Todd/John, sorry for the late response. I did go to Hemp Car, but have been short of time this week. I did notice that they are using an older 123 series car, with the old 617 series cast-iron turbodiesel. That would be my choice if I was to experiment-it's a tough old stove, hard to destroy. After working for years as a Benz tech, some of those years doing Roadside Assistance, our most common problem, after flat tires/dead batteries, was diesels that had been misfueled with gasoline. After dealing with a few of these, I discovered that they run fairly well on gas. The main danger here was damage to the injection pump, from lack of lubrication, usually supplied by the fuel passing through. They also don't like to start hot, I suppose due to the fuel vaporizing in the injection lines, between the pump, and injectors. Once cooled, they started fine. As I had no way of disposing of 20+ gallons of polluted fuel on a Roadside Assistance call, I started adding 3 quarts of motor oil, or auto trans fluid, to the fuel in the tank, and told them to bring the car to the shop when they were able. All told me that the performance was the same as it was with diesel fuel, with the exception of the hot-start problem, and some increased combustion noise. Many ran out the entire tank, with no ill effects. Leaded gasoline could cause holes to be burned through the pistons, due to glowing lead deposits on their crowns, but, since we've existed on lead-free gas for over 20 years, that ceased being an issue.
As far as the retired 2 1/2 ton truck, well here's the plan: I own a very remote home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula-it's 9 miles off the road. There are no utilities-I generate my own power with a combination of solar panels/passive solar heating, and a diesel genset, which, BTW, doesn't get used nearly as much as you would expect. I heat with wood, which comes right off the site-mostly due to deadfalls/decline. I haven't cut a living tree in 20 years, unless diseased, and those have been very few. Obviously, everything that gets there must be hauled in between June 01, and Nov 01, as the road is impassable the rest of the time. I can get in, via snowmobile, in the winter, and via Jeep most of the summer, but the condition of the road keeps out vandals/trash. I have needed an all wheel drive truck, for hauling, for years. Firewood is heavy, don't fool yourself. In addition, I will need something to haul WVO with, once I start down the biodiesel road. The idea of an ex-military truck that smells like french fries, and Filet-o-Fish sandwiches appeals to my funny side. My neighbors will probably stone me-they're all on low fat/cholesterol diets. Now, I'm wondering-If I fuel with hemp biodiesel, will it smell like pot?? On a more serious note, military techs I've spoken with, tell me that the electric pump is in the tank to "push" the fuel, which is more effective than the usual diesel primary pump, which "pulls" the fuel to the pump. It also makes priming a unit that has run out of fuel painless-it is self-priming. It also keeps a truck fueled with gasoline, or benzene running, as these fuels tend to "vapor lock", without positive pressure at the injection pump inlet. None seemed to be aware of the damage that the lighter fuels can do to the injection pump, but these are available as new surplus for about $600.00 US, a bargain, compared to what the military paid for them, I'm sure. It is my way of getting some of my tax dollars back-try buying an all wheel drive anything for less than $5000.00, and see what you get. Thanks for the encouragement E.J. On Tue, 26 Jun 2001 23:20:54 -0400 "John Wayne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: EJ, Conservative penchant understood. You may wish to contact HempCar.org as to what results they are having with biodiesel in their Merc. They are running hemp biodiesel though. Your mili-truck will run on Campbells soup if there is enough oil in it - almost. Biodiesel will work fine. It might even thank you for it. Biodiesel really is not a risk for either vehicles. Ask the list and see who's got some bio-d mileage on a Merc. Gargantuan fuel pump in the mili's fuel tank is probably for the thicker fuels you mentioned, as well as to compensate for thickened fuels in cold environs. Pat yourself on the back for stepping "out to the edge." You're gonna' have some fun. I just wonder what you're going to do with such a workhorse when you're finished. Luck Todd Appal Energy > I also wanted to tell you that I'd rather not use my Mercedes 300D as the > "guinea pig" for the biodiesel experiments-I have purchased an > ex-military truck, with a giant 6 cyl "multi-fuel" diesel. I don't think > that they had "biodiesel" in mind, when they built this. MilSpecs say it > will run on any grade of diesel, or heating oil, any grade of gasoline > (although I wonder what lubricates the injection pump, a function usually > done by the fuel running through it), turbine, or jet fuel, and a few > other things that must be heated to make them flow. And, I wondered what > the huge electric pump in the tank was for.....If I ruin the engine in > this, I can replace it for less money than an injection pump on the Benz. > > Wish me luck-E.J. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
