Use Kerosene to Stop Biodiesel's Winter Freeze-Up

One of my readers, Gary, recently commented about a few articles I had written about biodiesel which you can see by clicking here. The article Gary specifically speaks of is The Scam on_Biodiesel_Engine Conversion.

Here are Gary's comments:

Dear John,

I could not agree with you more on not needing to buy a conversion kit for your diesel car / truck.

I ran straight veggie oil I got from a friend's fast food joint in my Ford 7.3 during the warm months near Chicago. There's no need to put out a ton of cash to convert an engine for just a few months that it is very cold out - for the same engine that runs great in the warm weather.

I was thinking of adding kerosene to the veggie oil, but was not willing to take the risk. after reading your article. Now I feel confident running my truck with veggie-kerosene mix.

I also have a dodge sprinter and put a blend of 50/50 (veggie and diesel fuel) in the warm months only because it is still under warranty. Mercedes (who makes the engine) only allows five percent oil which sounds to me like a bunch of crap. Like you said, Rudolph Diesel invented the engine in 1890 to run on peanut oil. That guy was "green" before green was hip.

Thanks again for being more of a risk-taker than I.

- Gary

Biodiesel From Used Restaurant Veggie Oil

Gary, thanks for your comments!

For those of you who don't know what biodiesel is, biodiesel in is a petrochemical diesel fuel alternative, usually derived from a natural biological source such as vegetable oil. While commercial biodiesel is made directly from an oil crop stock such as corn or canola, the kind of biodiesel Gary speaks of is used fryer oil that he got from a friend's restaurant. When restaurants that fry their food wish to dispose of their dark used oil, people like Gary are willing to come pick up the oil, process it, and then use it as fuel for their diesel-engine cars and trucks.

Advantages of Using Biodiesel

As it is with any technology, there is a trade-off in advantages and disadvantages.

While perhaps the most obvious advantage to Gary's biodiesel arrangement is that he gets his fuel for free. Another one would be that the highly lubricative nature of the biodiesel fuel he uses may help reduce wear-and-tear on Gary's car's fuel pump and other fuel-related systems.

Likewise, because of the overall slippery, non-corrosive nature of vegetable oil as fuel, Gary's car diesel engine is also probably being lubricated by the biodiesel on the combustion side of his engine's pistons. While most engines are only lubricated by crankcase motor oil on the non-combustion side of the pistons, some biodiesel users with whom I've spoken attribute to biodiesel noticeably reduced engine wear, and an overall cleaner internal engine appearance when opening up the engine for servicing of internal parts.

A Problem Using Biodiesel in Winter

Of the few disadvantages to using 100% vegetable oil biodiesel is what it does during severely cold weather.

Depending on the kind and quality of biodiesel one uses, it may begin to gel or freeze up in cooler temperatures starting at around 50 °F (10 °C). The engine suffers from fuel starvation because what once was a liquid fuel has solidified somewhere in the fuel system. The symptoms? The engine falters as the line progressively freezes shut, and eventually stops running altogether.

It takes a long time for an entire fuel tank filled with biodiesel to freeze due to its relatively warm large thermal mass. As a result of this, freezing usually takes place in the fuel lines because of the relatively smaller mass of fuel exposed to the cold. This is further exacerbated by the fact that the fuel lines are usually located on the bottom of the car or truck body, and are exposed to the outside elements and the cold wind caused by driving.

A Solution to Biodiesel Fuel Freeze-Up

Fortunately for every problem there is usually a solution.

While some vendors tout their system as the only solution to effectively dealing with fuel line freezing, their solution frequently requires expensive modifications to your car or truck fuel system. These invasive modifications will most likely void your vehicle's manufacturer warranty.

Again, fortunately for every problem there is a solution.

Modify the Fuel - Not The Fuel System

As an alternative to an expensive fuel system modification, you can attack the problem from the other side of the coin: modify the fuel instead.

In my article, I suggest mixing a solvent with your vegetable oil biodiesel stock. I have successfully blended my biodiesel with regular diesel fuel, kerosene, or (my favorite) paint thinner.

For more information, read my article. Good luck with your blending!

References:

John's Other Articles on Biodiesel
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Author does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, safety, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed or referred to. Information is provided for informational purposes only.