Did you know that waste vegetable oil can be used for fuel in your diesel powered truck? It’s true, but before you start shoveling Crisco into your fuel tank there are a few things you should know. First of all, it’s not legal for use on public roads and highways. The state and federal government didn’t get their tax money. They put you under the jail if you get caught. Second you should know that waste vegetable oil does not have the lubricants that your engine needs at start up and during cool down.
It can be done if you have access to the grease. Most burger places pay to have that stuff hauled away. If you buddy owns a Hooters, you’re in business. Step number one is to find a supplier for the grease. Next you will need to have an auxiliary fuel system, not a transfer system. Then you need to follow a specific routine when using the waste vegetable or straight vegetable oil.
Once you have found a source for the grease, your primary concern is the auxiliary fuel system. You must be able to select from one fuel tank or the other with a switch mounted on the dash. See www.auxtank.com. The fuel tank itself will need to have some form of heater in the tank to warm the oil and make it into a liquid again. These usually plumb into the trucks cooling system. You have a heat source, might as well use it. You can also purchase a blanket heater to mount outside of the tank, but these typically will not work for more than a 30 gallon tank. You’ll also need a high micron filter such as those made by Raycore. It’ll need to be mounted between the fuel tank and the fuel tank selector valve.
When you start the vehicle, you must do so on diesel fuel. Once the engine reaches operating temperature, you can use the vegetable oil. You’ll flip a switch on the dash and the vegetable oil will start going directly to the engine. You may also notice that giant sucking sound on your wallet get a little quieter at this point. When you get close to your destination, you flip back over to the diesel tank. You want to use the diesel while the engine cools down. Usually about 15 minutes will do.
That’s about all there is to it. The diesel engine needs lubricants during start up and shut down. You also need a good quality auxiliary fuel system with an internal heater, not a transfer system. A transfer tank pumps from one tank into the other. It won’t work. One final thought, don’t get caught.
About shumanweb
I guess I’ve been groomed most of my life to be involved in the automotive specialty aftermarket. Back in the late 70s, while I was but a mere pup, I worked at First Stage Steel. They were a manufacturer of roll bars located in Harrisonville, MO. We’re talking the days when you got to choose between black or white for your new roll bar. Things sure have changed. My primary duties were to keep the toilets clean and the floors swept. Brother, that’s starting at the bottom.
Time rolls on and I’ve moved up. I spent most of my time since then as an aftermarket parts rep in the specialty aftermarket. I’ve done the retail gig. I’ve been a manufacturer. I guess you can say I’ve manufactured accessories, boxed them up, shipped them out, received them, sold them, installed them, and cleaned up afterwards. I think it’s fair to say I’ve paid my dues.
Today I am the President and CEO of a specialty part manufacturer in the light truck aftermarket. Yes that’s a fancy title. We’re a small business who cares more about building the best product than selling the cheapest parts available. We’re always behind in production. We’re far from being the cheapest available. We are however the best at what we do. You don’t have to take my word for it. You’ll find our customers in users forums out on the net saying that we’re the best in the business. I’m not getting rich, but I do get a tremendous amount of satisfaction knowing we help make someone’s life a little better.
I also have this website. CustomTrucks.net started off back in 1995. I wanted to build an online community back before we all knew what one was. Little things like remotely posting to a database on a web server just wasn’t done that much. It cost a lot of money back then. Over the years things gradually got out of hand. I couldn’t keep up, so we sat here and idled for 6 or 7 years.
Now I’m back. We have a new direction and objectives. I have this great new software called Community Server. While it seems a little slow, it works great. It’s also easy to install and set up. I still have some tweaking to do, but it’ll come along with time. The Community Server software was available from Intermedia. They host our website and provide our mail server. I have to say that since we started with Intermedia back in 1995, I’ve never had a problem with their service.
And what’s on the horizon you ask? I want to make a major contribution to mankind. I want to make life better for people everywhere. I see three major problems which threaten human life everywhere on the planet. First we have the “energy crisis”. Since we now use our food for fuel, we have now a global food crisis. People are rioting all over the world because they can’t afford their groceries. And third, global warming will surely kill us all by 2012. The plan? I am working on a new design of internal combustion engine. It’s not exactly as fuel efficient as today’s engines. It does run on a renewable fuel source. It doesn’t produce a cleaner exhaust, but its use will lead to an overall reduction in the production of greenhouse gasses. With continual use, it will lead to more liberty for all people. “So what’s the deal with this new engine” you ask? Simple, it runs on politicians. Mr. Kennedy – we need you.