Steak2k1 wrote:
And BTW Bert it's not usually ethanol (grain alcohol), it's methanol that is commonly used.
You're right. I couldn't remember which one it was and did a quick search on ethanol and biodiesel and got quite a few hits. In retrospect, I should have known that it wasn't ethanol because ethanol is not particularly dangerous to handle. Methanol is.
Steak2k1 wrote:
The other 2 ingredients are either NaOH or KOH (Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide). And yes it is a potentially dangerous operation. I would not argue that. But the reality is that by using common sense and a safety first attitude, it's no more dangerous than getting out of bed in the AM or driving to work.
True, but after I started looking at making my own biodiesel, I had to ask myself "What will you do with that biodiesel? Will you run it in your truck?" and my answer was "No.". The DMax in my truck is a $20K engine. If anything were to go awry either because the engine or any part connected to the engine cannot tolerate biodiesel or because I screwed up, that engine would be in a very expensive world of hurt. Currently, GM certifies the DMax to run on B5. I don't know why they will only allow 5% biodiesel, but there must be something that the engine won't tolerate in biodiesel. I have an old Mercedes with a 3l turbo diesel and I wouldn't hesitate to run biodiesel in it. But, not in my truck.
Steak2k1 wrote:
I imagine the same could be said about moonshine...not something I would want to try. Besides there's no bush around here to hide it.! seems if memory serves me correct that it's still an illegal operation to make moonshine..no.?
I could be wrong, but I think it is illegal to produce moonshine for human consumption (which actually is the definition of moonshine :E). But, I don't think it is illegal to produce the stuff if it is to be used as a fuel. Inventory shrinkage may be an issue, though......
Steak2k1 wrote:
The gains of BioD are well worth it IMO. Running BioD is better for the environment, uses recycled waste veg oil and cuts my fuel bill in a big way. Making your own is sweet.!
Again, true, but the other issue I had with biodiesel is that when we go camping, we usually travel a fair distance. My truck holds enough fuel to go approximately 1000 miles and still have a comfortable reserve. If our trip is beyond that distance, I am back to buying diesel fuel again. Not to mention that WVO (not sure about biodiesel) has issues with metal tanks. My main tank is plastic, but my aux tank is aluminized steel.
Bert
