AltFuel SVO build up for my 3B

[magnus_heydoc]

I'm currently in the process of a build-up for my 40 converted to 42 series. Here's the skinny so far:

1) a)Aftermarket tank from Man-a-fre (21 US gal.), mounted above rear axle. Coated with POR to cut down polymerization.
1) b) 250w heat pad on bottom of tank.
1) c) aux. fuel pump to assist transfer pump (with a copper coil T'ed into the coolant feed and returns to the HFPU.
1) d) thermometer in tank. Simple cook thermometer from crappy tire with a compression fitting into the drain plug on the aux. tank.
2) Heated fuel pick-up (HFPU)
3) fuel lines and coolant feed and return to aux. tank all in the same insulated jacket.

4) Flat plate heat exchanger. Coolant heated.
5) raycor filter with a 50w heated sleeve.
6) 6-way GC valve
7) electric trace heater for hard injector lines.


So now I'm trying to decide the same things as many others about purge plumbing. It brings to mind a couple questions:

1)The raycor filter is pretty big. Does anyone know the capacity? It's got to hold more fuel than the stocker.
2)Most set ups have the purge return lines going to the filter input. I'm assuming this is avoid having a filter filled with 'cold honey' on next start-up. Since my filter has a heat sleeve maybe I could T into the filter putput , esssentially right before the valve?
3) my rig is 12 volts. How much amperage does the stocker 12v alternator put out? I'm guessing I'm getting close to my capacity by the time I turn on a fan, lights, wipers, 250w heat pad, 50w heat sleeve, aux. fuel pump, and heat tracer. (some lowlife ripped off my amplified stereo so there's no draw there!)

The GC people have an automated system for purging that's based on 30secs (i think). However, that's based on cars with little filters and lines. I'm wondering what time it might take to purge my rig.
I've seen some posts here that are suggesting 4-5 mins but gosh that seems long compared to the GC people.
Any ideas?

best
Aaron

 

[magnus_heydoc]

update

Ok so the tank is in; it definitely took lots of messing to get it in but it fits well and looks good.

I'm thinking I might add another alternator to handle the xtra load.

I'm thinking of replacing some of the rubber lines with stainless steel fuel lines and wrapping the tracer heat element on one of the final lines and insulating it. Somewhere along one of those stainless lines I'll add a thermo gauge to have a final temp check of veggie before it hits the injection pump.

Plumbing the FPHE and the HFPU is next as well as plumbing the solenoid and it's fuel lines.

Things are comming together. Another trip to the parts store this week; I can't believe how many parts runs I've made. It's ridiculous.

Aaron

 

[magnus_heydoc]

purging

So I was initially thinking I'd purge and clean out the veggie filter but the time would be WAY to long. I guess I'm going to depend on the sleeve heater to warm up the SVO. So I guess I'll T in at the veg filter input. I think I'll make the filter output of stainless steel and wrap the heat tracer to keep that final line before the solenoid warm.
I'm hoping to be all done in a week or two and post some pics.

 

[87 HJ60]

Can you take some pictures of your install as your install progresses?

 

[AH-1W Smitty]

I am thinking of doing the same thing to my BJ44. Any chance you can post some pictures or a diagram??

 

[magnus_heydoc]

pics by popular demand

I should be plumbed up completely by the end of today.
here's some pics until I get back from the garage....................

 

[magnus_heydoc]

more

these pics are not easily uploading for some reason. Most are 'failing' for some reason.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

more...........

I keep trying......


ok I've got it...................it's waaaaaaaaaaay easier if you compress'em

 

[magnus_heydoc]

more...........

more still; bear with me if I repeat some.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

pics

these 'y's were made by my 'mad scientist' friend Francis. He made one a vacuum and the other a 'pump' by modifying the inside walls. Silver solder was the technique. These will be used to plumb a coolant coil around my aux. fuel pump back by the new tank. I wanted an aux. pump to assist the stocker lift pump on the IP because even at the higher temps the svo will be thicker than diesel (slightly).

 

[magnus_heydoc]

more...........

Some were asking about a layout diagram so I snapped a pic of the roughy we're using. One thing that's not there is the ball valve that will restrict the veg return so as not to starve the IP.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

more...........

Here's the feed from the veg tank, into the FPHE and then into the filter. I thought this would be a good place to get some temperatures when running diesel. This place should get pretty hot and give me a good idea what temp the svo will be flowing at should I hit my solenoid switch.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

hard lines

It turned out convenient that the hard lines wrap over the FPHE so it'll pick up some heat on it's way to the valve. I wanted to hug the fender some as my next project will be a turbo.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

update

Here's a pic of the feed and return from the veggie filter to the valve. I used some insulating sleeves originally designed to go over plug wires and slid them over both feed and return hardlines in series and tapped the joints with alum. tape. Under the 'socks' on the feed portion closest to the valve is where I settled on strapping the trace heater. It traces the hard SS feed line from the valve back almost to where the lines have surface contact with the heat exchanger. It appears that feed line will be plenty hot and since the return /purge hard line is in the same route it should consolidate the heat in the loop. I put a ball valve in the purge line so I can adjust the pressure so as not to starve the IP.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

update

Alrightly, so I drove out and my rig is now in my driveway.

The HotFox HFPU gets the veggie fuel up to 106*F with just coolant alone according to the rear thermal probe.

I blew a fuse so there are a couple electrical gremlins to work out so I didn't get everything heating except those that are water heated.
It's interesting that in the event of electrical failure everything reverts back to running diesel by default which is a nice safety feature. When the solenoid has no power it's "normally open" and that means diesel feed which is nice if there's some failure somewhere.

It was really easy to get all the air out of the lines as I have the secondary electric pump. The little hand pump on the IP can go run and hide himself now.

So now I'm getting to work on building the home filtration system and getting some more temp. info from different spots.
It's intresting that the ball valve on the purge line is not needed. I though during purge that there would be a chance that the IP might get starved but it appears fine with all lines wide open at WOT.
More later..............
Aaron

 

[haryv]

Magnus,

What kind of temperature reading unit is that stuck to your blue dashboard?

I have one of those multi plate heat exchangers as you do. Also have a semi truck racor filter to filter down to 10 microns. Entire length of veggie supply hose have it sandwiched with house plumbing pex line.

Now I do not know what the temp of the fuel is at the outlet of the tank but it should be pretty warm.

For some reason after driving a while while the engine is fully hot the engine will start to sputter going down the highway running on wvo. I quickly switch over to diesel and it clears up. Twice the engine has died in the past. I perhaps need a vacume gage and a thermal temp gage to see what is going on.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The thermal gauge is a meat thermometer from crappy tire. It's cool cause if I needed to I can cook beef chicken , pork (NEVER eat pork!), or ground of any of the above on the road!.
It's magnetic so it works for me. It was 20 bucks so I got 2. One for my veggie tank and one to take temps at different spots under the hood.
Yeah, I understand the Raycor is the best so I went with one myself as well.

Right off hand it sounds like air in the line. Maybe check all your veggie line plumbing. It might not be hot enough either though. I'd be temped to get some thermometers and make sure you're at 150*F when it's entering the IP. I know some guys run at lower temperatures but I'd be inclined to try to emulate the viscosity of diesel and that only begins to happen at 150*F for veggie.


Totally guessing eh? So do some tests!
Aaron

 

[magnus_heydoc]

Update

I haven't posted for a while so here's the latest..................

FYI: I used the trace heater on the final veggie hard line and not on the hard injector lines.

So just to recap here's the layout in a nutshell:
1) Aux. tank mounted above rear axel with a HFPU (Coolant heat) and an electrical heat pad under the tank.
2) FPHE (coolant heat) feeding to a Racor
3) Racor with an electrical heat sleeeve to 6 way GC valve via SS hard lines that lay across the FPHE and then follow across the top the firewall and go in the valve.


I recently started getting temperatures from the 'common' line just before the stock filter using straight diesel fuel and it was only getting to just above 100 F. So I insulated more lines more thoroughly and it can get up to 120 F.
120F is not high enough in my opinion so I insulated the veggie filter and switched the coolant routing from the hot side to the veggie tank to the HFPU and then to the FPHE to..........
hot side-FPHE-HFPU; still no higher than 120F.

It appears I have A LOT of insulating to do as the probe in the line immediately after the fPHE was getting temps. over 140F and as high as 160F.

This is surprising to me but maybe I'm naive. I thought I was going to be too hot and have to turn off my electrical heaters!

If anybody out there has some experience and can see something I haven't by all means chime in.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

back from the garage............

So I'm thinking the thermostat is one for about 160F so I'm gonna see if there's one available for 180 or 190F. If it's that easy then I'm hoping the problem is solved. Until then I'll run 30-40% VO in the heated fuel system and about 15% in the stock portion.

 

[magnus_heydoc]

update

Ok so the thermostat didn't help but I re-routed and made the FPHE one step closer to the valve (it used to be before the filter now it's after)........temps are up over 160F at highway speed. Usually b/t 168-170F.

So today I assembled my in garage filtration system. After letting the WVO settle for a couple weeks here's how it goes:
1)45gal barrel with (4) 5" circular holes cut. 1" bung welded into the barrel bottom.
2)4 10micron polyfelt gravity bag filters.
3) 5 micron inline 'whole house' filter.
4) clear water pump.
5) water separator inline type filter
6) 1 micron 'whole house' filter.

It filters really fast.