Frank, Thanks for your questions! I'll reply to the HT list, as well, in case others may have the same questions. 1 - Biodiesel is vegetable oil which has been chemically reacted with methanol and lye (potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide)to replace glycol chains with ester chains. Chemically, biodiesel is the same as diesel, with much lower carbon and ZERO sulfur emissions. "Grease cars" run on waste vegetable oil (WVO), which contain glycol chains PLUS fatty free acids created by the heating of the oil. WVO also has a much higher gel point and viscosity, which requires a more extensive pre-heating/circulation system - hence the "grease car kit". The soy-based Yellow brand biodiesel I use is fully washed, as well, which removes excess lye, methanol and chemical soaps leftover from the reaction. Many biodiesel manufacturers won't perform this step because it adds manufacturing costs, and most consumers won't ask about it - but it can make a significant difference in engine/fuel system wear. 2 - Biodiesel has a higher gel point (35-40F) than regular diesel (10-15F). In the winter, you can blend B100 (100% biodiesel) with dino-diesel to lower the gel point. 3 - I appear to be getting roughly the same mileage with the same acceleration/performance. My engine has almost 250,000 miles on it, however, so a little computer tweaking of my engine probably wouldn't hurt at this point. :) If you're looking to pick up a used diesel vehicle, you'll probably want to find one manufactured after 1995 - biodiesel is quite a solvent and will literally EAT rubber hoses/seals/gaskets in the fuel system. The vast majority of diesel vehicles manufactured after 1995 have synthetic rubber in their fuel systems, so it won't be a problem. Best, Cody _____ From: Frank S. Aronson [mailto:fsaronson at comcast.net] Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:58 AM To: W. Cody Anderson Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Biodiesel Cody - Thanks for the info. I do have some questions for you. 1. The video says you made no modifications to your engine. There is a local company here in Western Massachusetts that sells a modification for biodiesel (Greasecar <http://www.greasecar.com/> ). The question is why does your car run without modification? Is that not a necessary component or are there different kinds of biodiesel? 2. How does it run in the winter? Diesel is notorious for not starting up in the cold. As you're a Northeasterner, you would know! Have you experienced any other performance issues? 3. Do you get the same mileage (in your case 45 mpg) with biodiesel, or is the mileage actually enhanced or decreased using biodiesel? I'm in the market for a new (used, actually) car and I would consider a biodiesel if I could be assured that I could get the fuel relatively easily and that I wouldn't experience any performance issues (start-up, stalling, etc.). Thanks for the information! Frank Aronson W. Cody Anderson wrote: ** Be a Good Dobee and help the group, you must be counted to post . ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area. _____ Hey everybody- For those of you who aren't aware, I've been running my 1999 VW Beetle on Yellow brand biodiesel (made in Williamsburg, MA) for some time now. Albany's WNYT just featured Stockbridge Gas (where I buy it), Yellow, my car and me in a piece that aired Tuesday night. They also did a follow-up piece this evening about the Hudson Valley Biodiesel Co-Op, of which I am a member. You can see both videos at www.wnyt.com. If anyone has any questions about biodiesel, I'd be happy to answer them. Best, Cody --------------------------------------- W. Cody Anderson Evenerable Group, Ltd. cody.anderson at evenerable.com 236 Bashford Road Chatham Center, NY 12184 518.766.0450 Phone 518.751.1627 Fax 518.755.5797 Cell <http://www.evenerable.com/> http://www.evenerable.com _____ _______________________________________________ Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list. If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members page on the Hidden Tech Web site. http://www.hidden-tech.net/members -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.hidden-tech.net/pipermail/hidden-discuss/attachments/20060511/859f860c/attachment-0003.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 1975 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.hidden-tech.net/pipermail/hidden-discuss/attachments/20060511/859f860c/attachment-0008.gif