Little about Tasia

[GasSavers_Tasia]

I am like most of you I suppose, I'm disgusted and fed up with gas prices. I love my car, a 2001 PT Cruiser but I want to improve the gas milage. Not that my gas milage is terrible (Ireally don''t know the actual figure) but I would love to improve my car's efficiency. I have become so driven to reduce my servitude to big oil production companies I'm selling my old victorian house in the spring to find a comfortable bungalow with a wood burning fireplace, and electric heater. In a few years, when the cruiser paid off, I want to buy a Toyota Hybrid with an average of 50 MPG (unless something better has come along).

[Matt Timion]

And the coolest thing about Tasia is that we went to High School together when I lived in Illinois. We've been very good friends for over 10 years now (although we both like to go a year or so between talking to each other on occassion).

[SVOboy]

The honda insight can beat the crap out of the toyota prius, but it's only a two seater. Not that I mind, since I own a two seater. Other than that the prius is the best in terms of new cars, but you could also get a vw tdi and run on 100% veggie oil and be almost totally petrol free in driving.

[GasSavers_Tasia]

I've been told that any diesel engine can run on vegetable oil, even old used frying grease (strained of course) if an adaptor/converter is used. For know I think a hybrid is the way to go, that is until hydro cars are on the road.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by Tasia

I've been told that any diesel engine can run on vegetable oil, even old used frying grease (strained of course) if an adaptor/converter is used. For know I think a hybrid is the way to go, that is until hydro cars are on the road.

You're right, sort of. Any diesel can run on bio-diesel (almost any diesel anyways). Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil.

Any diesel can be converted to run on straight vegetable oil.

The frying grease thing is true, but you actually have to purify it. Simply straining it won't work. There is a whole long process for cleaning the stuff.

I really don't see hydrogen cells ever being a viable technology. So much energy is lost in the conversion process to make hydrogen. My friend tells me it is up to 50% lost.

With the advancement of battery technology (there are some pretty amazing things being reported with batteries now adays) I forsee the next wave of alternative vehicles going straight to electric. The rumor is that there are these new batteries that can be fully recharged in 6 minutes off of a 220volt power source.

[SVOboy]

Running Straight Veggie Oil is basically just straining, you don't need to heat it or do any additives, just let stuff settle out then strain it.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Running Straight Veggie Oil is basically just straining, you don't need to heat it or do any additives, just let stuff settle out then strain it.

Any idea how long until it settles? That seems like the perfect solution to me, especially if you owned a McDonalds.

[SVOboy]

You can settle it for as long as you want, it really depends on how clean the stuff is to begin with. If you get it from a fast food place it'll be dirtier, if you get it from a nicer place, it'll be cleaner. If I did it I'd prolly shoot for two weeks. A little on those process:

1.Pump up the stuff from the place you're getting it, you'll usually have a small prefilter filter somewhere in this step.
2.Pump it into a big drum at home, you'll be pumping this through a finer filter that should never die, many people use oil filter for this stage.
3.Let it settle and then pump from the top through your last filtration. Pumping from the top leaves the particles that fell out at the bottom, and the final screens makes it able to be used in the car.
4.In the car is a washable fine filter that goes along the fuel line to catch final stuff when the grease is heated up and thinned out.

[GasSavers_Tasia]

People who run their vehicles on veggie oil are getting their fuel from resturants who would otherwise have to pay to dispose of their grease, or directly from the grocery store. And their are companies available to strain your used oil for a small fee, but the consumer is still coming out ahead.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by Tasia

People who run their vehicles on veggie oil are getting their fuel from resturants who would otherwise have to pay to dispose of their grease, or directly from the grocery store. And their are companies available to strain your used oil for a small fee, but the consumer is still coming out ahead.

A year or so ago I was considering dropping a small tractor engine (about 30 hp) into a small car. I would then convert it to run on veggie oil from McDonalds.

In return I would put a sign on the side of the car that said, "powered by grease from McDonalds" or something like that. It would be a win/win for everyone.

but now I'm going to skip that and just go straight to electric.