Would it really run on corn oil? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Biodiesel300TD · #31 09-15-2011, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregMN

To sum up:
Cold VO is bad for the cylinders.
Hot Diesel is bad for the IP.

This is why I use injector line heaters. Heats the VO up to after the IP and reduces that risk. I still have a heated fuel filter a coolant heater and an electric heater before the pump, but the final heat is after the pump.

Zacharias · #32 09-15-2011, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by netboy

I've had 3 of mine running on a 50-50 blend for 3 years with no problems. The interesting thing about the diesel engine is that Rudolf Diesel made this thing to run on peanut oil as an alternative to petroleum then he died mysteriously on a trans atlantic cruise. Do a search on the documentary "GASHOLE". Its on NETFLIX. Its a very interesting watch. Its a real look at how the government, oil companies, and car industries are in bed against alternative fuels and us as consumers.

Diesel made his original engines to run on other oils because there was no such thing as petroleum diesel at the time. That fact doesn't translate to modern diesel engines, which have been designed for petroleum diesel, being suited to, or capable of running alternative fuels -- not in stock form anyway.

This is the sort of argument put forward by the fly-by-night sector of the WVO conversion 'industry' (Lovecrap et al.) who market low-end kits.

While I don't doubt that Big Oil and the big automakers are against alternative fuels, actually there is evidence that they aren't in bed together on it per se. They may work in parallel but they aren't sharing a bed.

It's more a case of "installed base" and consumer intransigence. There is massive infrastructure for fossil fuels in place. That alone puts huge 'drag' on any possibility of change. No one wants to be first to commit billions to building new a mass-scale production and delivery structure. (That is why the current work on hydrogen is a pipe dream being fed to the politicians by the auto industry as a sideshow to keep them quiet.)

Second, industry will respond to what people want. A miniscule portion of the market is interested in diesel and even less so electric cars. How many people do you think write letters to the carmakers, or stomp out of dealers angry that they can't buy a car that runs on alternative fuels, each year? I doubt the dealers even report much consumer push-back on the lack of diesel-engine options.

If people demand this technology, we will get it. But not before. And from the way things look now, no one will demand it until fuel prices increase by another 50 percent. And maybe not even then.

But it can be done. Look at what is happening right now in the "natural" foods sector. The food conglomerates are buying up all the small, alternative labels as fast as they can. Why? Because they've smelled the shift in the wind toward healthier foods. Heck it's even happening in the pet food sector.

Detroit may not have a sensitive nose, but at a certain point it will move if it sees a business case. Not before.

strelnik · #33 09-15-2011, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ah-kay

What do you mean?

1) Brazil uses sugar cane -> ethanol to power gasoline engine.
2) Development world uses palm, honge, jatropha seed for diesel. Some are edible, some are not. There are many many more.
3) Waste Veg Oil which would have gone to waste or pet food.

One of these days, all dino diesel/gas will be exhausted. It will not be in my life time but it will happen. I think having a bottle of Corn oil, ATF, motor oil in the trunk for the rainy day is a good idea. The engine would be warm/hot when you pour it in, further diluted by diesel in the tank and should be fine for emergency.

Jatropha seed is extremely feasible, the problem is that the original seed plants take three years to develop, after that, you get a yearly produiction which is very feasible.

The Third World dictators who tried to force everyone to grow jatropha didn't realize there was a three-year wait, so some of them starved out a portion of the population while waiting...
Kinda sounds like some get-rich-quick corporations, huh?

strelnik · #34 09-15-2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biodiesel300TD

This is why I use injector line heaters. Heats the VO up to after the IP and reduces that risk. I still have a heated fuel filter a coolant heater and an electric heater before the pump, but the final heat is after the pump.

I'd be interested to see what an injector line heater looks like, got a pic or a URL?

strelnik · #35 09-15-2011, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwbuge

Two fuel filters (one primary one secondary) over 10,000 miles is worth it. How much is a bottle of DieselKleen? $5?

Have you ever tried running WVO?

I'd love to find WVO in Michigan, then make bioD just for me and possibly associated friends.

It's getting harder and harder

Suggestions?

BTW it helps to add a TABLESPOON of turpentine per tank to raise the cetane rating

Biodiesel300TD · #36 09-15-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

I'd be interested to see what an injector line heater looks like, got a pic or a URL?

I don't have a pic of mine handy, but here is a pic from the Fattywagon site. Mine look pretty much the same but with black tape instead of red.
Basically they are welding wire(can't remember the gauge), insterted into a high temp resistant sheath, then taped on to the injector lines with special high temp burn proof tape. They work great. They get way to hold to touch.