So I have a greasecar kit on the 81. Aux tank in the trunk holding 13 gallons of WVO (filtered) with a copper coil heater filled with hot coolant to heat the oil.
Yesterday I replaced the tstat and before a good burp, the temp gauge would show hot. BUT the oil wouldn't get much hotter than it did before the new tstat.
I replaced the tstat because the car wouldn't hold a high ebough temp to both heat the oil AND the inside of the car so I would be cold in order to maintain the oil above 100*(no lectures, I KNOW the magic number is 160).

So I figured that replacing the tstat would make it all better. The car would get warm and the oil would get hot.
Not really happening.
Any ideas from those with GC kits?
Thanks!

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Ginny in Denver-ish
78 300SD, 265K (mine)

In another thread I saw a reference to a 50/50 blend of coolant.
Blend of what? Water?
When I did my tstat yesterday I put in straight coolant.
Should I drain some and replace with water?
ThankS

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Ginny in Denver-ish
78 300SD, 265K (mine)

It should be approximately 50/50 mixture of coolant and water (I use distilled water). I would drain out half of what you put in and replace it with distilled water.

I'm not sure what type of system you have, but heating the veg in the tank ONLY will definitely not do the trick. I suggest getting a FPHE (from roverhybrids, best price) which, as long as your heating system is working properly, will get you closer to 140-160. Dont worry about veg flowing from the tank, it will flow at very low temperatures, down to 45 degrees or so. Be sure that the coolant goes to the FPHE straight off the engine block. You could also go for the vegtherm but then you run into alternator issues, plus they get real f***ing hot.

I was thinking of putting a spin on filter heater in to augment the heat from the tank. In the summer I'll also add some veg to the main tank. We get mighty warm here in Denver in the summer and the past two summers we've been using a 50/50 to 80/20 (WVO to diesel) in my other MB (78 is sig) and it does well. So blending in the main tank in the summer would make the spin on fitler heater have somthing other than diesel to heat. I've heard heated diesel loses lubricity.

I'm not sure I want to go the FPHE route yet. I've gotten the oil up to 151* before with the old tstat in and a really nice day outside.

I'm really wondering why the new tstat won't help the oil heat higher.

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Ginny in Denver-ish
78 300SD, 265K (mine)

where are you measuring the temp at?
Are the coolant hoeses getting hot where they go into the tank? Maybe not eneough flow of coolant to the tank, and hoses?
Should be getting warm if the engine is.

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

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1985 300D 170k

The spin on filter heaters don't do much. If you want the engine to last you need a FPHE or some electric heat. Tank heating alone is not enough.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Ok, If you are trying to heat 13 gal. of grease, and the inside, and a radiator,
Don't you think this is a bit much to ask of a 5 cyl. in Denver(ish)
at this time of year?


Between the temps. outside, the extra heat you need for 13 gal. of
grease (that is a bit much), and a cooling system that
was designed to keep everything in check without heating the extra grease,
Maybe you should consider a piece of cardboard up front.

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

i agree with craig... you need a 50/50 mis antifreeze (zerex or MB) and distilled water

the fact that you put straight antifreeze might have something to do with your erratic cooling (or not) that you have listed in another thread.

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-Trevor

OBK #12
1980 300SD 333,XXX miles - Totaled
1986 Mazda RX-7 212,XXX miles - impounded and auctioned off
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited 33,000- SEGR, Provent, Fumoto

Ginny;

How long are you running at 150-160F before switching to WVO? What is your ambient temp when you've been having problems? My 240D was running fine with the greasecar computer controlled unit for the past couple of days. The daytime temps were around 40F and it switched to WVO after running for about 5-6 minutes. Today it was 25F and it took around 10 minutes before the WVO was hot enough.

John

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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
2002 F250 powerstroke with Plantdrive WVO conversion
1983 300SD 190K miles ,sold
2006 E320 CDI

straight coolant needs a LOT of heat to get up to temp, plus it will boil off below what a mixture will, so you could be dealing with steam in your system not getting enough heat into the mix.
find out the capacity of the coolant system, add about a quart for the extra lines, and cut the number in 1/2 then drain out that much coolant, and put that much distilled water in.
you will have much better responses from your car.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Is the veggy stuff in series with the cabin heat or parallel? Are you sure your circulator is working?

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Currently driving a very clean 1985 300SD from the West Coast.