3M offers a test strip for measuring FFA% of oil. The strips cost about 50 cents a strip and will quickly tell us roughly how good or bad your oil is. It's a great idea for when your scouting for sources and want to test the oil on site.

They have two different strips. The "Normal Range" strips have four steps from 7% FFA. That's NaOH titrations ranging from 2.6 to 9.1. The "Low Range" strips have four steps from 2.5% FFA. That's like NaOH titrations ranging from 1.3 to 3.2.

3M recommends using them when the oil is at operating temperature,  but hobbyists  have tested it on room temperature oil and found the strips are just as accurate at room temperature. They do however take several minutes instead of several seconds to completely change colors.

One other note is they only have a one year shelf life, so don't buy more than you can use in a year. Someone suggested keeping them in the frig or freezer, but I don't know if that is necessary or not.

Related Links:

3M Oil Quality Test Strips - amazon.com

Testing for FFA - Frybrid forum thread 

3M Brochure .

Written by Rickdatech

Cone Bottom tanks are popular among some biodiesel enthusiasts. This is mostly due to the fact that so many commercially sold biodiesel processors have been made from them. Fuelmeister was the company that popularized this style of processor made using two inductor or cone bottom tanks. Fuelmeister and other companies used them because they were so inexpensive. When purchased in bulk they cost a tenth of the price of metal tanks. 

They come in two varieties. The standard inductor tank with a bulkhead adapter bolted in the bottom, and the full draining type with female pipe threads cast into the bottom of the tank. The bulkhead adapter is used to convert a hole in the flat part of the bottom of the tank into pipe threads. This type will retain a cup or two of liquid between the adapter and the tank. The full draining type has a smooth transition from tank to drain pipe that lets all the liquid drain out.

Written by Rickdatech

Xanthoceras sorbifolium (yellowhorn, shiny leaf yellowhorn, goldenhorn, Chinese flowering chestnut), is a potential cold hardy oilseed tree. It is a small slow growing deciduous tree, reaching a height of 22 ft and a diameter of 24 ft. It grows less than 12 inches a year.

It prefers acidic dry soil and does not do well in hot wet locations. Hardy in Zones 4 to 7. It is drought tolerant and will survive temperatures below -20 °F.

It is cultivated In Northeastern China for it's edible fruit, reminiscent of chestnuts, it has a seed pod several inches across that have a number of pea sized seeds. These seeds contain up to 70% oil. In cultivation, it can produce over 800 gallons of oil per acre.

Yellowhorn oil contains only 7% saturated fatty acids, giving it similar cold weather properties as canola.

The Yellowhorn tree has multiple uses in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, however, the Chinese grow this tree primarily for oilseed production. In Norh America and Europe it is grown as an ornimental tree with profuse flowers that can cover the tree completely.

article submitted by Greasecar.com

General Deisel Maintenance

Changing fluids and filters

Though Diesel engines do not require regular tune ups like gasoline engines, they still require maintenance to optimize and maintain engine health. The most important things to service are filters and fluids. Your vehicles owners or service manual will lay out filter changing intervals. A dirty fuel or air filter can seriously hinder power and fuel economy. Lubrication oil should be changed regularly with oil specified for diesel vehicles and the coolant system should be flushed every year. There are also a number of diesel fuel additives that can be used to minimize injector tip fouling and fuel gelling.

Written by Rickdatech

Title: Biodiesel Basics and Beyond: A Comprehensive Guide to Production and Use for the Home and Farm
Author: William H. Kemp
Publisher: Aztext Press Apr 2006
Paperback: 300 pages
Rating: two (of five) thumbs up

In all fairness, the customer reviews on Amazon Books are all raves, with this book getting four and a half stars out of five, and my rating is significantly below that. He does have a lot of good information in his book, my objections are more about his presentation style and safety than the technical information it contains.

Written by Rickdatech

Water blocking fuel filters are both popular among homebrewers and commonly misused. They are typically 10 micron spin on filters like this goldenrod waterblock filter and are capable of capturing free and emulsified water, but not dissolved water. They have some water absorbing material, typically cotton, wrapped around the fitler. As the filter absorbs water, the water absorbing material will swell, blocking the flow. Eventually, once it has reached its limit of water, it will go into bypass mode. The filter is spring loaded and when it is fully clogged, the resulting backpressure will overcome the spring pushing the filter out of the way so fuel can go around the clogged filter. It only takes a few tablespoons of water to clog one of these filters.

Written by Rickdatech

If you use Home Heating Oil (HHO) to heat your home, Making Biodiesel at Home can lower your heating bill. Most people can run a B20 without any modifications. A few people have reported issues with higher blends. The problems include inconsistent starting, clogged filters and dripping nozzles.

Biodiesel is an excellent solvent. It will dissolve the crud in your HHO tank and dump it in your fuel filter, clogging it. Most filters have a bypass built into them. When the filter clogs, the bypass opens, and dirty fuel bypasses the filter, clogging up nozzles and lines. Trash making it's way into the nozzle is also the cause for dripping nozzles. The cheap fix is to watch and replace the filter when it clogs. Filters are only a few dollars.  If your HHO tank is old, it will probably be best to replace it or have it cleaned before using biodiesel.

Written by Rickdatech

Peanuts offer a potential oil source for farm based biodiesel. Peanuts are over 50% oil and according to the University of Georgia are capable of producing 123 gallons of oil per acre. The problem with Peanut biodiesel is it's high saturated fat content which raises the gel point. That's not really a problem farm based production of peanut biodiesel. It only grows in the hottest, most humid areas of the country. 99% of all peanuts are grown in seven Southeastern States.

The USDA has been researching various cultivars to bring costs down for farm based biodiesel production. According to the USDA, they have been able to bring the cost down to about $2.50 per gallon of peanut biodiesel.