Dead Ford Ranger

[SilverFox]

Hey Barry: 15.5 hows that, I run K&N air filter and oil filter. Drops to 10.5 pulling our fifth wheel.
K&N are spendy, but the end results pay for them, as soon as I put it in I noticed a increase in power and mpg. 2001 F-250.

[chemistbert]

I know it is transesterification but do you treat with acid then the base or just with the base?

[Sundance]

Not much of a chemist my friend but here is the simple method.

First stage

1. Measure your WVO and pour it into your reaction vessel

2. Prepare your methoxide this way: mix 25% (by volume of WVO) of pure methanol and (6.25g/liter of WVO) of sodium lye (NaOH)

3. Heat the WVO to 48-52 deg C (118-126 deg F)

4. Add 3/4 of the prepared methoxide (save the rest in a sealed container out of reach of children and flames, sparks... or prepare a fresh batch for the next stage -- do two calculations: first determine the amount of needed chemicals, then split it in 3/4 and 1/4).

5. Mix for 50-60 minutes holding the initial temperature.

6. Let the mixture rest for 12 hours.

7. Separate the glycerine from the FAME -- you'll notice that at this point the glycerine is unusually thin.
Second stage

8. Refill your reaction vessel with the first-stage FAME.

9. Heat the FAME to 48-52 deg C (118-126 deg F).

10. Add the remaining 1/4 methoxide.

11. Mix for 50-60 minutes holding the initial temperature.

12. Let the mixture rest for 12 hours.

13. Separate the glycerine from the FAME -- now the glycerine is a gelatinous mass. On top of the glycerine layer you'll find a thick layer of settled waxes (cream colored), which you shouldn't process further. Remember, this is one of the things that might clog your fuel injectors.

14. Wash and dry with your favorite method. I use the Idaho bubble wash method.
The University of Idaho's Bubble wash method

I would like to explain this method in this article, because it is crucial that your product is washed. Please, do not attempt to drive your vehicle with fuel made on this article's instructions before it's properly washed (the fuel, not the car). This fuel is highly caustic at the end of the second stage and it could damage the high-pressure fuel pump.

Here is what you'll need: a large plastic vessel (twice the volume of your reaction vessel), a cheap aquarium air pump (with enough air flow), a large aquarium air stone and some rubber hose to connect the pump with the stone. I use a pH meter for my measurements, but you can use pH paper (scaled 1/2 pH unit) or a digital pH indicator (around US$15). The pH indicator is the cheapest instrument if you plan to make more than 20 batches.
pH explained

pH has no real unit, as it's formula is "pH= –log (conc. (H+)ions)". So this is a number that is not affected by volume, as chemists needed a way of telling how much H- or H+ ions there are in an unknown volume of a liquid.

The pH of your second-stage FAME will be well over 7 (surplus lye), which is a sort of zero on the pH scale. The scale ranges from 0 to 14, acidic is 0 through 7, from 7 up it shows alkalinity, 7 itself is neutral.

So, if you have, say, 10 litres of a liquid with a pH value of 9 (2 units above 7) and mix it with 10 litres of a liquid with a pH value of 5 (2 units under 7), the result will be a liquid with a pH value of more or less 7, meaning neutral. This trick we'll use to wash our FAME.
The Wash

First measure the pH of your FAME. Be patient, as it takes a little longer than with water mixtures. Write the value down. Prepare your washing vessel; fill it 1/2 with water (or with the same volume as the FAME you want to wash). Make sure that both the water and FAME have roughly the same (room) temperature. Now wash and dry the electrode of your indicator, dip it in the water and add strong vinegar till it reaches as many units under 7 as the FAMEÂ’s pH is above 7. Mix with a wooden spoon while adding minute amounts of vinegar.

So, if your FAMEÂ’s pH is 8.7, the water should have a pH of 5.3. All well so far? Now pour your second-stage FAME into the vessel, throw in the aquarium stone and fire up the air pump. Soon youÂ’ll notice a string of bubbles rising up through the FAME carrying minute amounts of water right to the surface. When this water falls down again, it washes the soaps and surplus methanol out of the FAME and the vinegar neutralizes the remaining lye.

Let it bubble for 6 hours minimum. Turn the pump off and let the mixture sit for 12 hours. The water will fall to the bottom, turning completely white and the fuel you made will look much lighter in color now. Take the FAME out of the vessel, taking care not to get any water with it. You can achieve that either with a translucent hose, or you can epoxy a valve to your vesselÂ’s wall near the bottom. Now slowly heat the washed FAME to 100 deg C (212 deg F) and hold the temperature until you see no more steam bubbles rising. The pH of your homemade fuel will be 7 +/- 0.25, which is good enough. Cool it down, filter the fuel, pour it in your carÂ’s tank and drive away.

[Barry]

SilverFox -

I get about 9 mpg with my 350 SD. I carry quite a bit of weight in tools all the time and those are city miles. I don't know what the Chevy or Dodge equivalent get in mileage, but I'll guess not much different.

- Barry

[chemistbert]

OK back to the Ranger issue. I went out to have a go at it again. I changed the cap and rotor button. I tried to start it and it would not run so I started poking about. I founf that on the vacuum side of the fule pressure regulator there was fuel. I don't think that is supposed to be there. Any thoughts?

[Rooster4473]

Barry, Im not sure how equal they are but I get about 15 mpg with my 318, its an all wheel drive, and thats mostly city.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

Ditto here, mine is a Durango with low speed gearing in the old 318 magnum, but they call it a 5.9, that must be a large cell-inder

[chemistbert]

OK, so I swapped in a known good fuel pressure regulator and I got it to run but it runs like crap again. It's not just one cylinder now. I think that all of them are firing but it won't take any throttle and it refuses to idle. I have to keep the pedal about half way down on order to keep it running but it runs VERY rough. I am now officially stumped. I guess I'll run compression checks on all the cylinders. Any other thoughts folks?