picked up my first batch of WVO (waste veg oil)

cooljules

Guest
only got 50 litres from a guy, 25p a litre. i then off to visit a guy who makes his own biodiesel.

anyway he looked at the oil, and said its well worth 25p a litre as it was very clean, quality waste oil... so soon i will set up a filtering and dewatering system. the guy explained he gets his oil for free, from takeaways etc. and it works out at 3p a litre....for filters etc etc. running costs if he just used WVO, and if he makes propper bio diesel, the 20p a litre!!! (on the trip i put 40quid worth of diesel, 29 litres....so work that out at 25p a litre!)

found lots of good info on a website, lots of people use it, some cars/campers are better than others....old VW's are really good.

it wasnt as simple as i first thought (as to go around europe on it) and while it can be a bit smelly and dirty making it, the savings are great.
 
As I think you know Jooles. I have run my Bongo on 100% rape seed oil this year and intended to start using used when my store of new petered out. Well I have just tipped the last 60 litres in and Have started filtering the used stuff after it has been standing for a few weeks. 40 gallong tank with tap in bottom top drain out a lot of the gunge and a siphone in top to take off good oil for filtering. The oil looks and smells great before filtering so going to push it through coffee filters for a start and see how it goes. I ad nothing to my oil at all. But am thinking I might vneed a heater in the fuel line or tank as the weather gets colder. The oil was a bit waxy this morning.

Problem now is getting in the Q for used stuff round here. LOL
 
yeah donkey too, i knows is great from the shop shelf bottle :)

have seen people with twin tanks. had thought about it, but then spoke to a good few people who dont bother. just a few extra turns, and make sure its got the correct amount of petrol in.

the main problem seems to be, the quality and age of the rubber seals etc around the fuel pump. my car for example has done 150,000 miles, thats half of my last same bmw, but the seals will be pretty old. some peoples leak after 5000, and others at diff times. if i was still able to change them myself, wouldnt be a prob. but if i can get it on nice cheap oil (which someone else has commented my engine is fine on) at a few pence a litre its a huge saving.......

same with the camper, i want to go fossil hunting on the south coast in the spring. by then diesel will have gone up once or even twice at the pump so i guess could be at 1.50 a litre by next summer.

even straight from the shop shelf works out ot about 90p a litre, with what i put straight in the camper other week. and if my tank holds 70 litres, thats a 35quid saving. even more for the bigger bimmer, never mind using waste veg oil (which i can buy someone for 60p a litre...all ready filtered and de watered)
 
Generally a Bosch based pump will have no problems, but Lucas ones can fail quite easily - apparently they are not as robust as the Bosch and the seals also fail.
I've used WVO for a few years and generally run on a 50/50 mix with diesel (25% in Winter). However, if I am going on a long journey, I just run for about 15 miles, until the pump is hot, then bung in as much WVO as I can. I have found it pays to top up with diesel at the end of the trip, as starting on 100% WVO can be very noisy and smoky:lol-053:
 
francophile1947 said:
Generally a Bosch based pump will have no problems, but Lucas ones can fail quite easily - apparently they are not as robust as the Bosch and the seals also fail.
I've used WVO for a few years and generally run on a 50/50 mix with diesel (25% in Winter). However, if I am going on a long journey, I just run for about 15 miles, until the pump is hot, then bung in as much WVO as I can. I have found it pays to top up with diesel at the end of the trip, as starting on 100% WVO can be very noisy and smoky:lol-053:
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yes i read that many times about the diff pumps, eso on french cars where it could be either........ mine has bosch.

yeah its smoky and smelly on start up, little bit of rattling on it too until its warm. i will tomorrow take it for a good few miles, as off to bolton on fri.

the wvo i picked up was really good quality. cant wait to start getting some for nothing, and filtering etc myself. i know winter can be a problem due to viscosity getting worse as it gets colder.
 
francophile1947 said:
Generally a Bosch based pump will have no problems, but Lucas ones can fail quite easily - apparently they are not as robust as the Bosch and the seals also fail.
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I can confirm that...........I've a lucas fuel pump and did a little experiment whilst travelling to Scotland this spring. Started off with a 10% supermarket veg oil and 90% diesel, intending to slowly increase it to 50/50 while keeping a close eye on things under the bonnet........ At 30/70 (30% veg oil 70% diesel) the pump started dripping. I gave it up as a bad job and went back to 100% diesel. Apparently Bosch and lucas fuel pumps aren't interchangable either.....on a Transit anyway. If your fuel pump seals fail it's a very expensive replacement job!
I have heard that thinning veg oil with a bit of paraffin or a touch of petrol will help...can anyone confirm this?
 
Rubbertramp said:
I can confirm that...........I've a lucas fuel pump and did a little experiment whilst travelling to Scotland this spring. Started off with a 10% supermarket veg oil and 90% diesel, intending to slowly increase it to 50/50 while keeping a close eye on things under the bonnet........ At 30/70 (30% veg oil 70% diesel) the pump started dripping. I gave it up as a bad job and went back to 100% diesel. Apparently Bosch and lucas fuel pumps aren't interchangable either.....on a Transit anyway. If your fuel pump seals fail it's a very expensive replacement job!
I have heard that thinning veg oil with a bit of paraffin or a touch of petrol will help...can anyone confirm this?
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i thinnned mine down, to what people said with petrol, that was svo.

people have known lucas ones seals go very quick. and the cars that come with both, the ones with the bosch are the ones people want, even changing them over if its a lucas, then that car is fine.
 
Rubbertramp said:
Hiya Jules
So what's the ratio of oil to petrol or diesel to petrol?
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varies to each vehicle, but was told between 5 and 15% (minds at 10%). and more in winter. thats adding petrol.

its the more modern engines, common rail etc that are probmatic, not like the simple old stuff. infact mine will run better and more power, just by roatating the fuel pump when using veg oil that standard. as its a different burning temp.
 
OK, thanks man......think I'll try to get a little more info on it before going ahead.
 
How easy is it find WVO from restaurants and fast food now? Not that I could ever use it for my engine, but interested to see how supply and demand is working. Reading around you used to be able to get it for free, but now everyone is charging. It doesn't seem to me as though the catering industry can supply that many motorists. The more that get on the WVO trail the more prices will go up.

It's a bit like wild camping. You have to love those campsite users with their £25.00 a night hook ups and privet hedges. If they all came out onto the lanes and lay-byes we'd be out of a free lunch very quickly!
 
Firefox said:
How easy is it find WVO from restaurants and fast food now? Not that I could ever use it for my engine, but interested to see how supply and demand is working. Reading around you used to be able to get it for free, but now everyone is charging. It doesn't seem to me as though the catering industry can supply that many motorists. The more that get on the WVO trail the more prices will go up.

It's a bit like wild camping. You have to love those campsite users with their £25.00 a night hook ups and privet hedges. If they all came out onto the lanes and lay-byes we'd be out of a free lunch very quickly!
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well millions of tons is still thrown in landfills. takeaways used to have to pay to have it taken away. ok lots of people have their local area where they get it from, but yeah now people are buying it from the takeaways...20p a litre even. people even sell it on ebay

mcdonalds have started advertising that they use biodiesel, making out they use their own waste oil so come across good for the envioment, but found out, they buy it in bulk, as its cheaper and actually better for their engines.

im off this week to try to ask my local takeaways etc. guy i know, hes gets lots from hospitals, and they get rid of it, much sooner than takeaways etc, so he gets it for free, that is just a about the same quality as off tescos shelf!

its the only way i can afford to go around europe next year. and ok my seals might go, but if thats even 5000 miles then i will have saved a small fortune!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can buy good quality filtered and detwatered for 60p a litre. (if i did it myself, cost is about 3p a litre, if i got it for free, thats from the same guy so he said he makes a good profit still)
 
there some in fo on teoc site look in forum under alternive fuel quite a few run thier buses on veg and do have a good knowledge about veg someone not to far from joules runs his on all sorts of oil and is quite knowledgeable about it,as regards seals they do go softand fuel pumps do leak but it is a case of getting the balnce right ie 60 veg 40 diesel or could be 60 diesil and 40 veg ,and the toyotya have a teabag filter in fuel tank as well as fuel filter on engine,can t run mine on veg as it petrol but my old bus run on veg back from cornwall ,mix dont quote me on this 2litres of petrol to 20 litres of used veg cant remmeber without check on teoc well something like that and leave it it for couple of weeks turning it over and mixing it through
 
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Ah, the Good ol' Days of free WVO! When I had My Old Mk1 Trooper, I was mixing 50/50 Diesel with WVO ...was too chicken to go for 100% 'vegetarian' as the Troop engine was DI & read about dangers of ring-gumming long-term. The Pub I used to get the Oil from were actually paying a couple of Polish Guys to take it away!!! As this Pub prided itself on it's grub, the oil was used a max of twice only & only for chips...all meat & fish being grilled. If I had n't been using it for fuel, I probably would've started cooking with it!!
Dunno how long a 'shelf-life' WVO has....still got some buried somewhere in a shed; tho' most of it had to be sold off after My vindictive neighbour reported Me to the H&S Clipboards....
Good luck with using Veggy tho'....I did used to feel pretty smug when I thought that each Tankful of fuel was costing Me nearly 1/2 price!
 
just been running around in the van, runs fine, pongs a bit, bit louder until its warm but cant tell...feels the same, even a little better i might say. takes a few longer turns of the key but thats to be expected. im thinking i might just buy it at 60p a litre ready to pop in, for the times im in too much pain to filter and dewater. the seller makes a small fortune for nothing i pay 80p less a litre and bobs your uncle....
 
cooljules said:
just been running around in the van, runs fine, pongs a bit, bit louder until its warm but cant tell...feels the same, even a little better i might say. takes a few longer turns of the key but thats to be expected. im thinking i might just buy it at 60p a litre ready to pop in, for the times im in too much pain to filter and dewater. the seller makes a small fortune for nothing i pay 80p less a litre and bobs your uncle....
Click to expand...

Fanny's your Aunt?
 
cooljules said:
only got 50 litres from a guy, 25p a litre. i then off to visit a guy who makes his own biodiesel.

anyway he looked at the oil, and said its well worth 25p a litre as it was very clean, quality waste oil... so soon i will set up a filtering and dewatering system. the guy explained he gets his oil for free, from takeaways etc. and it works out at 3p a litre....for filters etc etc. running costs if he just used WVO, and if he makes propper bio diesel, the 20p a litre!!! (on the trip i put 40quid worth of diesel, 29 litres....so work that out at 25p a litre!)

found lots of good info on a website, lots of people use it, some cars/campers are better than others....old VW's are really good.

it wasnt as simple as i first thought (as to go around europe on it) and while it can be a bit smelly and dirty making it, the savings are great.
Click to expand...


What did the oil titrate at?
 
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