AltFuel La Tortuga VO Build (1 Viewer)

[John Galt]

Be wary of blends greater than 20% VO. Older IDI engines like the Benz and non-turbo B and H series Toyota engines can handle cold blends, but anything else will become problematic as combustion chamber deposits build up. The deposits form during cold start and shutdown. Add up to 10% petrol to the mix to improve combustion of the VO.

Good articles on testing VO-diesel blends here: http://www.frybrid.com/docs.htm
and http://www.frybrid.com/bibliography.htm

for example:
Nwafor, O. M. I., and G. Rice. "Performance of Rapeseed Oil Blends in a Diesel Engine." Applied Energy 54, no. 4 (1996): 345-354, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0306-2619(96)00004-9.

 

[danakittilsen]

Just put 9 litres of my triple filtered and many months settled WVO into just over 60 L of ULSD. That's about 13%. I've only gone 70km but everything seems fine. I know that the worst damage might take more time to show up. But this is a good first step in my experiment.

 

[danakittilsen]

Also, I rarely cold start it as I just really enjoy using my Webasto. I figure any cold start even on ULSD isn't good for diesels. I'm also thinking the little bit of WVO I'm adding on that test run is just good lubricity that the diesel lost with the lack of sulfur.

 

[John Galt]

Anything up to 20% is OK according to the research, it's above that concentration that the coking problems begin.

 

[danakittilsen]

I'd like to run at least 50% out of my aux tank through the HEXs, but I don't think I will go all the way to 100% VO in my not bosch injection pump into my not IDI, not B nor older H series engine (though I suppose the 1Hd-t is some relative of the H, 2H, 12H iterations). I am getting brave, but I do want to be careful with my beloved 1HD-T.

 

[John Galt]

If you have two tanks then it's best to run a simple diesel purge system. As long as you start and stop on 95% diesel, the engine is OK running hot 100% UVO when it's up to normal operating temperature.

 

[Lasse]

Just to chime in.
Last summer in my HJ60 with an 2H engine, I run anywhere from 30-80% svo straight out of 1L bottles for a couple of months. Haven't noticed any damage as of yet and she started fine and puured fine

Defiantly loved the smell of taco and BBQ and all the odds looks from standing 20-40min outside the main entrance filling my tank from 1L rapeseed coocking oil bottles

 

[magnus_heydoc]

if it sits long enough it becomes completely dry.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

if you're running blends you will invariably clog more stock filters. RUG cuts the SVO so it blends and burns nicely even at >40%, however any saturated /goofy fats in your svo, (There is almost always a small amount ), will get caught in your filter.
I run 44% svo in my 'diesel' tank and start on it. Then switch to my 100% svo tank when hot. I change my stock (common filter to both tanks) at least 2x as often as my 100% svo filter.

 

[John Galt]

I cold filter the fuel blend through a 5µ filter as it's pumped into the vehicle tank, and any 'saturated /goofy fats' settle to the bottom of the cold storage barrel, or are filtered out, and don't get in the tank.

 

[danakittilsen]

Update: Pretty much got down to business. I am about 3/4 of the way through installing my system. Tonight or tomorrow I'll start posting up the pics.

 

[danakittilsen]

Update: I'm 15/16th of the way done the installation. I was foiled by one japanese sized hose and two fittings.
Here's what the engine bay looks like.
All that's left is to route the VO line from the FPHE through my temp sensor, into the valve. Find the right fitting to attach my diesel line to the valve another fitting and hose to attach a line from the valve to the stock filter!

But work is here again so that last little bit will have to wait another two weeks....

 

[Lasse]

Brass fittings or any other brass components don't mix well with VO! It will soon start to corrode and build up slough.
In my build I only use stainless steel or aluminum in every part contacting wvo. They are more expensive and harder to come by but worth every penny.
To do it as easy as possible I have desided to us AN fittings and hoses as they are either steel, ss or aluminum. Avoid mild steel aswell

 

[danakittilsen]

I have it from two sources who have been running WVO through brass fittings for ten years. No problems. Don't know what your issue was.

 

[Lasse]

It will react, I have seen it myself. But it will properly react so slowly that you won't see it nor feel it. A brass fitting is also such a small area with such high flow that it will never create big pieces, but if you are unlucky it will form big enough contamination that an injector might start to get trouble in the future.

I had a brass coupling half way exposed to unclean wvo and halfway exposed to air. That coupling looked nasty the next time I looked at it a few weeks later. Gone all corrosive with almost a greenish wool fur look to it. It went straight in to the bin.
Sorry, but I took no photos. You could try for your self if you want to or just ignore it. I don't think it will result in any catastrophic failure, but I for one I will avoid it in my system, staying to only use aluminium and stainless steel.

 

[danakittilsen]

That is interesting. Did you try it with clean, dry WVO?
Could the reaction have been with water or some cleaning agent that ended up in the dirty WVO?
I have two filters in the lines before anything would even get to my injector assembly.

 

[Lasse]

The question are as follows: is your filters before or after all your brass fittings?
Do you have a brass fuel pick up? That's a bad idea as it stay in oil being mostly still.

The wvo I used didn't have much water in it and no cleaning agent, but some salt and other contaminants that are normal to find in used vaste oil collected at a huge shopping center where all kind of restaurants and fast food joints dumps there used oil in the same container. I am happy tough as I can collect 200l a week. That's a full 55gal barrel

 

[John Galt]

I've used brass fittings with no problems; my truck's system is designed so the OEM filter remains in place just before the IP. I did replace the hose from the filter to the IP with Gates Barricade biofuel resistant hose. That hose is also used between the FPHE and the filter.

In those cases where corrosion of brass fittings was found, the fuel was wet [ie. more than 500ppm H2O], and usually tested corrosive with a copper strip [dull penny] test. Take a sample of the fuel in a jar and drop a dull copper penny into it. If the penny turns bright in a week, then the fuel is 'acidic' and will cause corrosion, especially if there is any water present. Fuel must be dry, any water will lead to corrosion as it picks up salts and acids in the UVO.
http://www.make-biodiesel.org/Quality-Testing/testing-for-water-in-wvo.html

 

[danakittilsen]

I still have the OEM filter down stream of my switching valves and the few brass fittings in my fuel line.
By in large, most of the brass you see in the photo is in coolant lines.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

Nearly all of my fuel system has been rebuilt by myself (4 different versions) using nearly all brass fittings. Currently my oem filter is still in place as a secondary filter downstream from a primary filter downstream from a FPHE downstream from a heated fuel pick up. This version works best. I have to change my primary filter around 1x/year or less.
My rig has been running SVO successfully without corrosion for over 10 years and likely over 100k kms.
Success leaves clues.