Fattywagons

Fattywagons.com

Vegetable oil is affordable earth friendly fuel !

If you own a Diesel car, truck, motorhome, boat, tractor or generator, you can likely use WVO as fuel. Most of the time two tanks are used, one for WVO the other for petroleum diesel. Our products use engine coolant and electricity to heat the WVO. Start on regular Diesel fuel, then once things are all warmed up switch to WVO, and then you're drivin' for peanuts. Or on peanut oil that is. Some vehicles (mainly 77-85 Benz and a few other older IDI engines) can operate on WVO 100% of the time as long as you are in a reasonably warm climate.

Will 100% WVO work in all Diesel engines?

Sorry but the answer is no. If you have a newer Diesel engine (late 1990's and newer) and want to use WVO for fuel, we recommend using a mix (cocktail) of WVO and pump diesel with our system.

What are the environmental benefits of using WVO?

The first benefit is that sulfur (which causes acid rain) is eliminated since WVO contains no sulfur. Co2 emissions (which are blamed for global warming) are nearly eliminated because WVO is a renewable fuel. Emissions of other pollutants like HC and CO are reduced by about 30% - 50% when compared to petroleum Diesel. One of the most beneficial reductions is that black smoke (particulate) is significantly reduced by 50- 70%. Soot from petroleum fueled Diesel engines is carcinogenic and can cause serious respiratory problems. Generally the engines Nox emissions remain unchanged.

How will my engine operate on WVO?

When you use WVO as fuel you'll notice your engine will, run quieter, cooler, and make less black smoke than when it is running on petroleum Diesel.

Will WVO give me the same power as Diesel fuel?

Once the engine is warmed up there is usually no distinguishable change in performance. In fact some tests have shown a small increases in power, but this can vary, and depends on the quality of WVO you are using.

Why should I use WVO?

This one is simple, using WVO can save you money and it's much better for our environment than petroleum fuel. Our friend Bill commutes 220 miles a day in his 300D turbo Benz... That's 1,100 miles a week... over 50,000 miles per year... Using WVO saves him over $20.00 a day, $100.00 per week, $400.00 per month, $4,800.00 per year! For the price of just a few tanks of diesel you could be like Bill and drive for free!

Why doesn't everyone use WVO?

Using WVO is not for everyone. You will need to collect the WVO, some time and people skills are required. Some folks think used cooking oil is offensive. We like to think of collecting WVO as a money making opportunity. It usually take less than 1 hour to gather over 100 gallons of WVO. If you do the math that equates to $200 - $300 per hour for your effort. Also changing filters, learning how to purge your fuel system, and finding good WVO can be a little messy and takes some time. WVO sometimes smells, but then again not near as bad as petroleum Diesel. If you are going to use WVO for fuel you must need to learn the difference between good and bad WVO and how to collect it properly. Finally you really should take some time to understand how your Diesel engine works. Although it is unlikely, there can be some mechanical risks with using WVO as fuel. Clogged injectors and sticking piston rings are possibilities. Usually any mechanical problems can be traced to using poor quality WVO, or improper operation or installation.

Why use injector line heaters?

Remember there are two reasons for heating the WVO. The first is to get it to flow through the supply lines and pass through the filters but, the main reason for heating the WVO is to provide good atomization at the injector and combustion in the cylinder. When the WVO is hot the combustion is much more complete. So while your WVO may be at 160-180 as it enters the injection pump, temps can drop to 120 or lower by the time it gets to the injectors, this worsens in colder weather. As far as we know we have the only system that address this basic problem. Our WVO systems uses an electric resistance heater on the injector lines just prior to the injectors. Our heater applies heat directly to the injector lines and heats them to about 220 - 280F . This is hotter than anyone else's system. I can tell you this really makes a huge difference, smoke is much less at idle, power is improved even emissions are much lower. Overall the injectors stay cleaner longer. Using an electric heater is a bit of a contradiction for us (we like to use coolant for heating) but our injector line heater applies heat directly to the injector lines and only draws about 7 amps (this is usually less than a pair of aftermarket driving lights) so there is minimal additional load on the charging system. Let us know if you have any questions.

Our theory on loop return VS On Demand system.

The first thing to consider is that engine manufacturers have spent many years perfecting diesel engine injection systems. These systems are specifically designed to use Diesel fuel. Most stock diesel fuel systems use a tank return to purge air air from the fuel systems. Tank return systems generally circulate many times the volume of fuel that is being consumed by the engine. While circulation is OK for Diesel circulating too much veg oil can cause problems. If you are researching VO fuel systems you will likely hear the term loop return. This is a solution some folks came up with to avoid circulating large volumes of VO back to the fuel tank . The reason loop return is often preferred is that it retains more heat in the system under the hood instead of returning the heat to the tank @ the rear of the vehicle. it is also easier on the filters since only the fuel being consumed by the engine passes through them. The down side of a loop return system is that if ANY air enters the system it will often result in the engine quitting or running poorly. To solve this problem we advocate the use of an on demand system. This system works much like the fuel system on a carbureted gasoline engine. It maintains fuel pressure on the IP but does not circulate large volumes of fuel. As the fuel is consumed it is replaced by new fuel. A small orifice is used to purge air from the system. This small volume of flow back to the tank results in trapped air being removed from the loop return system. I hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions just drop me a line.

Q: Tell me why your system is better than Greasel or Greascar.

I get asked all the time to compare our products to other WVO conversion kits. Tell my why your system is better or best? At Fattywagons we really don't like to talk bad about someone else's products. We think it's better for you to get the facts, then you can make good decisions for yourself. That's why we're the only company that provides links to other conversion suppliers web sites. We encourage you to visit our competition and compare our products to theirs. We don't want you as our customer because you think we are the only game in town. We want you as our customer because you are informed and see that we offer some of the best value and quality WVO products available. In other words, we want you to feel good about your purchases with us. Compare our A-1 filter to the competitions filters. We had to design and make it ourselves because there is nothing else like it available. The filter inside is huge but the housing is compact . The cartridge has several times the filtering area of most other filters. Replacement elements are cheap and available (cost is about $10.00 ea). We are also the only company that makes injector line heaters. Our heaters heat the WVO right before the injectors. Most kit suppliers make a big deal about getting the WVO up to temperature but they don't address the heat losses that happen in the injector pump and injector lines. Our aluminum hose in hose and Tanktherm work well for heating. We also offer our 100 and 300 watt Electrotherm heater for folks who prefer using the charging system for heating, which can sometimes make more sense when you need heat before the engine gets warmed up. So you make the choice but I bet you won't see a link on anyone else's site to ours anytime soon...

Erik Wrote:

Its Erik from Santa Cruz that you sent the single tank kit to for my 84
300 Turbo.

After installing my kit and doing all the work on it I have realized that, however difficult it seemed , it was actually very straight fwd and simple. I ended up bolting instead of welding my brackets in place allowing for easier adjustments.

I have now logged a few hundred miles on my single tank kit and am
loving it. Everything seems to be running fine.
Thanks so much for all the help you have given me and the wonderful kit. I am a very satisfied costumer and have a few people sold on your kits already.

John Writes:

I have been using your injection line heater very successfully to run veg oil since last summer. I didn't use a heated fuel filter. Finally the weather here got too cold for just the injection line heater. Mine still works fine, but the weak link is that once it gets really cold, the veg oil quickly clogs my unheated fuel filter. I'm going to switch to two tanks and run a tank heater and heat exchanger on the fuel filter. I'm working on that now, and will be ordering your tank heater once I get my second tank. I might be able to get by on one tank and a heated fuel filter, but I'm sort of punch drunk on clogging filters. Now I like the idea of being able to switch back to regular diesel if things get too cold, I get a clogged filter, or if things otherwise go wrong.

I also want to mention that I drained the Veg oil out of my attempted single tank system and returned to straight diesel pending getting my second tank system going. The past few mornings have been icy cold. As an experiment I turned on the injection line heaters to heat up the lines before engaging the glow plugs. The engine seems to start instantly! It is a startlingly better start performance than with just glow plugs. No more freezing weather hesitation! The engines starts as though it has been completely warmed up.

Just wanted you to know I'll be keeping the injection line heaters in my system no matter what. With the straight diesel, I turned off the injection line heaters just after I got the engine started. When running Veg oil. I'll keep them on.

Sincerely, John Sheffield

Randy Writes:

By the way, I'm really stoked on this heater! My injector tubes are
finally hot and I swear the engine runs stronger! It heats up
quickly, also, and I feel much better about starting the engine in
the morning. I've been letting it heat for a minute or two before
hitting the starter.

Thanks! Randy

Mike wrote:

Sorry to have taken so long, but here (finally) are some photos of my Fattywagons system on my 2000 F250 Ford 4x4. The WVO tank is a 26-gallon aluminum tank from West Marine and I've enclosed it in an insulated, pressure-treated-lumber box since I plan to plow snow in sub-zero temperatures here in Michigan.

I installed the system at the end of August, and as of this writing I've gone approximately 6,000 miles with no issues to speak of. I run about 5-10% diesel in my WVO tank for the summer/fall. I'll bump that up a little for the winter, maybe to 50/50. We'll see.

I get my WVO from six different restaurants, half are Chinese and half are American restaurants. I store the WVO in a 55-gal drum and pump it through a 10-micron filter when filling my truck's WVO tank. The original 10-micron filter that is part of the Fattywagon system is still in use, and the filter's vacuum gage still reads less than 5 inches of vacuum from the fuel pump. My truck seems to run pretty much the same on WVO as on diesel - no noticeable change in power or fuel economy.

The truck warms up quickly, and I can switch over to grease in about 2-3 miles of driving. With the line-in-line fuel heater and insulated WVO tank, I can shut the truck off for up to 3 hours without having to switch back to diesel. As the weather cools that 3-hour window is diminishing. Purging the grease for a shutdown takes about 3-5 minutes - I switch over to diesel about 3 miles from home, and I haven't had any problems yet.

So... so far so good. I'm still crossing my fingers that the long-term results will be as good as the short-term. The Fattywagons system is doing a fantastic job, and you're welcome have current or potential customers contact me if they have any questions.

Regards, Mike

Q: What is Diesel Secret Energy (DSE) and what does it do and how does it work?

Lately we have been getting questions about DSE. Most folks want to know how and why DSE makes WVO work without a heating system. We purchased some DSE and are waiting for our order to arrive. From what I understand DSE may act as a thinning agent for WVO? Once it arrives we'll mix some up with WVO and do some testing for cold weather performance. Even if you do decide to use DSE you will still need to filter the WVO. You might consider using our filter as you drive concept, since filtering can be messy and takes time. Also heating the WVO will help it flow through the filters and an injector heater will still improve combustion. Finally the real test of how DSE works is finding out if cold WVO treated with DSE will cause coking of the injectors over time. This will require inspections over a few years and thousands of miles of driving.

Q: One tank or two?

I was looking over your site and system and am interested in
installing one on a '82 300SD that I have recently purchased.
I just had a couple of quick questions about the operation.
Assuming that my thermostat is working properly, what is
typical warm up time for the WVO? How long should one allow for
the purge before shutdown? During the purge cycle, is some of
the WVO going back to the diesel tank? If yes, how much?
Finally should I consider a one tank system?

Thanks for your time, Tony

Hi Tony,
I would suggest a one tank WVO system for the Benz as long as
you live in relatively warm climate..
The upsides for the one tank system are:
No switching back and forth...
Cheaper and easier installation...
No second tank...
Downsides are:
Must have good glow plugs to start even in warm weather....
Must add at least 5% gasoline or 20% or higher diesel in the
mix for cold weather operation.
Not recommended for DI engines or engines with a weak injection
pump...(GM, FORD, Dodge / Cummins and others)
Recommend injector inspection at time of install and additional
inspections every 20K miles.

Time for warm up on the 2 tank system is usually 3-10 min....
depending on the outside temps... Purge time is usually about 1
minute. Yes, about one cup of WVO is sent back to the Diesel tank each time you purge the system. We always recommend replacing the thermostat if the existing one is more than a year or so old. The problem is not overheating but under heating. Benz thermostats tend to let the coolant leak past, thus not bringing the engine up to temperature. A new / good thermostat should take care of this problem and heat the engine in just a few minutes time.

Q: How do I get good WVO?

A: Start by looking at the grease behind the restaurants in your area. Restaurants that deep fry food are likely to have the best stuff. Sushi, Chinese, Fish and chips, Donut houses, Mexican (they usually deep fry the chips) are all good places to look. Burger houses may have good fry grease but they usually dump in the stuff from the grill with it. You will quickly notice that all grease is not the same. Some grease will look like piles of lard and smell really bad. Just move on, this grease is not for you. Some other grease will be liquid but will have stuff floating on the top that looks like little foam islands on the top, we call these "Floaters". WVO with Floater can be OK as long as the grease is good and liquid under the top layer. Some WVO will be slightly brown color, liquid and somewhat clear, with nothing on the top (usually great grease) Take some samples, put them in plastic water bottles so you can look at them. Ask the cook what kind of grease they are using, what they cook in it and how often they change the oil. Frequent cooking oil changes are preferred. Soy, peanut, cotton seed, and rapeseed are the preferred oils. Avoid linseed oil, it will not work. Most fry oil is a blend of soy and peanut oil. If you can get a few gallons, filter it, put it in your WVO tank and go for a drive. Switch back and forth from diesel to WVO. look for performance changes. Good oil should give equal performance. Next comes the PR part. Once you find some good oil talk to the owner, ask if they are paying to have the oil removed? If they are paying, offer to take the oil for free. You may want to offer to provide a drum for storage ( cost about $25.00) . Usually the offer to take the grease for free will tip the scales. If the owner still doesn't want to give you the grease, just thank the owner for his / her time leave your number in case they change their mind, and move on.

Q: I have been running my 240d now for over 2000 miles with basically no problems. However it is a little slow to start on mornings where the temp dips into the high 50's even with the injector heater on for 5 minutes before starting.

A: Yes the initial start can take a little time on cold mornings... If you regularly have temps in the 50's-40's or lower consider a two tank system or add Diesel or gasoline (not more than 5%) to the WVO Check your glow plugs for proper operation... Also you should have decent compression... (300 PSI or more)
If your car is 79 or older it usually has the older style glow plugs... The newer glow plugs are faster and seem to work better.. I think it's possible to convert older engines to the newer style glow plugs by purchasing an adapter for the holes... also a new control box is needed... If you want to consider this option the forum on Benzworld would be a good place to start...

Q: I am considering a two tank system for several reasons like;
What if I get some bad or wet oil?

A: Water in the WVO is not really a heat issue... water will settle to the bottom of the tank or filter... each should be drained every so often to remove any accumulated water.

Q:Should WVO always be used hot.

A: Yes and no.... It's OK to have cold WVO at start up but not for prolonged periods of time... And not while driving.

Q: What about biological growth?

A: Biocides like Biobor can be added to prevent algae growth... also an Algae X will prevent growth.

Q: I am a little worried about cold WVO being too hard on my injector pump at temperatures in the 50's to 40's.

A: When the engine is cold start the engine and let it idle for a couple of minutes then you should be good to go. Warming the injector line before starting really lowers the load on the injector pump, by thinning the WVO at the injectors. Also a little gasoline or Diesel will thin the WVO.

Q: If I put gas in the tank, does it need to be mixed?

A: No driving the car will mix the gas and WVO just fine...

Q: Gas is lighter than WVO so it should float,

A: No it will stay mixed indefinitely, do a test with a plastic water bottles and WVO and a little gas. Mix some gas in one of the WVO containers then put them both in the fridge. After several hours remove them and compare the viscosity.

Q: What is the best pump for WVO?

A: We like the 12 volt 5 gallon per minute pump available from First Northern Tool. Get the one without hoses and install your own reinforced plastic clear hoses. That way you can see the WVO being pumped into your tank and make sure there is no water or other debris. Lastly you should pale a screen on the inlet to prevent chunks of food or other foreign matter from getting in the tank. Here's a link http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=47671&R=47671

Q: Which engines work best on WVO?

A: First you must understand the basic operation of a 4 cycle Diesel Engine. Here is a link to an animation showing how the Diesel cycle engine works.

Diesel Engine Animation

Next you must understand the difference between diesel engine types. there are two basic 4 cycle types, IDI and DI. IDI engines are Indirect injected and DI are Direct injected. IDI engines work best for WVO but DI can also work if you get good WVO and don't do the switching until the engine is warm. The main difference is that while less efficient, IDI is more forgiving when the injector tip becomes clogged. In a DI engine a poor injector pattern can direct the fuel onto the cylinder wall thus causing some serious problems. This doesn't seem to be a problem in an IDI engine since the injectors spray into a small chamber and not directly into the top of the piston. Another engine consideration in the type of fuel pump. Bottom line is inline Bosch type pumps work best. Rotary pumps tend to fail more, even when using petrol diesel. Lucas / CAV pumps should be avoided for 100% WVO. You may get by on a 20 - 50% diesel WVO mix and a rotary pump. But keep in mind none of this is guaranteed.

Q: Hi, My name is Bill F. I have a WVO converted Mercedes 300D I use it to commute 220 miles a day to work , I was using a heated PH8A filter for the primary WVO filter . This did not work well. It just wasn't getting the WVO hot enough to flow through the fiter. Also the PH8A filters I was using have a check valve in them which further increased the vacuum required to pull the WVO through the filter. I replaced the PH8A with the Fattywagons A-1 heated filters and the WVO system now works perfectly. The Fattywagons filter heats up fast in about 5 minutes, has a large capacity, and takes much less vacuum to pull WVO through it. I don't prefilter my WVO I just pull up to the WVO tank and fill up. I drive about 1,100 miles each week on WVO. This saves me over $200.00 each day, or $100.00 each week. I love using WVO as fuel since it saves me money and is better for the environment than burning Dino diesel. I can be contacted @ cumminscruiser@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions. Go Veggie!

A: Hi Bill, Thanks for the good press... As bill said most of the PH8A spin on filters now have a built in check valve.. this is the same filter that fits the systems most WVO conversion companies are selling. this creates a restriction that causes added problems for the fuel system. A PH8A also has several times less filtering area than our big filter. With our filter you'll be driving more miles before a filter change is necessary. When you do change it, ours is a canister filter that loads from the top.. so the mess is less and purging is much less work.

Q: I just got the filters (all 3) , everything seems to be in great shape. They are great! I can see they are going to work really well. I like the way you designed them to heat the oil as they filter, can't wait to try one out. This has to be the best system out there. I also had an idea for you based on what I've seen and read on the net. What do you think about running oil through a house water filter (under $25 at Wal-Mart, $2 for 20 micron poly filters) as you pull it from the storage tank? Anyway, thanks for the great filters and I will be contacting you in the future for some of your other items. I really like the dash setup for the gauges too.

Thanks again, Ron

Hi Ron,

I'm glad you received everything in good order and thanks so much for the positive response. We tried using water filters with cold WVO and I found that it really slows the pumping / filling process. If you have lots of time I guess it's OK but we prefer to filter as we drive.

Q: I have now driven 130 miles on WVO. I still have some air and bubbles in that small clear filter at the injector pump and my vacuum gage reads about -9 at 70 mph. Are the bubbles a problem? My engine runs quieter and cooler than on diesel. This morning I commuted to Nashville from Manchester going 75mph for over an hour. I CAN NOW HEAR MY RADIO!
Your comrad in grease,
Rob

Hi Rob,

Glad to hear that you got everything working... It's always fun to hear peoples reaction when they drive on WVO for the first time. I think the quieter / smother running engine is one of the main comments, others are reduction of black smoke, cooler temps, and sometimes increase power. All in all driving on environmentally friendly free fuel is a liberating experience.

Now for your questions... The vacuum gauge reads in inches of mercury 0 -30. On a warmed up Benz with a new filter the reading should be 3-5 inches when the vacuum gauge gets up to 15-20 inches while driving you should think about replacing the WVO filter. There will always be some air pockets in the lines, this is normal and does not cause any problems. Air pockets should not be confused with bubbles. Bubbles move through the lines and indicate an air leak which needs to be corrected. You may want to replace the heater hose that you used for the fuel line with a clear braided PVC hose, the rubber heater hose will likely degrade over time.

Q: I've noticed that you have your filter mounted in the trunk. Doesn't the veggie oil get cold by the time it gets up to the engine compartment? How do you make sure that your oil is as close to 180 degrees as possible? I've read that cold oil can clog your injectors, and cause possible scoring to your cylinder walls.

Thanks, Rich

A: Hi Rich, and thanks for your concerns. You are right, cold oil can cause injector problems and possible spray onto the cylinder walls, but mainly in DI engines. Our experience is that the WVO looses little heat as it travels through the Nylon hose to the engine. We do offer a hose in hose set up and injector line heaters for the WVO. This assures that the WVO is hot where it counts, as it enters the injectors.

Q: Hello there from Detroit I drive a 1982 6.2l diesel Chevy Silverado (like the suburban, but with tailgate instead of barn doors). It has an aftermarket turbo. I am wondering if you have any experience or advice on running this on WVO... I like your prices more than Greasels. I would probably be interested in the whole kit and am wondering how user-friendly the plans are that you sell? Also, owner of a 1984 240 inline 6 Volvo wagon that I would like to run on SVO...any insight you could offer would be great! One last thing, we are moving to northern, Michigan--traverse city region and it will be cold. Do you have any tips for colder climates (besides going south for the winter, ha!) Thank you for your time and looking forward to your response.

A: Hi Dertroit, The GM will do fine on WVO as long as you use good liquid WVO make sure things are hot before you switch and if it's cold mix in about 5% gasoline or 10% - 20% or more Diesel. The rotary pumps used in some GM, Ford and earlier Dodge are a little weak so it's a good idea to mix in a little petrol diesel to keep the viscosity down. For a cold climate you will want a tank heater, hose in hose supply line and injector line heaters and some insulation around the filter, tank and hoses. Turbo engines work well on WVO. I have never converted a Volvo Diesel to WVO... But I'm sure it will work just fine. John

Q: What's best IDI or DI engines, and what is the difference?

Most automotive diesels prior to the early 90's are IDI. The difference between IDI and DI is that IDI engines spray fuel into a small pre-combustion chamber not directly into the cylinder. DI engines spray fuel directly on the top of the piston, on the top of the piston is a small combustion area. While slightly less efficient, there are some advantages to IDI Diesels for operation on WVO. Most notably the that the injector spray pattern is not nearly as critical. This is why it's important to make sure the WVO is warm prior to switching, especially in a DI engine.

Q: Why do you recommend the Mercedes Benz diesels?

A: For WVO the 77-85 Benz is a nearly perfect car. It has an IDI engine and a very durable in Bosch style injection pump. In addition the cars drive well and are very safe. Properly maintained these cars can last a lifetime. WVO kits work on all diesels but there have been more WVO miles logged on the older Benz's Diesels than any other car.

Q: Hi, I'm interested in your complete kit. I'm converting a Ford E350 with 7.3 IDI engine (non turbo). Does your system utilize the original lift pump? Seems like it would be better to use a separate lift pump. Any recommendations on this?

A: Hi Rick, We prefer to use the stock primary fuel pump when we can. However some systems will work better with a second circulation pump.

Q; Are there any other companies that sell conversion kits?

A: Yes, there are several. In Fact, if you go to our links page we list all the conversion companies that we are aware of. I'm pretty sure we are the only conversion company that provides links to our competition, but we do this because we believe that you should have access to all the information before you make a purchase.

Q: I talked to you yesterday about running WVO vs biodiesel and then went to a local shop that I do some business with to talk to them about making some changes on my pickup. They told that in their experience running WVO is real hard on fuel pumps and injectors due to poor lubricity, in their opinion. What has your experience been? Could this be due to poor filtration? They said that they hadn't looked into the filters on the vehicles they had worked on. Carl

Hi Carl...
WVO actually has more lubricity than petrol diesel and Biodiesel... With WVO lubricity is almost never the problem... what is hard on the fuel pump is running cold or dirty fuel. Cold fuel is hard to push through the injectors, cold fuel stresses the injection pump pistons, cold fuel also can cause deposits on the spray nozzle, which can alter the spray pattern and spray fuel onto the cylinder walls. This is especially a problem for DI engines. IDI's are less likely to have this problem since the fuel is sprayed into a pre-chamber. The bottom line is clean hot WVO will almost never cause a problem.

Thanks for your website! It is quite informative!!!
I have a few questions I hoped you might be able to answer.

1)How long can I keep WVO in a warm climate? Will it go rancid or something? Does it have a "shelf life" ?

2) I hope to be able to convert a small P/U to diesel and WVO ( ideally a Toyota 4wd ). My wife is from Japan. I have thought of buying a diesel engine from a wreck over there and shipping it here and putting it in a similar truck with a bad engine. Do you know if a Japanese motor would fit in an American truck without modifications? Any other suggestions?

3) Any suggestions of where to find an inexpensive diesel station wagon?

4) How much do the replacement filters for you heated filter unit cost? Are they available at auto parts stores or only from you?

Thanks so much!
Aloha

A: Hi Levie,
Here are some answers...
For the shelf life of WVO... clean filtered WVO can last at least a year or more in containers but you must keep it out of direct sun light. Also there are additives like Biobor to prevent algae growth. A WVO forum is a good place to ask this question since we don't store our WVO for more than a few weeks. I know you can buy diesel engines for Toyota PU's and Landcruisers. Spectre Off Road sells running take out diesel engines for the Landcruisers. 4X4 tech has Benz conversion kits. The only diesel wagon I'd recommend is a 77-85 Benz. Replacement cartriges for our filters are $15.00 + shipping from us in orders of 10 or more. The number is 3212 (2 micron) or 3210 (for 10 micron) If you don't want to buy from us just call your local Napa and get the price for your area.
Good luck,
John

Q: do you know of anyone that has tried running a semi on wvo? I have a 470 Detroit that gets around 6 mpg. Would your kit be big enough to handle it?

A: Yes there are folks using WVO on big rigs... We make 2 and4 cartridge heated filters for big truck and Boat applications. The cost is $600.00 and $800.00 A fuel tank switching valve is an additional $400.00. Other companies have used just one filter on big trucks but our feeling is for WVO you need to have more filter area than a single filter can provide. Thanks, John

Q: O.K., I've researched the WVO market, and I'm bought. I've seen the cost of the "Greasels" conversion kit for trucks. How much is your conversion kit for an Ford F350 7.3 liter powerstroke? Please write back.

A: Our cost for a basic kit is $450.00.. The price doesn't include a tank, a tank heater, circulation pump or under the hood heater. A tank heater is only required if you live in an area that normally drops into the mid 30's .. for the tank you have a couple of options.. #1 get a small 5 or 10 gal tank for your petrol diesel and use stock tanks for the WVO #2. If you have 2 tanks use 1 for Diesel and 1 for WVO or get a large 30-50- gal tank for the WVO and keep your stock tanks for Diesel.

Q: As the only heat source in a conversion, what would be the minimum weather temperature you could operate in before needing to add heated lines, heat exchanger, heated tank, etc? For Mercedes that temp would be lower, what would it be for a vehicle with direct injection?

A: Hi Windrift, Your question is a little confusing... but I'll give it a try...All WVO system need to heat the fuel.. the question is do you need a tank heater or under hood heater? Most Benz's don't heed an under hood heater with our system. Below about mid 30 you defiantly need a tank heater... You will also need to make sure the oil you are getting is liquid at temps in the mid 30's My feeling is that good oil will always be liquid in the 30's another possibility is to blend in some Petrol diesel or gas with the WVO Now for the DI vs IDI ... Yes IDI engines can tolerate WVO operation at lower temps but only because the injector spray pattern is not as critical on IDI... so there is no direct answer.. but the safe thing to do is start on petrol diesel and then switch one the engine is warm... usually about 2-4 miles...

Q: I'm interested in changing out my pickup (dually) to grease do you have any plans. all the sites say the same and I want something that will last and your aluminum kit sounds perfect. I thought you had to heat the oil first in the tank, somewhere I read you also had to refine the oil you get (sounds to messy and timely) any info would be appreciated. Looking to change out my 70 Mercedes 220d also paying $3.27 a gallon for diesel now sucks. Fabrication in either steel or aluminum is no problem also. thanks

A: With our filter you can usually just put the WVO in you tank and drive, as long as you use good collection techniques prefiltering is not necessary. Tank heaters are only necessary in cold climates. About 35 or below but this depends on your WVO too.. If you need a tank heater we sell them for $100.00. If you buy a kit you will also get plans and support. For now I would suggest you visit one of the many WVO forums available. Just go to our links page, and you'll have all the infor you can handle.

Q: Hello, I am really impressed with your system. Is there an electric heater that could be added to the system? I just wanted to know if there is a way of using strictly biodiesel? The heated filter is the key to delivering preheated oil to the injector. Is there a way to use the existing block warmer to heat the biodiesel in the tank for initial start up? Once it's hot the normal coolant heating should maintain the temperature. Best Regards, Dom

A: Hi Dom, It's best to use a two tank system.. or add something to your WVO to thin it....Some folks have biodiesel and WVO confused... Biodiesel is made or should I say can be made.. from WVO. But emissions are less on WVO also it is usually free... biodiesel costs is usually a bit more than pertoldiesel...If you want to use Biodiesel just put it in your tank... If you like WVO you need to heat the fuel..

Q: Can you use this system on a boat with two 350hp cats? Thanks Answered on Apr-08-05

A: Yes Linda, we recently converted a Tug boat with 3 engines run on WVO... We used one of our 4 cartridge heated filters for each engine. We make 2 and 4 cartridge filters which can be used for boats, large trucks or any big Diesel engine. The price is $600.00 for the 2 cartridge and $800.00 for the 4 cartridge...

Q: If I had all of the questions, I'd ask them all at once, so sorry I keep finding questions to answer. I have a 79 Mercedes 300D that I'd like to put your kit in, but am wondering where to get a tank? Or can I just strap a boat fuel tank in the trunk and go? I am off the deep end here so please pull me back to firm ground. Thanks, Dan Merritt

A: Hi Dan, No problem with the questions... your 300D is the perfect car for WVO... You can use a plastic tank or aluminum available from Westmarine... they have about 15 different sizes and shapes available here's a link to the tanks http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&categoryId=79&langId=-1&subdeptNum=78&storeNum=6

Q: I live in Camp Verde, AZ, and am thinking of a job in Flagstaff. Even here it is often 17 degrees in the winter here, and Flagstaff is even colder.

A: Hi Dan, In cold climates (anything where the temps drop into the low 30's) a tank heater is a must.. Warm up times will also be longer since the fuel needs to be heated up a little to flow.. We make aluminum tank heaters on a custom basis we just need to know how long to make it (cost $75.00) ...I would also recommend placing the big filter as close as possible to the WVO tank so the WVO doesn't get cold moving from the tank to the filter. I hope this information helps. There are also several good discussion forums related to operation on WVO. Just do a Google search ( WVO forums) and you'll find them.

Q: is this a filter for biodiesel or are you using straight vegetable oil in the kit?

A: Hi JB, If you want to burn biodiesel all you have to do is put it in your tank... nothing special required... But if you want to use WVO (which is usually free by the way) you will need a heated filter and fuel system with a switch (Like the one we are offering here) to start on petrol diesel and when things get warmed up switch to WVO.

Q: Please tell me about the kit and why I don't have to heat, filter and wash the waste vegetable oil. Thanks, Dan Merritt

A: Hi Dan, The cleaner the oil the longer the filter will last.. it's just a pain in the butt that's all... So we built a filter that allows you to just pump WVO directly into the tank Just think of it as an on board filtering system. I personally get about 2,000 miles on my filters using somewhat clean WVO directly from the tank without any pre-filtering. This equates to about 200-300 gallons of WVO (your own experience may vary) I do suggest you use some care to get clean oil. With our system and a couple of spare filters, and a 12 volt pump you can do a road trip on WVO... When the gauge tells you the filter is getting clogged just pull over and change it out. (about 3-5 minutes) Ours is a top load filter and since the oil stays in the housing purging is usually not necessary. Our filter will clean the WVO as you drive down the road... This is really not possible with a small filter since they clog quickly... I hope this answers some of your questions.

Q: Hello. I am very interested in your filter. I have GreaseCar kit and now want to convert my 6.5L Chevy Truck without a kit. Will this filter work well for this application? Why is the filter mounted next to the tank in the picture? Space? How long does it take to heat up? Why aluminum? I heard rumors that Cu and WVO do not "mix" well over time. Is this true? Can you send me a link to read up on this? Thanks, Heapalina, Or SoyBoy on forums

A: Hi Heapalina, You can mount the filter anywhere you like... as long as you have a large re- enforced hose between the tank and filter, so it doesn't collapse.. I like them in the trunk since it's easy to service there.. heating time varies depending on how long your engine takes to warm up... but a good rule of thumb is as soon as your heater blows some warm air you're ready to switch to WVO... Why aluminum? well aluminum works good with WVO and water and it has good heat transfer properties and is much more durable than plastic... Yes copper and WVO contact is a bad idea we use copper fittings for our hose in hose connection but the copper never comes in contact with the WVO..for more info on the subject just google copper and WVO and see what you can find.

Sometimes we get asked why we like the W123 Benz so much. The fact is that many folks consider the W123 Benz one of the best all around cars ever made. We couldn't agree more. They are safe, handle well and are comfortable. Many W123's have logged over one million miles. But a Greek taxi driver by the name of Gregorios Sachinidis with his 240D holds the record at 2.8 million miles. Talk about a tough car!

Here's what one 240D owner had to say:

This car is a tank! You can't kill it even when you try.
This car is absolutely remarkable, and remarkably slow. It's 0-60 MPH time is over 19 seconds. So it's definitely not the modern AMG hotrod Mercedes of today. It does however have a great running gear and will run at 90+ MPH all day long, even with it's 60 something horsepower. The interior of this car is luxurious and comfortable, trimmed in wood and chrome. It has an old fashioned sense of luxury and charm that can no longer be found in today's high-end cars.
These cars do something to your soul. They become a member of your family. I sold my car at 275,000 miles and the last time I saw it (2 years later) it was running like new. This was the best car I've ever owned. If you find one with low mileage, jump at the opportunity to own one of these machines.

Some folks like the tractor like performance and durability of a 240 if performance is more your thing keep in mind that a turbo 300 will perform more like a gas powered car.