Bio fuel,can it damage your engine long term?

Just bought a bio fuel converter but have spoke to three garages that wouldn't recommend me using it as they say it can damage your engine long term,really gutted to be honest ,has anyone been making/using bio fuel from dirty used veg oil for a long time and has complete faith in it? distance/year info would be appreciated.Cheers guys,Tom

depends on the engine, yes it can damage it if its not made properly, a TD5 needs it to be really made properly and pure to be ok, a tdi will happily run on just about any old crap that'll make it through the filter.
Been running mine on bio since I got it, nearly 2 years, only around 16000 miles tho. modern high pressure pumps and common rail systems need it to be spot on, older systems less so.
most common issue is it attacks rubber, so I end up changing leak off pipes every 12 months so far, the rest of the fuel pipe seems to be nylon and so far unaffected.

shoulda said TD5 or newer, basically anything with a pressurised fuel rail

Tomryder said:

Just bought a bio fuel converter but have spoke to three garages that wouldn't recommend me using it as they say it can damage your engine long term,really gutted to be honest ,has anyone been making/using bio fuel from dirty used veg oil for a long time and has complete faith in it? distance/year info would be appreciated.Cheers guys,Tom

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What sort of engine?

96 300 tdi

Tomryder said:

96 300 tdi

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Probably less risky than later models. As Tim says tdi will run fine on veg, probably best mixed with diesel. Where there is less certainty is how good veg is for fuel injection pump life, it is certainly possible to get 500,000 miles out of a pump using dino, if you are careful with filters and water traps. I do not know if the pump will last that long using veg oil.
Personally I just use pump diesel. Unless you are covering huge mileages the savings are quite small, and as I am self employed fuel comes off my tax bill.
Some people do seem to get good results with bio. Probably worth taking the time and trouble to do it properly if you are going to use it, should minimise any risk to the fuel system.

timtheenchanteruk said:

depends on the engine, yes it can damage it if its not made properly, a TD5 needs it to be really made properly and pure to be ok, a tdi will happily run on just about any old crap that'll make it through the filter.
Been running mine on bio since I got it, nearly 2 years, only around 16000 miles tho. modern high pressure pumps and common rail systems need it to be spot on, older systems less so.
most common issue is it attacks rubber, so I end up changing leak off pipes every 12 months so far, the rest of the fuel pipe seems to be nylon and so far unaffected.

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Hey Tim, it's a 96 300tdi.Tried sending you a pm but not sure it sent. Ive arranged with a local restaurant owner to get 40ltrs of unfiltered veg oil a week for £12,does this sounds ok to you? where did you learn to process it properly? really don't want to bugger it up :/.Cheers mate!

Cheers turboman,bought the machine now so there's no turning back.lol

Tomryder said:

Cheers turboman,bought the machine now so there's no turning back.lol

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Read some of the freds on the forum about processing. Shifty and some others have posted a lot about how to make the stuff properly. Forum search box at top of page

Tomryder said:

Cheers turboman,bought the machine now so there's no turning back.lol

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Would it not have been a good idea to sort your supplier (Your other post )
also read up on the process of making it and what you can use it in before you bought the gear

good luck I hope it works out for you

300tdi love bio fuel and veg oil !! No downside other than smelling like a Chip shop!!
Regular filter changes, quality oils done properly !! No probs!!!

You dont say what sort of resturant. £12 for 40l seems steep. In my experience unless You are very lucky 30% will be unuseable as heavy fat. And the original type of oil makes quite a difference too as does how long and hot it is used.
I found most important to stand and only using the top 1/3~1/2 cold filter to make MWVO rather than full bio and even then in the end ICBA make it using the filtered WVO as a blend with fossil. Good luck. It can be fun.

you can buy unused veg for less than a quid a litre.. how much will you really save when you include your kit, time and all that if it's that expensive?

bedfontgn said:

You dont say what sort of resturant. £12 for 40l seems steep. In my experience unless You are very lucky 30% will be unuseable as heavy fat. And the original type of oil makes quite a difference too as does how long and hot it is used.
I found most important to stand and only using the top 1/3~1/2 cold filter to make MWVO rather than full bio and even then in the end ICBA make it using the filtered WVO as a blend with fossil. Good luck. It can be fun.

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What is MWVO :confused2:

Modified waste veg oil ; waste veg oil with additives rather than
Bio ; long chain molecules transesterfied to short chain molecules :. Less viscous

Heating to cooking levels increases long chains till it eventually polymerises (goes plastic)

This still happens to any veg oil that gets past piston rings and into the sump which is why you should change engine oil more frequently. I have seen 3 tdi wrecked by this with jelly in the sump.

Hth

trax said:

you can buy unused veg for less than a quid a litre.. How much will you really save when you include your kit, time and all that if it's that expensive?

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+1