First test of a possible new fuel source.

[Locashlester]

I'm running my first 50/50 mix test of a possible new fuel source in my 2000 7.3 F250. I work in a large printing shop and keep all their machines running. A new machine was purchased at the beginning of the year, a Hewlett-Packard Indigo press. The waste from this machine is a light weight oil something like 3in1 oil. The nice thing is it is ready to pour in the tank and go. The oil is sent through two semi truck size 8 micron filters and any water is removed as well. The final product is clean slightly discolored light weight petroleum. I stumbled across this because the operator was dumping the oil in our hazardous waste barrels. At 10 gallons more a week our hazarous waste output has gotten the EPA checking us to see if we need to be put in the "high usage" catagory. I was given the task to figure out if it was in fact hazardous or not. After looking over all the data, come to find out it is 90% oil and 10% trade secrets. With the waste having used up the trade secret part, it seems to be 100% waste oil.

Initial test looking good so far. I live in Florida so cold start issues are not a worry for me most of the year, although it was a little nippy this morning and had no problems. Idle, power and throttle response all are normal. The big question will be future problems that it may create, on that one time will tell. I'll be updating regularly. By the way, I just purchased the truck so I'm new to diesels and the forum. If anyone has any insight to some problems that could arise please share them.
Thanks!
Lester Chatley

[CowboyCody]

The way i understand it the original diesels were designed to run on anything that was flammable and that would lubricate the pump, im not saying this is true of new diesels. since your willing to risk it i will be interested to see what happens.

[Locashlester]

From everything I have found there shouldn't be a problem, but time will tell.
Lester

[tubular031]

I would not start the truck on it no matter what the temp is. When you first start the truck even when its 80 out, the rings are not expanded all the way and there will be lots of blowby. some of the fuel will make it past the rings into the crankcase. diesel oil is made to deal with this (mostly) this oil stuff you are putting into the motor may or may not work well with the oil in the motor. I would put something in there to start the truck on diesel and then flip to this other stuff once the motor has come up to temp.

What year is your truck? also I would make sure the fuel is very clean. I would invest in a CF to remove any stuff that the filters miss and any water that might be in there. Filters are not very good at removing the nastys in the fuel...

[Locashlester]

I hadn't though about ring expansion and that is a valid point. As for the oil I'm putting in I know there is no water in it, the press has a water trap side as well as the oil trap side. Two separate containers that need to be emptied. The oil was tested for water before we started dumping it in our regular vehicle waste oil containers. Our company also has a vehicle repair shop in house and takes care of about 30 or so vehicles. I'll discuss the issue with a friend of mine that is a certified diesel mechanic and see what he thinks. As of right now I'm running it half and half with diesel fuel and have no intention of running straight. Just looking to reduce my fuel cost if possible.
Thanks,
Lester

[erbilabuc]

I dont approve

[Locashlester]

Originally Posted by erbilabuc

buy a honda civic before you turn your truck into scrap metal

Thanks for the constructive input, I guess your running an alternative fuel for another reason? I'm sure there were people just like you out there when the first guy ran veggie oil in his truck. Buy the way I'm not a Honda guy but a VW guy. I pull a VW drag car with my soon to be "scrap metal".
Lester

[erbilabuc]

I dont approve

[Locashlester]

How do you think those alternatives came to be? Someone somewhere took a chance and figured it out. I'm not running blindly into this, I've done a considerable amount of research on the properties of what im running. I wouldn't be testing if I didn't think there was a high percentage for success. That being said there still could be problems no one could know about till they happen, that the chance you take experimenting. In that case I'll be fixing what breaks and figure out where to go from there. I've been doing this in my race program for 20 or so years now. I was just wanting to let people with, what I thought, a like mind set on experimenting with new ideas know what I was trying. I was thinking this forum would be full of people trying to push the envelope and figure possible new avenues for alt fuel rather than run with what someone else had figured out before them. maybe I was wrong.
Lester

[erbilabuc]

I dont approve