Any Dieselheads/BioDiesel nutz out there in FSP-land?

[polyanarch]

I've not been posting much lately.   My nose has been buried in my pet projects and I go through phases on the intardw3b anyhow.

My recent obsession is my '84 Turbo-diesel Camry project.  This car is awesome and I'm learning a bunch about diesel, biodiesel and when I am done will have a gas-shortage proof transportation option.  I really think there is going to be guzzeline rationing in the soon to pass future due to either actual shortages or government meddling (more likely) getting much worse and ruining a free-market solution.

Anyone in NH collecting veggie and/or brewing bio?  It would be cool to have some connections in my "new home" when I'm in town to buy fuel.  A FSP biodiesel coop would be a good idea in my opinion as well as connection for mechanical diesel needs when I'm far from my own tools (hopefully once I get this car restored it will need very little in maintenance other than scheduled stuff which I'm pretty crazy about -by the book but that is why my 285K '94 gas Camry is still running strong too).

Diesel is fun.  I love getting my hands oily!

[aries]

I saw an Austin Mini with NH plates on the highway in CT. It said "Powered by vegetable oil!" on it proudly.

Smelled vaguely of my first job - burger king...

[polyanarch]

Cool.

I plan to be "stealth" with my multi-fuel diesel project.  No need to advertise when the chips are down.  As far as any cop/inspector would know this car is a gas-powered camry and nothing out of the ordinary.  It's old, nondescript and blends into the scenery.  Most people don't believe it when I say I have a diesel camry.   It's so rare that takes pointing to the Turbo-D plaque on the back (which I am eventually going to remove -I hate all decals but I might leave a new-style circle-T emblem on the hood for fun when I'm done restoring it) to get people to believe me.

When I'm burning bio-D it smells frenchy-fry too as that is what they used to make it. 

[Dan]

Go check out tdiclub.com's forums.

The place amazes me with the number of wrench monkeys that will post for hours to help you through a diesel problem.

BTW: I know of one other diesel nut on this board.

[mr.apathy]

I work in a kitchen and just started a little lab in my garage. My biggest hurdle right now is the cost of methenol. Buying those little bottles of dry gas, it costs me about $3.00 a gallon to make bio. I need to find a surplus dealer of methenol. But you are right, a local bio coalition would be cool and helpful.

[money dollars]

I get Methanol in a gallon jug from Irving gas stations.....

http://www.irvingoil.com/pr_business/pr_lubs/prodsel.asp?inid=1&catid=13

[Pat McCotter]

Go check out tdiclub.com's forums.

The place amazes me with the number of wrench monkeys that will post for hours to help you through a diesel problem.

BTW: I know of one other diesel nut on this board.

Hi!

[Pat McCotter]

I get Methanol in a gallon jug from Irving gas stations.....

http://www.irvingoil.com/pr_business/pr_lubs/prodsel.asp?inid=1&catid=13

Is there a substitute source for lye? I understand Red Devil is on the outs.

[mr.apathy]

Is there a substitute source for lye? I understand Red Devil is on the outs.

I've been using boil out fryalator cleaner. But, I don't like it. Its NaOH, so it is really tough to disolve. I think I'm going to track down some KOH from a soap making supplier.

(Has anyone noticed the disclaimer form that you need to fill out to purchase NaOH online? It basically notifies the Feds that you are purchasing lye, and promises that you won't make bombs with it.)

[41mag]

For those of you who are running bio, is there any problem with gelling, and at what temp?

I'd consider switching, but I don't have anyplace to mix it up.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Hi ya all. I found some sodium Hydroxide drain cleaner in a hardware store.  Don't remember the name of the product, but, I only had to go to two or three before I found it.  I bought 5 gallons of methanol for $35.00 at a racing fuel supplier.  Kinda steep, but, it  will keep me busy for a while, and, soon. I'll be getting some of it back.
Lloyd

[polyanarch]

Right now I'm a member of PrarieFire BioFuels Coop in Madison, WI

http://www.prairiefirebiofuels.org/

and when I'm in Madison I buy from them.  Their member price is $2.84/gallon.  Not too bad and they have the production down so it is good stuff without any water in it.

I'm trying to make some contacts in IL/Chitcago but right now I'm hauling it back down from Madison in 5-gallon cans as I don't drive the car much.  I've got 4 cans and that is 20 gallons.  I can drive round trip 2 times on the 11 gallons in the fuel tank so basically I've got 20+ gallons to play around with between trips.  At 45MPG that's 900 miles plus what is left in the tank after the round trip and that gives me 1000miles of driving around miles not including the trip up and back.  I do the trip every month at least so I'm not in a hurry to set up an operation here in Chitcago.  I can easily make it all the way to NH with my 11gal tank and 20gal in the trunk without having to stop for more as long as it isn't cold and I have to mix with Dino.  This thing gets tremendous mileage I hear if you drive it SLOW and don't ever let the turbo spool up (just around 55-60 on level ground).  I've heard people claim mileage in the 60's. 

We'll see about that once I get the IP back from Midwest Injector and put everything back together.  At the very least I hope it DRIVES better.  That sticky IP was scary to drive.  Not bad on the highway but in the city it was like an ON/OFF switch with OFF being wholly optional and at the discretion of the injector pump...  (pushing in the clutch usually kicked it out electrically on over-rev)

[mraaron]

   Ethanol works well, but so far no high content ethanol pumps north of
   Boston open to the public.

   A few farmers here are using E-85 which is minimum 70% ethanol.
   Put another way, 70% of each dollar they spend stays here instead of
   going to some foreign country.  Not bad at all.

   ETA- Anhydrous ethanol can be burned in a converted diesel engine.

[citizen_142002]

My friend was interested in producing biodiesel for a while, but he had trouble finding a good step by step guide. Most writing on the subject seemed to talk about how good an alternative BDiesel is to gas, yada yada yada. or they would focus on one extremely technical and narrow aspect of the science behind the production.

Does anyone know of a good step by step guide that tells you what you need to know without all the extra junk?

[41mag]

The previous issue of Backwoods Home magazine (Nov/Dec I believe) has a good article.  You may be able to find it on their website.  It's probably still in the bookstores if you look soon.