In a world where most guys are now using centrifuging, I figured I'd post my setup here, as a less expensive alternative. Many people have used this setup in the past, and though I would still rule a centrifuge setup better for overall oil quality, this system works great as it is. This is a Frybrid "still" as it's referred to.

I constructed it myself. I have ~$100 into the whole setup. I've had a lot of help from friends here. The HWH was a freebie, but I added a new Stainless Steel heating element from Lowes for about $20. The only other thing I purchased was the 1" clear water pump from Northern Tool, which ran about $50 or so. The only other things I paid for were the lumber. The SS tubing and the Swagelock fittings came from a buddy. Same guy also designed and built the filter housing for me as well. I owe him lots of beers. Anyways, here's the setup. It uses a 200 micron pre filter barrel filter, and a 5 micron to 1 micron, trade 4 size bag filter in the housing. Enjoy...





Here's some specific shots of the filter housing... it is ALL stainless. It's 6" OD, top and bottom sections are round stock machined to fit. Notice the lid has a machined "lip" at the bottom, to lock the metal ring of the bag filter in place. The last housing actually blew a couple filters down in, this one will NOT. Swagelock fittings on bottom and top for IN/OUT feeds, locating pin in lid so it physically can not be put on wrong, cage built inside to support bag filter made from SS weld rod. (I've had this pump blow holes in these filters more than once). Also got the fancy SS "hook" to pull the bag filters out of the housing without getting my hands all greasy! Nice little addition there... Housing weighs in at 38lbs empty.








Oil gets dumped into the white 55 gal plastic drum through a 200 micron barrel strainer (basically to keep large chunks from hitting my pump). It sits there until I'm ready to filter (it actually settles a little in there, notice the line is about 5" up from the bottom to avoid sucking junk). When I'm ready, I turn pump on and pump the oil into the HWH. I turn the HWH on (it's only got one heater element on the bottom, so it's 120V) and let it warm up for a few hours. Once warm, I simply unplug the HWH and let it sit for 24-48 hours. After that I drain off the bottom gallon or so from the HWH as the junk and water has settled down there. After that, I turn the HWH on again for a little bit (maybe 30 min) to thin the oil out a little, then turn the pump on, and switch some valves around and cycle the oil through that filter housing and back into the HWH. I just let it run by itself for a few hours, so the oil makes quite a few passes through the filter. It's filtered down to 1 micron absolute (uses a 2 stage trade 4 bag filter, 5 micron, then 1 micron) and the multiple passes will polish the oil. Then I can drain it off the bottom of the filter housing with the pump running, so I can fill a cubie up with clean oil, then go dump into the truck.
Any questions just ask! I'm filtering down to 1 micron right now with this... I'll keep you updated and let you know how long the filters on the vegistroke last. I would like to update to a CF setup, but for now this works and it was minimal investment on my part.

 

That is pretty sweet. I am sure that setup will be perfectly suitable for your needs.

However, if you really want to go to a CF, there is a bio/veg oil supplier on the east coast selling DC clones online for about $120, you could even use your NT pump to run it, albeit at a lower psi/ flow rate.

My dieselcraft was $270 years ago, it has paid for itself over and again just in filters that I did not buy.

 

If I go centrifuge, I'm going with a Raw power or something along those lines. Don't want to buy it 2x. This works good right now. Especially since I can just do 1 batch a week. When the gf gets her excursion and we convert a second truck, I will probably bite the bullet and go with a CF.

Thanks for the ideas though, I'm going to look into them regardless.

 

cool set up, why is the filter housing so massive? looks like a trophy, beautifully done. why SS, would copper work as well?

what is de advantage of the centrifuge versus your set up?

thanks,
Gonzi

 

Welcome to the site!

Why is it so massive? Why not? haha. It basically was designed around a trade 4 size bag filter. The housing needs to be larger than the OD of the bag, so the bag doesn't just sit against the walls, because oil would not filter through this way. I know this, because the first housing was 4" in ID, it didn't work well. The housing needs to be either aluminum or SS, and SS is just sexy. Copper would not work well at all, copper and WVO will react with each other and cause polymerization to set in at a greatly accelerated rate. This housing is just "over the top" to put it gently, it's just one giant chunk of eye candy, it does not NEED to be this big/heavy/beautiful, but it's just nice to look at isn't it! Plus it didn't cost me a dime.

The advantage of my setup is it was cheap for me to put it together. That was all I was concerned with when I dove in originally. I wanted to filter oil and see all the ins and outs of filtering, BEFORE investing a huge amount of cash on a system for the truck to burn it. I also didn't want to spend a lot on the system, just in case I didn't like it. I think I accomplished both of those things very well. The downside to my system now is it takes 2 or 3 days to filter a batch (most of that time is the oil just settling through heat/gravity) and I of course have to keep replacing bag filters as they get dirty at about $8 a filter or so.

A centrifuge will filter "better" and be quicker as well, and you will not have to keep replacing bag filters, unless you're using them as a final filter of some sort, but even then if the oil has already passed through the CF, you will rarely have to replace the filter.

I am going to look into CF's a little more and will probalby bite the bullet at some point on it.

 

So, I'm guessing you have some sort system in your truck to heat the oil?
If you do what is it?

Is the centrifuge system better than building a processor and making bio-diesel?
Everyone has an opinion, curious what you think.

I've done numerous things with VO as fuel and am always looking for ideas and information.

 

As for whether or not bio or a heated two tank WVO burning system is better than the other, only you can answer that. The truth is, use whatever saves you the most and/or benefits you the most. It's as simple as that, otherwise why are we doing this?

I use a V3 Vegistroke, specifically designed for 7.3 and 6.0 powerstrokes, they also offered a vegi-ram at one point, and it should be re-released very soon, and then the 6.4 powerstroke to follow after that. What truck do you have? You can read about those systems at WVO Diesel Conversion | SVO Grease Conversion | Ford Vegistroke Powerstroke | Biodiesel Conversion or just ask me, I'm very familiar with both systems.

I like burning WVO and not making bio because I rent and having caustic chemicals at the house to make bio doesn't seem ideal. It also seemed more expensive to build a bio processor over my filtration system as well. Bio also seems more suited for more than one vehicle, I only have one diesel, so the WVO setup seemed better. I have no complaints and I know these systems rock. There are a few members with over 100k miles burning grease on these systems.

 

Is the 7.3 IDI suitable for running Veggie oil ? My Injector pump that I just got rebuilt 3 months ago just quit performing, the truck starts and runs but had nooo power. I think the 30 micron filter that was installed with the so called kit I bought from VEG Powered Systems let too much large PM ( Particulate Matter ) pass through the fuel system and plugged up the pump because the fuel pressure and Injectors are fine.

 

I know a guy in Arizona who converts these trucks all the time, would you like me to send you his contact info? I feel like I may have actually already sent you it at one time though. You can get his info from www.veggiegarage.com Dave is his name and he's one of the most knowledgeable guys I've talked to when it comes to converting a diesel.

 

Yes , remember now , I was just on Daves web site....[I] think I really need to go see him if I wanmt to continue this veggie fuel venture. Thanks again.