[Vwdiesel] Biodiesel vs Waste Vegetable Oil

[William J Toensing]

I reciently bought a new device, plant, machine (what is the correct name?) to convert new or waste vegetable oil into biodiesel on a home use basis. The main cost & possible problem that I want your opinion on is the use of methonal which I am told brings the cost of biodiesel to around .70 cents a gallon. However, after buying this plant, someone warned be that methonal is very toxic & breathing the fumes could damage your lungs, cause cancer, etc. Since I already have CLL or Chronic Lymphytic Lukimia which is responding well to chemotheraphy, I don't need any more health problems. What are the safe ways of handling the methonal?

With the above in mind, I have been thinking of modifying my 1981 VW Dasher wagon to run on waste vegetable oil (wvo). Is this Dasher a good candidate for conversion to run on wvo or should I consider getting a good used Mercedes Benz (1979 to 1985) 240D/300D/300SD? Do I need to install a second tank for the wvo & use the engine coolent to heat the wvo. Or are the conversions which heat a special filter inside the engine compartment plus the injection lines & claim you can start, run, & stop using wvo OK? www.greenbenz.com & www.lovecraftbiofuels.com  advocate a single tank sustem which  say you can with their kits. They also say you can  switch from wvo to new vegatable oil or streight petroleum diesel or intermix them in the same tank.

Also I recall reading somewhere you should not use hydroginated cooking oil. When getting wvo, how do you tell the difference other than what the restaurent tells you they are using? Comments?