No, we're not starting a club for car mechanics. The 100th Grease Monkey concept comes from a renowned study described below:

The story of the "Hundredth Monkey Effect" originated with Lyall Watson in his 1979 book Lifetide, in which he described the observations of scientists studying macaques (a type of monkey) on the Japanese island of Koshima in 1952. Some of these monkeys learned to wash sweet potatoes, and gradually this new behavior spread through the younger generation of monkeys¡ªin the usual fashion, through observation and repetition. However, according to Watson the researchers noted that once a critical number of monkeys was reached¡ªthe so-called hundredth monkey¡ªthis previously learned behavior instantly spread across the water to monkeys on nearby islands.

What does all this have to do with veggie vehicles? Well, the hope of this website is to launch the "Hundredth Monkey Effect" in regards to veggie fuel. If enough people visit this website and enough restaurants choose to be included in our database, we hope to reach a level of awareness that changes society on a fundamental level. All we need is a few more grease monkeys to reach that critical point. So please, spread the word and help us reach that ever so important 100th Grease Monkey!

What kind of vehicle may run on vegetable oil?

Any Diesel may run on vegetable oil, so long as the oil is heated before injection. Most conversion systems are two-tank systems, whereby the vegetable oil is held in a separate tank from the diesel fuel and coolant is redirected and circulated into the veggie tank to heat up the oil. The engine is started and run on diesel fuel until the coolant heats up the vegetable oil enough to reduce its viscosity so it is similar to diesel fuel and will be injected into the engine properly. Then, either manually or automatically, a valve switches the fuel source and injects straight vegetable oil into the engine (this may be done when the vehicle is at operating temp). When nearing the end of the journey, the engine must be purged of vegetable oil and primed with diesel fuel for the next trip. Some systems allow for a hot startup on SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil). If you are interested in getting greasy, check the makes and models of specific vehicles with each conversion kit manufacturer on the Renewable Resources page, as not all manufacturers design kits to support all makes and models.

How does this site work?

Restaurants enter their location and contact information, and receive a contract to sell Waste Vegetable Oil. Veggie voyagers choose their state or type in their zip to find the restaurant's location, contact the restaurant for pickup time, drop by, and fuel up.

How clean does the oil have to be?

First of all, the oil must not be hydrogenated. Hydrogenated oil is simply too thick for a veggie vehicle's filters, and very hard to pour. Also, the oil must be as clean as possible; drained right from the friolators through the centrifuge filter (not rinsed in water or mixed with soap, dressings, batter or animal sediment). Keeping water and dressings out of the oil will prevent contamination, and prefiltering the oil will keep the veggie voyager's filters happy so that they'll look forward to stopping by again or recommending your restaurant to their friends. These instructions are available in PDF format on the Grease Guide page.

What if our restaurant's contact information changes?

Simply email us from the contact page, and we'll update your entry on the database.

What if we have more than one location of our restaurant?

Each location's information must be registered separately, as each is listed separately.

What tangible benefits does 100th Grease Monkey provide to restaurants?

We provide your web listing and the information and infrastructure you need to prepare your oil for veggie voyagers. Your oil is your property, and you have the right to sell it to veggie voyagers. As long as you put in a little work making sure it is as clean as possible, veggie voyagers would love to fuel up with your oil!

What are the costs of joining 100th Grease Monkey?

Veggie voyagers pay a one time $25 registration fee which allows them access to the forum, database, and partner discounts. Restaurants register for free, and purchase a filtration system from Fryer to Fuel. For sale of Waste Vegetable Oil, 100th Grease Monkey collects a 25% commission. Since we love to promote clean food as well as clean fuel, we also provide for restaurants to offer a dining discount for veggie voyagers.

This sounds too good to be true. Honestly, how many veggie voyagers are out there?

There are thousands of veggie voyagers on the road today, and more people are deciding to kick their addiction to oil all the time.

How can we spread the word?

Feel free to print the invitation flyer and bring it in to restaurants in your area!

Michael Cassetta
"If we wanna clean up this planet, we'll have to get a little greasy!"

Mike Cassetta, the self-proclaimed Grease Ambassador, has been spreading veggie oil awareness for over two years. Partnered with Whole Foods, he recently embarked on a cross-country trip powered by veggie fuel. Stopping in various cities to speak on the benefits of grease-power, Mr. Cassetta's veggie van carried him all the way from Boston, MA to Los Angeles, CA. Having learned through experience how to filter, store, and fuel with waste veggie oil, Mr.Cassetta is determined to make the procedure easier for fellow veggie voyagers, and trusts this site will help the process flow more smoothly.

Along with his passion for alternative fuels, Mr. Cassetta is also an accomplished musician.

You may learn more about Mike Cassetta and hear some of his music by visiting his personal webspace listed below:
Mike Cassetta Mecca

Brian Capecci
"Don't ask me, I only work here ... except I don't get paid."

Brian Capecci is a web designer and filmmaker living in Los Angeles, CA. A lifelong friend of Michael Cassetta, he was impressed with Michael's determination to create a grease driven world and agreed to design this website and custom code the grease database. He strives to ensure that 100thgreasemonkey.org continues to be a fully-functional and aesthetically pleasing experience for all visitors, and hopes his contribution will help to make the earth a little greener.

You can learn more about Brian and watch some of his videos by visiting his website linked below:
Capecci.com