Greasecar Installed & Only 110F...Need Heat! - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

pizzachef · #16 08-24-2009, 07:22 PM

I'm not sure moving your coolant return tap will make much difference. If you move it to the downstream side of the aux pump (between aux pump and engine block) then wiring your aux pump to be ON won't do you any good. The return has to be on the intake side of the aux pump for it to be effective.

Aluminum tubing and 3/4" heater hose makes a good homemade HIH fuel line...as far as I know, greasecar still uses PEX tubing for their HIH. Frybrid uses aluminum tubing.

Your planned placement of the FPHE is good...first in line for the hot coolant, last in line for the VO (well, last right before the supply valve).

I see you're in Michigan, you may want to add a heated fuel pickup to your tank (such as a hotfox, it uses coolant to heat the fuel around the pickup). It doesn't need to heat your whole tank (better if it doesn't) just has to heat the area around the pickup so the solid VO melts enough to make it into the fuel line.

For my temperature display, I actually have a temperature switch like this:
http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Products/Product.cfm?Group_ID=149&sPageName=Ordering

It doesn't actually switch anyting on, just shows the temperature. I'd like to find another option, but I looked and looked when I was doing my conversion, and I couldn't find a regular automotive gauge with the proper range (and resolution). Maybe there's more out there at the VO vendors websites. I think I'll check right now, if I find something nifty, I'll report back

marybeth · #17 08-24-2009, 08:17 PM

http://www.jcwhitney.com/CYBERDYNE-ELECTRONIC-LED-DIGITAL-OIL-TEMPERATURE-GAUGE/GP_2008830_N_111+10209+600027331_10109.jcw

JC whitney Digital Oil Temp Guages $43 (+$18 for Sender) RED LED-pic of Oil Can

Or

http://www.greasecar.com/product_detail.cfm?prodID=13

Greasecar Digital Temp Guage $65 (includes sender) GREEN LED-pic of Temp guage

Good thing is they are both round and fit in pillar mounts

pselaphid · #18 08-24-2009, 09:20 PM

Rather primitive, but on a previous car I used a $12 Walmart digital oven temp gauge. I stuck the probe in some insulation wrapped around the H.E., spliced an extension cord out of speaker wire for the probe, and ran it into the cabin. You can use it as a temporary way to read the temp of the H.E. then get rid of it when you calibrate it to the stock guage in the car, and always just reinstall it as a periodical check under varous outside temp conditions.

Its nice to have the guage, whatever option you choose, because you can switch the WVO on when the temp hits 160 and watch it rapidly drop to around 140 then creep back up and stabilize, in my case between 170-180. On really hot days it would hit 200.

On the current car I just wait until the car's guage is at operating temp.

diesel don · #19 08-25-2009, 11:21 AM

I currently have the Greasecar temp sender but suspect it.

After I install the FPHE, I'll get a good feel for when the car is ready to switch and then calibrate the current setup (adjust in my mind)

thanks again for all the help

dd

mplafleur · #20 08-25-2009, 02:30 PM

Hey Don, converting a car huh? I'm running straight WVO now, but will consider a seperate heated system this fall.

The brown SD was messed up by my son last year and sold it for spare parts, but we've rebuilt the engine on the 240D and it runs like a top!

diesel don · #21 08-25-2009, 03:33 PM

Yep, did it on 'Arne', the nice 'China Blue' one.

Wasn't the 240D a China also?

dp

mplafleur · #22 08-25-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diesel don

Yep, did it on 'Arne', the nice 'China Blue' one.

Wasn't the 240D a China also?

dp

Yes, here is a recent picture...

pizzachef · #23 08-26-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marybeth

http://www.jcwhitney.com/CYBERDYNE-ELECTRONIC-LED-DIGITAL-OIL-TEMPERATURE-GAUGE/GP_2008830_N_111+10209+600027331_10109.jcw

JC whitney Digital Oil Temp Guages $43 (+$18 for Sender) RED LED-pic of Oil Can

Or

http://www.greasecar.com/product_detail.cfm?prodID=13

Greasecar Digital Temp Guage $65 (includes sender) GREEN LED-pic of Temp guage

Good thing is they are both round and fit in pillar mounts

Those are both the same gauge, greasecar sells the Cyberdyne, with a few dollars markup.

I had one measuring my coolant temp, but I never really trusted it. The sender doesn't have a ground wire, it's supposed to be grounded through the body when you screw it into the head/block (they tell you not to use thread sealer so it gets a good ground. I had mine in a copper pipe T, and connected a ground wire to the T, but the gauge was still wonky sometimes. Also, the sender is kind of big, so you need a big T to fit the sender, which makes the fuel line really bulky (I had planned on using it for fuel temp, and I changed my mind when I saw how big the T/barb fittings contraption would have to be).

I still have it, will probably sell it on ebay (have an unused sender for it) but if anyone here wants it after all my words of praise for it, you can have it for $45 shipped

first300D · #24 08-26-2009, 09:00 PM

Yep thats right they are the same temp gauge.

One thing more. Be really sure that its grounded or it will read all over the place. My T that came with the gauge had a tab screwed to it for the ground wire. The screw would get loose occasionaly and there ya go bad readings not consistent and low sometimes.

Maybe not your issue but thought I would mention it just in case.