.
The clearences inside the 6.0 injector are very tight and do not respond well to wear. I could go on and on but typing it all makes my fingers hurt. I had a customer the other day who had a 02 7.3l excursion and the fuel pump went out.Well I did a fuel pressure test and it failed so I took a fuel sample and low and behold biodiesel. So the customer came up and argued with me for 30 minutes that his biodiesel didn't cause the problem cause the internet told him so. Ironic we are talking on the internet also, either way he was running 99.9% biodiesel and that wss and still is his problem. Think of it this way, a new fully loaded crew cab diesel can run between 42-55k depending on how you want it loaded(king ranch,duallie,4x4 etc). Most people spend the initial money and don't realize that a vehicle that expensive will be just as expensive in upkeep and routine maintenance. Diesels are expensive, I just bought an 06 250 and I knew what I was getting into. My cost on oil changes is 60 bucks, but I know if I change my oil every 5k, and fuel filters every 10k I will be trouble free as long as I don't get any bad fuel along the way. My 03 150 supercrew 4.6l was great and paid for but it didn't tow my basscat as well as my powerstroke does period! If fuel costs are getting in the way and you can get away towing with a gas rig then, I would definately suggest that as an alternative. The cost of everything is rising and its hitting everybody differently. Lastly I will say this, reading about biodiesel on the internet and working on broke vehicles at least twice a week because of the result of biodiesel are what the internet won't post. Eventually I will have to work on their trucks and it will be expensive. I could make a diesel go 1 million miles because I take very good care of my vehicles. Clean oil,Clean fuel,Clean air filters and away you go! I work on a couple of peoples diesels on the forum and they have very good luck with their trucks because they take care of them. Just remember people get paid to do what they do best, and I make my living working on Ford Diesel trucks. You don't have to take my advice, but its here if you want it.

p.s. so it's easier to take me seriously,thats not me dancing in the avatar, an old coworker :-)


Sincerely,
Wes Srianekkul
Ford Diesel,Gasoline,LPG,CNG Certified Technician

Wes,

Thanks so much for the reply. I think you hit the nail on the head with regards to poor fuel quality. Was the bio the customer was using bad (i.e. contained water), or does the bio itself cause the injectors to go bad?

Thanks again,
Ron

Wes,

I just got through reading a series of posts on another forum and they mostly (but not all) had negative things to say about bio in the 6.0. So if I do this, it will only be as a supplement up to 1 or 2 gallons per tank. I am not sure it is worth the hassle though to only save $6 or $7 per fill-up.

Ron

thanks Wes for giving us the tech side of the truth!! that should pretty much sum it up on the validity of biodiesel's effects on the newer engines.

I run an '01 Dodge Cummins 24valve(basically a tractor motor) and I think I could run dirty water throught this thing and it would still roar like a lion. the newer vehicles have such minute clearances, that you cant possibly alter the fuel that it was designed to run on.

Lets just all hope the guys running the big rigs can help influence the govt into dropping the diesel prices... it is/will keep on affecting everything else in modern day life!

I still wouldnt trade my diesel for a gas engine- the power and towing ability it has is outstanding! i will just buy a gas saver to commute to work and around town in!

Ron, glad I could help. The customer I was referring to with the 7.3l just had bad quality biodiesel, not really any water in the sample.

I tried to make a small batch at work today as I work in an R&D environment and have access to chemicals and such. The first part worked fine, but I was not able to wash the biodiesel. It turned into something that looked like chicken soup. I may try again when I have an hour or so to spare.

There was an old episode of TRUCKS! back when Stacey David was the host where he made bio-diesel that was pretty informative. You might check Youtube or something to see if you can find that video.

I paid way too much money for my f-250 FX4 6.0 PSD to be putting anything in the tank that could damage my engine. I have a few freinds that asked me if I wanted to get into a Bio-Deisel Co-Op with them and said no thanks. I will not even mess with a chip\tuner. If I wanted fuel economy I would of bought a different vehicle. My stock Ford has plenty of power for my 30ft travel trailer and my 15ft tunnel hull jon. Of course seeing my Crew Cab FX4 PSD pulling just my little jon boat looks funny and is over kill but that not what it's for.