With Diesel #2 costing $3.53/Gallon in Fresno, this is week #2 running 100% Soybean Oil without modification on my 617.950.

Cold starts are excellent at our current low temperatures of 70°F.

I am buying it from Costco in a 5 gallon container for a little over $13.00, or about $2.66/Gallon.

No wax issues, even when mixed with regular #2.

Making more changes to the pump this weekend...shimming the ALDA some more and adding the rack damper.

Makes much, much more power on soybean oil...Bert

Dr. Bert,
Your last post made my heart sing!!! I'm a biofuels enthusiast, and I love watching people try SVO (chosen ackronym for straight veggie oil) in the 617 - the motor was MADE for it.

However, I must forward a warning to you running soy - it contains elements that have lead to injector coking and IP troubles. Please research it at:

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html

and feel free to ask Ed Beggs about this matter at: www.biofuels.ca

Canola or sunflower would be the better choice. Furthermore, you'd certainly be able to find some WVO (waste veggie oil) at your local chinese restaurant, and they all seem to use canola.

Onto another matter... Would it be difficult for someone like myself (with limited time under the hood, but fairly good mechanical apptitude) to remove the turbo and give it a good cleaning? I've had blow-by for a while due to a faulty oil breather, and I fear that the turbo may have been generously coated in muck. I'll be removing the intake anyways, in preparation for the install of my Stage II www.wade************************ Intake upgrade kit. If it's easy enough, I'd love to remove and clean the whole intake manifold as well.

The intake upgrade will be supplemented by a straight-pipe exhaust with resonator. I figure this will allow a quicker spool up.

The final upgrade will be a water-misting intercooler by www.coolingmist.com to enable an increase in boost pressures. Have you thought about adding an intercooler to yours?

Thank you so much for the detailed driving descriptions. That gives me an EXACT idea of the performance you're achieving.

Oh yeah - my IP timing is significantly increased. We used the cave-man method of loosening the bolts and crowbar rotating the IP towards the motor. I'm MANY degrees advanced at this point, and the motor just sounds great. It actually sounds like a diesel now. I can't wait to get that restrictive exhaust off and let that turbo whine!

BioBenz
1984 300d on BioD

Great post BB,

I hadn't caught this until recently...Robert

Has anyone seen effects with Rice Bran Oil? Fresh RBO is available in India for less than a $1 a liter so was just wondering.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

What's the cost for RBO in the the US????

Being the healthiest cooking medium its prohibitive sad to say. I now bring get around 100 liters shipped from India for my cooking needs here.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

I have no idea where I could put one...Robert