Quote:
Originally Posted by hertfordnc
My question is specifically about assessing whether or not the WVO conversion was done correctly and if not, what harm has been done.
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Okay my slightly negative tone in the first reply was based on the fact that jumping into a wvo car wouldn't be a great idea for the average first-time diesel owner, but as you are interested in the technology, great....
Best to start by contacting the seller and confirming that it is a GreaseCar KIT installed (he says 'grease car' in the ad but that is sometimes used as a slang for any wvo car). Also that it's an actual complete kit and not just a couple of items someone bought from that company.
A proper kit can cost $900 to $1300 for the hardware alone and some people cut corners.
You need to see:
- a heated wvo tank
- a two tank system, with switchover valves controlled from switches inside the car (car must have been started and run till warm on diesel, then also run for 30 secs to a minute or more before shutdown on diesel as well)
- additional heat before the injection pump, either electric or via a coolant heat exchanger
- preferably, 12v heater wraps around the steel injector lines
- no mysterious behaviours in the car, such as excess smoke, lumpy idle, hard to start, down on power, etc.
- absolute ideal is that the guy does periodic motor oil analysis to monitor the engine's health, but that's really a hard core wvo runner, not that common
As vstech said, the care the guy takes in preparing the wvo is key. As him how he filters it. He should be able to tell you what micron value he filters to, and how he dewaters. If you get a vague answer, walk away.
Improper prep, or use of wvo in an improperly converted car = gradual damage to the motor and the injection pump over time. Imagine trying to suck lukewarm bacon grease through a soft drink straw... that is what is happening to the pump and injectors on a car running wvo too cool. The wvo has to be at 160 degrees to match the viscosity of diesel and burn properly. To find out more about damage from improper wvo use, I suggest you google "ring polymerization".
There is lots of discussion in various places on the Internet on all this stuff, including entire forums dedicated to the technology.
You will want to have a compression test done prior to purchase. An inspection is 2x important on a wvo conversion.
Remember, wvo is not 'free' fuel. The equipment costs, and the prep of the wvo (including finding a good supply of suitable wvo in your area, and collecting it) takes time and money as well.