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i used the pollak 3way valve for several years, never a problem.  i bought it at local advance auto (or probly any other auto store).  it was relatively cheap but don't remember price.  aren't the hydraforce things relatively expensive compared to pollak?   "quality" is sometimes an issue, but pollak ones seem fine to me.  and then there's availability, price and simplicity of installation.   after all i'm doing this whole thing partly because i'm cheap or not wealthy.

Forum: Mercedes Benz Conversion

Under construction
Is using SVO as diesel fuel a new idea? 
It was demonstrated that early "diesel" engines could be run on a variety of fuels (including peanut oil) at the 1900 World Exposition in Paris, France. This was at a time when steam engines (and horses) were still the most common "prime movers".

What's the difference between straight vegetable oil (SVO) and bio-diesel?
SVO is Strait Vegetable Oil. Bio-diesel is SVO that has been chemically modified to lower its viscosity to the viscosity of Petroleum based diesel fuel. Or as close as possible. This is done to avoid problems associated with injecting high viscosity fuel into the combustion chambers of diesel engines such as piston ring coking. In order to use SVO as fuel it must either be heated or diluted with a solvent to lower its viscosity similarly.  Generally speaking commercial "bio-diesel" is actually a blend of 5-10% bio-diesel and petroleum diesel fuel since most engine manufacturers appear to believe that blends containing more bio-diesel than that will shorten engine life.

Can I convert a gasoline engine to run on SVO?
No. Only "compression ignition" engines can be converted. Gasoline engiens are "spark ignition" engines.

Can I convert any diesel engine?
While almost any diesel engine can be made to run using svo as a fuel nearly all will eventually develop problems that may significantly shorten the engines useful life. The better the conversion is engineered and the more adaptable the engine is to SVO the less the engines useful life will be shortened. 

Which vehicles are the best candidates for conversion?
Generally speaking the best candidates are older In-Direct Injection (IDI)diesel engines with in-line (rather than rotary) Injection Pumps (IPs). They are generally more "forgiving" and durable when run on VO fuel. Direct Injection (DI) diesel engines with deeply cupped pistons and In-line IPs would be second in line along with IDI diesel engines with rotary IPs. Many of the newer DI  diesel engines with sophisticated fuel injection systems have not yet been  converted long enough to provide a good idea of what long term problems may show up using current conversion technology.

Why aren't there more diesels running on vegetable oil?
Mainly because (unlike bio-diesel) there is no cooperation in the North American VO conversion industry. This severely limits the development and acceptance of the technology by the majority of potential VO fuel users and govt entities. Commercial use of VO fuel is currently limited by the risk/benefit ratio which in most cases is very high. However, there may be far more diesels running on VO than you realize. Few private individuals "advertise" that they use VO fuel since many choose not to pay the taxes due on any liquid fuel used on public roads.  And since using VO fuel in commercial truck fleets provides a major competitive advantage very few owners of converted fleets are willing to risk losing that advantage by allowing their competitors to discover they have a low cost fuel option available.

How hard is it to install a conversion kit?
It is a fairly extensive but straightforward project in most cases. If the kit comes with a good manual it is much less intimidating but it is still easy to get confused and discouraged. If you have very little mechanical experience and are not VERY familiar with the vehicle you are converting the best kits are those that come with free installation help over the phone. If you have some mechanical experience installing a conversion kit is about as difficult as replacing a timing belt and all the coolant hoses on your vehicle would be.

Will burning SVO damage my engine?
If you are smart about it the answer is only a little.
And that damage will be in the form of shortening your engines maximum useful life (between overhaus) by 5-15%.
If on the other hand you are not smart about how you run your engine on SVO it can shorten you engines useful life by 80% or more. 

How does power and fuel economy compare?
There is about 95% as much usable energy in SVO as in petroleum diesel fuel.
You will not notice any difference in power except at "Wide Open Throttle" however you will notice that a tankful of WVO fuel only goes about 95% as far  as a tankful of diesel fuel.

How do emissions compare?
In general some emissions (such as NOx) are slightly higher and some (like sequestered CO2) are significantly lower. So much depends on the engine, how it is tuned and operated, and how VO fuel is used that there is no definitive answer for this question.

Will this void my warranty?
Yes. In most cases any engine run on VO fuel will no longer have its' warranty honored.

How long does it take to get a return on my investment?
That depends on how much your conversion costs, what the MPG of your vehicle is, and how you value the time and effort it takes to collect and process wvo. If you use SVO as fuel the ROI is "forever" as it costs MORE than petro-diesel.

Is it legal to use straight vegetable oil as fuel?
All fuels used in the US must undergo a certification process before they are recognized as "legal" fuels by the EPA. This certification process is very expensive and so due to the lack of cooperation/organization of the VO fuel conversion "industry" is unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future. 

It appears that EPA recognizes it would be nearly impossible to enforce a ruling that VO is a non compliant fuel on the few individuals and businesses that sell or use VO as a fuel. It would certainly not be cost effective. And just as enforcing the legislation that makes producing and selling VO conversion kits questionably legal would probably not be perceived as a "good thing" by the general public during times when "alternative energy research and development" is being encouraged by nearly any politician (that has hopes of being elected/re-elected) the EPA appears to have solved the problem (of having the responsibility of enforcing a law that will discourage development of VO fuel) for the time being by officially stating that they "do not consider VO a fuel".   It may not make sense to the average person but it works in the legal sense as a completely legitimate loophole.

Where do I get my oil?
If you are trying to save money on fuel you will collect used (Waste) Vegetable Oil from local restaurants and filter/dewater it yourself.

How well do I need to filter and dewater my oil?
At a MINIMUM WVO/SVO to be used as fuel should be filtered to 10 microns and dewatered to 500 ppm (parts per million). 

What kind of vegetable oil can I use?
Nearly all common VO currently used for food can be used for fuel. If you have access to Non-Hydrogenated Canola (Rapeseed) oil it is probably the most preferred. But nearly any VO. WVO..or even animal fat can be used  (if you are smart about it) as fuel with very little shortening (no pun intended) of useful engine life.

What if you can't find vegetable oil?
Then converting an engine to use it as fuel might not be a good idea.

Can I modify my existing diesel tank to be used as the vegetable oil tank?
Yes. But usually it is simpler to use a different tank for VO.

I've read that some diesels and some injection pumps don't work well on SVO or WVO - is this true?
Rotary IPs are less tolerant of abuse than in-line IPs. The most common abuse IPs are subjected to involving VO fuel is switching to cold VO at high RPMs. If you avoid this even rotary IPS are unlikely to fail.  The VP44 IP is intolerant of heated fuel and so is probably not well suited to VO conversion.

Will stored vegetable oil go bad?
Like most other organic compounds VO will oxidize over time. This will cause it to smell rancid and eventually to begin to polymerize. Polymerized VO will clog filters so if you suspect that VO may have "gone bad" filter it before using.  To store VO long term seal it in plastic containers with NO air sitting on top of the oil.  Because VO can polymerize over time special considerations have to be made if a converted vehicle is to be stored for any significant length of time.

How well does it work in cold weather?
If a conversion is engineered to liquefy solid VO in the lines and tank as quickly as the engine warms to operating temp cold weather ..even sub zero temperatures are not a problem. 

What if I forget to "Switch back to diesel"?
If you engine does not cool too much before you restart it the only effect is that a small amount of VO will have blown past your piston rings. This will contaminate the lube oil and form a small amount of coke in the ring grooves. If you do this too often it will significantly shorten your engines useful life.

If your engine cools down too much with VO in the fuel lines you may not be able to re-start it without hauling your vehicle into a heated garage and warming the engine up with heaters enough to liquefy the VO.

Why do you need to use a "two-tank" system?
Most other options tend to significantly shorten engine life. But in some specific situations the econoomics of a "one tank" running wvo or a VO/diesel blend may outweight this.

How do I filter WVO before it goes into the tank?
There are lots of options.
Depending on how much you want to invest in processing equipment it can be as simple as a drum with a filter sock or as complex as a centrifuge. No matter how you process wvo you should filter it to at least as fine as your stock fuel filter and dewater to less than 500ppm.

What is the Carbon Footprint of using Waste Vegetable Oil as fuel?
No definitive answer is possible.
Probably about 1/4 to 1/8 that of petrodiesel.

I only drive short distances each day. Does buying a diesel car and converting it to vegetable oil make sense for me?
Probably not. Even when run on petroleum based fuel diesel engines are not designed to for short running periods and using them in this manner tends to significantly shorten their useful life. And running VO as fuel in a diesel not yet up to operating temperature significantly shortens useful engine life even more.

How much does it cost to convert a vehicle to WVO?
A basic but well engineered conversion can cost as little as $600 or as much as $2000. The more "bells and whistles" a conversion has the more it generally costs. Don't forget that in addition to the conversion cost there is the cost of collecting and processing equipment.
 
Don't the Fats in WVO clog up the engine?
No. But fats and hydrogenated oils in wvo CAN clog filters and fuel lines if they have a crystallization temperatue below ambient air temperatures.
 
Can SVO be in the crankcase as well as in the fuel tank?
It's been done but it is not reccomended. SVO can polymerize without warning in the crankcase and turn to a solid which cannot be circulated to the places requiring lubrication....ruining the engine.
 
Is there any real difference in conversion kits or is it all hype?
While there is a LOT of hype" provided by kit vendors there are some very real differences in conversion kits. It is best to independently verify ANY kit vendors claims. Remember the information that vendors provide both on ther websites AND in forums is advertising. Those claims are primarily intended to sell their product and is therefor unavoidably biased in their favor. Sometimes unreasonably so.
 
Why does the EPA discourage use of SVO as a fuel?
As a practical matter I have seen little evidence that they currently discourage use of VO as fuel. However, the EPA is a regulatory agency and so has the obligation to enforce laws which the federal legislature has enacted. The Clean Air Act requires that all fuels undergo testing to prove that they do nto roduce higher emmissions than allowed under the CAA. These tests cost well over $1,000,000 and are not paid for by the taxpayers.  I am certain that once VO fuel usage reaches a level where the EPA believes the industries that derive a profit from VO fuel can afford to pay for this testing they will require it. At this point however the EPA has officially stated that VO is not considered a fuel.
 
Do I have to pay taxes on WVO fuel?
Yes. In most cases both Federal and State "fuel taxes" are due on any liquid fuel used on public roads. This include VO. In a few cases states have provided fuel tax exemptions for VO fuel.
 
What about DieselSecret? Is it a scam?
That appears to be the general opinion.
 
I want to run a generator on WVO and use the engine heat to warm my home. Can I do that?
Yes. This is generally referred to as "Co-Generation".
 
Why convert? Can't I just mix WVO with diesel fuel?
Most research on this subject indicate that at levels of more than 20% VO such blends result in fairly rapid piston ring coking and that even at lower percentages useful engine life is significantly reduced. Some individuals report that higher percentages of canola wvo from which fats have been removed can be used longer term if the blend is only used once the engine is up to operating temperature. This requires a "partial conversion" of the fuel system.

Can I run a generator on wvo?
Yes.

What is the best generator to convert to wvo?
 Generally low speed diesels (like "listeroids") work best for this however in all "constant duty" applications modifications not required for most vehicular conversions must be incorporated to provide for long useful engine life without frequent engine dissasembly to remove carbon deposits.

Can I run my furnace on wvo?
Fuel oil furnaces CAN be converted to wvo. Doing so may effect your home insurace coverage however.

How much imported oil could we replace with svo/wvo?
Theoretically wvo could replace 5% -8% of the crude oil imported into the US currently. Using oilseed SVO could (again theoretically) replace up to 25% of the crude oil currently . If algal oil were developed to the point of economic viability SVO could replace up to 90% of the crude oil currently imported into the US.

What is PPO? WVO? SVO? UVO? Are they the same?
PPO and SVO refer to unused oil from plants. UVO and WVO refer to plant oil that has been used and which often contains animal fats.

Is using SVO more energy efficient or carbon neutral than using biodiesel?
Yes. The most definitive information I can find indicates that SVO is from 25-50% more energy efficient and carbn neutral than biodiesel.

Will I get the same MPG on SVO as diesel?
There is approximately 5% less energy in a gallon of svo compared to petrodiesel. So MPG will probably drop by about 5%.

I am a farmer..can I grow all the fuel I need?
It is theoretically possible but in practical terms only about 80% of the fuel used on most farms can be "home grown". 

I own a small fleet of trucks. Does it make sense for me to convert them to wvo?
There are too many variables for a definitive general answer to be accurrate.
For SOME businesses it can make economic sense to convert some or all of their truck fleet to WVO. For most it does not. However in a competitive business environment with rising fuel costs it can be a positive business strategy to run even 10% of a fleet on WVO.

How hot is "hot enough"?
The general concensus is that VO combusts best at temperatures in excess of 250F. However since many fuel system components will fail prematurely at this this temperature care must be taken to not allow VO temp to exceed the maximum temperature of these components. In most conversions this is accomplished by progressivly heating the fuel as it travels from the fuel tank to the injector and not heating VO fuel higher at any point than the design temp of the component it is passing through.

Is there any manual available on how to convert my diesel to SVO?
While there are several publications (both paper and electronic) that address conversion of diesels to VO fuel GENERALLY there are few if any that are specific enough to use to convert any specific engine.

I want to convert a bus for my band. How do I do that?
If you have lots of cash available you contract with an existing VO conversion company to do that for you. For best results check to make certain that tey have doen this before and that their customers are happy long term with the conversion. If you are on a limited budget you will have to research, develop, and install your own conversion.

I want to live off grid and use WVO for all my energy needs. Can I do that?
Yes. WVO has been used by individuals for energy for transportation, electrical production, and heating and cooling purposes.

I have a Lovecraft conversion but I want to upgrade it cause I'm moving to a cold climate. Can I?
Yes. The upgrades may be fairly extensive depending on how how cold the climate is where you are moving AND what kind of engine life you hope to achieve.

I have a boat I want to convert to WVO..is it hard?
Converting a diesel boat to VO fuel is about as hard as converting a diesel truck. The process of re-fuelling it may be a bit more complicated if you do not have your own private docking facility however. If you have a gasoline engine then the first step is replacing the engine with a suitable diesel engine.  This is a much simpler process with a boat than a car or truck.

What is polymerization? Why is it a problem?
When VO is exposed to oxygen VO undergoes a chemical reaction which slowly turns it into a sticky plastic-like substance that plugs fuel filters. This reaction is normally very slow but if enough oxygen and heat is added the rate of reaction that might take months or years at normal ambient condictions can occurr in days. Polymerized VO can become a problem if you store VO at high temps in an oxygen rich environment or if you leave vo in the fuel tank and lines during long term storage of a converted vehicle.

What are the basic parts I need to convert a diesel engine to WVO? 
For a two tank conversion such a list might include;
A second fuel tank, a heated fuel pickup, heated fuel lines, solenoid or maual fuel valves, a heated fuel filter, a coolant fuel heat exchanger (FPHE), a pressure/vacuum guage, dash switch(s), electical relays, insulated copper wire, and possibly a fuel temperature guage, electric fuel pump, and/or injector line heaters.

Forum: General FAQs

http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/1993/mercedes/300d/cooling_system/auxiliary_water_pump.html
$53
Same as used in Mecedes cabin heating loops.

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