I got a 1983 mercedes diesel 300SD, turbo charge car who friends have told me to convert it to run on veggie oil. If i decide to install a kit.
My question is which conversion kit do i buy.... and cost is a concern because i am on a budget. I will need to install it myself to keep over all expenses down...

So, which one do u think is best and WHY? U can email me at soto3368@yahoo.com as well.

coach

This forum is great for learning how to fix things on a Mercedes. It does not, however, have a whole lot of people who are into WVO. There are a few, but not the majority.

For a wealth of WVO information, try:
frybrid forums: http://www.frybrid.com/forum/
infopop forums: http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/159605551
greasecar forums: http://www.greasecar.com/forum.cfm

But to answer your question, frybrid and greasecar are both popular kits. They're both about the same level of intensity for installation. Frybrid is more expensive, but has some more features that greasecar. If you add those features to a greasecar kit, you end up with a similar price between the two kits.

I like frybrid. Its well made and thought out.
If you're in a cold environment, and you go with greasecar, I'd recommend some of the extra features (like a final fuel heat exchanger, and maybe HIH lines).

__________________
1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now

The best rule of thumb is to make sure that your car is running 100% perfect before modifying it in any way shape or form. We'll help you the best we can.

__________________
TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Unless you filter/separate/treat the WVO until it's clean enough to literally eat it; it will mess up your engine. Also, 90% of WVO "kits" rely on the engine's "toughness" to operate, and will cause damage over a long period of time.

__________________
$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

Greasing or biodieseling, like other alternative lifestyles, is best practiced by the self-selecting, and not peer-selected. Research, grease collection and prep should precede kit selection. The previously mentioned links are a good start. If you haven't been warned away from lovecraft, you just have.

So dress in black and listen to The Cramps because you want to, not because your friends do.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I recommend getting on one of the dedicated WVO discussion lists and isolating questions about WVO there and sticking to non-WVO mechanical issues here. Use the search features to do as much background research as possible then dive in and ask for advice.

I have run two vehicles on WVO with success over about five years, but I understand the views of those that oppose its use under any circumstances. You'll have to filter through their viewpoints on this list. Frybrid and Greasecar make good reliable kits and have active discussion lists, and others are out there of variable quality and reliability, but the point about processing the oil properly is critical. You will damage the engine if you don't process properly. I would only recommend a quality two tank kit or a well designed custom version, which is entirely feasible. One tank kits are to be avoided.

__________________
1983 CD
1958 Studebaker Packard (being resuscitated)

coach,

Its a decision you will have to make for yourself. Get ready to drink from the firehose for a while. See if you can find someone locally who does the WVO thing to decide if its right for you.

After extensive research, I went with Frybrid. Greasecar or Frybrid are the only two commercial conversions for our cars I would even consider.

Check out a discussion under my username from about a month ago. Use advanced search and you'll find it.

dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

More important than filtering the oil is water removal. If done right, with a proper 2 tank system, you will prolong the life of your engine. Do it wrong and you will shorten the life of your engine. Frybrid is the best design of all of the available systems. It has the best components, heats the oil the best and has the best reliability. It is about the only system that has been "engineered". Most of the others are just "good enough to work for a while".

__________________
Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY