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New guy, learning about WMO

10K views 31 replies 3 participants last post by  spencerdiesel 
#1 ·
Hey everyone, glad to be a part of this forum! I've read alternative fuel threads on this site for around 2 years or so, and finally decided I'd like to join.

I've collected around 150 gallons of WMO, and 20ish of ATF. My biggest question is, will nominal bag filters be enough to protect my IP and injectors? From what I've read, it seems a lot of (most?) people here use spin on filters and string-wounds, while I haven't noticed many using bag filters. Is there a reason it seems a lot of people don't use bag filters?

I have bag filters from Duda diesel, ranging from 200 to ".5" micron. I actually have not run any waste oil yet, for fear of a nominal rating of the bag filters......Anyone know at what % efficiency most PTFE bag filters are rated? I do have nylon mesh bags that are 10 micron absolute, but I wan't to filter to at least 3 micron absolute.

Thanks everyone
 
#5 ·
I run 5mic water filters - current one has probably 3000L through it and running fine yet, most of my WMO has settled for at least 6 months, evertime I move oil from one tank to another I always have a filter attached to the pump on the suction side (if I am in a hurry then it is 30Mic, relaxed then 5mic.

Have to start burning more, running out of storage!
 
#8 ·
Current: Jeep Grand Wagonner (Cummins 4bt), Belarus Tractor, Case (perkins) Backhoe, Muirhill (ford straight 6)Tractor, AC HD6 dozer

Soon: 2006 Jeep liberty (waiting for school to finish as it is my wifes daily driver and she will not be happy with the inertial PITA - also my first Common Rail and am a tad nervous

Sooner: 6.354 Perkins Genset - straight WMO
 
#10 ·
I assume you're talking about onboard filters, on the vehicle..
There are some limitations and things to consider. Paper based filters are glued so certain solvents like alcohols can possibly degrade it. A typical filter element might be 10µ so if the processing line filters your fuel to 1µ then the element isn't doing any work to speak of. Filters will only flow so much per minute, so if your diesel was too heavy, the flow might be less than the minimum requirement. Remember though that in a vehicle that uses a return line back-to-tank, more diesel gets returned than the motor uses. For example, my 3 liter van needs half a liter of fuel flow through the filter per minute else it's starving.
I'd expect my vehicle filter to easily last 2 years without too much worry. I have a vacuum gauge on the filter to monitor how much element restriction there is. I use very nice waste oil, settle for 6 -8 weeks then filter to 1µ.
Hope this helps.
 
#11 ·
Waste oils aren't as "nasty" for lack of a better word. For instance, I use Whole House water filters to filter my waste oil PRIOR to mixing in RUG, after Mixing RUG can't use WHW filters as they will breakdown and melt. Also lines and such don't need to be fuel grade for waste oil. YMMV IMHO etc..
 
#13 ·
Mine is all mixed up as I get it from auto shops and tractor dealers so lots of heavy 80/90, plus hydraulic and of course the reg motor oil. I understand that if you can get a good atf supply that is the best but the other night i was ruminating over life at the burn barrel with a beverage and throwing oil on the flames, I noticed that some straight ATF didn't burn / flare up as good as some old black stuff - so I dunno....
 
#14 ·
Cool that's pretty interesting info. As I now have access to a cf, my plan of filtration includes blending 25% kerosene with 75% WMO and then centrifuging. The oil has settled for about a month. Are there any reccomendations for this plan? Any advice is appreciated
 
#15 · (Edited)
Give some thought to the weight of your 25/75 blend. My vehicle will coke injectors if it's too heavy. Also it's fairly hard on glow plugs too. In an extreme case, the filter might not pass enough to give full power. This is going to be more critical in colder weather as the fuel is thicker at those times.
You could try a homemade viscosity cup to compare your DIY fuel to that of bought diesel. Also measuring specific gravity can be another indicator.
Ideal would be to settle the fuel already blended as junk will fall easier in a thinner liquid. The trick to settling is to get the fuel out without disturbing the sediment. Fuel at the top of the settling tank is the cleanest.
The good thing about using kerosene is the cetane will be reasonably good. How are you able to find/buy kero at any good rate?
 
#16 ·
Sounds good to me, Like wise interested in the Kreo suppply.

I run pretty heavy mix - right now 20% diesel and it works fine, cokes injectors on my 4bt but that seems to be a 4bt problem at any mixture, runs well in everything else. I am in NOrthern ONtario, Canada. Starts/runs -40 with no preheated on the fuel.

Make sure you suck off the top - leave the bottom 25% in your settling tank always. I settle straight, blend, fine filter into my final tank and reg. drain some stuff off the bottom for barrel fires.

Better to settle after mixed for sure. Some "sludge" stuff is created when mixed.
 
#18 ·
Lots of info from you guys, wealth of knowledge. Kero here is about 60 cents more than diesel, but I've heard in most areas it can be more than a dollar difference....

Another reason I want to use kero is the volatility of gas thrown in with the fact of using a gear pump and high psi scares me.
 
#20 ·
Even if it does not a good enough reason to not use WMO, solutions abound.

I run 1/2 tank of D2 with ocean foam stuff when problems arise, cleans it right out. water/meth misting is also supposed to solve 99% of the probs - although I just spoke with another member who said it didn't work for him. Or you can be really anal and pull your head every couple of months :)
 
#23 ·
Cool so seafoam doesn't cause funky sludging when mixed with oil or anything? What additives are safe to mix without causing stuff to react weird? Was it the white bottle power service that people have had problems with?
 
#24 ·
I have a dual fuel filter head and filters I am going to run soon. Ive heard that the first few tanks of WMO tend to clear any/all junk in the tank out. The new filters are 13 and 10 micron (I wanted a bigger spread, but the thread size was the limiting factor), and my current filter is 25 micron. I'd rather clog my current filter with the tank-junk than my new/expensive filters. Only thing that bothers me is the 25 micron of this filter.......it will let A LOT of the junk through to the IP..........so should I wipe the tears and just clog a few expensive new filters?
 
#25 ·
25 micron seems coarse for an on board filter. I thought old school filters were in the 5 - 15 micron range.

Biodiesel will clean the vehicles' tank but I hadn't heard that about wmo doing it.. Much might depend on the wmo oil type and what thinner is used.

I'd be getting the fuel really, really well scrubbed before offering it anywhere near the vehicle tank. In my case I filter down to 1 micron and the van has a 10 micron filter. Therefore vans filter is not doing much, more of a safety thing.
 
#26 ·
I agree, 25 I think is insufficient (though that is at 99% efficiency). Are there contaminants that can be in WMO (or any dirty fuel) that the centrifuge won't pull out because of similar specific gravity/weight to WMO?

I guess what I'm asking is, could certain dust particles etc be light enough to not be pulled out by the centrifuge?
Thank you all for your patience and responses.
 
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