How to Convert Used Oil to Diesel Car Fuel

With the threat of uncontrolled global warming looming over us and the prospect of a very different future for our children, it's only natural that we start looking for alternatives to the polluting fossil fuels we've come to rely on as a species. Diesel fuel offers a ray of hope for lasting change in this area. Diesel is far cleaner than traditional fuels, and it's readily available. In fact, you can convert used oil to diesel car fuel yourself, with a little instruction.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wide, deep vat
• Filter
• Methanol
• Lye

1. Find a steady, reliable source of used oil. Many restaurants will willingly give you their used oil for free if you ask. This oil is typically available in large quantities, making collection necessary only one to two times a week.

2. Heat your used oil in a wide, deep vat. The oil should be heated to just below the smoking point, and should never be brought to a boil.

3. Strain the heated oil through a filter and into a new, clean vat. Make sure any small particles are removed from the oil during the straining process.

4. Test the pH level of the oil to make sure it's more alkaline than acidic.

5. Add methanol and lye to the oil. The addition of these substances will cause any glycerin in the oil to drop to the bottom of the vat. If the vat is clear, you can watch while this is happening.

6. Skim the glycerin off of the oil.

7. Use the converted oil as diesel car fuel in any engine that's built to take diesel.

Tips & Warnings

• It takes about 30 minutes to convert 40 gallons of used oil into diesel car fuel. When you take the cost of methanol and lye into consideration, the conversion process costs about 50 cents a gallon. This is far cheaper than the cheapest gasoline prices out there today.
• You don't need much methanol or lye to cause the glycerin to separate from the oil. Typically, 1 qt. of each per 40 gallons of oil is adequate.
• If you convert used oil into diesel, don't put it into a non-diesel engine. The engine won't run, and you may even damage it beyond repair. At the very least, the engine will produce a lot of black, foul-smelling smoke, and you'll have wasted an entire batch of good converted diesel fuel.