WVO - Anyone used the tank screen hole for a heated fuel pickup? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

pdxwaker · #16 06-03-2008, 12:01 PM

Excellent... thanks for the additional info!

What are you guys using for diesel tanks? Where are these positioned? Or are these (dread!) single tank conversions?

mobetta · #17 06-03-2008, 12:13 PM

I have a 5 gal tank in place of the spare tire.

patbob · #18 06-03-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I don't think copper reacts with WVO, it reacts with bioD and water, but WVO if clean and dewatered, should not affect copper in any way.

From what I've read, copper is a catalyst for WVO polymizeration. It's also a catalyst for SVO and bioD polymerization, BTW. Heat accellerates the reaction.

Do some reading on it.. lots of info (and pictures) of polymizerized WVO from direct exposure to copper. My old organic chemistry textbook from college goes into detail about copper catalyized reactions (its a big thing in the organic chemistry world) and how it happens.. in case you want to dig deeper than just the anecdotal info on the web

.

I wouldn't freak out about it, but I wouldn't let the WVO sit in the tank more than a couple of weeks between fillups, and I would try to run the tank as empty as possible between fillups. I would also plan on replacing it with something more inert. Now that you have a proven design, perhaps have a half dozen made up and sell the others to cover your costs?

WD8CDH · #19 06-03-2008, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackestate

I had my the ports on my tank sealed, and a separate bung added. I could not find a way to go through the tank screen on the bottom of the car, and allow enough heated rod in the tank.. Had the port welded in the driver side corner so the heated pick up goes into the tank at a diagonal.

Hi Blackslate,

Size really does make it difficult. The part of the heat spear near the threads is only 7/8" in diameter and I still had to make the fuel ports on the inside oval to get the same area as 3/8 fuel line for thick fuel flow.

The diesel tank is now an odd shaped HDPE tank that fits in the fender behind and above the drivers side wheel well. It has it's own outside fill on the fender. I originally had a 6 gallon purge tank but went to a larger diesel tank for trips after I run out of WVO. I can also turn off the heat for the WVO side if I want to put diesel in the WVO (stock) tank.

#20 06-03-2008, 05:04 PM

Has anyone thought about cutting the fuel tank out of a 300TD and putting it in place of the sedan's spare tire well?

777funk · #21 06-03-2008, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForcedInduction

Has anyone thought about cutting the fuel tank out of a 300TD and putting it in place of the sedan's spare tire well?

That's a great idea, but would it fit? I wonder what the dimensions are.

mobetta · #22 06-04-2008, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForcedInduction

Has anyone thought about cutting the fuel tank out of a 300TD and putting it in place of the sedan's spare tire well?

uhh-oh. Is the $5/gal diesel getting to ya, Forced!?

I reckon it would be a lot easier to fab a tank which fits inside the wheel well.

I suppose one could also drop a fuel pickup in from the top of the tank which would pull from the base of a spear in the tank screen hole. or something.

blackestate · #23 06-04-2008, 10:28 AM

for diesel, I just use a 6 gal boat tank, I would recomend the 10, 6 is a little small in the cold weather. I just amed a mounting for it that hods into the well behind the wheel, and keeps it from sliding around. I also mounted 2 elec. fuel pumps in the trunk, one for each fuel.

777funk · #24 06-04-2008, 11:25 PM

Back to the original question... MOBETTA found a way to use that hole as a heating element insert. I'd like to find a way to make a coil and fuel pickup all in that hole. I wonder if the only way to get those threads is to butcher a Factory MB screen and weld the tubing required into it.

I wonder if I could find anything else (maybe in a plumbing dept. somewhere) with those same threads. Anyone know?

a2t · #25 06-05-2008, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobetta

uhh-oh. Is the $5/gal diesel getting to ya, Forced!?

I reckon it would be a lot easier to fab a tank which fits inside the wheel well.

I suppose one could also drop a fuel pickup in from the top of the tank which would pull from the base of a spear in the tank screen hole. or something.

Ahhahha you beat me to it...

As for using a 6 gal for dino, thats a bit small. In summer it will be fine, but in winter when engine is running more dino to heat up, or if you take frequent short trips you will still burn more dino than you might think. That would just piss me off too much to go back to exxon that often.

In winter Im only gettin 60 mpg dino on my 2 tank frybrid, so Im filling up once every 3 weeks on the 18 gal dino tank. Summer is much better, usually up over 100mpg. Still wouldnt want a 6 gal dino tank tho...

Anyways, if you can provide dwgs or sketchs with basic dimensions I can give it to my CNC shop and they will quote it out for you. We've been thinking about building some wvo kits lately. Paul@GruvenParts.com

Kpmurphy · #26 06-05-2008, 02:26 PM

Copper and SVO: "I'm not so worried about the copper but what the copper does to the fuel. Did you ever check what happened to your fuel properties like oxidation stability and acid value? A lot of research has been done in Germany on VO (and biodiesel) fuel properties, and who I consider as the leading experts clearly warn against using copper in connection with VO because of the catalytic effect it has on the VO. The laboratory ASG Analytik-Service (http://www.asg-analytik.de), who were involved in the research leading to the "Rape Seed Oil Fuel Standard", says that just a few PPM of copper in VO will change the oxidation stability... [In SVO systems] with a catalytic metal, I think you have the best conditions and environment for decomposition of the VO, and the effects it has on the fuel properties again have an impact on the engine performance, engine conditions (lifetime) and emissions composition." -- Niels Ansø, Folkecenter, Denmark
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html#copperstudy
just info on copper I found
Thats all

WD8CDH · #27 06-05-2008, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 777funk

Back to the original question... MOBETTA found a way to use that hole as a heating element insert. I'd like to find a way to make a coil and fuel pickup all in that hole. I wonder if the only way to get those threads is to butcher a Factory MB screen and weld the tubing required into it.

I wonder if I could find anything else (maybe in a plumbing dept. somewhere) with those same threads. Anyone know?

The threads in the sedan are 36mm X 1.5. I have not found anything with those threads that was cheaper than a factory screen. At least the factory screen has the o-ring groove. But I made my heated pickup from bar stock on a Lathe and mill.

murph · #28 06-05-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a2t

Ahhahha you beat me to it...

As for using a 6 gal for dino, thats a bit small. In summer it will be fine, but in winter when engine is running more dino to heat up, or if you take frequent short trips you will still burn more dino than you might think. That would just piss me off too much to go back to exxon that often.

In winter Im only gettin 60 mpg dino on my 2 tank frybrid, so Im filling up once every 3 weeks on the 18 gal dino tank. Summer is much better, usually up over 100mpg. Still wouldnt want a 6 gal dino tank tho...

Anyways, if you can provide dwgs or sketchs with basic dimensions I can give it to my CNC shop and they will quote it out for you. We've been thinking about building some wvo kits lately. Paul@GruvenParts.com

I've got a 10 gallon boat tank for #2 in my 6.5 'burb, and I'm hitting the gas station every 3rd or 4th day, depeneding on how many short, around town stops I make.

Andy

WD8CDH · #29 06-06-2008, 05:25 PM

mobetta,

Is the wagon tank strainer brass or is it aluminum like the sedan? Also, do you know the thread size for the wagon?

Thanks,

WD8CDH · #30 06-06-2008, 05:27 PM

FYI,

Plantdrive used to list a Hotstick/fuel pickup/fuel gauge that replaced the fuel gauge in a MB tank. Last time that I called, they said that they still carry it.