81 Wabbit going to Bio/ or other?
Moderator: Fatmobile
81 Wabbit going to Bio/ or other?
I just started working for a company who collects used cooking oil from the local businesses. I believe the oil is then filtered; not totally sure. I live in a very cold climate. What is the option for using this oil? I've heard of Biodiesel, SVO, WVO. I would appreciate any links or advice one could offer. Thanks David
It's a matter of personal choice. I'm heading WVO. Once you're set up there less processing to do - especially if you can get "cleaned" oil. You're absoutely golden if they also de-water it for you.
Biodiesel turns to jelly in cold temps. So if you're in Minnesota you'd have to heat your 100% biodiesel in the winter anyway. Might as well go WVO. (Meaning full dual fuel system with heat.)
I'm building a WVO system that will run in any climate, I believe (TIG welded aluminum tank, faced with 2" blue board insulation, inside a wooden box, inside the cap on the back of the truck, parked in the garage overnight. I expect the oil to still be hot in the morning.)\
If you're in the north prairie or Canada, it will take some doing, but it's totally possible.
Check out Frybrid.com to get an idea of what I'm doing (copying.)
Eric
Biodiesel turns to jelly in cold temps. So if you're in Minnesota you'd have to heat your 100% biodiesel in the winter anyway. Might as well go WVO. (Meaning full dual fuel system with heat.)
I'm building a WVO system that will run in any climate, I believe (TIG welded aluminum tank, faced with 2" blue board insulation, inside a wooden box, inside the cap on the back of the truck, parked in the garage overnight. I expect the oil to still be hot in the morning.)\
If you're in the north prairie or Canada, it will take some doing, but it's totally possible.
Check out Frybrid.com to get an idea of what I'm doing (copying.)
Eric
81 Pickup
91 Eco Jetta
91 Eco Jetta
-
Fatmobile
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7564
- Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
- Location: north central Iowa
frybid
I saw a frybrid setup at the energy fair and talked to a guy who has installed a few. All of them ran a return to tank setup with no vacuum gauge.
To me that's scary. Work the pump extra hard and don't use a gauge to warn you about how hard the pump is pulling.
In fact I didn't see a vacuum gauge on any of the VW setups at this years MREA energy fair.
To me that's scary. Work the pump extra hard and don't use a gauge to warn you about how hard the pump is pulling.
In fact I didn't see a vacuum gauge on any of the VW setups at this years MREA energy fair.
Funny you should mention it. I just got my vacuum gage installed this week in preparation for going WVO. Also installed an after market water temp gage to know exactly what's going on there.
The vacuum gage reads about 1 inch mercury at idle, and maybe 2 inches when revving. So now I have a baseline.
I'm going to try the return to tank first. I've read your concerns with this setup and think I understand, but am not totally sure. At any rate, once I've plumbed up full return to tank I figure that's it's just replumbing to try something different.
It's all one big experiment anyway.
Eric
The vacuum gage reads about 1 inch mercury at idle, and maybe 2 inches when revving. So now I have a baseline.
I'm going to try the return to tank first. I've read your concerns with this setup and think I understand, but am not totally sure. At any rate, once I've plumbed up full return to tank I figure that's it's just replumbing to try something different.
It's all one big experiment anyway.
Eric
81 Pickup
91 Eco Jetta
91 Eco Jetta
-
Fatmobile
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7564
- Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
- Location: north central Iowa
vacuum gauge
Good to hear you are getting a vacuum gauge ready.
It should read 0 on a Rabbit pickup. You might have a clogged in-tank screen or fuel filter.
One of the worst crimes about going to a return to tank setup is the flushing of all the diesel (in the injection pump at startup) into the vegy tank. It could have been used to warm the engine up.
In warm weather, with a looped setup, I turn to vegy mode before I even turn the key. Because all the diesel in the pump goes into the loop. I'm drawing from the vegy tank but I'm burning 90%diesel until it warms up. Why drive on diesel until the car warms up if you don't have to?
In cold weather I have to drive until the vegetable oil gets warm enough to flow, no more. But with a looped setup, I don't take a pump that is at say 30F and jump it up to 150F in a short time when I switch to vegy. I think the tolerances are too tight to handle that without causing undue wear on the pump components.
There are other problems with the Return-to-tank system. Bad on startup, bad on shutdown, bad while you are driving.
It does get air out of the loop... the only plus I can think of and not worth all the drawbacks.
It should read 0 on a Rabbit pickup. You might have a clogged in-tank screen or fuel filter.
One of the worst crimes about going to a return to tank setup is the flushing of all the diesel (in the injection pump at startup) into the vegy tank. It could have been used to warm the engine up.
In warm weather, with a looped setup, I turn to vegy mode before I even turn the key. Because all the diesel in the pump goes into the loop. I'm drawing from the vegy tank but I'm burning 90%diesel until it warms up. Why drive on diesel until the car warms up if you don't have to?
In cold weather I have to drive until the vegetable oil gets warm enough to flow, no more. But with a looped setup, I don't take a pump that is at say 30F and jump it up to 150F in a short time when I switch to vegy. I think the tolerances are too tight to handle that without causing undue wear on the pump components.
There are other problems with the Return-to-tank system. Bad on startup, bad on shutdown, bad while you are driving.
It does get air out of the loop... the only plus I can think of and not worth all the drawbacks.
Thanks - good info. I'm understanding better now. That definitely makes sense. Fabricating the tank is going to take some time, so that will give me time to think about the fuel flow.
I'll change the fuel filter first chance I get. It hasn't been on there a lot of miles but it's been through a lot of messing around and repairs, including dropping the tank (didn't have a screen to start with) and rebuild of the pump and injectors. I should have changed it a while ago I guess.
Eric
I'll change the fuel filter first chance I get. It hasn't been on there a lot of miles but it's been through a lot of messing around and repairs, including dropping the tank (didn't have a screen to start with) and rebuild of the pump and injectors. I should have changed it a while ago I guess.
Eric
81 Pickup
91 Eco Jetta
91 Eco Jetta
You lucky bastard!
Try to get your hands on a diesel pickup. You're looking at free transportation (almost.)
There's tons of ideas around about how to move the oil best. Once again, you've got guaranteed clean oil, so that makes it easier. Harbor Freight has their "1 inch Clear Water pump" on sale again for $25. Just picked one up. People use these for biodiesel processing, but also moving oil.
You can also get the old style mechanical barrel pumps, but for $25 you can't go wrong on the Harbor Freight one.
Eric
Try to get your hands on a diesel pickup. You're looking at free transportation (almost.)
There's tons of ideas around about how to move the oil best. Once again, you've got guaranteed clean oil, so that makes it easier. Harbor Freight has their "1 inch Clear Water pump" on sale again for $25. Just picked one up. People use these for biodiesel processing, but also moving oil.
You can also get the old style mechanical barrel pumps, but for $25 you can't go wrong on the Harbor Freight one.
Eric
81 Pickup
91 Eco Jetta
91 Eco Jetta