4JB1T on Bio diesel?

[wayne85]

Does any1 know if i can run my 4jb1t on bio diesel? im have been reading and all i can find is that moden diesels can run it. do i need 2 make any changes 2 run bio diesel?

[geeves]

We have one member in Northland makeing his own biodiesel with no issues except that everyone that follows him ends up with the munchies (used fish&chip oil as the base)
There are 3 things called biodiesel
1 straight vegy oil Not diesel at all Systems running this preheat the oil before use and generaly start on normal diesel. You need a substantial heating setup but no mods to the engine itself.
2 biodiesel made from new or old oil/fat modifyed by a process involveing caustic soda and methanol. Apparantly easy enough to make but fairly nasty chemicals involved Do read the safety info sheets. No real mods needed but as some methanol can exist in the finished product it can be hard on the original pump seals. If these have already been replaced recently you should be ok.
3 comercial biodiesel is a blend of petroleum diesel and up to 20% of either of the above. It can destroy the seals in older pumps but so can low sulfur diesel and once the seals are done it should be ok

[wayne85]

what seals need to be done, ive just had the injector pump seal and rear main seal done. is their any other seals i need 2 be aware of? i was only planing on using the comercial bio diesel if it wont damage my engine but i was also reading after the 1st tank of bio diesel u should change ur fuel filter because its ment to flush alot of crap from the fuel lines

[geeves]

There are 2 seals in the pump that cause problems. Apart from that all should be good

[Dayno]

You know im actually really considering simply buying a new pump and start trying out the bio diesel, its now $1.76 where im at and im sure by the end of the year we will be paying $2.20 with the way things are going. So based of the price of Bio Diesel (bloke 30 mins away sells for $0.25PL) as opposed to the obsenly high price of commercial Diesel. Although i do have 1 question for ya geeves, Is there any power reduction using "option 2 Bio Fuel" as opposed to commercial Diesel?

[geeves]

sometimes it has more power
I would just change to the diesel and go for it. If your seals fail worry about that then. If you spent 500 or more on the pump all the seals will of been done.
25c per liter is cheap. Is it biodiesel or refined vegi oil. If its vegi oil you need to preheat it.Also how do you pay the tax component? As a responsible website we have to ask even though you dont have to answer

[Dayno]

In all honesty I wasn't interested at the time i spoke with the bloke so i was only half paying attension however im only assuming because its a home buisness and he sells to Commercial Rigging companys eg. Astek Crain hire and various other removalist companys. That he is doing a dodgey behind the tax man's back. His terms are - Pay Cash upfront
- He doesn't Do "Credit" on Fuel
- Will not take responsabilty for any mechanical faults caused by using his products.
- Large orders must be phoned through prior to collection (Incase of depleted supplies)

Thats all i can remeber from the conversation i had with him. He runs his home buisness on acreage and has a large shed designated for making the fuel and storing harmful/dangerous chemicals. If you needa know more i can see if i can get in touch again with him and find out specifics for you. But other then that this is all i know for now. He is stationed near Chermside for those blokes near Brizzy. =D

[wayne85]

25c p/l thats dirt cheap u could fill ur tank for 20 bucks!!! does any1 know where u can get it this price in sydney?

[geeves]

If you are not paying tax at source like normal fuel and you are worried about getting caught. There will be some way to pay the tax. Ask the relevent govt agency how to pay road tax in an electric vehicle. The system for you will be the same but you dont realy want to cause trouble for a cheap fuel supplier.

[Dayno]

Road tax? first iv'e ever heard of it. Regaurdless of how many K's i do a year i dont get smacked with 2.2c a k or anything. Isn't the point of rego your way of paying for road use/wear and tear? Im also not worried about being caught, How can they tell how much Diesel i got off the bloke? everything is cash in the hand no record logs of purchasing. As i said previously "I reakon he is doing a dodgey" so if i fill the long range tank upto full and the main tank i have 170L of diesel. That would last me about 3 weeks driving to and from work (No 4x4ing or Beach driving) so on the off chance that the beauro for trading and tax (what ever duristiction it may come under) catch onto this bloke, odds are i wont be there at the same time. More importantly if his customers are getting it dirt cheap why would anyone wanna dob him into the gov? If they are getting a sweet deal, wouldnt they wanna protect it? after all they are saving more money by keeping him a secret. And only telling select few people and or selling to removalist companies (which of course would keep it "Hush Hush" to maintain their profit margins)

[nig]

Road Tax is a Kiwi thing - they dont pay the same tax (46%) on their diesel as we do, but pay it on their annual milage instead- whereas we get mugged by the Federal Govt. every time we go near a fuel bowser

[geeves]

do you know where he gets his source oil from. If its used fish and chip oil it will be obvious to everyone following that you are running something other than normal diesel. The fish and chip smell always gets through. There have been blitses on this in many countrys and the fines are not nice. This is one place the nz system works as burning anything except petrol and lpg attracts the same milage tax. (this is the only good thing about it)

[tonto]

My bisiness is seed cleaning for farmers.
Over the last 4 years I dun a Cat 3208 desiel motor on the truck and Perkins industrial 3 cyl motor on the grader.Plus an early Navara ute

Both of these have run faultlessly (sp?) on commercial grade and quality bio desiel 50/50 mix winter 80/20 mix summer without a blimp. At the start I replaced all fuel filters did the same at 1 week, thrn 1 month, then 3 months. As I said that was 4 years ago I have just changed them now because ..... I and others were curious as to their condition. Ive put them aside for the next time I cjange over they still looked brand new.

Mind you I replace the water trap filters bloody often thats where the trouble starts.

If you want to get it from a 'backyard cash only' operation excuse me being rude but your bloody stupid. Have you contacted jis references ask Q like how long theyve used it , how many vehicles, whats it cost them, have they noticed a difference in their repair/maintainence bills for said vehicles.

Dont shoot me, Ive seen crap, neen offered crap never used crap all I repeat is your asking for trouble have a talk with your Automobile Association agents

[mudlark]

I am the Kaitaia Member that runs my mu on bio and it is still going strong it is the mixed tipe I mix methanol and costic into preheated used veg oil it is so easy to do but you need to keep out of the feumes as thay can nook you on your s** if you are not cearfull.
and as geeves sed you dont want to stand behind it (or in my case beside it ) if you are hungry you will be heading for the nerist fish n chips to kill thet pain in the tommy.
as for changes to the moter I did add a extra filter in the line one with a glass bottem but do not need it at all as the main one is now the same as it was 2 years ago the power no chang that i noted as far as tax goes thay can come get me if thay want I only gets aframed to where I want to play and that is not publick road and the spedo died about the same time I desied not to run her on the road.

[geeves]

The tax issue doesnt apply in NZ. As soon as your not running petrol or lpg which is taxed at source they hit you for mileage tax if you are driving on public roads. If you aint on public roads no worrys unless you are useing petrol as they have made it near impossible to claim the road tax back.
Why did you take your wagon off the road? It looked in good nic when you came down here

[timster]

Some people reckon you can mix 40% filtered oil (i think it is cooking oil) with normal diesel.
They reckon it works ok.

[geeves]

Any filtered oil will do but there are a few catches.
A mechanic friend has tryed this once and never again. First you need a good filter that does about 1 micron. Still do not use gearbox oil because of abrasive particles smaller than this that can still kill your pump. Dont do short trips and you can go to a 50%mix. He did a lot of short trips and clogged his injectors to the point that there was a carbon barrier between the injector and the combution chamber. He was useing old engine oil as he has a ready source.
The risk is your for the trying but cheap vegy oil in the supermarket is only 30c a liter more than diesel at pressent. Soon it will be cheaper

[adrian]

Just as a word of warning, i ran my trooper 3.1 TD on biodiesel all summer couple of years ago, and other than changing the fuel filter after the first tank (usual procedure) and i stopped using it during the winter here in uk as it started to separate, and had lumps of fat in it.
after the winter i started to use it again, and got 50miles before the car ground to a halt, after much messing around, changing the primer pump, and draining tank, as soon as i put normal pump diesel in it again it ran fine...... i had 10L of biodiesel left in the car, which i mixed with about 1/4 tank of diesel, and after 50 miles, car cut out again, and wouldnt restart.
on both occasions i was doing 110km/h on motorway, and car gradually started to loose power, till foot was flat on the throttle,
and just kept slowing down.
wont be using biodiesel in anything again after that experience.

adrian