AltFuel '84 BJ60 3B WVO build up thread

[MrMoMo]

OK folks, here we go.

I've got enough kit together now to start installing and fabricating stuff. I will document as much here as I can so anyone looking to follow will have a guideline on what I did... Learn from my mistakes.

I will try as best I can to post up my sources and costs for each of the parts that I use, keep in mind that I already have some stuff so I won't be purchasing every single piece.

So... you ready?

Here is the rig:

 

[MrMoMo]

This post will serve as the parts source/pricing post. (that way you won't have to hunt through the thread to find the bits & pieces)

The list so far...

Main components
VegMax heated filter, $215 - Plantdrive.ca
Oil hose for VO line, $2.38/ft - Partsource
Heater hose for coolant, $1.28/ft - Partsource
Hose clamps, $0.79 each - Canadian Tire
2" Foil tape, $4.97 -Home Depot
2" Foil pipe wrap, $7.97 - Home Depot
1-1/4" Foam pipe insulation for HOH line, 2@ $2.19 - Home Depot
3/4" Foam pipe insulation for return, 2@ $1.69 - Home Depot
24" x 48" x 22ga sheet metal (3) $14.99ea - Princess Auto


Accessories
Digital BBQ thermometer $8.99 - Canadian Tire
Water temp gauge with sender, $9.99 - Princess Auto
120V 1500W 9" heater element, $8 - Ebay

Oil Processing equipment
Heating pad (for warming cubies), $29.99 - Canadian Tire
12" Funnel $4.49 - Partsource
Cargo Bar (to keep cubies from sliding around after picking them up!), $7.99 - Princess Auto
120V 1500W 9" heater element, $8 - Ebay
Adaptor flange for heater element (to weld to steel barrel) $7.98 - Home Depot
Lower Thermostat for hot water tank (for de-watering) $12.98 -Home Depot
Duct Wrap 12" (foil insulation) to wrap de-watering tank) $21.87 -Home Depot
Styrofoam insulation "Handipac" (for under cubies & barrels) $9.97 -Home Depot
3/4" Vinyl tube, 10' (to see oil transfer) $7.99 - Canadian Tire
3/4" CPVC pipe $5.94 - Canadian Tire
CPVC Cement $4.99 - Canadian Tire
3/4" 90° CPVC elbow $0.63 - Canadian Tire
3/4" NPT to CPVC $0.82 - Canadian Tire
55Gallon plastic barrel - $0! (it just washed up one day) otherwise would have been about $20
55Gallon steel drum - donated by local dealership
Drill pump for oil transfer, $9.99 - Princess Auto
Goldenrod 10micron filter, $32.99 - Princess Auto
5Gal bucket strainers, 600,400,200,100 micron, $5.45 each +SH - Ebay

This is definately not a complete list yet!! (and man it's getting expensive!!)

 

[MrMoMo]

Ok... so the first step was obviously reasearching the heck out of WVO. Finding people who have done it, even finding a few people who have done it on the 3B powered BJ60. They are out there!

So, after much research, learning, arguing and mind changing here is the basis of my system.

VegMax coolant heated filter, mounted in Engine compartment as close as possible to lift pump

Hose on hose heating running back to an in trunk mounted, custom made steel tank. Tank will have a heat exchanger in it, as well as a 1500W 120VAC pre-heater for the cold mornings. Tank will be roughly 100L

Temp gauges up the wazoo. Temp gauge on the coolant feed line, and also a tank temp gauge (for now, it may prove useless...) I am also installing a temp probe on one of my injector feed lines, to help me determine purge time.

I am using a 6 port valve, even though it is not needed. Originally I had thought of looping the VO to return to the tank when not in use, to prevent any dead spots that are not heated. (and may do it in the future if it helps)

I am going to wrap the VegMax filter with coolant lines as I have heard that they become cool easily - I am also going to heat the output line all the way to the 6 port valve, and insulate all the line thereafter.

You will find that I post a lot of pictures. One thing I found frustrating in all the information I found was a lack of pictures. As the saying goes, a picture is worth... you know.

 

[MrMoMo]

The pictures begin.

I poked a hole in her! Started with a very small bit to determine exact location was OK from above and below. Once I determined it was ok, I got out the hole saw, and finished the hole off with a nice grommet. This hole will be one of the very few places that is not insulated, but it is a very short distance! This hole will locate the fuel lines right beside the tank when it is installed, and comes out just above the frame, so the lines will be easily secured under the truck.

 

[MrMoMo]

Up front, I plan to mount the VegMax filter off the fender, right beside the OEM filter. This is as close as I can easily mount it to the lift pump - and I think this will give me the most efficient use of the coolant heat.

 

[MrMoMo]

Here is the hose I am using, both for the VO and for the coolant.

 

[MrMoMo]

Here is the insulation for the Hose on hose, and the two hoses together, inserted in it.

 

[MrMoMo]

And the whole package wrapped in 2" foil tape. It seems to be about a 3:1 ratio for length wrapped... i.e. I got a 10' section wrapped with 30' of tape. The tape is good quality stuff, it sticks very well and went on nicely. It looks like I am building a rocket ship in my living room!

 

[MrMoMo]

Here is my "Injector Thermometer" On sale at CDN tire for $9! Runs on a AAA battery.

Installed on the dash (it's magnetic!), ran the wire through the firewall in an existing boot. The probe is foil taped onto the rear most injector line - about as far away from the heat as possible, and should be the last line to purge. This should come in handy to determine when the system is properly purged (the diesel is not heated), as well as give a better indication of what temperature the Veggie oil is being injected.

The injector lines will be insulated using the foil pipe wrap - Only R4, but better than nothing!

 

[MrMoMo]

Got a bit more done today, started fabricating the VO tank for the trunk. Princess Auto had sheet metal on sale - not dirt cheap, but it allowed me to make the tank for less than I could have one made. Because of the limited width of my cheap bending brake, I had to make the tank in two halfs - but it seems to be working out nicely as it allowed me to bend a baffle into one of the sides. I bought 3 pieces of 22ga 24"x48", using two to make the body and the last one to make the ends and the top.

The top of the tank will be removable, bolted or rivited down. I want to be able to service the insides, add/change heat exchangers etc.

 

[MrMoMo]

Another shot of the tank... there is excess material on the front of the tank that I will trim off when I tack the top frame in place. Just easier to leave it long for now.

I hope to have this mostly completed over the next few weeks so if you have an interest in this... stay tuned!!

 

[Tofudebeest]

Sweet build up. We're watching...

 

[brownbear]

the method with the lines looks good. I would then get the whole lot stuffed down a pipe or such to protect them. I thought if you used shop vac hose 2.5 inch or pvc pipe it would house them under the body nicely.

the thermometer on the injector might not give the whole story your after. The diesel will also be getting some heat off the IP. So it might not show the whole thing. As the engine will be transmitting a lot of heat to the head too.

I would instead put it on the fuel line going into the IP. The one after the 3 port valve. This way it will tell you the temp of the veg oil going directly into the engine.

try it the way you are thinking thou, I very interested to see if that indicates like your thinking.

 

[MrMoMo]

the method with the lines looks good. I would then get the whole lot stuffed down a pipe or such to protect them. I thought if you used shop vac hose 2.5 inch or pvc pipe it would house them under the body nicely.

I like that idea... I'll see what I can find.

the thermometer on the injector might not give the whole story your after. The diesel will also be getting some heat off the IP. So it might not show the whole thing. As the engine will be transmitting a lot of heat to the head too.

I would instead put it on the fuel line going into the IP. The one after the 3 port valve. This way it will tell you the temp of the veg oil going directly into the engine. .

Ahh.. but you see I am not using that one as the "turn veg on now" temp, more the "your system is now purged of hot oil" temp. I do still plan on having 2 other temp gauges in the system. I had planned on having one in the coolant and one in the tank, however I like the idea of one in the line just before the valve.

try it the way you are thinking thou, I very interested to see if that indicates like your thinking.

I have it installed (just need to remember the battery!) I am going to get some baseline temps with diesel, that way I will know what "normal" temp is. (un-insulated injector lines with un-heated fuel)

 

[MrMoMo]

Tank mostly welded - I have welded the ends on since the picture. Welding thin metal is a pain!

Don't expect much progress over the next few days, I'm travelling!

Managed to secure my 55Gal steel drum for processing the oil - I'm welding a fitting into it so I can thread in a 1500W 120V heater element.

I got the drum from the local VW dealer at no cost. (I know the owner ) Was used for new synthetic motor oil and is in perfect shape. Once the fitting is welded in I will insulate the whole thing and then start de-watering my oil. I have pre-filtered down to 100 micron into a plastic drum that is painted black and sitting in the sun. When I transfer from the plastic drum to the steel drum, I will filter to 15 micron.

 

[Wayneraintree]

good show man, I like it!

 

[MrMoMo]

Ok folks, an update on the digital temp probe on the injector line. I put a battery in it today for my drive to Toronto. It was about -10C when I left, once the truck was up to temp and I was running down the highway (100km/hr) the temp on the rear injector (still running diesel!) got up to about 15C. Continual running (I drove about 150km) got me up eventually to about 20 to 25C. At this point I stopped to get a bite to eat, shut the truck off and went inside... When I came back out the temperature had gone up to 45C - Quite a jump! That tells me that there is a LOT of heat loss due to airflow, both over the engine and over the injector lines. My goal here is to insulate the injector lines to protect against this heat loss... Within about a minute of re-entering the highway, the injector temp had dropped back down to 25C....

 

[canucksafari]

More likely the heat is carried away by the diesel in the injector line. Once you stop, you don't have cold diesel flowing in the line by the coolant line. Also, it is common for coolant temps to increase a bit for 10-20 miunutes after you stop, again, because there is no air flow in the rad to remove the heat quickly. I have heard that for the Aussies, this can be a problem in the 40 + temps if they don't let their vehicles - including non-turbo diesels - cool down a bit after a hard highway or trail run.

 

[MrMoMo]

More likely the heat is carried away by the diesel in the injector line. Once you stop, you don't have cold diesel flowing in the line by the coolant line.

I don't think you quite understand where the probe is. There is no coolant line there. It is mounted almost AT the rear most injector. I do agree that heat would not be carried away by the diesel as it is not flowing, but the engine heat is also not being carried away by airflow, over the engine or the rad. I believe this is the same reason that many gassers have carb cooling fans?

Project stalled slightly right now due to business travels, Headed to Mystic, CT next week, going to make a quick stop off at Greasecar for a visit!

I have about 55G of WVO filtered to 100microns, through the first set of filters (600,400,200,100) in a black barrel in the sun. Next step is to pump through a 15micron filter into a steel tank with a 1500W heater in it, cook it for 10-12 hrs then final filter before vehicle tank. (and hot pan test)

Stay tuned!

 

[magnus_heydoc]

3B SVO build up

I'm compiling my parts for a similar build-up at the end of the month.

I'm using an aftermarket fuel tank from Man-a-fre that will mount above my rear axle as my stock fuel tank is under th pass seat. I have a 40 series.
I planned to heat the tank with a pad heater.

I'll keep you posted and will be watching your posts.

best
Aaron