Gonna do the full GreaseCar Conversion! - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Old300D · #16 01-18-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pselaphid

What needs to get hacked up? I've been running an 82 300d on a two tank system with a coolant heat exchanger for about two years, but I could unconvert in a couple hours, and except for an odd bolt hole here and there, you wouldn't be able to tell. Initially I used the veggietherm, but I like the heat exchanger better because it doesn't require a relay and a lot of current to make it work...and its big, gray, and spirally. If I lived anywhere cold, I might use both. Its still a marvelous piece of engineering. I say convert, but don't hack!

Considering that fuel costs to brew biodiesel amount to 0.60 per gallon, and you will still have to burn some form of fossil fuel with a WVO conversion, it will take a long time to recoup the costs of a two tank conversion versus burning B100.

justinperkins · #17 01-18-2007, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig

LOL, that's good. How about NHEOMB - No Hillbilly Engineering On My Benz.

That's what you NIBMB people always say...

#18 01-18-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justinperkins

That's what you NIBMB people always say...

Yep, I'm just messing with you guys. I really don't much care what you do to your cars, I'm just glad I bought my unmolested cars a while ago.

pselaphid · #19 01-18-2007, 11:58 AM

Who said anything about recouping costs? I just did it because it looked like a fun project, which it was, and because most of our WVO gets shipped to Europe where they brew it into biodiesel, which seems stupid when we could be burning it straight using their cars.

JasonC · #20 01-18-2007, 01:16 PM

Go for it. You won't regret it. You'll probably want to find a way to filter in the winter. You just need a little heat.

powerpig · #21 01-18-2007, 01:48 PM

I appreciate all the positive comments. I agree that if done right, the conversion will be hardly noticed. That's why I decided to have a "pro" shop do the install. I thought about doing it myself, but don't want to mess things up.

ImBroke · #22 01-18-2007, 01:51 PM

You could do it yourself Kevin, but you're never home to do it.

I figured a kit would pay for itself in 6 months, driving the way I do.

powerpig · #23 01-18-2007, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImBroke

You could do it yourself Kevin, but you're never home to do it.

I figured a kit would pay for itself in 6 months, driving the way I do.

That is a problem, I'm never home! I'm actually planning on having the conversion done while on a business trip. I averaged 6000 miles combined driving on all my cars last year and a bazillion frequent flyer miles!

Diesel Dan · #24 01-18-2007, 02:57 PM

I'm chiming in with the "yay-sayers"! You're going to love the feeling of riding on free bio-fuel, especially if you take long trips. I just made a trip from Texas to Louisiana (750 miles round trip), all on grease, and I was smilin' all the way!

I love my greasecar; but be forwarned, even with a pro setup, you will very likely have to fuss with it now and then. There is definitely a "hillbilly" aspect to these systems. But, then again, I like being a little bit hillbilly!

diametricalbenz · #25 01-18-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powerpig

That is a problem, I'm never home! I'm actually planning on having the conversion done while on a business trip. I averaged 6000 miles combined driving on all my cars last year and a bazillion frequent flyer miles!

I have a friend that had the conversion done and it took one of the greasecar reccomended places 3 weeks to get it running properly since the engine would be starved of fuel when it was switched over. It is still not known why it took so much fiddling and an extra $600 in labor to get it running but just make sure you have a fallback travel plan if they don't get it going in the "promised" timetable.

probear · #26 01-18-2007, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old300D

Considering that fuel costs to brew biodiesel amount to 0.60 per gallon, and you will still have to burn some form of fossil fuel with a WVO conversion, it will take a long time to recoup the costs of a two tank conversion versus burning B100.

Actually, the cost in my area has gone up slightly to $.80 /gallon. Running an average of B100 summer and B40 (average) winter, based on my 20k per year, I save about $1000 / year. My bio plant paid for itself, and left me a net gain of about $300 this year and of course, next year I'll save another $1000...

Besides, my car really runs much better with BioD than #2 !!

As an added note, this coming summer, I will experiment with a WVO/BioD blend to stretch the savings. I already have a Davco heated filter which not only gives me a large filter area, but continuously heats the fuel.

bgkast · #27 01-18-2007, 05:13 PM

I converted my car with out drilling a single hole. It worked out well to since I yanked out and sold the conversion after about 300 miles on Veg oil.

Too much hassle. Now when I'm feeling green I drive over to Portland and pay an extra 20 cents a gallon for B99.

mike0000 · #28 01-18-2007, 09:23 PM

Go for it !!!,

The only reason I own my Benz is because gas hit $ 3.29 a gallon after Katrina. I had been reading about converting for several months and found out they are one of the best grease vehicles available. I decided to take the plunge and now have close to 17,000 miles on grease ( it could easily be "de converted"). I since have added a 99' Suburban to the grease garage so the wife can drive the Benz when we both have places to be.

Tell opec to kiss your @$$ and convert that car

Mike

Blevinsax · #29 01-18-2007, 10:08 PM

I have a '91 350SD that has been running on 100% WVO (minus 4-5 minutes/day on B20 to warm up and cool down) for the last 6 months (about 7k miles) and it has been fantastic. I recently drove from Las Vegas to San Diego and back - 670 miles - all on WVO and it was fantastic! See the attached pic for a nice 'on the road' shot from our trip! And we didn't even drop a dime on fuel for the whole trip - saved us about $250!

I would second the suggestion of adding a VegTherm up front for extra heat. Mine was not getting up to temp with the GreaseCar coolant-based fuel heater, butnow it is piping-hot with the addition of a VegTherm Mega - and PlantDrive just dropped the price to $99, too!

So, I say go for it - you won't be sorry. Just do bear in mind that keeping it running at 100% does that a bit of tinkering and figuring from time to time.

vstech · #30 01-18-2007, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blevinsax

I have a '91 350SD that has been running on 100% WVO (minus 4-5 minutes/day on B20 to warm up and cool down) for the last 6 months (about 7k miles) and it has been fantastic. I recently drove from Las Vegas to San Diego and back - 670 miles - all on WVO and it was fantastic! See the attached pic for a nice 'on the road' shot from our trip! And we didn't even drop a dime on fuel for the whole trip - saved us about $250!

I would second the suggestion of adding a VegTherm up front for extra heat. Mine was not getting up to temp with the GreaseCar coolant-based fuel heater, butnow it is piping-hot with the addition of a VegTherm Mega - and PlantDrive just dropped the price to $99, too!

So, I say go for it - you won't be sorry. Just do bear in mind that keeping it running at 100% does that a bit of tinkering and figuring from time to time.

Cool Shot of the star!
Where do you order the vegtherm Mega for 99.00? it's 125 on their site...
John