Western Sydney Users

[Strider59 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Strider59]

Dundas (near Parramatta)

Hi everyone,
My name is Frank and I'm in Dundas (5 minutes east of Parramatta).

I'm hoping to join the ranks of home brewers to make biodiesel to feed my hungry 80 series cruiser wiht a 1HZ motor and aftermarket turbo. At over $200 to fill the tank and family in Port Stephens and down in Canberra and Albury am hoping to save a few dollars on fuel and have some fun in the process.

I made my first test batch using new Canola oil and some caustic Soda from Woolies (drain cleaner) and bought 5L of Methanol from Whiteys in Merrylands ($1.40/L). I've had the caustic soda for months and it had a few big lumps in the container. The soda dissolved in about 2 hours and I got what I thought was a great separation within and hour. Only about 100ml of darker brown glycerine and a fairly clean separation line and slightly cloudy yellow "biodiesel" on top. I separated out the biodiesel and added an equivalent amount of water and shook teh mix up violently in a bottle. After a few hours, I ended up with 3 distinct layers - about 800ml of yellowish liquid, a band of about 2cm of snow white soapy looking stuff and about 800ml of slightly cloudy looking water.

Figured I wasn't quite ready to start pouring stuff into my fuel tank, and am hoping to find somebody reasonably local to help get my gear and techniques set up properly and maybe save myself some very expensive motor / fuel system repair bills.

Some years ago I started the Australian Toyota Surf owners forum (ToyotaSurf Australia Site) and the site now has more than 3,000 site forum members. Nearly all of them with Turbo diesel Toyota Surfs.

I also have a friend with an old boat with big twin diesels that gobble about $700 in fuel just to go between Sydney and Port Stephens (needless to say that kind of trip doesn't happen often). The thought of getting affordable fuel to enjoy time on the water is also very motivating...

For those of you who actually read this far in my post - cheers

Frank
Dundas NSW

[pangit Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close pangit]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Welcome to the forums Frank. Glad to see you're experimenting with making biodiesel. That's exactly how we learn.

The middle soap layer is probably because you used too much NaOH (you didn't specify your quantities) and it mixed with the water when you shook it up to produce the soapy layer.

You don't need to shake it up too vigourously, just invert the container a few times to mix the water in.

However the top layer should be good to put straight in your car as long as it is nice and clear.

You should probably get some new NaOH as clumping means it has absorbed moisture from the air and has lost its effectiveness. You can also use Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) which dissolves more easily but costs more and is more difficult to get hold of.

[Strider59 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Strider59]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Thanks Sean,
I measured out 3.5g of NaOH using a small set of digital scales bought off eBay (accurate to .1g). A little was stuck ijn teh measuring bowl probably due to moisture absorbed from the air. I manually compensated with an extra "pinch" - I'm assuming that this probably mucked everything up.
will have a stab at titration and test batch no2 this coming weekend.

rgds
Frank

[RODEONICK Too Busy To Bio. Find all posts View Profile Close RODEONICK]

Re: Western Sydney Users

you got oil yet?
no use gettin excited unless you can get a regualr supply.
did you remove the glycerin before you put the water in?
good luck and welcome abourd.

[Strider59 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Strider59]

Re: got Oil yet?

Thanks Nick,

I've spoken with a few local restaurants and take away shops and believe getting oil won't be too hard. Based on what I've read in the last few days, the local take away shop oils will probably be a bit overcooked and full of ffa's for a beginner like me. The titration exercise has me a little intimidated and hopefull a bit of practice over the weekend will get me over this hump. I'll gt some samples and decide which oils will give me the best chance of success ?? I'm about to get a few good condition used 44 gallon drums from my brother - I'll paint these up and get them ready to leave them with the shops I manage to convince to give me oil.

What does everybody do with their waste glycerine, filtered out food scraps etc?....I assume it's not legal to put this stuff in the normal waste, and there's only so much you can do with a stockpile of 20L drums full of waste glycerine and food scraps???

Frank
Dundas NSW AUstralia

a 200ml sample from my first attempt at making biodiesel - about 40 minutes after mixing 1L of clean Canola with 200ml Methanol and 3.5G of NAoH


And the result of washing the decanted biodiesel in an equivalent quantity of tap water. There's no way I'd be game to pour this stuff into my motor!!

[RODEONICK Too Busy To Bio. Find all posts View Profile Close RODEONICK]

Re: Western Sydney Users

the titrations are really quite simple but i know where your at it was dauting i know. you might get the WVO in the old 20L drums as i do. i personally prefer this as i dont have to pump the damn stuff. as for glycerin i heat above 70C then leave to cool and put into the sandy soils inmy garden. But most goes into 20L drums and into the industrial waste bin. the hight ffa stuff is still easy to make bio out of -titrations are the key. as for filtered out food scraps i dont bother as the reacton drops all this crud out.
i have never made any bio with new oil i cant believe how clear/white it is.

how do you plan i titrating? what method.

[CARL BRUCE Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close CARL BRUCE]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Hi all
Have read and appreciate all the info in these pages. I live in the Kenthurst /Windsor area, and want to get started. We all have different reasons for Bio, I'm trying to educate my kids in the carbon cycle, plus enjoy projects, and of course the money thing.
In the first instance, i travel to Marickville regularily and am happy to bring drums of B100 back to the north west for anyone who wants them. Just call me. Happy to have my number passed on to any of your friends that you think are a bit freaked by B100, but might use it as a blend with fossil diesel. It all helps the co2 issue.
Secondly, have told the wife she is getting a new hot water heater, cause i need the old one.....
I would love to watch / be involved with anyone making a brew some time. You can read all the books but nothing like seeing it. Happy to bring a slab.
Can anyone give me a heads upon methanol and Koh or Naoh in the Windsor area?
Thanks for the forum and generosity of those helping us newbies.
Carl
0415 476 474

[Proff128 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Proff128]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Giday from Bilpin, this is in the middle between Richmond and Lithgow.
I can't find where to get some methenol.
I am having trouble in getting the hardware to start making Fuel for my Hilux.
I need to get started and saving money . I am spending way to much at the pumps.

Allen
041119530

I'm south of Liverpool, near the Holsworthy army camp. I'm willing to help any newbies to get started.

[markinsydney Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close markinsydney]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Hi all

I'm still researching options for my new Hyundai I30 auto. I've been watching, reading and learning from all your experiences for months now, and I have to say...thank you everyone, you're a wealth of information.

I was planning on starting to produce my own B100, but then it occurred to me...equipment becomes cheaper the more it gets used, and unless you run a fleet of vehicles, most production equipment sits idle between bouts of frantic activity, which makes it expensive.

So if anyone in Sydney (I live in Baulkham Hills) with a late model diesel car, who is already producing biodiesel, wants to collaborate in costs, time and effort, I'd like to hear from you. We can produce larger quantities so costs come down and I'm happy to contribute to the cost of equipment.

My email is mark_schmidt@hotmail.com

Cheers

Markinsydney

[Spanner Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Spanner]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Hi Stewart,
Some people have all sorts of fears about biodiesel and what it might do to their cars. I have been making bd for about four years and have it down to a fairly fine art now. I began making it because I run a Toyota Coaster bus which is privately owned and cannot be hired out so as to make it earn its keep. I needed to reduce running costs as much as possible so began making bd. I have since bought a diesel car to get about in and needless to say, run this on bd as well. I travelled 47000k's in the diesel (in 19 months) and never once changed the fuel filter - sold it with the same filter that was in it when I bought it! No changes were made to accommodate the bd and it ran as well on bd as it did on petro diesel. I now own a diesel van and have put about 20000k's on taht in eight months without changing the fuel filter. A friend with a Toyota Chaser diesel tells the same story. So long as the fuel is well made and is clean, you should have no troube with it.
Having said that, if your vehicle happens to be a modern high tech common rail diesel, you would be well advised to put the fuel (good quality fuel remember) through a one micron filter before putting it into the tank. Some of the bd being marketed by Volume Plus servos is pretty suss and could be bad news, particularly for common rail diesels.
The oil from which the bd is made has a bearing too in terms of how it reacts to low temperatures. Bd which is made from some animal fats is fine in hot weather but clouds and solidifies in the cold - this makes reliable motoring doubtful if you happen to live in frost prone areas! This happened to me once when I overnighted in Wagga in the dead of winter. That has been my only problem in four years of motoring on B100. (ie. 100% biodiesel) I produce about 100 litres of WVO each week.
I would be happy to answer any further questions.
Cheers, Spanner

[yugie25 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close yugie25]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Hi Guys,
Im new to the world Of Biodiesel and SVO,
Im based in Campbelltown NSW, Im trolling through the forum to learn as much as I can but Would Appriceate if any one could throw me a few pointers!
Im purchasing a 94 GQ patrol NA diesel to play with,
Cheers
Bobby

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: Western Sydney Users

Bobby,
welcome to the forum.
Have a look at http://www.biofuelsforum.com/threads/5301-Vehicles-converted-to-Used-Cooking-Oil
To see a few others who have Patrols using 2 tank conversions to run on WVO.
Try using the Google search facility to search within this forum (see below in my footer)
Regards,
Tony