La Tortuga (1hd-t) VO Build
Veggie conversion
So I am reading and reading and reading about WVO conversions in Diesel engines.
I would like to say that I agree with Galt on holding my engine at a higher value than fuel savings, and I am not greedy. But I do want to be able to get the most out of this system, both by understanding it's limits and discovering the boundaries of acceptable risk.
Vehicle to be converted:
91 HDJ81 VX ltd
currently 230,000 km
Stock heated fuel filter (questions about this below)
Added:
Webasto (that can get my coolant up to operating temperature before I even start the engine)
Block heater
Oil Pan heater
My proposed set-up:
Two tank system: 24 Gallon Man-A-Fre aux fuel tank
HEXs: Hotfox coolant heated pick-up, VegMax2 coolant heated VO fuel filter, VegTherm (inline 12v heater). I was told with these components I wouldn't need a FPHE as well.
I'm using two 3 way valves. One for supply, one for return. They will be wired into a three way switch; positions: diesel for start (drawing from, returning to diesel tank), VO (drawing from, returning to VO tank) and purge (drawing from diesel, returning to VO tank)
I want to do the temperature gauge mod, so I have a better idea of my engine's temp, as well as having a second water temp gauge for my HEX coolant, and an oil temp gauge for my heated veg oil fuel (dual gauges are cool but outrageously expensive!!)
I'm hoping to have a secondary fuel gauge in my overhead console and wiring it as well as my OEM gauge to my switch so that my dash will be reading for whichever tank is active and the overhead console will read for whichever tank is inactive.
I am also trying to design two valves in my HEX coolant lines; I'm thinking cable controlled heater core valves that would let me shut off heat to my Hotfox and VegMax2 so that I can run diesel out of my second tank without burning it (lowering its lubrocity too much).
So now for the questions about my system:
Aux Tank:
Whereas the 1HD-T has the fuel pump downstream of the stock Fuel Filter, are there any ancillary fuel/lift pumps needed to pull out of a aux veg oil tank at the far end of the vehicle? My MAF 24 gallon aux tank came with a small electric pump, has anyone tried this option? Or, if a secondary pump is needed, nearer to the aux tank what would people recommend?
And as I addressed in another thread; trying to engineer a way to allow my aux fuel tank to be more flexible with the fuel type put in it, by controlling the heat to it's HEXs.
To understand more about this, I need to understand the dangers of having say my aux tank 1/4 full of clean dry (let's say 100%) VO, and needing to fill it the rest of the way with diesel.
Would I need 1/4 of the heat, to help with the VO viscosity and to prevent the loss of the Dino lubrocity? Or will the mixing diesel in thin out the VO enough?
What are the various properties of the blend spectrum?
Routing Coolant/HEX:
Keeping in mind that the webasto heats the coolant enroute from the engine to the heater core, I was thinking to T into the coolant line both before and after the heater core with adjustable valves. The T before the heater core will go into the VM2, out and to Hotfox. So the routing would look something like Engine>Webasto>VM2>Hotfox>return to far side of heater core. This creates the hot coolant/fuel counter flow.
I realize that most systems would have the heat exchangers in parallel, not series, but from the some of the advice I’ve received I should be able to rely on the 12V VegTherm heater for the final heating before the IP. yay or nay?
Routing Supply Lines/Filters:
Been thinking about Filters, clogging and purge times; Basically, been thinking that I run the diesel through it’s stock filter, and then into the supply valve, and I run the veggie through the VM2 then into the supply valve. This seems to be what Mr.MoMo is looking to do to reduce his purge times. Has he done this? Does this seem reasonable to anyone? Does anyone run veg through a coolant heated fuel filter then through their stock fuel filter? Cleaner oil? Clogging two filters at a time?
VegTherm Placement: put it inline between the switching valve and the injection pump/injection lines or in the veg supply line between the VM2 and the supply valve? Originally the first option would have required wiring the 12v heater to only power on through its temp sensor when the fuel selector was toggled the Veg (Aux Tank). Now that I’m looking at building my aux fuel system for variable heat settings depending on whether there is veg or diesel in the aux tank, I believe I’m going to need a separate switch to power the temp sensor, so that I can turn off the 12V heater if I’m pulling diesel out of the aux tank.
Installation Plan
First, need to address the coolant/heating issue:
Re-weight Fan Clutch viscous fluid (my fan seems to spin full out all the time, this cools my engine off drastically in the winter)
Do the temp gauge mod
install 2 temp gauges: Water temp, and Oil temp; water temp in line after the webasto, Oil temp in fuel supply line at 12v VegTherm.
Brackets for Valves, Fuel Filter (and FPHE if need be)
Run HoH lines
Remove Restrictor for Dual Filler Neck
Install MAF tank
Gosh, after all the proposal and questions the installation plan makes it look so simple! HAH!
Veggie conversion
So I am reading and reading and reading about WVO conversions in Diesel engines.
I would like to say that I agree with Galt on holding my engine at a higher value than fuel savings, and I am not greedy. But I do want to be able to get the most out of this system, both by understanding it's limits and discovering the boundaries of acceptable risk.
Vehicle to be converted:
91 HDJ81 VX ltd
currently 230,000 km
Stock heated fuel filter (questions about this below)
Added:
Webasto (that can get my coolant up to operating temperature before I even start the engine)
Block heater
Oil Pan heater
My proposed set-up:
Two tank system: 24 Gallon Man-A-Fre aux fuel tank
HEXs: Hotfox coolant heated pick-up, VegMax2 coolant heated VO fuel filter, VegTherm (inline 12v heater). I was told with these components I wouldn't need a FPHE as well.
I'm using two 3 way valves. One for supply, one for return. They will be wired into a three way switch; positions: diesel for start (drawing from, returning to diesel tank), VO (drawing from, returning to VO tank) and purge (drawing from diesel, returning to VO tank)
I want to do the temperature gauge mod, so I have a better idea of my engine's temp, as well as having a second water temp gauge for my HEX coolant, and an oil temp gauge for my heated veg oil fuel (dual gauges are cool but outrageously expensive!!)
I'm hoping to have a secondary fuel gauge in my overhead console and wiring it as well as my OEM gauge to my switch so that my dash will be reading for whichever tank is active and the overhead console will read for whichever tank is inactive.
I am also trying to design two valves in my HEX coolant lines; I'm thinking cable controlled heater core valves that would let me shut off heat to my Hotfox and VegMax2 so that I can run diesel out of my second tank without burning it (lowering its lubrocity too much).
So now for the questions about my system:
Aux Tank:
Whereas the 1HD-T has the fuel pump downstream of the stock Fuel Filter, are there any ancillary fuel/lift pumps needed to pull out of a aux veg oil tank at the far end of the vehicle? My MAF 24 gallon aux tank came with a small electric pump, has anyone tried this option? Or, if a secondary pump is needed, nearer to the aux tank what would people recommend?
And as I addressed in another thread; trying to engineer a way to allow my aux fuel tank to be more flexible with the fuel type put in it, by controlling the heat to it's HEXs.
To understand more about this, I need to understand the dangers of having say my aux tank 1/4 full of clean dry (let's say 100%) VO, and needing to fill it the rest of the way with diesel.
Would I need 1/4 of the heat, to help with the VO viscosity and to prevent the loss of the Dino lubrocity? Or will the mixing diesel in thin out the VO enough?
What are the various properties of the blend spectrum?
Routing Coolant/HEX:
Keeping in mind that the webasto heats the coolant enroute from the engine to the heater core, I was thinking to T into the coolant line both before and after the heater core with adjustable valves. The T before the heater core will go into the VM2, out and to Hotfox. So the routing would look something like Engine>Webasto>VM2>Hotfox>return to far side of heater core. This creates the hot coolant/fuel counter flow.
I realize that most systems would have the heat exchangers in parallel, not series, but from the some of the advice I’ve received I should be able to rely on the 12V VegTherm heater for the final heating before the IP. yay or nay?
Routing Supply Lines/Filters:
Been thinking about Filters, clogging and purge times; Basically, been thinking that I run the diesel through it’s stock filter, and then into the supply valve, and I run the veggie through the VM2 then into the supply valve. This seems to be what Mr.MoMo is looking to do to reduce his purge times. Has he done this? Does this seem reasonable to anyone? Does anyone run veg through a coolant heated fuel filter then through their stock fuel filter? Cleaner oil? Clogging two filters at a time?
VegTherm Placement: put it inline between the switching valve and the injection pump/injection lines or in the veg supply line between the VM2 and the supply valve? Originally the first option would have required wiring the 12v heater to only power on through its temp sensor when the fuel selector was toggled the Veg (Aux Tank). Now that I’m looking at building my aux fuel system for variable heat settings depending on whether there is veg or diesel in the aux tank, I believe I’m going to need a separate switch to power the temp sensor, so that I can turn off the 12V heater if I’m pulling diesel out of the aux tank.
Installation Plan
First, need to address the coolant/heating issue:
Re-weight Fan Clutch viscous fluid (my fan seems to spin full out all the time, this cools my engine off drastically in the winter)
Do the temp gauge mod
install 2 temp gauges: Water temp, and Oil temp; water temp in line after the webasto, Oil temp in fuel supply line at 12v VegTherm.
Brackets for Valves, Fuel Filter (and FPHE if need be)
Run HoH lines
Remove Restrictor for Dual Filler Neck
Install MAF tank
Gosh, after all the proposal and questions the installation plan makes it look so simple! HAH!
Last edited: