[Vwdiesel] $3.45 a gallon, biodiesel, and SVO

[Sandy Cameron]

At 08:02 PM 10/3/05 -0500, you wrote:
>I tried to get some for our hospital generator and the refinery in
>Tuscaloosa was out. A local biodiesel plant is about to open and just in
>time. How much is new vegetable oil? What changes do I need to do to use
>Biodiesel?

New canola (rapeseed) oils is the best fuel, and costs about the same, or
even less than the current inflated price of petroleum oil (especially in
canada, where half the price is taxes)

Most industrial diesel engines will run just fine on 100% veggie oil
(biodiesel not necessary) once warmed up to operating temperature.
Hence, generator service is ideal to fuel with veggie, just dont shut it off
for very long. Best trick is to start on diesel, once operating temp is
reached, switch to veggie. You can shut down for a few minutes if required,
to swap lines, as  there will still be some diesel in the pump to start
with, and the system will be hot enough to keep going on veggie. 

More important, when shutting down for a while, transfer back to diesel for
a few minuts to allow the pump and injectors to purge the veggie, and fill
with petro-diesel,  then shut down. Using this method, a guaranteed re-start
can be expected on the P-diesel, with a transfer to veggie if carrying on
that way.

If the weather is very warm, the engine will probably start on veggie
anyway, and if not, wafting a blow torch carefully over the injectors will
persuade it to start. Watch out for plastic tubing in the vicinity.

If you have some diesel, but not enough, you can mix it 50/50 with canola
and the engine witll start and run just fine at temps above freezing.

I'm doing this with my jetta this summer with no problems.

Sandy