Low cost boating for treasure hunting

Darren in NC

Darren in NC

Silver Member
Apr 1, 2004
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Any of you guys with boats play around with the idea of using vegetable oil and a diesel motor? If you have no clue what I'm talking about, google it. When Diesel (the inventor) first built his motor, vegetable oil was used for the prototype since diesel hadn't been made from petroleum yet. It's making a big comeback with gas prices being high.

I have a friend who picks up veg oil at two Chinese restaurants. He filters it in his garage and adds a little alcohol for catalyst. He bought a diesel VW Jetta and a Ford F-250. So far he's got about 8000 miles and no problems. Costs him about .50 gallon.

Betcha it would work to keep thunting costs down. Anyone else trying this?

Best,
Darren

see http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aMLpHgD_ns9k&refer=home
 

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the only problem with running SVO is the fats an acids are still in the oil,if you have lots of money to have your fuel injection pump rebuilt then go that route.the best way is to process the veggie oil into biodiesel.its safe for the pumps plus is a better grade of fuel then diesel.if you dont get all the water out of SVO you will have problems.i just paid $800 to have my starboard pump rebuilt an it wasnt that bad,it was submerged in fresh rain water.add nasty oil an water an it will cost alot more.my friend that rebuilt mine said he gets gummed up corroded pumps in all the time from guys trying to run the SVO in them.some pumps he cant rebuild they are so bad.the pumps have hardened steel parts he said acid will just eat them up.it cost alittle more to make the biodiesel but its well worth it.50 cents a gallon is way cheap.the most cost there is in the process is the methonol alcohol but you can reclaim it out of the glycerin with a still.just be careful it does burn or explode so no smoking or sparks nearby.
 

Biodiesel made from old fryer oil can be refined at home. Google it. There are companies that sell the refining system. I saw one that can make up to 40 gallons of biodiesel per day. There are other units that can do much more. Mother Earth News is one source (for biodiesel and solar, ect.).
 

In the past, I have heard of unscrupulous scoundrels using Home Heating Oil (when it was cheap) as Diesel Fuel. I understand it's the same
thing only there's no dye in HHO. Which shows that the State Taxes haven't been paid. Is this true?

Joe
 

I am far from being an expert, but from what I've read or seen on the tube a diesel will burn just about anything short of water. In fact, I saw an episode of "Myth Busters" that tried to "bust" the whole vegetable oil/diesel fuel thing. Well, no shit, it worked!

Relative to dye in the fuel - yeah, I read about that too. But, the stuff I was perusing was centered around finding a consistent source of old, used up fryer oil and refining it for use in farm equipment (tractors and the like). Now, if it runs in a diesel car or truck - why not a marine diesel? I emailed a guy last summer about it. He emailed back info and plans for a refinery set-up (it would fit easily in a garge corner). However, after saving it for a long while I finally deleted it.

What I remember distinctly, and it makes sense, is his admonition to cultivate consistent and reliable sources for raw oil. He said companies that pick up the stuff charge the restaurants. So, he established a relationship with a few restaurants, made sure he didn't fail to pick up when called (and, clean up too). He'd just show up in his pickup, pump or dump the barrels into his, and carry it home to refine.

By the way, about the tax thing. It shouldn't matter so long as you're not selling it. Think about it - what are the feds going to tax, old, stinky, fryer oil that you picked up at Burger King and refined in your garage?

Biodiesel Solutions out of Sparks, Nevada mailed me info last year (there are more companies out there). Their setup can make up to 80 gallons of biodiesel per day. Supposedly, it takes only a half-hour of hands on time to make a 40 gallon batch. Cost? According to them, about 70 cents per gallon.

May I make a suggestion? Check out Cornelius's home made ROV. It makes a lot of sense. I am exploring the same thing. Instead of tooling around burning $2-$3 per gallon marine diesel, let the ROV do the job.

Anyways, here is the website: www.biodieselsolutions.com

Take care.

Mark
Ohio
 

Please beware that some bio diesels will give you problems when its cold. But mixing with regular diesel will help keeping the diesel fluid.

V
 

Greetings:

Good question. I suspect it gives of a particular odor - when it is being refined, and when it is burning. Not nasty, just the kind of odor that you'd expect.

When I was contemplating it for the farm, when it came to odors I was more concerned about smells from the refining process. Then, again, I was contemplating a setup that would produce at least 80 gallons a day of refined biodiesel (the excess to be bartered within the co-op. During the course of a month, I could have produced over 2,000 gallons (A local popcorn/potato chip factory would provide the raw oil).

So, if you live in the burbs it might be an issue. Then again, maybe not. Since I never actually refined it I can't give you a solid answer. The company that provides the refining equipment ought to know. Out on the water, it should be a non-issue. Plus, it is environmentally heads and shoulders above regular diesel fuel.

I'd email one or more of the companies that make the equipment and ask them. Also, check the Yahoo groups (homesteading, etc.) - I think that is where I found the guy who was doing it.

Good luck. If you can find a source that won't drive you nuts to keep up with, you have a great idea.

Mark
 

Donovan said:
How does it smell ?
Click to expand...

Heck, I don't care if I smell like french fries if I'm knocking off a few hundred bucks on fuel costs. :)
 

I thought home heating fuel was the same as diesel, until I used diesel in my home heater, after running out and lived near a gas station. It belched black smoke like I was burning tires. I asked a heater man, and he said that it is the same except one has sulpher and one doesnt, I forget which, but diesel is way dirtier burning than HHO. Also a friend of mine works for a medical helicopter service, and had Ford Diesel PU, and sometimes put jet fuel in his truck, and says it works much better, and has more power, and is cleaner burning. I think he doesnt run straight jet fuel though. The veggie fuel is catching on big time too.
 

Donovan:

Yesterday, we had some folks over and biodiesel came up in conversation. One of the guys brought up that he has an aquaintance that uses vegetable oil in his Mercedes. He didn't know if it was refined (like the Biodiesel Solutions set up), but, it worked just fine. However, he did mention that the guy has two tanks - one diesel, the other veggie oil.

He starts the vehicle on diesel. Once it warms up he switches to bio. Another thing, he has a heating element in the oil tank (it gets cold up here in Ohio) to keep the stuff thinned out in winter. No problem, as by the time he's ready to switch from diesel to oil, the heater has done its work. Also, a few minutes before he shuts the engine down, he switches back to diesel to clean out the veggie oil from the lines.

Again, I think you have a solid idea. I am looking forward to hearing more. Best of luck.

Mark
 

the fuel can be made cheap but the initial start up with the proper refining equipment is a like 2000-5000 bucks
unless your a crafty thrifty guy I'm sure that $$$ can be knocked down substantially with a homebulit unit 8)
 

theres no reason to buy a biodiesel process unit from anyone for those prices.to build one theres less then $100 in the pipes and fittings and pumps.used hot water heaters can be had for free as well as plastic an steel drums.you can buy the 60 gallon poly coned bottom tank and 25 gallon methanol premix tank for $250 off the net.or just use a 55 gallon plastic or steel drum.if anyone is in florida an wants to setup a process system for cheep.priv msg me.i can get food grade 55 gallon plastic an steel drums for free.as many as i want.i see hot water heaters at the scrap yard every day an also on the curbs for the trashman.(they dont take them)also theres a new way to wash the biodiesel without useing a water wash.
 

Not bad, Bran. But it only knocks the cost of gas down by a third. If you get veggie oil from restaurants, you get it for free.
 

This is very true... but I believe that 1/3rd was in reference to a the hybrid theory/model. If he's able to make torches and the like, I wouldn't see that it would be an impossibility to run fully on water alone. Just a thought... probably not too far off I would imagine either. Especially if the military is trying to strike up a contract. Who knows...

Bran <><
 

the guy has a welder that runs on browns gas,it will run in a gasoline engine as well.he did it but isnt telling anyone how he did it.his welder is pat pending,im sure when the patent is online the group at jlnlabs will reverse engineer it.i have been a member of the yahoo group since 1999,join it,they are working on alot of alt energy devices.ones that use NO fuel.plus antigravity stuff.antigrav is the way to go.no wheels.

http://www.jlnlabs.org

[email protected]
 

Darren in NC said:
Not bad, Bran. But it only knocks the cost of gas down by a third. If you get veggie oil from restaurants, you get it for free.
Click to expand...
restraunts pay to have that old nasty hauled any owner will say"hell haul it off for free go for it"
 

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