Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

If you want to put an end to replacing the injector return hoses, don't use the crappy rubber hose.

Instead, go to an industrial tubing and hose jobber and purchase a length of ¼" nylon air brake line. It's about $.50/ft. This is rigid tubing, but it fits perfectly over the barbs on the injectors and return banjo on the pump. It's unaffected by petroleum diesel and Biodiesel. ~And~ it comes in colors, black, red and blue!

One warning: This stuff is one-time use. If you attempt to pull the tubing off to remove an injector, etc, either replace the tubing, -or better- cut the length long when you first install so you can trim the end and use a fresh bit of tubing on the barb next time. I've been using this stuff for a few years now and I'd never go back to rubber (mostly because the Biodiesel turns rubber to goo really fast!)

Broken record time = Check your grounds. Battery-to-engine and battery-to-body. 99% of all electrical anomolies in VW's are due to bad grounding.

OK, here's the "conversion" process for Biodiesel:

1) Replace the fuel lines with synthetic

2) Carry a spare fuel filter

B100 will turn the fuel lines under the hood into sticky black goo in a fairly short time, especially if they are old. B20 will do the same thing, but it will take a little longer.

Unless you are fantastically wealthy and can afford to replace everything with Viton lines (~$12/ft), use urethane for the 1/4 and 5/16" lines and ¼" nylon air brake tubing for the injector return lines. Urethane is available from motorcycle shops at $1/ft and nylon from industrial hose suppliers, or perhaps large truck repair shops, $.50/ft.

Eventually, the lines back at the tank will rot out also. Generally takes longer since there is less heat and grease to have weakened them. You can use urethane for replacement of this, but there is one hose that is 3/8" at the tank and ¼" at the supply to the engine compartment. I've had to make some custom silver-soldered adapters to be able to join two different sizes of urethane to replace this piece.

The spare fuel filter is because ot the solvent aspects of Biodiesel, but also beacuse of it's ability to bond to dirt.

Diesel doesn't evaporate and leave behind varnish the way gasoline does, so there normally won't be any "deposits". If a tank and fuel system has been filled with clean fuel, protected from contamination by water, and has no rust, then there will be no problems with filter clogging.

Biodiesel has an unusual ability to bond at a molecular level with tank and fuel system contaminants. Any debris, rust, water, dirt, or other contamination which has been lying dormant in the tank will be acted upon by the Biodiesel and put into suspension, eventually getting sucked into the filter. After a time, the filter's had enough, and you stop driving due to fuel starvation. Worst case, the filter collapses and the crap gets sucked into your injection pump. At the least, high vacuum draws through a partially-clogged filter are hard on the injection pump's internal vane pump.

Common wisdom is to simply change the filter after a couple of tanks of either B20 or B100 ~and~ carry a spare.

Biodiesel costs more, but it's value far exceeds it's price. You will like using it! Even in lower percentage blends, it cleans up the petroleum diesel smell of your exhaust quite a lot. If anyone wants the environmental and pollution rap, I can lay that on you too.

Big Bad Subaru wrote: I also found out the other night, that if it is late at night, all the gas stations are closed, and you aren't quite sure if you are going to make it home, you can go to the 24 hour food store and buy a gallon of veggie oil and make it home without having to walk Ran just fine, fired right up the next morning, and made it to the gas station to fill the tank with some of that yucky dino fuel...