[knarf]

essentially adding heat and separating the different products from the crude.

Now, I know it can't be THAT simplistic, but, at least I think it is on that line of reasoning.

So;

I know storing gasoline for a future time would require a relatively simple, but at greater labor and cost.

Because I use #2 heating oil (basically diesel), is there some way this product can be acceptably home refined to fire up an infernal combustion engine?

Please ping any oil people for some insight on this, thanx.

[knarf]

I meant an infernal frustration engine.

[mountainlion]

It would be more practical to have a vehicle with a diesel engine. Some burn processed motor oil and used french fry oil for fuel. Don't use both at the same time as it will destroy your injectors and pump with the sludge generated.

[muir_redwoods]

There is no simple way to make gasoline from #2 fuel oil at home and shortcuts will lead to amazing house fires. Get a diesel powered car/truck

[E. Pluribus Unum]

People who do that usually have chemical engineering degrees and very expensive equipment.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Refining involves heat AND a catalyst to divide up the materials.

Diesel is already refined so, there is no “gasoline” left in it.

Home refining should be left to the professionals (meth-heads!).

You can add a stabilizer to gasoline that will let you keep it for up to a year or so. After that, GFL

[Lazamataz]

Usually, what I do is take gasoline, put it in a frying pan, and bring it to a rolling boil over an open flame. With one hand, open a mason jar and with the other, strike a lighter to chase the fumes into the jar. Then seal the jar and leave in sunlight.

[nascarnation]

Are you looking for emergency mobility in times of crisis ?

(I’m guessing you’re assuming they’ll deliver home heating oil even if they can’t supply vehicle diesel and gas - that of course will be a political issue)

I’d suggest picking up an “older” diesel vehicle - one without the sophisticated super high pressure injection used in the last 10 years - the new ones require really clean fuel. The old Mercedes and some Dodge and Ford trucks could run on home heating oil.

[Oberon]

Oil refining is done using a 'cat cracker,' or catalyst, to break up the long-chain hydrocarbons that make the heavy components of crude oil and create more of the shorter-chain compounds that make up gasoline. Building a homebrew catalysis reactor for refining petroleum is beyond the home hobbyist, unless you happen to be a chemical engineer with access to a lot of cool tools and materials.

However, you can burn the no. 2 oil straight up in a diesel engine. You can also burn kerosene straight up in a diesel, and if you pre-heat it to drive up the vapor pressure (wrap a few coils of copper fuel line around the exhaust manifold) you can burn kerosene in a low-compression gasoline engine. If you choose this latter option, count on re-jetting your carb (don't try this with a fuel-injected engine unless you can also reprogram the E-prom for kerosene). Also count on hard starting, reduced power, and ugly emissions. If I were going to try to run a car on kero, I would build it as a dual-fuel system that could start and run on gas until it was warmed up, then switch to kerosene.

[DiogenesLamp]

It is not that simple. You are referring to fractional distillation. That will give you various grades of burnable liquids, but they are not the same thing as gasoline. If you try to use one of them in your engine, it will burn up and seize. (It will run for a little while.) Gasoline contains chemical additives that make it useable in an engine. (It used to contain lead to lubricate the valve guides, but they have something different now.)

Also, in refineries there is a process called "Cat Cracking." (Catalytic breaking of long string molecules into shorter ones.) It allows them to chose whether to produce more diesel, or more gasoline, or more of whatever. They can tweak the process and convert more of the oil into whatever they want the most.

If you are looking to develop an energy source post financial collapse, I would advise you to look at natural gas. You don't have to refine it, you can use it straight off the well head. (or pipe) It would be best if you can remove the water from it, but it will work even if you don't. There are kits available on E-Bay to convert a gasoline powered engine to run on both gasoline AND natural gas. (Either/Or)

The only down side to it is that you have compress it into pressure vessels to hold your fuel, and those vessels have to be able to handle pressures in the 4,000 PSI range, such as an oxygen bottle from an Oxy-Acetyelene welding rig. But don't put natural gas into an Oxygen bottle unless steps have been taken to get rid of the Oxygen in it! Even then, don't do it while our current government is still functional!

I am in the process of setting up a natural gas filling station, and I have already bought a duel fuel car, and a kit to convert another one. Gasoline and oil often have to be trucked to places, but natural gas can arrive by pipeline as quickly as you can pump it. In an economic collapse, I expect the gas and oil shipments to stop before the natural gas quits coming out of the pipe.

[DBrow]

The temperatures and pressures, plus catalysts and lots of sulfuric acid makes cracking oil to gas a factory operation. Good idea, though!

[Jewbacca]

Diesel stores much better than gasoline, if kept at a relatively low, stable, temperature and periodically “stirred.”

There are also home bio-fuel set ups that make a reasonable amount of diesel out of farm waste. They are not quite econmic (although close), but would be very economic if the wheels feel off society.

[mnehring]

Making bio-diesel is rather easy (and far safer). Gasoline, however, is much more precise (and dangerous).

Find yourself an old diesel Mercedes or VW (avoid the diesel Oldsmobile as they were horrible).

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html

[mnehring]

Here is another idea that was big in WWII during with all the rationing. A wood-gas vehicle.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/01/wood-gas-cars.html

[thackney]

It's my understanding that the whole oil refining operation is essentially adding heat and separating the different products from the crude.

No, it might have been that way back in the 1920s, but a modern refinery is far more complicated, that is only one step out of very many process units.

I know storing gasoline for a future time would require a relatively simple, but at greater labor and cost.

Gasoline does not store well for extended periods of time. In addition to the ethanol that absorbs water over time, gasoline contains some components that are going to evaporate out as well.

Because I use #2 heating oil (basically diesel), is there some way this product can be acceptably home refined to fire up an infernal combustion engine?

Do you have a home supply of crude oil you want to refine into diesel? Or are you looking to make diesel from another oil product?

Are you looking for a disaster plan or a way to become more economic. If the later, you need to be concerned about taxes, for the revenuers will be concerned and they do give significant fines to those that avoid their excise tax on fuel.

[Mr. K]

get yourself a diesel engine (I assume we are talking about being prepared for the zombie apocalypse)

you CAN actually make your own diesel fuel, and it looks surprisingly simple (many online instructions and youtube videos)

I can do anything once I see someone do it, so youtube videos have become my go-to for an incredible amount of this type of training material

skinning a dear, building storage, water filters, digging a well- I wish I could SAVE videos because when the zombie apocalypse comes I am assuming the ‘net will be down...

[thackney]

I use #2 heating oil (basically diesel), is there some way this product can be acceptably home refined to fire up an infernal combustion engine?

After reading through your responses to posts, I see you are after something different than I thought.

If you want to make gasoline out of heating oil, the answer is no, unless you are going to build a cracker, either thermal or catalytic. The diesel does not contain enough of the lighter hydrocarbon molecules necessary in basic gasoline. Those have already been removed from the crude oil stream during the refining process.

Also, as others have pointed out, modern gasoline contains some specific and necessary additives for your engine. If you got straight gasoline, as from the turn of the previous century, your modern car, if it would run, would only run for a while before becoming an expensive paperweight.

[SampleMan]

Sure, buy a diesel powered vehicle. Your fuel oil will burn just fine.

[BipolarBob]

You would be better off attacking the problem at a different angle. Try using a large distiller to make pure (200 proof)alcohol. You may have to use zeolite to remove the last traces of water.

[cripplecreek]

You’re going to make a great news story someday. LOL

[IronJack]

There’s probably not much you can do at home with the heating oil/diesel. But there’s nothing to stop you from buying a barrel of West Texas Crude and distilling it into the various -anes (hexane, heptane, octane) that make up gasoline. I don’t imagine it’s a very profitable venture but it is probably possible.

As long as the neighbors aren’t too snoopy and your building covenants allow for heavy industry.