AltFuel La Tortuga VO Build (1 Viewer)

[Lasse]

Must been my oil that was acidic or something.
Out of curiosity could one of you unscrew one brass fitting used with oil and look how it looks inside? If it involves a lot of hassle involving bleeding, then never mind.
Sorry if this is OT Dan, no intention ruining your build thread. Btw, was your ancestors Scandinavians?

 

[danakittilsen]

No worries, Lasse. Meant I learned something!
Indeed, my grandfather, Thor, jumped off a ship from Norway in Halifax.

 

[Lasse]

Yeah, tough I had seen that last name before. I might even know one of your relatives over here
Enough off topic from me for a while, lets get back to Cruisers

 

[danakittilsen]

Any one have a quick idea what size the fuel hose to the OEM filter and then to the IP is on a 1hd-t?
I'm stuck out in a work camp for another 10 days...

 

[John Galt]

Any one have a quick idea what size the fuel hose to the OEM filter and then to the IP is on a 1hd-t?

3/8" 10mm Use Gates Barricade biofuel hose.
That hose may have banjo fittings. The banjo fittings can be removed from the OEM hose by clamping the fitting in a vice, and very carefully making a 45° diagonal cut across the hose crimp with a file and hacksaw. Then use vice grips and a screwdriver to pry the crimp off. Pad the vice jaws so the faces of the banjo fitting don't become scarred. The metal washer at the end of the hose is part of the banjo fitting [not the crimp]; take care not to nick it.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

Dana,
If you're blending ULSD and SVO in my experience you must also blend in some RUG or you will have problems with glow plugs and clogging filters.
Just my experience.
aaron

 

[danakittilsen]

No banjo fittings. It's bigger than 3/8", I'm sure. The 3/8" gates lines that I have would not fit. Which is why I ask.

 

[danakittilsen]

Well, with a lot of work I got the 3/8" line on the stock fitting and really squeezing down the hose clamp got that stretched out line onto my valve fitting.

Tested the aux tank on diesel. Took a bit to get it primed up, and it was working fine, but occasionally seems to starve for fuel especially if i've shut down on aux, or just after start up if I haven't run on the aux for a while. Either it looses prime, or my IP pump has trouble getting it through two filters?

I'm thinking first, to install a check valve just above my hot fox, to see if the fuel is draining back out of the line.

 

[danakittilsen]

As for testing temps
Coolant temp: quickly climbs to 160°F and stays here pretty steadily.
Fuel temp: a little slower to climb up, but I see 140-150°F

First step, I want to see if I can improve my insulation. Then I want to make a plan for my VegTherm if I need to use it. Preferably on a coolant line, Pre-FPHE. I have both a temperature sensitive switch and a hard switch option available.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

I just got back from my camp on the coast. My old 85 BJ60 got 11L/100kms over 1500kms. I blend in 44% SVO and 11% RUG which gives me 6L/100kms or 47mpg (imperial gal.)

 

[danakittilsen]

Damn! That's good mileage, Aaron. I've got my fuel delivery problem figured out. My HotFox came with an brass extension nipple that I found in my parts box. When I dropped the tank and pulled the pick up, I found that I was about an 2" from the bottom of the tank (the fuel issue was happening when the tank was below ¼, I wasn't filling it up so I would have less diesel to burn through when it was time to run it on VO).
I added the extension and viola!
I re did some of my insulation while I was there, and am planning on making some neoprene cozys for my HEXs to try and ensure as little heat loss as possible.

 

[danakittilsen]

Now back to my temp issues.
I am not seeing any temperature on my VM2(heated filter housing) or my Hotfox. These are both located at the rear of the vehicle.
I have a line that Ys off from my coolant line, 1 to my fphe and 1 to my two rear HExs; first to the VM2 and then down to the hotfox.
The return line comes from my hotfox and straight back to return to the engine.
Possible air lock in that rear loop, no heat left in the coolant by the time it reaches the rear (the bundle is insulated from engine bay to rear quarter panel), possible I hooked the supply and return lines up reversed(there should still be some heat?...).

I have a lot to ponder, especially after reading a post about coolant flow/direction. Cold into, and out of the bottom, cold into the top hot out the top (I'll have to reread that other thread again).
Something to do for the next week and a half of work.

 

[John Galt]

I suspect it's most likely an 'air lock'. The hotfox only needs to warm the UVO so it flows freely, so the VM2 is likely only adding resistance which would make the 'air lock' more difficult to dislodge. You could try disconnecting the return from the hotfox loop, extending it with some tubing, and letting it flow into and out of a bucket until there are no more bubbles.

For the FPHE connections:
hot coolant in, and hot fuel out, at one end
and both cold streams in and out at the other end.

 

[danakittilsen]

The FPHE is connected fine and I'm currently using it to heat a 44/44/10% blend up to about 130°f. Which is working fine, so far.

I don't see the VM2 being that much of a resistence, its a fairly straight through HEx, not like a FPHE.
But I will be trying to bleed out any air lock there as soon as I get home.
I want to get that rear loop hot before I run even a higher blend, let alone 100%

 

[danakittilsen]

So, as i documented in my over-all La Tortuga Build, I replaced my thermostat, and replaced my sunpro gauges with the Madman EMS1.
My rear loop is getting heat now.
I'm getting the proper temperatures on my coolant side, and on my fuel side.

Time to go for 100%!!

 

[danakittilsen]

Put about 80L into my aux tank today (there would have been a few litres of diesel still left in it), but I'm still gonna call this the first run on 100% UVO.

Saw good temps of 63-68 degrees C on the oil, from ~75 C on the coolant.

Everything ran like a top, and the exhaust wasn't nearly so stinky!

 

[danakittilsen]

I don't know what happened, but I really slacked off on documenting the rest of this build.
Figure better late than never to share the photos I've got of the install.

 

[danakittilsen]

Prepping the underside to receive the tank, splicing the dual filler neck in, running the fuel and coolant line bundle.

The Vegmax2 placement in the rear quarter panel, where the stock jack (now completely useless with 2.5" lift and 35s on) used to live. The heated fuel filter fit so nice and tidy here. But in retrospect, maybe not the smartest placement. Have only had to change it once so far because of clogging. Then installed a hose on the drain barb underneath, so I can drain the filter out the back of the tail gate.

 

[danakittilsen]

Insulated and wrapped fuel/coolant lines bundle

This is the aux tank fuel gauge. Not my favourite design. 4 green LED lights indicates full. The fifth light at Empty is red, and then starts flashing as the low fuel warning light. The original set up for this tank is as a transfer tank. Tricky because it is the same size as the stock tank on the 80s. That button to the left is to activate the transfer pump. I had a mind to use it to activate the vegtherm 12v inline heater, but that never made it into my installation. I currently use the button as a Neutral Safety Circuit for my 5spd swap allowing me to access my cruise control.

Mounting positions around the engine bay
All the lines I can reach in the engine bay are now insulated as well.

 

[danakittilsen]

I'm showing 315xxx on the clock currently, from that last picture I had 233xxx on the clock when I did the install. I don't get to drive on 100% only, and certainly I run blends some of the time. But I've put of over 75,000kms with only one clogged filter. Injectors were pretty foul when I pulled them, but they were also twice over kms for scheduled maintenance.
Main thing to report is truck is still performing beyond my wildest expectations as far as reliability, capability, power, fuel economy, providing access to adventure, and getting me the girl.