Do You Have a WVO Converted Car? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

1983 300TD · #1 01-03-2005, 07:29 PM

Greetings gentlemen.

Do you have a car that runs on WVO? (not biodiesel,sorry)

If so, what rig are you using? (greasecar, greasal, Dana Linscott, homemade)

What range of temperatures do you face?

Has it been a success or a bust?

Just curious, because I know there are alot of us that are really serious about trying this, and want to make it work. I've run diesel/wvo blends, in the summer, and was very happy with the results. I'm ready to take the next step. I'm leaning toward D.Linscott's plans to build your own, but I want everyone's feedback first.
Thanks.

Damon Fite---1983 300TD Wagon 300,000miles+

whunter · #2 01-03-2005, 09:23 PM

I am investigating all of them, but will end up building my own.

The killer is the Michigan weather...

Do you get to Detroit often?
PM me, if you would like to meet for coffee one day...

R Leo · #3 01-03-2005, 09:51 PM

I'm running (intermittently) two of my cars on WVO blend. I generally run an 80/20 WVO/diesel-b100-kerosene (whatever is handy) blend. One car (an '84 300D) is completely unmodified...I just dump it in and go; the other (an '83 300TD) has a Dana Linscott heater. I occasionally will add some b100 or WVO to my 240 or the 300SDL to top off their tanks when I'm too lazy to go to the filling station. And, eventually, I'll probably add a heater to the 300d and supplemental lift pumps to both the 300D and the TD.

FWIW- Right now, I'm battling a massive fungal infection in the 300D. Consequently, I've curtailed use of my WVO stock until I can determine the source of the infection and rectify the problem.

phidauex · #4 01-03-2005, 10:19 PM

I don't use WVO, but I've spent time living on a two-tank WVO bus.

I don't have much to add from what you've heard.. I'd generally recommend a heated system instead of just blending in one tank, but you can get away with blends on these mercedes. However, two tank systems, or at least a heated one tank, are how you do it right.

Dana's plans are good, he's a good guy and well respected.

peace,
sam

RichMason · #5 01-03-2005, 10:29 PM

I should start blending in the next few weeks. I'm in the process of building Dana's filtration system. My first oil pickup is Wednesday!

Jetmugg · #6 01-03-2005, 10:51 PM

I ran my '80 300SD on WVO (pure canola) about 9 of the past 12 months in the St Louis area without a single problem. I ran blends and straight (100% veggie) right out of the tank. The car has always started easily, run smoothly, behaved perfectly.

Before anybody starts in about coking rings and injectors - I am a professional engineer, and understand the risks. I willingly choose not to run a 2 tank system.

Just do it.

My 2 cents.

SteveM

bkegger · #7 01-04-2005, 01:30 AM

I've got the Greasecar system in Milwaukee. I've yet to get a good source, and the cold weather seems to be a bad time to raid grease dumpsters. The system has worked, though it can take 3/4 of my drive to work to heat up to 80C. I've been testing it out once in a while on store-bought oil, and it seems to work fine, but I know other systems use electric heaters to make sure it's hot enough. I'm getting a few drums this week to set up Dana's prefiltering, and I'll probably add more insulation on the fuel lines.

JamesStein · #8 01-04-2005, 09:14 AM

I've been running straight WVO since about may on my wifes car and since June on my 300CD. Its a homebuilt system based off of a bunch of other peoples ideas.

I was running fine until the temp dropped into the 30's at night. My cold filtered oil seems to be gelled below 60 or so. Down at 30 its almost solid.

So right now I am running a 50/50 oil/diesel blend. I am in the process of adapting my system to HOH (hose on hose) coolant heating with a coil looped around my filter in the trunk.

You can see pictures of my wifes setup here (http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=447609751&f=444600361&m=813100992 ). My 300CD is a little different but essentially the same. Save for the HOH lines. (Was tapping the coolant lines in the engine bay and ran into some problems when I decided to change out the water pump... different thread.. different problem.. but now the 300CD is off the road till I get the coolant system fixed)

Old300D · #9 01-04-2005, 09:57 AM

I ran 100% WVO in a two tank system on my old '78 300D. I intend to re-install it, with modifications, into my '83 240D. I made my own heat exchanger and electric fuel heater, and plumbed it myself for about $250. I had no problems with the WVO; to the contrary, it was biodiesel that was plugging filters every other week for me. I was able to heat the WVO to 140-160 F under most conditions in the spring and summer in Denver.

odie · #10 01-04-2005, 10:01 AM

I run 50/50 unheated blend. It runs fine....but I'm fighting an algae or fungus problem. Lots of black gunk clogging the filters.

I was unheated but this weekend I built a heated fuel line. Hose inside a hose using coolant. But I live in south texas so it's probably not going to make miuch of a difference.

TonyFromWestOz · #11 01-04-2005, 10:18 AM

My first WVO system was on a '90 Mazda Capella 2.0L diesel. I covered >30 000 km in 3 years on WVO. It had a heated tank, HIH and time delayed return line switching to reduce start tank contamination with WVO.

Late 2003 (Dec 20) I bought an '80 300D w/220kkm. I ran a 50% blend in the fuel tank with a simple coolant / fuel heat exchanger in the engine bay.

Early 2004 (Feb) We bought an '82 300D w/380kkm. SWMBO runs a blend of 50% biodiesel/WVO with a simple coolant / fuel heat exchanger in the engine bay.

In Mar 2004 I bought an '84 300D w/280kkm. I have installed a 2 tank conversion with unheated 20L carboys as the WVO fuel tanks, a Holley Blue electric lift pump, unheated OE steel fuel line to the engine bay with a comprehensive coolant/fuel heat exchanger and WVO fuel filter before the pollack motorised 6 port valve. A turbo boost/Vac gauge connected to IP input allows monitoring of fuel pressures. I "cold filter" all WVO to ensure that no fuel gel problems occur in either my car or SWMBO's car.

Lars · #12 01-04-2005, 12:17 PM

I am running a homemade kit in my 300TD. My oil has yet to solidify, even with the temperature slightly below 0F, although at that temperature it has solid crystals and the consistency of a slurpee. Car runs fine on WVO at that temp, once heated up. I have travelled 6000 miles so far without any clogged filters. My only problem was this fall when the temps got in the 30s, I would suffer from fuel starvation from thw WVO getting thick. I then proceeded to run coolant lines bundled along the oil lines and a heat exchanger in the tank. Problem solved.

I have burned approx. 250 gals. up to now. I collected enough this fall to not have to deal with winter collection. Sushi bars and oriental restaurants are the place to go.

aklim · #13 01-04-2005, 01:26 PM

So what is the cost of WVO when you figure out all the time you spend on it and the inconvenience? You have to admit it is much easier to just top off the tank when you need to instead of having to be next to home base. If you get a 2 tank system, you will lose some trunk space. From what I see, if Biodiesel becomes more popular and cheaper, I will get it more regularly instead of just buying it every now and then for a cleaning of the fuel system.

WVO, OTOH, strikes me as a application where it is warm and you are going to be near a fuel source. Home. IOW, I cannot take that car out for a vacation or to drive around and it is confined, for all practical purposes, to near my home. This talk of a tank heater is fine. However, you still have to purge the fuel lines (assuming 2 tank system) before you make an extended stop and where would your heater plug into if it were a parking lot?

Old300D · #14 01-04-2005, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

So what is the cost of WVO when you figure out all the time you spend on it and the inconvenience? You have to admit it is much easier to just top off the tank when you need to instead of having to be next to home base. If you get a 2 tank system, you will lose some trunk space. From what I see, if Biodiesel becomes more popular and cheaper, I will get it more regularly instead of just buying it every now and then for a cleaning of the fuel system.

WVO, OTOH, strikes me as a application where it is warm and you are going to be near a fuel source. Home. IOW, I cannot take that car out for a vacation or to drive around and it is confined, for all practical purposes, to near my home. This talk of a tank heater is fine. However, you still have to purge the fuel lines (assuming 2 tank system) before you make an extended stop and where would your heater plug into if it were a parking lot?

Like I pointed out above, WVO is an excellent fuel for commuting. I used 7 gallons a week, and about 2 gallons of diesel/biodiesel for starting and purging. That brings a fuel cost reduction of more than 80%. Think a total cost of $0.40/gallon rather than $2.00/gallon. The WVO is essentially free - filters are cheap and re-useable and the oil would otherwise be wasted; free in other words. The time is cheap - for me to filter a weeks worth of fuel requires 15-30 minutes a week.

#15 01-04-2005, 02:08 PM

Greasecar Kit in my TDI (didnt want to mess around). Building my own for 85 300D (tougher). No problems. I think Greasecar is the best bang for the buck, and definitely the best cold weather kit. You can make your own for cheaper, but is it worth it? I dont like wrapping copper coil. If it's cold, you want end to end coolant insulation. If just going with a blend, only in pre-1986 Benzes and with some sort of heat exchanger before IP. Arctic Fox makes one if you dont want to make one. I cant imagine more than 50 percent blend in colder weather, and definitely not in sub freezing. I had a B50 (yeah, biodiesel) freeze up at 24 degrees in a 300D.