Biodiesel Recipe

Given that the governments of the world are very keen to send us into a fuel crisis right now, I thought this would be a good time to share my basic biodiesel recipe for the record!

Now big disclaimer to start with - I am not an expert in any way! If you choose to use this recipe it is entirely at your own risk! I can only speak from my own personal experience with the cars I have owned and tips I picked up from people I met in the biodiesel movement in the early noughties.

You should also check the laws in your country about producing fuel, tax and duty etc and how this could apply to you.

Biodiesel made in this way is not suitable for all diesel vehicles, and cannot be used in older cars with natural rubber pipes. Check your handbook or with a mechanic if in doubt. This CANNOT be used in petrol cars. They would require bio-ethanol and I have no experience of that.

The diesel engine was originally designed to run on vegetable oil, peanut oil to be precise. Modern diesel engines have been adapted and tailored to the crude oil derived substance we know as "diesel fuel" but this came much later on after the inventor of the engine, Mr Diesel, disappeared over the side of a ferry in suspicious circumstances.

I used biodiesel successfully in both my diesel cars and a diesel van and found that the engine not only ran quieter and more efficiently, but the distinctive "diesel knock" sound from the engine disappeared. The exhaust also smelled great!

The only reason I stopped using it was because the price of vegetable oil spiked making it no longer cost effective as a fuel, and the indie biodiesel producers I was purchasing from were put out of business with copious amounts of red tape and government interference.

This is a simple biodiesel recipe that is more or less the same as the one I successfully and very happily used in my cars. 

This can be used on its own or mixed with regular diesel fuel. In the colder weather, I would mix it 50/50 with diesel fuel so the vegetable oil didn't get too thick and sticky.

To make 5l of biodiesel for use in a normal diesel engine, you will need:

- 1 5l diesel jerry can with spout

- Vegetable oil (rapeseed, sunflower, peanut, whatever you have to hand. Avoid coconut because this country is not warm enough for it to stay liquid. I do not recommend animals fats for the same reason and also because it makes the exhaust smell like vomit!) 

- White spirit

- Wooden stick to stir

- Funnel 

The proportions I use are 95% oil to 5% white spirit. The white spirit helps to break down the fats and ensure clean running, less smoke and less potential coking up of the engine.

For 5 litres this is 4.75litres of oil and 0.25l of white spirit. 

The oil can be new or used, for example out of your deep fat fryer. Make sure you sieve any bits of food out very carefully if you are using used oil! Previously heated oil from your deep fat fryer will already be partially broken down and is considered better to use if available, so start keeping it!

Instructions:

Put your oil and white spirit into a clean jerry can using the funnel to make sure you don't spill any.

Mix with the wooden stick, put the lid on and leave in a cool location for minimum one week, so the soapy elements in the oil can break down (a garade or garden shed is ideal - this liquid is not flammable)

It is ready to use immediately.

Engine modifications:

Speak to a mechanic if you have any concerns, or if you would like to know whether there are any recommended modifications needed for your diesel engine.

Most basic diesel engines generally do not require any, because it's the fuel they were designed for, however all cars are different and modern vehicles in particular may be more fussy, or have sensors that don't like different fuels. My 2008 BMW 5 series had a warning label on the fuel cap saying it would not take biodiesel for example.

Biodiesel tends to be thicker and stickier than regular diesel fuel, and as such can pick up bits of debris from the bottom of your fuel tank. I was advised to put a small inline filter on the fuel line to catch them as I was using biodiesel regularly. It was a simple job that we completed ourselves on my Peugeot 205 and 106, but modern cars may not be quite so straightforward.

Finally

If in doubt, research, research, research! Don't just take my word for it. As I said, I am not a mechanic nor any sort of expert, I'm just a girl who likes cars and has run diesels on vegetable oil in the past using this recipe. 

In times of crisis, it's useful to pool our knowledge and resources, so I hope this will be helpful to somebody in their hour of need!