I went to the site that Keith recommended and it looks fantastic. What this
maker Elsbett sells is a one tank system you can put anything from WVO to
Dino into. If such a system exists, why are people bothing to make
biodiesel?
It would be easier, more ecological, economical etc to just use
vegetable oil.
I think about this problem both in the ecolological sense and the Peak oil
sense. Particularly with the latter, the fewer things you have to
buy, the less
exposure you have to being gouged by corporations exploiting scarcity.
Anyone with access to a few acres of land and a home made oil press can
create fuel out of a variety of easy to grow crops.
Am I missing something?
Lyn
> >
> >Elsbett. See:
> >http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html
> >Straight vegetable oil as diesel fuel
> >
> >Don't get some two-tank system that probably has copper parts in it
> >and all it does is pre-heat the oil to lower the viscosity, there's
> >a lot more to it than that, even with a Merc.
> >forgetting to) - switch on and go, stop and switch off, SVO,
> >biodiesel or petro-diesel, in any combination.
>
> We've had a two-tank system for a couple of years but we never used
> it. I just didn't think it addressed the problem fully, and the more
> I learnt the more I thought so. A few months ago we installed a
> single-tank Elsbett system in our Toyota TownAce and we're most
> pleased with it. It does exactly what it claims to do, as we fully
> expected.
>
> http://www.elsbett.com
>
> Best wishes
>
> Keith
>
>
> >On 25 Jun 2005 at 8:46, John Hayes wrote:
> >
> > > You have the 'SVO destroyed my TDI' folks.
> > >
> > > And the 'SVO is just fine' pollyannas.
> > >
> >
> >I went to the TDIclub site as well. I probably only saw a fraction
> >of the posts,
> >and what I saw made me realize that I didn't really do Mike's
question justice
> >with my previous answer, so this will be long in an attempt to
provide more
> >substantive info.
> >
> >I researched WVO for a while and decided upon the Jetta TDI,
which I bought
> >specifically with the intent of doing a WVO conversion. I
chose the Jetta even
> >though the golf or beetle would have been more to my personal
taste, because
> >the consensus seemed to be that it was desirable to isolate the WVO tank
> >from the passenger area because the tank is heated - a hot
metal tank of oil
> >being not the most desirable presence in a passenger compartment
> >
> >There are a variety of systems and kits and ways that people
have done these
> >conversions and I have no doubt people have ruined their TDI's
with WVO. The
> >TDI has very close tolerances, also why it its such a high
performance engine.
> > >From what I have gathered, gumming up the injectors with WVO
is one of the
> >serious risks. Critical issues in the system then are well
filtered WVO and
> >that it be HOT.
> >
> >Just to clarify matters for any readers, a WVO system is a 2
tank system. Do
> >not ever consider just pouring WVO into your regular fuel tank
- that will
> >destroy your TDI.
> >
> >The system I have has :
> >
> >a heated WVO tank and fuel lines (the lines are heated by being bundled
> >beside a line filled with engine coolant) ,
> >
> >a filter for the WVO (which has already been prefiltered the remove
> >the obvious
> >particulate fryer gunk before being put in the tank) This
filter should be
> >replaced approximately every 2000 miles,
> >
> >and a PURGE switch.
> >
> >The purge switch is a very important part of the system. It is used when
> >switching *back* to diesel from WVO. It pushes the WVO out of
the lines and
> >injectors. If you purge for too long, you begin to suck diesel
fuel into your
> >WVO tank, but ithat's not really not a problem.
> >
> >The *problem* in a WVO system *without* a purge function
arises because,
> >if the WVO is not completely cleared from the engine
components , you will
> >begin to dump some WVO into the diesel tank when you shut off the car.
> >After a while, your diesel will be contaminated with WVO. The
reason why this
> >is a problem is because your diesel tank is not heated and the
WVO is too
> >viscous at "room temperature" to flow through the injectors
properly. The
> >WVO must be at 190 degrees F to liquify it adequately.
> >
> >I am not a car mechanic, and the above description is what
I've gained from
> >online research and conversations, and this was the data I
used to decide
> >whether and what conversion I would do.
> >
> >Hope this helps.
> >
> >Lyn
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> > > And the professional 'we need more scientific data' skeptics.
> > >
> > > And the 'yes, we need data but your studies are too old'
counter-skeptics.
> > >
> > > Yup. I think that about sums it up.
> > >
> > > jh
> > >
> > >
> > > Keith Addison wrote:
> > > > Hello John
> > > >
> > > >> Just FYI, there is a major debate on SVO use raging at TDIclub.com
> > > >> right now. It's actually spilled over into 3 different
threads in the
> > > >> biodiesel section of the forums(sic).
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Would you perhaps be up to giving us a summary?
> > > >
> > > > Best wishes
> > > >
> > > > Keith
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> jh
> > > >> Lyn Gerry wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >>> Hi Mike and All,
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I just had my 1999 Jetta TDI converted, and so far, I'm really
> > > >>> pleased. I live in central New York State and the
conversion was done
> > > >>> by Lucas MacDonald at Vegpower
> > > >>>
> > > >>> http://www.vegpower.com/
> > > >>>
> > > >>> They can do the work or you can buy components from
them. Lucas is
> > > >>> also an experienced VW/volvo mechanic.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Lyn
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> On 22 Jun 2005 at 16:26, Mike wrote:
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>> Has anyone ever converted a VW diesel to run on
> > > >>>> leftover oil from restaurants or fast foods like
> > > >>>> Krispy Kreeme and McDonalds etc... I'm about to do it
> > > >>>> and want to follow the lead of someone else who's done
> > > >>>> it. Thanks.