Ford minivan alternative fuel?

Question

I know everyone is feeling the bite with gas prices getting so high and so am I!! I have a 2001 Ford Windstar minivan with a 21 gallon tank and it costs too much to fill up now. I know with diesel engines they can convert it to vegetable oil so is there anything we can do with our gasoline fueled minivan? Buying another vehicle is not a good answer if we had that luxury we could afford to buy gas for it in the first place!!Any help will be appreciated, and if you can find links to companies in the midwest who will convert GREAT!!

Answer 1

Look at the gas cap cover, I betcha it takes E-85 or is ready to use it.

Answer 2

I currently run Bio Fuel (straight vegetable) in a 1999 Dodge 3500 truck. But all Cummins engines were modified from the factory to run on BioD since around 1992 without any modification.

Biofuel is recognized by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy as an alternative fuel, and qualifies for mandated programs under the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Environmental Protection Act of 1992 (EPAct).

USDA Clears Air with Biofuel: Buses and other diesel-burning vehicles run cleaner if they mix biofuel with regular diesel fuel, said the US Department of Agriculture at a biofuel fuel seminar at a USDA research center.

Conversely most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

http://www.agua-luna.com/guides.html

• 1 liter of new vegetable oil, whatever the supermarket sells as cooking oil

• 200 ml of methanol, 99+% pure

• lye catalyst -- either potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

• blender or mini-processor

• scales accurate to 0.1 grams, preferably less -- 0.01 grams is best

• measuring beakers for methanol and oil

• half-liter translucent white HDPE (#2 plastic) container with bung and s***w-on cap

• 2 funnels to fit the HDPE container

• 2-litre PET bottle (water or soft-drinks bottle) for settling

• two 2-litre PET bottles for washing

• duct tape

• thermometer

Use the "Methoxide the easy way" method -- it's also the safe way. Here's how to do it.

Measure out 200 ml of methanol and pour it into the half-liter HDPE container via the funnel. Methanol also absorbs water from the atmosphere so do it quickly and replace the lid of the methanol container tightly. Don't be too frightened of methanol, if you're working at ordinary room temperature and you keep it at arm's length you won't be exposed to dangerous fumes.

Carefully add the lye to the HDPE container via the second funnel. Replace the bung and the s***w on the cap tightly.

Shake the container a few times -- swirl it round rather than shaking it up and down. The mixture gets hot from the reaction. If you swirl it thoroughly for a minute or so five or six times over a period of time the lye will completely dissolve in the methanol, forming sodium methoxide or potassium methoxide. As soon as the liquid is clear with no undissolved particles you can begin the process.

The more you swirl the container the faster the lye will dissolve. With NaOH it can take from overnight to a few hours to as little as half-an-hour with lots of swirling (but don't be impatient, wait for ALL the lye to dissolve). Mixing KOH is much faster, it dissolves in the methanol more easily than NaOH and can be ready for use in 10 minutes.

Using a blender. Use a spare blender you don't need or get a cheap secondhand one -- cheap because it might not last very long, but it will get you going until you build something better.

Check that the blender seals are in good order. Make sure all parts of the blender are clean and dry and that the blender components are tightly fitted.

Pre-heat the oil to 55 deg C (130 deg F) and pour it into the blender.

With the blender still switched off, carefully pour the prepared methoxide from the HDPE container into the oil.

Secure the blender lid tightly and switch on. Lower speeds should be enough. Blend for at least 20 minutes.

Using a mini-processor. Follow the instructions below and improvise where necessary -- there are many ways of building a processor like this.

Proceed with processing as above, maintain temperature at 55 deg C (130 deg F), process for one hour.

www AGUA-LUNA com

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

Stop Global Warming!!!

Answer 3

There's no way to convert a gas engine to run on veggie oil.

Anyway veggie oil is nearly the price of diesel anyway.

Answer 4

E-85 is a terrible option because it decreases your fuel efficiency (because ethanol has a lower energy density than gasoline) so it will end up costing you more.  Corn-based ethanol is also worse for the environment than gasoline.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23057867/

Basically your options are to sell the van and get a more fuel efficient car, or just use the van less.  You can try to get an inexpensive secondary vehicle, like a bicycle or moped for short trips.  But really there's not much you can do with a gas powered vehicle.  You might want to peruse this website to see if you can find something helpful:

http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/ca...

Answer 5

As another dude said I think your car may run on E-85 ethanol with no problem, just check it out first.  Another option would be to run it on natural gas or propane.  My buddy is a forklift mechanic and he converted his car to run on propane and I know that the gas company around here runs most of their fleet on natural gas.

I think you have to ask yourself things like how far you'll be driving and will there be fuel available if you run out.  You might consider a dual fuel option where you can choose between gasoline/ethanol and propane or natural gas.

I'm working with some guys who convert cars to 100% electric and that's an option if most of your driving is just around town.  Unfortunately you'd still need something that's gas powered for longer trips because of recharging times.