[Diy_efi] Is E85 worth it?

[WSCowell at aol.com]

In a message dated 02/09/2006 19:40:11 GMT Standard Time, spyro at f2s.com  
writes:

I was  under the impression that biodiesel caused issues for some IPs? 
too thick  to pump or something? Either way I'd like your source on that 
as it sounds  like you're pretty clued up on biodiesel and I'd like to 
know  more.



Well, I'd say I was an enthusiastic beginner actually.  I've been  
researching this topic carefully on the internet, doing searches all over, but  these 
are some of the sites I have found helpful:
 
_http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com_ (http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com) 
 
_http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve_ (http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve) 
 
_http://www.dancingrabbit.org/biodiesel/_ 
(http://www.dancingrabbit.org/biodiesel/) 
 
_http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/_ (http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/) 
 
and, if you speak or understand German, the following are a particularly  
clued-up bunch of people with many years' experience:
 
_http://www.fmpo.de_ (http://www.fmpo.de) 
 
Straight vegetable oil (SVO) is too thick to go through pumps and filters  
etc as it comes.  Its viscosity is too high.  But heating it, whether  in the 
tank, in the fuel lines, or under the hood in a heated filter casing  and/or 
flat plate heat exchanger (preferably a combination of tese measures), it  is 
then apparently useable without ill effects.  That is, provided you  don't mind 
your exhaust smelling faintly like a McDonald's outlet.  
 
The key thing apparently is to get the temperature up above about  75F.  But 
you MUST flush the fuel lines, filters, injection pump etc  out with diesel 
before shutting down, otherwise you will be trying to  start from cold next time 
on vege oil instead of diesel with the inevitable  disasters.  For this 
reason, SVO conversion kits come with temp-related  interlocks and warning buzzers 
etc.
 
Biodiesel has the same viscosity as petro-diesel and is therefore  
interchangeable with it BUT it "freezes" (e.g. the so-called "cloud point" where  it 
goes cloudy, thick etc) around 32F whereas petro-diesel has a much lower  cloud 
point.
 
For this reason, biodiesel used in cold weather should be "cut" with  
petro-diesel, kerosene, gasoline or similar fuels.  Various groups  report their own 
particular brews and results obtained.  I plan to make and  use biodiesel, 
from waste veg oil (WVO) rather than buy and use SVO.
 
Emissions:  US EPA paper EPA420-P-02-001 (October 2002) concludes  linear 
increases in NOx up to +10% max for 100% biodiesel, less pro-rata  depending on 
the blend.  All other pollutants appear to be markedly  reduced.  These results 
were obtained from a detailed analysis of  heavy-duty diesel engines, not 
fitted with catalytic converters.  Cats  would deal with the NOx I reckon.  There 
does not seem to be a comparable  analysis on the effects of biodiesel in 
light-duty (e.g. car) engines btw.
 
That's all I know so far, but it has lit my fuse I can tell you.   Happy 
Googling!
 
ATB,  Will