LPG, Bio Diesel, Hydrogen, Fuel Cell Questions and Answers last answered over 2 years ago.
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I ran my unmodified 1.9 na T4 on 100% veg oil for about 6000miles, then the fuel pump seized one cold morning and 'snap' went the timing belt.
It was a bit of a experiment on a 200,000+ mile van that I paid very little for.
Except for being a bit lumpy on starting, it generally ran ok, this particular morning was very cold, and I was driving hard up a hill just after setting off.
Would I do it again?
Yes, but I rarely spend more than £500 on a car these days, and I'd use fuel warmers and a twin tank.
sorry to hear that happened to you. Just out of interest, if you spent the same amount on a bio conversion that you do on 2 vehicles, would you keep your vehicles for longer?
I've got a 1Y Seat Cordoba at the moment, that is running really well and with 12 months T and T on it.... I might just convert that, however I don't want to blow it up, so I'd go for the two tank conversion and do it myself.
I'm currently doing 3000 miles per month, but that might change to just 500 from August and I'm not sure it's worth it.
No offence intended Geordie but that is why such alternatives don't hit mainstream. By this, I don't mean people who fill up with unfiltered oil at their local Tandoori and wreak havoc with their engines because from what I can tell, some folk don't have issues with their motors by doing that. I know it's something to do with heat and viscosity.
People look at the overall cost and not the intrinsic benefits of running an engine on a substance that can be grown and purchased locally. I guess I am included in that number too. There's even a 25% grant/ incentive being offered by the Govt. for people wanting to convert to p.p.o/bio. but the uptake slow, in my opinion.
I reckon if more people converted to p.p.o/bio there would be duty to pay and vege oil farmers would have to form coorporations or affiliate with existing oil producers like Texaco as that is the way of things. Damn shame really, though if you're dropping to 500 miles/ month it would take over a year to break even and go into profit. See, there's that bottom line again.
It's certainly something I would consider doing with my newly purchased 1.6Td after taking advice on it.
Hypnovan wrote:ppo/ veg oil has the same calorific value as forecourt diesel and yes, as long as it doesn't contain bits of fish n chips and other particulate, it will act like a fuel and produce emissions too. The problem is not heating,filtering and igniting it properly in an engine that has not been modified to process it as a fuel.
As I said, it's a good idea to check with someone better informed than I to guide you. My opinion is that to run an engine on p.p.o requires a conversion and I would rather have it done than not. After all, my Atlantic made it through the 90's and 00's because the previous owners looked after it - I have a complete 18 year service history including all receipts for everything they every did to it at the V.A.G Main dealer's. Why potentially mess up a good runner that took us ages to be able to buy for a couple of hundred quid in road fuel duty?
I like the thought of being able to fill up at a chippy or ASDA etc but not answering questions by a Spanish mechanic about why he found gunk in my fuel lines etc. when we go around Europe in a few weeks. I hope you can see where I am coming from with this.
HA HA HA HA .I like the bit about the 18 year service history.Yeah so what my 1.6td had a service history up to 136.000 miles for the JR engine .And guess what even though it had the best vegi oil conversion twin tank with a heater for the vegi +heated fuel filter and exchanger.The filtered vegi oil clapped the engine.
I took the cylinder head off & will pull out the pistons to see .I did notice a lot of coke build up on no2 piston.I am suspecting a broken ring & there is side ways rock on the valve stems to guides.So it could be down to the fact it was coming to its end of life at 160.000 miles.The max limiits for valve stem to guides need advice.Aprox 5000 miles ago i had the head skimmed & replaced the hydrotappets.The head may still be servicable for some one.There is a comprehensive service history for this JR 1.6td engine written up by hand from 1986 by the owner of the M2 golf which it came from.It reads interesting reading like oil filter/oil changed every 5000 miles and over the top a cambelt changes at 10.000 miles to 20.000 miles + all sorts of parts.The hand written history is up to 136.000 from new but there is no mention of the injectors replaced.I have put 30.000 miles since its been in the T25 .
Examined engine&head and my conclusions are this.I couldnt find any damage to the 1.6td engine apart from fair wear & tear with mileage that would make a tractor or metalic like noise .But reading the web SVO WVO vegi oil /bio fuel discussion forums water needs to be removed or damage can occur in the pump & injectors.I noticed there was water condensation collecting on the vegi tank fuel cap from the heated second tank .So it could be that regardless how hot and fluid the vegi oil is if water is there when its supplied to the pump & injectors the water content in the WVO has damaged them or is causing combustion problems.In effect producing a tractor like metalic rattle.
I visited some folk who specialise in bio conversions and they told me that I could run upto 50% mix as it is with no modifications. (Diesel first, veg on top). I have also been told that anything upto 40% would be okay to use though I am still reluctant, despite the seemingly equal amounts of pro and con arguments, to theoretically use any more than upto 20%veg per tank of diesel. Until i'm convinced, it's going to be 100% diesel oil.
I could have a £1500 fully guaranteed conversion, a £1000 conversion or no conversion and run on less than 50% mix with a 50% risk of either not a lot or a lot happening. Hmmmm.... see why i'm not yet convinced? The theory is there, the results mixed and my opinion is that the risk is too great to take. I am not into tampering about - it either is okay or it is not okay.
I made up the conversion. Fabricated a coolent heated fuel tank went to a salvage yard for a renault clio diesel heated fuel filter .The vegi oil heat exchanger & pollak fuel valves + hoses from a vegi oil conversion stockist.The 1.6td ran okay at first but a tractor like noise developed and difficult starting on dino diesel.As i said i examined the engine& cylinder head there is no obvious damage.Its the water content if not removed thats damaged the pump& injectors .I have replaced the 1.6td engine with a 1Y the vegi oil two tank system is installed& could be used .I drained out the WVO& replaced it with SVO run it on it but am a bit paranoid about causing problems .
How much does cooking oil cost?!?!?! Sainsburys really don't want anyone filling up with veg oil do they? Since when does budget sunflower oil (how sunflower oil is degraded to 'budget' status, I am at a loss) cost over £1 a litre? Corn oil is slightly less per litre and it's £3 for 3 litre bottles of any useful oil.
I suppose the ultimate solution could be to own your own fields of rapeseed and a press to make oil with. Another could be to find a farmer who has some fields of rape seed, get him to invest in an oil press,filter and storage facility....it's the middle man that costs us so much. how my mind works sometimes.
The price of vegi oil in aisan market prices and world wide is high.Partly due to the use of bio fuel production from it.Tesco&the other big supermarkets also SVO suppliers for the catering food outlets have put all there prices up.Its not worth buying and using it for fuel with a small saving against forcourt prices for dino fuel.It might be worth colllecting WVO and then proccesing it at home filtering&dewatering.But to do this requires a good set up and cost effective against energy used to do it.
