After reading many threads and pondering my setup, I finally bit the bullet and did it. I've been pretty interested in the idea for a number of reasons. First being half-price fuel, secondly better IP lube, third, I like pissing off crusty old hippie tree-huggers with my carbon boot-print black smoke pumping clatter beast!
I have a 55 gal drum with a hole in the lid and a corresponding hole in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket. I mounted a 4" floor drain in the bottom of the bucket and attached a short piece of 3" PVC to it. I then used a hose-clamp to attach a 1 micron bag to the PVC. In the top of the bucket I'm using a 75 micron pre-screener with some magnets dropped in it. At the bottom of the bucket around the drain I placed a magnet from a 12" subwoofer. THAT should do it. I then added a fuel/water separator as a final stage. This is also a 12 micron filter (I know that's backwards, but here's why) to catch any condensation from the tank or any unexpected goodies in the oil.
After some more thought I think I'm going to order longer 1 micron filters and some short 25ish micron filters then put the 25 inside of the 1 micron filter and clamp that to the PVC.
Since I live in the 'burbs and don't want a lot of attention with my setup, I can't get my truck close enough to directly fill from where my filter is. So, I dump the filtered oil into two 5 gal buckets I ONLY use for clean oil, which have spigots in the bottoms. Then when I'm running low on fuel I set the bucket on top of the saddle box of my truck and run a hose directly into the tank then haul butt over to the gas station to top off with diesel. Presto! This way I can also carry an extra tank's worth of filtered oil in my truck in case I need to refuel while away from home.
Right now everything is gravity-fed, but I plan to add a hand-pump at some point soon because I'm getting a whopping 6 minutes per gallon of flow! Ouch.
I bought a few extra 55 gal drums for storage and transportation. I bought a hand pump for transferring into my drums and from my drums into the filter.
I've run 1 1/2 tanks of 50/50 mix through it so far with great results. I swear the motor has quieted down a bit and feels like it's running more smoothly. I posted an ad on the web and within about 5 minutes had two different people tell me they had 100+ gallons each of free fuel they wanted to give me. I've spent the last two days going around collecting oil, people are giving me anywhere from 5-30 gallons each usually plus the two guys that had 100 gallons each. I now have a garage FULL of oil.
Don't tell the E.P.A., Fire Marshall, or DOT please!
Any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism???
That first pic is a little embarrassing. Looks like I was getting some nasty sludge from the bottom of my drum... Has been cleaned since!
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by doghead
No, I'm not grumpy...
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!
The "Master of Disaster"
'86 M1008 w/ 4" ORD lift on 37" HMMWV tires and bead-locks - former Sheriff's Dept. truck
. . . . Right now everything is gravity-fed, but I plan to add a hand-pump at some point soon because I'm getting a whopping 6 minutes per gallon . . .
Any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism??? . . .
Props my earth saving friend. You've got it going on. Simple, functional, cheap.
You asked, so here's my take for simple changes to what you have.
1. When you get around to it, put a bulkhead with valve in the very bottom of big blue. Then, you can occasionally drain settled uglies out.
2. Add another spin on, install 5 micron absolute rated filter.
3. It looks like you're all about the 5's. Put four gallons of oil in a 5'er. Add three quarts of regular unleaded gas, blend well. Let set 24 hours (longer be better). Gently decant over into floor drain bucket. (You will be amazed at the settled crud in your blend bucket.)
4. Fill truck. Drive. Proceed past diesel pump without stopping.
5. Carry spare fuel filter for truck because the detergents in the WMO will clean your fuel system and clog your filter.
6. Ask any questions you like, just don't tell me I'm going to blow my truck up because although it may happen on the way to church this morning, it hasn't happened over the last seven thousand miles.
7. Enjoy, driving is fun again when you're doing it on sixty cents a gallon fuel cost.
8. Be open to change your system. At some point you will add pump(s) and change it all around. I would not design a system the way you have, but who you gives a poop about a fancy design when you are driving for almost nothing. Congratulations. You done good.
Tim
Last edited by '48Chevy6; 07-17-2011 at 07:36.
The Following User Says Thank You to '48Chevy6 For This Useful Post:
Wow, thanks for the ideas. I like. Especially the one about the valve at the bottom of the drum.
I guess I always thought gas in a diesel was a big no-no. How does that work? It would help thin things out and increase my flow though. If I'm already into it this far, instead of mixing oil and gas in a 5'er, why not do it in my spare 55g drum and pump it off the top? Is the wait period just to let crud settle? What do you do to mix it? Long stick? It should be about 3 to 1 oil to gas mix? Will it stay mixed or re-settle and separate?
Also, is there a difference between my 1 micron filter and an "absolute" filter?
I did get an extra fuel filter and threw it under the seat yesterday. Lots of questions I know. I'm sure I'll have more.
Thanks
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by doghead
No, I'm not grumpy...
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!
The "Master of Disaster"
'86 M1008 w/ 4" ORD lift on 37" HMMWV tires and bead-locks - former Sheriff's Dept. truck
Wow, thanks for the ideas. I like. Especially the one about the valve at the bottom of the drum.
I guess I always thought gas in a diesel was a big no-no. How does that work? It would help thin things out and increase my flow though. If I'm already into it this far, instead of mixing oil and gas in a 5'er, why not do it in my spare 55g drum and pump it off the top? Is the wait period just to let crud settle? What do you do to mix it? Long stick? It should be about 3 to 1 oil to gas mix? Will it stay mixed or re-settle and separate?
Also, is there a difference between my 1 micron filter and an "absolute" filter?
I did get an extra fuel filter and threw it under the seat yesterday. Lots of questions I know. I'm sure I'll have more.
Thanks
I'll reply more later.
You get the filtering part. That's good.
The RUG in WMO scares smart people. It doesn't scare me.
Wow, thanks for the ideas. I like. Especially the one about the valve at the bottom of the drum.
I guess I always thought gas in a diesel was a big no-no. How does that work? It would help thin things out and increase my flow though. If I'm already into it this far, instead of mixing oil and gas in a 5'er, why not do it in my spare 55g drum and pump it off the top? Is the wait period just to let crud settle? What do you do to mix it? Long stick? It should be about 3 to 1 oil to gas mix? Will it stay mixed or re-settle and separate?
Also, is there a difference between my 1 micron filter and an "absolute" filter?
I did get an extra fuel filter and threw it under the seat yesterday. Lots of questions I know. I'm sure I'll have more.
Thanks
Straight gas in a diesel is a disaster. Gas, diesel, kerosene, ship bunker fuel, etc., all come from crude. We're just putting it back together as black diesel. It may not mimic all of the properties of D2, but we want it to burn like D2. My experience is in a PowerStroke 7.3. You've already "ruined" your truck by putting waste motor oil in it, continue the ruination and smooth out the process.
Forty five gallons of oil, seven and a half gallons of old stale low octane gas. I stick a pipe hooked to air line with one psi or so down in barrel and bubble it for a while.
Let set. The rug causes the detergent to let go of the contaminants and they sludge out to the bottom. (You could dump it into your truck at this point and drive on, but the fuel filter would clog in short order).
Using a pick up tube 2 or 3"s from the bottom, I pull it thru my filter rack. I have no patience for gravity, but use what you have in the interim.
The rug/WMO become one. They do not separate out. At least not before I burn it.
When I started, I was using household string wound filters and bag filters for processing. I could change a fuel filter on my truck in just four minutes. I got good because I kept changing them. Sometimes/oftentimes every tank, and I have two tanks on my truck. Now I change fuel filters at oil change time.
My spin on filters are absolute rated. Absolute in this case means more than 97% of particles over the specified size will be caught. The other filters I mention are "nominal" rated, meaning they will trap particles as small as a specified rating.
The bags and other nominal filters are great for veggie oil because it typically does not have the tiny micron stuff that we have in our WMO. I'm not talking bad about the bags, they just didn't work for me.
If you get your mix a bit thick, stop at the gas station and stick a gallon or so of gas in it.
I use WMO, ATF, Hydraulic Oil. Avoid water, anti freeze (the rug will help settle these), brake fluid, and gear oil. Gear oil will burn, but it only takes a little bit in the tank to make a continuos smoke at idle that is so obnoxious that even you will get made at you after a while.
Is your filter head a 2470? Or similar number?
Disclaimer for casual observers: This works in my truck, and my sons deuce. YMMV. If you're scared, don't do it. If you break something, don't blame me. If you're afraid you'll pollute the atmosphere, then don't shop at wal-world, because almost everything in that store was delivered on a freighter spewing the by-products of combusted WMO. At least I filter mine. If you do try it, don't tell all of your friends. That way there will be at least some of your friends that don't think you're insane.
Tim
Last edited by '48Chevy6; 07-17-2011 at 13:41.
The Following User Says Thank You to '48Chevy6 For This Useful Post:
Thanks! My filter base is a Napa 4309. Do you know of an absolute 5 micron I could use with another of these or should I just get a different base and filter?
As for the mixing process: does it HAVE to be old gas or does new work as well? I have a little pancake air compressor I could do this with, would you mind describing the setup for your "bubbler"?
If I stick another spin-on 5 micron filter in between my 55gal and water separator, in essence I should be getting about the same process as you. I can then change my 1 micron bag to, say a 10 micron or so. That way I'll be depositing my newly acquired WMO in a 55 gal holding/mixing tank. Mix as you described with gas, let settle, then pump from 2-3" from bottom into 75 micron pre-screener, past the magnets into my new 10 micron bag. This would fill my 55 gal "filter" drum intil I'm ready to use. Then pump from there through the spin-on 5 micron and lastly through the separator and into the truck.
Right?
I should have been doing this a while ago! It's a bit of work, but it's actually pretty fun! I already love driving my truck but it's so much better with the added sense of accomplishment from making my own cheap fuel! Building the filter setup took almost no time at all and was also fun.
Since I'm going to already be using my air compressor for part of this setup, I'm now considering using it to drive my pump. I'm on a budget until this stuff starts to pay for itself. Any suggestions on a pump and necessary accessories to get me going?
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by doghead
No, I'm not grumpy...
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!
The "Master of Disaster"
'86 M1008 w/ 4" ORD lift on 37" HMMWV tires and bead-locks - former Sheriff's Dept. truck
Thanks! My filter base is a Napa 4309. Do you know of an absolute 5 micron I could use with another of these or should I just get a different base and filter?
As for the mixing process: does it HAVE to be old gas or does new work as well? I have a little pancake air compressor I could do this with, would you mind describing the setup for your "bubbler"?
If I stick another spin-on 5 micron filter in between my 55gal and water separator, in essence I should be getting about the same process as you. I can then change my 1 micron bag to, say a 10 micron or so. That way I'll be depositing my newly acquired WMO in a 55 gal holding/mixing tank. Mix as you described with gas, let settle, then pump from 2-3" from bottom into 75 micron pre-screener, past the magnets into my new 10 micron bag. This would fill my 55 gal "filter" drum intil I'm ready to use. Then pump from there through the spin-on 5 micron and lastly through the separator and into the truck.
Right?
I should have been doing this a while ago! It's a bit of work, but it's actually pretty fun! I already love driving my truck but it's so much better with the added sense of accomplishment from making my own cheap fuel! Building the filter setup took almost no time at all and was also fun.
Since I'm going to already be using my air compressor for part of this setup, I'm now considering using it to drive my pump. I'm on a budget until this stuff starts to pay for itself. Any suggestions on a pump and necessary accessories to get me going?
Keep the base you have now. Pick up a Napa 4770 (wix 24770). Different threads but it has two ports in and two ports out. It comes with plugs for the extra ports. We'll use the bonus ports for vacuum gauges later. These bases are often back ordered but try anyway.
Fresh pump gas is fine. Regular, low octane better than high octane.
48" x 1/2" PVC pipe, threaded on one end, adapt down (use elbow too) so that you can install male plug for air hose. I set the regulator to all but totally off. Attach air hose, just a little tiny bit of air makes plenty of bubbles. Big air, Big mess. You can also study characteristics of your blend as it bubbles - chocolate milk = water. Not to worry, it'll settle out.
Blend. Settle. One micron "nominal" bag. Big spin on with W/S. Five mic absolute. Storage tank. Then truck as needed.
Air pumps are the shizizzle for WMO. But forget about them for now.
You are going to make a converted SBC pump. You will eventually pull from your newly modified big blue using vacuum created by the sbc pump. Google "sbc bio pump" or similar.
Tim
The Following User Says Thank You to '48Chevy6 For This Useful Post:
I'm half-way through my SBC pump mod/build. Installed the new 3/8" pipes for input and output, waiting for JB Weld to cure. Just need to settle on a good motor to run it and clean it out really well since I drilled through the case. Any suggestions there? Don't need metal shavings in my pump.
I'll pick up the new filter and base this week and get those installed, along with my bubbler pipe.
I'm actually considering building a second SBC pump. This one will be used for filtering and fueling the truck, the second would be for quickly transferring large volumes when picking up, then again to pump into my filter. Don't want to cross-contaminate.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by doghead
No, I'm not grumpy...
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!
The "Master of Disaster"
'86 M1008 w/ 4" ORD lift on 37" HMMWV tires and bead-locks - former Sheriff's Dept. truck
My New WMO Setup for the CUCV
Not poking fun, I can relate!
