# waste motor oil in diesel,veggie oil



## Bser (Jun 3, 2008)

I'm about to purchase a centrifuge to filter/clean veggie oil. I have access to hundreds of gallons of waste motor oil every week.How can i determine what % of this that I can mix in and still have diesel fuel ,useable in Florida's climate? Will drain ATF and stale gas also work? I'm open to ideas,opinions and other discussion.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

We use a centrifuge to clean our veggie oil.
I have allways heard that using 'waste' crankcase oil was a no no because of the microscopic *metal* particles NOT being kind to your IP.
OK . . . so the centrifuge is supposed to filter down to 1 micron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hmmm . . . . . . .

Good question


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

I knew a fellow that burned straight waste oil in his diesel. He let it sit in a 250 gallon tank for a year to let water and grit settle out, then filtered it into another tank for use. Not sure how many hours a year he ran the engine, but it was his backup power for his farm and shop. This was about 30 years ago, and he and his set up are long gone.


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## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

If you're getting the waste oil cheap enough and the supply will be dependable enough - I'd probably look to forums/manufacturers who specialize in waste oil use, storage, filtering... Manufacturers of waste oil furnaces, folks with Lister engines who burn straight waste oil, etc.

Hundreds of gallons per week is alot of fuel - far more than you'd need to power your house, heat and cool your house, power your vehicles, etc. 

While you're doing your research, you may also want to investigate the legalities of burning waste oil - I'd assume that the laws are very much dependant on where you are.

Also - I'm sure a knowledge of chemistry is beneficial when dealing with oil - and there is most likely equipment and testing procedures available to help you create an "oil blend" - things like viscosity, density, makeup of the oil etc. Whether its used motor oil, transmission fluid or oil from a vegetable plant, I'm sure much of the same chemistry could be applied to all of them.


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## crafty2002 (Aug 23, 2006)

I could be wrong about this, but it seems to me that different oils such as 30 wt., 40 wt., 10w-30, 20w-40, brake fluiid, etc., etc., etc., could make you pump and injectors wonder what is going on. 

I have wondered about that. I know vegitable oil is thicker than power steering, fluid etc., so I am wondering myself.

I want a diesel tractor and want to grow sunflower seeds for the oil and chicken feed too. That is what got me to wondering about the different weights of oil's and how the fuel system handles it with out a problem.

Is there something I am missing, OK I don't really know jack about dieseld engines, but how do they work to keep the right pressure and volume of fuel all the time? 

Dennis


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

During the processing all of those different 'weights' would be so mixed up --blended-- that that would not be an issue.


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

crafty2002 said:


> I could be wrong about this, but it seems to me that different oils such as 30 wt., 40 wt., 10w-30, 20w-40, brake fluiid, etc., etc., etc., could make you pump and injectors wonder what is going on.
> 
> I have wondered about that. I know vegitable oil is thicker than power steering, fluid etc., so I am wondering myself.
> ...snip...
> Dennis


Vegtable oil is thicker than diesel. You have to heat it to decrease the viscosity enough to get a good spray pattern in the engine. Other than that, it doesn't mater.

Basic diesel engine info... Unlike gas engines, diesels don't have trottle buterfly valves. The air intake is full open at all times. The way you control power is to inject more or less fuel. If you're coasting down hil with the tranny in gear, your engine is using no fuel. Max power is when you have injected enough fuel so all of the oxygen is burned. Any more, and you get black smoke. The more air you can pump into the engine, the more power you can get out. (until it explodes...  )

As long as any fuel is of a minimum viscosity, the pump/injectors should not have a problem with it. This is for older mechanical systems. If you have a more modern system, you might have problems. You shouldn't, but its a good thing to check.

I've heard of people running 50% used motor oil in Ford power stroke diesels. Straight vegtable oil is also common. 

Michael
F250 PS 7.3
Jetta TDI
JD diesel backhoe
Mitsubishi diesel tractor


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

crafty2002 said:


> I could be wrong about this, but it seems to me that different oils such as 30 wt., 40 wt., 10w-30, 20w-40, brake fluiid, etc., etc., etc., could make you pump and injectors wonder what is going on.
> 
> Dennis



do not use brake fluid in your mix, brake fluid is more closely an antifreeze than a oil, some of the old brake fluids were glycol's



> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fluid
> Glycol based fluids are half as compressible as silicone type fluids, even when heated[citation needed]. Less compressibility of brake fluid will increase pedal feel (firmness), but in either case this effect is minimal. The U.S. Army has used silicone brake fluid exclusively since 1982 successfully. Glycols are hygroscopic and will absorb water from the atmosphere, reducing the boiling point of the fluid and degrading hydraulic efficiency. Changing fluid on a regular basis will greatly increase the performance of the brake system, but this is often not a concern in passenger cars. On the other hand, changing fluid at least every several years will preserve the life of brake system components (by removing accumulated water and other contaminants, thereby reducing rust on internal components), and increase the overall reliability of the brake system.
> 
> Polyethylene glycol, and other brake fluid ingredients may be corrosive to paint and finished surfaces such as chrome, and thus care should be taken when working with the fluid. Additionally, polyethylene glycol, in the concentrations found in DOT brake fluids, reacts violently, producing a large fireball, with some household chemicals, notably pool care products.[citation needed]





> http://www.xs11.com/tips/maintenance/maint1.shtml
> First of all, it's important to understand the chemical nature of brake fluid. DOT 3 brake fluids are mixtures of glycols and glycol ethers. DOT 4 contains borate esters in addition to what is contained in DOT 3. These brake fluids are somewhat similar to automotive anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) and are not, as Dr. Curve implies, a petroleum fluid. DOT 5 is silicone chemistry.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Years ago with old mechanical diesel engines, the owner's manual would tell you to put the filtered waste motor oil into the fuel tank, diluted down with actual diesel fuel worked fine. Seems like 3-4 gallons of oil to a 50 gallon fuel tank, filled with diesel after the oil, was about right.

Newer engines with computer controls, tigher pumps, and so forth, might not be happy. I donno.

--->Paul


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