Found this for a great read on winterizing biodiesel with kerosene:

http://www.biodieseldiscussion.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21331&highlight=winterizing

Well, I've tried up to 30% kerosene with my biodiesel, and it's still gelling right around 32-33F.

I've just purchased some amsoil Cold Flow Improver, and added it at the 320:1 ratio (1 oz treats 2.5 gallons), and it's gelling up at 32-33F too.

Any other ideas?

Any other ideas?
Heated fuel tank?

Cost prohibitive.

A heated fuel tank has gotta be cheaper than buying additives.
Electric heating pad applied to the outside for cold starts? Use exhaust heat after that (but tank & exhaust not on same side)?
I guess you'd have to make it though. You can TIG weld, right?
But I guess you can't always plug in, huh?

BTW, do you happen to know what the oem fuel tanks are made of?
My van tank is not magnetic, seems way too hard to be plastic, and has a pinched seam as if welded from two halves.

If the additive works, it's worth it to not have to modify the truck. *IF* I can find an additive that works, it'll be insignificant per gallon of fuel. Per instructions, it'd add 0.225/gallon. So double is what, 0.45/gallon? The fuel only costs 1.10-1.60/gallon to make depending on the quality of the feed stock. Still under 2.00/gallon with additive.

I'm going to try and double the amsoil recommended dosage here when the fuel gets back to room temp.

And yes, I have access to a full machine shop, including TIG...and I can TIG.

The fuel tank is made from HDPE plastic in a blow mold.

If the additive works, it's worth it to not have to modify the truck. *IF* I can find an additive that works, it'll be insignificant per gallon of fuel. Per instructions, it'd add 0.225/gallon. So double is what, 0.45/gallon? The fuel only costs 1.10-1.60/gallon to make depending on the quality of the feed stock. Still under 2.00/gallon with additive.
So at $0.45/gal that would increase your fuel cost by 30% or more. I guess it depends on how much you have to drive in weather that's cold enough to gel the biodiesel, and how reluctant you are to modify the truck. Personally I'd rather heat the fuel than add an additive, because the additive may have unforeseen side effects.

The fuel tank is made from HDPE plastic in a blow mold.
I would assume the van tanks are the same, but it sure feels too hard to be HDPE.

So at $0.45/gal that would increase your fuel cost by 30% or more. I guess it depends on how much you have to drive in weather that's cold enough to gel the biodiesel, and how reluctant you are to modify the truck. Personally I'd rather heat the fuel than add an additive, because the additive may have unforeseen side effects.


I would assume the van tanks are the same, but it sure feels too hard to be HDPE.

Even 30% more, it's still 50% less than #2 diesel around here.

The cheapest heated filter head I can find is about $200.00 and I'd need 2. Then, the cheapest in tank heater I've seen is about 400. Then I'd need either heat tape or insulation for the fuel lines.

I'm not spending 800-1000.00 to heat the fuel and run heaters, which may require a second alternator, which is more cost.

Well, with those costs, I guess additives make sense, at least in St. Louis area.

What I was thinking of was more like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170558624455
But you'd have to plug it in to 120VAC.

Just a thought to try and help out.

Try this place for heaters

http://www.padheaters.com/fh50.html

You can get a 12v that raps around the fuel filter with velcro and wire it in on a toggle switch. Also get one to glue to the bottom of your fuel tank.

Just a thought to try and help out.

Try this place for heaters

http://www.padheaters.com/fh50.html

You can get a 12v that raps around the fuel filter with velcro and wire it in on a toggle switch. Also get one to glue to the bottom of your fuel tank.
Looks like they're small enough that there could be both a 120vac pad for to plug in while parked overnight, and a 12vdc pad for driving.

Well, with those costs, I guess additives make sense, at least in St. Louis area.

What I was thinking of was more like this: http://rover.ebay.com/ar/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpt=1601454912&adtype=1&size=1x1&type=3&campid=5336116667&toolid=10001 http://www.ebay.com/itm/170558624455 (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campid=5336116667&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F17055862445 5)
But you'd have to plug it in to 120VAC.

Yeah, but if I were to convert it to 12V to run with the truck, which would be a requirement, it'd pull about 41 amps.

Just a thought to try and help out.

Try this place for heaters

http://www.padheaters.com/fh50.html

You can get a 12v that raps around the fuel filter with velcro and wire it in on a toggle switch. Also get one to glue to the bottom of your fuel tank.

The filter heaters would work, but if you look, the oil pan heaters than are 12V are only about 100-250 watts. I don't know that you could heat 15-20 gals of fuel with that little heat. Their 500-1000W heaters are all 120V.

Just a thought to try and help out.

Try this place for heaters

http://www.padheaters.com/fh50.html

You can get a 12v that raps around the fuel filter with velcro and wire it in on a toggle switch. Also get one to glue to the bottom of your fuel tank.

btw, I'm still going to order some Technol, although I have doubts that it's going to work after correspondence with them. They said straight away that there is no anti-gelling chemical treatment for B100 yet.

The reason I'm so keen on making this work is that I'm servicing 2 restaurants now that are netting me about 15 gallons of WVO a week.

If I have to give them up due to lack of storage of the WVO over winter, I don't know that I can get them back next spring. So I need to keep producing the biodiesel....

Yeah, but if I were to convert it to 12V to run with the truck, which would be a requirement, it'd pull about 41 amps.I meant you could use the 120vac heater plugged into a cord overnight. It will take quite a while to cool off after being unplugged. Of course if you have to park it all day where you can't plug in, that could be a problem too. Can't run much off of batteries for long with the engine off.

The reason I'm so keen on making this work is that I'm servicing 2 restaurants now that are netting me about 15 gallons of WVO a week.
If I have to give them up due to lack of storage of the WVO over winter, I don't know that I can get them back next spring. So I need to keep producing the biodiesel....
If you get down to that point, please let me know. I know I sure wouldn't want to give up a WVO source. I'm also in the St. Louis area (for now, will be in Oregon next year, so I'm not gonna steal your source), maybe we can work something out.

Rockin C Racing had a post a while back where he was using Technol in his Bio and having success. That's next on my list to try.

Although, I may just add 10% then 20% of #2 diesel to my current test of the amsoil and see what the results are. The freezer is calibrated to 9F right now. If I can find something that will stay liquid at that temp, I should be set for all but the coldest of winters here in STL.

Yeah, I really hate to give up 30 gallons of WVO a week, at a cost of $6.00 + the fuel to go get it.

Do you have storage space? I can get 55 gallon drums cheap.

Rockin C Racing had a post a while back where he was using Technol in his Bio and having success. That's next on my list to try.

Although, I may just add 10% then 20% of #2 diesel to my current test of the amsoil and see what the results are. The freezer is calibrated to 9F right now. If I can find something that will stay liquid at that temp, I should be set for all but the coldest of winters here in STL.

Yeah, I really hate to give up 30 gallons of WVO a week, at a cost of $6.00 + the fuel to go get it.

Do you have storage space? I can get 55 gallon drums cheap.
Until I sell my house in Imperial, which probably won't happen until Spring, I have at least 200sqft of space in my garage.
Also have some space in South County, too, as long as there's no smell obvious to female nose ;)
You also could probably find a storage unit much closer, but I don't know how much that would cost, depending on your exact location.
Do you have a way of lifting those 55 gal. drums when full?

Until I sell my house in Imperial, which probably won't happen until Spring, I have at least 200sqft of space in my garage.
Also have some space in South County, too, as long as there's no smell obvious to female nose ;)
You also could probably find a storage unit much closer, but I don't know how much that would cost, depending on your exact location.
Do you have a way of lifting those 55 gal. drums when full?

Sure, I can pick them up and toss em over my shoulder! ;)

I did the double dose of the amsoil last night before I went to bed. Woke up to it being frozen solid in the freezer.

Contacted this company based on their web page: http://www.azurebiodiesel.com/FAQs.shtml

Pure biodiesel (B100) will gel in cold weather. When the temperature is above freezing, 32 F, you can generally run B100. When the temperature drops below freezing, you should do one or more of the following: use Technol biodiesel flow improver; physically warm the fuel using tank, fuel line and/or filter heaters, or park your vehicle in a warm place at night; blend with # 1 and/or #2 petro-diesel. Generally, a blend of 50/50 biodiesel and # 1 petro-diesel will flow down to 0 F. A blend of 50/50 biodiesel and # 2 petro-diesel with the correct anti-gel will also flow down to 0 F.

They replied back that with 7+ years of biodiesel experience, there's nothing out yet that will lower the CFPP of B100.

So now it's time to do testing on 50/50 mix with either Kerosene or #2 and see which works better. If I can run at least B50, I'll let that darn truck idle 24/7 if I have to in order to burn off the extra fuel! lol

If I can run at least B50, I'll let that darn truck idle 24/7 if I have to in order to burn off the extra fuel! lol
I think a 120vac pad heater on the tank and a much smaller 12vdc pad heater on the filter would solve most of your problem.

The pad heaters designed for oil pans are less than $100, but you don't need a high-temp pad for the fuel tank. You could use a heating pad designed for a doghouse or foot warmer, so it could be a LOT cheaper.

If you can find a way to plug in at work, you'd only need the pad heater on the tank, especially if you keep the tank as full as possible. There's a lot of thermal mass in 30+ gallons of fuel oil.

Wanna Be - Please keep us posted on all your tests and results. I think this is very good information. I hope all works for you in the end. You definately don't want to give up WVO sources if at all possible.

I think a 120vac pad heater on the tank and a much smaller 12vdc pad heater on the filter would solve most of your problem.

The pad heaters designed for oil pans are less than $100, but you don't need a high-temp pad for the fuel tank. You could use a heating pad designed for a doghouse or foot warmer, so it could be a LOT cheaper.

If you can find a way to plug in at work, you'd only need the pad heater on the tank, especially if you keep the tank as full as possible. There's a lot of thermal mass in 30+ gallons of fuel oil.

Concrete parking garages in downtown St. Louis don't typically have AC current available, lol.

Concrete parking garages in downtown St. Louis don't typically have AC current available, lol.
If I was in your situation, I'd get the largest practical 120vac pad heater for the fuel tank, and also insulate the fuel tank with TUFF-R PolyIso foam (Home Depot: $22 for a 1" thick 4x8 sheet) and make sure the fuel tank is full in the evening before the coldest nights. That would buy you a lot of headroom, so that if you do have to use additives and/or kerosene mix, at least you won't have to use nearly as much.

I guess you'll need to find a way heat the fuel line too...

It's ashame you don't heat your home with fuel oil or know of someone who does. The tanks need to be indoors.

Hey, theres a solution, removable fuel tanks that you could store in the house overnight. Take out the backseat of the truck and have a mounting platform in the heated cab! lol

on my conversion I plan to use a separate tank for bio/veg and heat it with a heater core from my write off truck. A fellow up the road from me uses a car heater core and runs a line from his own heateer core in cab on exit side runs it to heater core in tank then back to rad. chance for a leak in tank of antifreeze but how often does it leak in your cab so I figure with good core and good lines and connections a yearly maint on it should reduce leak issue worry. Just my approach not fully done yet but ready to install in next few weeks.

How bout that Antifreeze that says it will mix with "anything" lolol jk.

on my conversion I plan to use a separate tank for bio/veg and heat it with a heater core from my write off truck. A fellow up the road from me uses a car heater core and runs a line from his own heateer core in cab on exit side runs it to heater core in tank then back to rad. chance for a leak in tank of antifreeze but how often does it leak in your cab so I figure with good core and good lines and connections a yearly maint on it should reduce leak issue worry. Just my approach not fully done yet but ready to install in next few weeks.

I like this guys idea... except how about have a seperate say 5 gallon tank of #2 diesel to start and warm the truck up, then either use the exhaust or 12v electric heat element to warm the bio up for a few miles before switching tanks?
I dont know if coolant heat would be time effective for anyone driving less than 50 miles... seems like it would take that long for 180 degree coolant heat to warm up a 40 gallon tank of bio..

In England, where making biodiesel is commonly practice, it is also common to add gasoline to the fuel tank at about 5% to keep the biodiesel from gelling in the winter.