Alternative fuels

[Portland Suburban]

Now, I bought my suburban so this if all hell were to break loose and we were to lose civility/law and order, I would be better off since I could burn a variety of fuels. Here are the fuels so far I could run-most dlluted of course.

1)Diesel #1, #2
2)Jet Fuel
3)Keresone
4)B05, B20, B100 (be prepared with many fuel filters as this will clean it out faster than a deisel enema.
5)Grease (with modifications)
6)Corn Oil
7)Peanut Oil
8)Propane
9)Compressed Natural Gas

Now Dilluted
1)Hydraulic Fluid
2)Motor Oil
3)Filtered Motor Oil
4)Power Steering Fluid
5)Axle/T-case oil (way filtered)
6)Flour (heard this, don't know how it would work)

Any others? Am I crazy? Wait, I know I am. However, feel free to point out if I am wrong-or right., smile.gif

[Portland Suburban]

Hmmmm, no answers and I paid 20 bones to be here? bummer...

[john8662]

Sorry for the delay!

With the server crash earlier this week, things have been a little sparse, mainly because if the weeks of data is recovered that there is a possibility that this very updated post/thread could be overwritten.

Second, Santa is on the way, and many are out helping him find gifts, including myself.

Here are my opinions:

1)Diesel #1, #2 (you bet!)

2)Jet Fuel (with the milspec injection pump)

3)Keresone (again milspec pump, but would work with a conditioner)

4)B05, B20, B100 (be prepared with many fuel filters as this will clean it out faster than a deisel enema. (no joke on cleaning out the system, need synthetic hoses to boot!)

5)Grease (with modifications) (would love to use this method)

6)Corn Oil (not sure here, but it's a possibility)

7)Peanut Oil (what the Diesel was designed to run on originally)

8)Propane (ditch the injection system, and treat it as a gasser)

9)Compressed Natural Gas (same)

Now Dilluted


1)Hydraulic Fluid (if the temperature is high enough, same as trans fluid)

2)Motor Oil (way too thick in most cases, can and will cause the injection pump head to seize, as there isn't enough clearance)

3)Filtered Motor Oil (again might work, if diluted with a solvent, but too thick as is).

4)Power Steering Fluid (about like trans fluid again, it's used in a hydralic system)

5)Axle/T-case oil (way filtered) (way thick! usually it's a 75w+ oil, but if mixed or "dilluted" you have a chance)

6)Flour (heard this, don't know how it would work) (got some more info on this one?)

conclusion

The Diesel engine is a very adaptable engine, because afterall Petrol Diesel fuel is a light "oil" and Diesel engines are also referred to as "oil burners" which makes sense.

I think the 6.2 being a completly mechanical engine (well more so than others now days) makes it adaptable to different fuels, as well as being easier to work on and with.

hopefully others will chime in! I'm using #2 only, but would like to do a greasel conversion in the near future.

[CleviteKid]

In your first group, I would forget about grease. The high metallic soap content with screw up your injectors and valves and piston rings pretty quick, if you can even get it through the system and into the combustion chambers.

You might be able to run substantial propane or CNG using a light spray of diesel as pilot injection. Large commercial diesels do this if they have a good supply of cheap gas. Many sewage treatment plants run big engines with the methane coming off of the decomposing waste matter, again using diesel as pilot injection for ignition. But for the gases, you will need a gas carburetor to create the correct air-fuel ratio, and a throttle valve to control the load. Essentially you will have a spark-ignition type engine, but with a little squirt of diesel instead of a spark plug to get the gas burning. But in the big diesel world these engines run between 11:1 and 14:1 compression ratio, so you just might blow the cylinder heads through the hood due to detonation if you really tried this.

From your second group, I think you could run items #1 through #4 at up to 20% in No. 2 (or even better, No. 1) diesel to stretch your fuel supply. You can also add automatic transmission fluid to this list.

I hope this topic stays theoretical. We will all have much larger problems if society collapses to the point you are anticipating, but "Be Prepared" is not a bad motto.

Dr. Lee :cool:

[Low_Bridge]

Welcome Portland Suburban!

Your investment will come back to you many times fold-

They've put up with me for 3 or 4 years now and have saved me big time!!

[moody]

If you want to be able to run on alternate fuels after the crash the time to start setting up would be now. If fuel is hard to get think how hard it would be to find the fitting to make it run propane. Why not try setting up to run and make biodiesel now. Waste fat is not going to be used up after the crash as fast as propane, soy and peanut oil will be. I would be somewhat reluctant to start poring some of the other fuels into my tank if the local parts store cannot get its deliveries.

[Portland Suburban]

Well, I don't know if I agree on the grease as many are running it with few problems. However, the biodiesel would really clean things out a bit I am sure.

[DmaxMaverick]

Originally posted by Portland Suburban:
Well, I don't know if I agree on the grease as many are running it with few problems. However, the biodiesel would really clean things out a bit I am sure. I think the Dr. meant gear lube, or axle grease (not cooking "grease"). I agree with him, too many additives and metalic contaminants.