Canola Oil Home Brew Motor Oil

[landtoy80]

As G-Oil is no longer available locally and the locally available biodegradable oil are very pricey, I decided to mix up my own veggie oil brew. Its mostly refined canola oil from grocery store with some sunflower,soybean and castor oil added in smaller amounts.

Did the test to see if my emissions were reduced. I also did a cat acid cleaning.

With Delo 400 syn 5w40 with 1700 mi on oil.
HC 0.9345 pass
CO 12.9422 pass
CO2 670.3496 no limit
NOx 5.5301 FAIL

After cleaning cats and O2's with oxalic and citric acid
HC 0.8458 max 2
CO 21.5061 max 20
CO2 774.7346
NOx 4.5651 max 4

With canola oil
HC 0.8449 pass
CO 13.6570 pass
CO2 691.0228
NOx 4.2559 FAIL 4.0 max

Two years ago I passed after cleaning cats and O2's with the acid wash and using G-Oil 4 cycle small engine oil.
HC 0.5986 pass
CO 9.9442 pass
CO2 555.035
Nox 2.8966 pass


I ended the test when I got notice that I will be going to AK and registering it up there and no longer need to pass CO strict emission test.
I would of kept doing the test but veggie oils get solid when put in deep freezer. I didn't want my oil to get solid as there is a cold front coming thought.

I put 400 miles on oil.
My start up smoke was reduced from when I started the test and the start up smoke was same as with other oils at start of test. The oil came out with a reddish tint to it and was dark. The motor has a reddish varnish all over the head under the valve cover. I can only assume that the veggie oil was cleaning the motor.

Per the guy that came up with the canola oil mixture, 12 hours was the max amount of hours the refined oil would last before it got clumpy. He said that unrefined oil lasted longer.

If I had a source of unrefined veggie oils, I would do more testing but I am sure I wont find unrefined veggie oil in AK at a resizable price if it were even available. If I were not going to AK I would of tried to find a source of unrefined veggie oils and tested all summer till the motor died or it got cold again. I really want to know if the oil removed all the varnish, reduced the start up smoke even more and if it caused engine failure.

The test vehicle is a 94 Land Cruiser with 458,000 mi on it.

 

[GRWOil]

This is going to be good.

 

[landtoy80]

Originally Posted By: GRWOil

This is going to be good.


If figured it would be, thus why I posted it here to see how [censored] I get.

There were other posts about how veggie oils will blow up your motor so I had to try it and see what happens.

 

[901Memphis]

Replace the cat if you want lower NOx

 

[koffy]

It's awesome to see people willing to do this kind of stuff

 

[901Memphis]

Have you tried CRC guaranteed to pass?

 

[jayg]

[censored] yes sir. Long live the FZJ.

Just noticed you'll be moving to AK.

I assume you've heard of or know Mark at Cruisers Only here in Wasilla. Really neat shop full of 40s on up. Pretty cool Cruiser community here in AK.

I'm in Anchorage/Talkeetna. Send me a message some time!

 

[bvance554]

Originally Posted By: landtoy80
Originally Posted By: GRWOil

This is going to be good.


If figured it would be, thus why I posted it here to see how [censored] I get.

There were other posts about how veggie oils will blow up your motor so I had to try it and see what happens.


This would be one of the greatest posts ever if it were a creative writing experiment, but I don't think it is. I don't doubt that your mixture works well, but I fail to see any reason for doing such a thing.

 

[landtoy80]

This land cruiser is on a mostly zero budget maintenance plan, spending only if all else fails. Any major expense will put the old rusty rig out to pasture.

I know how to get it to pass with cash but two things are keeping me from doing it, unemployment/underemployment during the off season of a wildland fighter and the 80 is well past retirement. Colorado lowered the limits on most older vehicles to try to get them off the road, I would of pass under the older standards.

I drove up to AK last year with the rear driveshaft removed (bad u-joint). Drove it all over AK that way and even did some four wheeling. After wheeling through some deep mud holes I figured I needed to install the driveshaft as a couple holes I started to spin out. No hand winch or Hilift jack with me, didn't think I was going to bring the 80 back to Colorado and didn't want to ship them back or give them away.

I worked in Fairbanks last year and will be there again this year, I think I heard of Mark on IH8MUD.
I am not moving to AK, just work there during the wildland fire season.

I think I might of tried CRC guaranteed to pass in the past with no luck (tried a lot of stuff over the years) but did run a can of BG444K after cleaning the cats along with two bottles of Chevron fuel cleaner before that.

I tried denatured alcohol and E85 E10 mixture but they increased emissions. So knowing that the 80 doesn't like alcohol, I found a gas station that sells 100% pure ethanol free gas but didn't try it as my test is over now.

Temped to continue the test in AK but it would suck to have an engine failure from the veggie oil on my way up to or back from Prudhoe Bay. That would be a long bug filled walk back to Fairbanks.

Jayg: My first LC was a 1987 FJ60. Second was a 1988 FJ62, Third, this 1994 FZJ80.
Planned on ditching the 80 when it to 300,000, 350,000, 400,000 and 450,000 miles but the dam thing keeps running.

 

[bvance554]

I don't know the laws in CO, but is painting 'farm use only' on the side an option? I'm kinda kidding, but then again no I'm not. We've classed it up here in VA special Farm Use license plates so you can skip the spray paint. Just the other day I saw a nice late model F-150 with Farm Use tags and wondered what they were up to. This supposedly limits your vehicles use, but who stops a farmer in his Farm Use vehicle? If you got stopped and they asked what you're doing just say you're fighting wild fires. They'll probably give you a high five.

 

[landtoy80]

Originally Posted By: bvance554
Originally Posted By: landtoy80
Originally Posted By: GRWOil

This is going to be good.


If figured it would be, thus why I posted it here to see how [censored] I get.

There were other posts about how veggie oils will blow up your motor so I had to try it and see what happens.


This would be one of the greatest posts ever if it were a creative writing experiment, but I don't think it is. I don't doubt that your mixture works well, but I fail to see any reason for doing such a thing.


What info do you base you opinion on?
Do you have experience with veggie oil use as a motor oil or just a gut feeling?
I don't let internet engineers stop me from trying something just because believable it can't work.
I researched and found that others have had great luck in doing so I gave it a try.

Reason for doing such a thing?
1) I can
2) To learn
3) I didn't want to salvage a perfectly running vehicle because it doesn't pass emissions (rest of vehicle is in poor condition)
4) G-Oil is all but out of business
5) If the veggie mix did work I would know to use a veggie based oil to pass emissions test. There are smokeless oils that claim the lower of emissions too but they are very $$$ too.
6) I am not out anything if it fails, the 80 has long past paid for its self.
and 7) Internet engineers say it doesn't work!!!

 

[landtoy80]

I am sure you have show your farm use tax exempt tax number to get farm plates but I could be wrong.

 

[bvance554]

You're probably right. I grew up in WV where a can of Krylon and literacy could exempt you from any vehicle registration/inspection/emission laws.

 

[OneEyeJack]

For a veggy based oil have you looked at this?

 

[Ducked]

Canola Oil (genetically modified rapeseed oil) is relatively stable, and rapeseed oil was used as a lubricant on steamships.

Castor oil is more stable, and was and is used as a racing and 2-stroke oil.

Sunflower oil is a pretty unstable, semi-drying oil with lots of double bonds.

Soy oil seems to be fairly unstable too, though I'm not sure why. I read somewhere it has a lot of glyoprotein in it. Used as an anti-rust treatment its particularly prone to growing black mould.

Even castor isn't very stable, but if you want maximum stability in a veg oil you should probably stick with that, though Canola will be cheaper. I'd lose the sunflower and soybean oil from your mix, though that may depend on your rationale for the treatment (see below). Mixing with some (more, used) mineral oil (which you are probably doing to some extent anyway) might also buy a bit more time before disaster.

It could be that using a (perhaps castor-based) 2-stroke oil would give you an oil with a high film strength that is designed to burn relatively cleanly, which might be enough to get you through the test. Magic goo that increases the oil viscosity (I've used Wynn's Viscosity Improver, which looks like Golden Syrup to get through a UK emissions test) might be an alternative. ACTUAL Golden Syrup would be a bad idea.

Might also have been worth diluting your fuel (I'm assuming gasoline?) with some ethanol, and maybe skooshing some propane or butane in it.

OTOH it could be that the instability is giving you temporary sealing of the piston-cylinder gap as the veg oil goes off, so maybe the more unstable components are actually useful, though I'd think any of them would be unstable enough.

In any case, after the test, get it out of there, maybe flush with diesel fuel or whatever, and get some high detergent HDEO in. Once it goes off it'll be like epoxy resin and I don't think anything will shift it.

I looked into veg oils as a rust treatment, and as a tyre treatment, the latter at least as off-the-wall as this experiment, since a tyre treatment is potentially dangerous.

The tyre treatment (I've tried Canola and Sunflower) seems to fill sidewall cracks and improves appearance, but there are some indications (when used on radiator hose) that it might soften rubber.

I've also tried sunflower oil as an assembly lubricant. This was definitely a mistake.

 

[DBMaster]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that a malfunctioning, or restricted EGR valve can cause high NOx as well.

 

[CourierDriver]

I have lived to long, but someone must be smoking one of those funny cigs, imho....I think I will do a piston soak in Dawn....

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
I have lived to long, but someone must be smoking one of those funny cigs, imho....I think I will do a piston soak in Dawn....


..... then snug the valve cover gaskets in Krazy Glue.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: landtoy80
...The oil came out with a reddish tint to it and was dark. The motor has a reddish varnish all over the head under the valve cover. I can only assume that the veggie oil was cleaning the motor...



Not surprized.

Without the proper type of anti-oxidant to keep the veggy oil from oxidizing, you will have all kinds of varnish and crud building up in the engine.

What was the percentage of veggy oil to HDEO?

I think this kind of experiment is dangerous to engine longevity.

 

[jayg]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Originally Posted By: landtoy80
...The oil came out with a reddish tint to it and was dark. The motor has a reddish varnish all over the head under the valve cover. I can only assume that the veggie oil was cleaning the motor...



Not surprized.

Without the proper type of anti-oxidant to keep the veggy oil from oxidizing, you will have all kinds of varnish and crud building up in the engine.

What was the percentage of veggy oil to HDEO?

I think this kind of experiment is dangerous to engine longevity.



HAHAHA at almost half a million miles, can't pass emissions and the body is rusty, why not have some fun and experiment on it? It owes him nothing and if he was wants to put a Do not resuscitate on the truck and not spend absolutely any more money on it, then it is the PERFECT candidate to run these kinds of experiments on.

Dangerous to engine longevity at 460k miles slayed me.