Oh no.. not another newbie
August 22, 2004 - 10:58am
I have dreamed of owning a large, mid-90's Ford F250 4X4 PowerStroke diesel. (Don't ask, we all have our secret pleasure centers...
But my budget conscious mind succesfully pushed me into a Toyota Tacoma... (the "anti-SUV movement" of late also help make up my mind).
I stumbled across this topic while watching the discovery channel one day.... on a show that talked about hybrid fuel cars. Sadly, the show talked mostly about hydrogen concepts and their potential, and mentioned the "guy who converted his diesel to run on peanut oil" almost in passing.
But it was enough to get me thinking, and searching, and FINDING.
Before I begin my barage of questions, let me set a few things straight. I am pro-Bush. I am not an eco-nazi. I eat meat. Lots of it.
For anyone that thinks that the rise in oil prices in the US is SOLELY because of unrest in the Middle East, do some research on the EPA regs that went into affect in January of this year. The cost of refining gasoline has gone up considerably.
I personally believe that NOW, the only way the cost of gas will fall is if the goverment repeals the nearly 50% tax (hidden in all sorts of nooks and crannies) placed on the cost of gasoline. This, of course, will never happen.
The purpose of this project for me is both for budget and novelty. Any environmental benefits are only gravy.
Now, THAT having been said, let me dive into some newbie questions. Feel free to slap me for stupidity. Particularly dumb questions are noted as such.
1) Has their been any discussion as to the differences/ads/disads in the Griesal vs. GreaseCar conversion kit? Same? Different?
2) Have there been any discussions on how the SVO performs with "higher altitude" conditions? (5000+ feet?). I like to take my toys to the mountains, and tow a medium load. (I work my Tacoma pretty hard).
3) Does the SVO _sound_) any different when combusting? Any additional noise generated?
4) Does anyone have any success/failure stories with the NOMAD system from Griesal? So far my reading leans me in the direction of a "portable" filtration system... and it seems to have the least potential for mess.
5) DUMB QUESTION: Has anyone had a problems with paint on their vehicle with any SVO dribbles or spills? Bubbling? Fading?
6) Does anyone make an "auto-relay" for your vehicle? For example, some vehicles (like the 90's RX-7) used to have a relay that would run your car after you switched the ignition to "off" and shut it down automatically (usually 2-3 min) when the engine had "cooled" normally after some spirited driving. (This, I believe, was to prevent warping to the rotors and turbo-charger). Is there a product that does this "kinda sorta" for the switch from SVO-to-Diesel flush-out procedure at the end? (If not, there may be some $$ to be made there).
7) DUMB QUESTION: Has anyone done a "Sam's Club" pricing for a 5-gal container of oil, compared it to fuel prices, as well as the hassle of straining, storing, etc etc.
I have searched the archives for some of these topics and come up short. If anyone wants to just throw me some links, that would be great.
Many thanks in advance.
ns
August 22, 2004 - 2:45pm
#2
My apologies... my intent was not to offend with my comments.
At the time of the original post, I thought I should post a lines of my opinion, since I see that this forum has so many "save earth/recycle/be kind, please rewind" connotations and comments.
I won't go any further to spur a debate... there are certainly other places to go on the internet for that.
I will only say this: much of the world seems to think that "one day we will run out of fossil fuels, and the world will be lost".
In fact, what i have maintained for the longest time is that the world will never run out of fossil fuels; over time they will simply begin to decline in availability due to global (over)useage, driving up their cost to the point where another form of energy becomes economically viable. I suppose it's a fancy way of saying "suppy and demand."
When fuel starts costing $2.00 per gallon, folks like me start looking at more economically viable sources. This appears to be one of them.
Thanks for the time to answer my q's... any other input is also appreciated.
ns
August 23, 2004 - 9:04am
#3
I did try to find cheap retail veggie oil to no avail. Some folks have successfully secured a supplier for non food grade oil, but you'll have to find one for yourself as no one appears to be just doing this for a living. Because I can't resist, any mention of "supply and demand" in the same breath as the fossil fuel industry is misguided. The oil industry loves to talk about free markets and supply and demand, course if it was a real free market we'd take back the 15 billion in annual direct subsidies that keep their product cheap and the additional, minimum, 65 billion we spend overseas making their product even viable and see where they came out on a truly level playing field with other liquid fuel alternatives. All those "free market" oil tycoons would be begging for change on the streets of Houston. The Washington Times (a very conservative newspaper) did a piece that showed that a gallon of gasoline costs consumers about $5/gallon when you include all the handouts. The oil industry couldn't breath on their own in a "free market" for thirty seconds. Ok, I'm done.
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2001 Jetta TDI
85 MBZ 300Dt
August 23, 2004 - 9:52pm
#4
I'll only reply to number 2: I live at 5000 feet and have had my MB 300D turbo to almost 9000 feet going over sierra nevada passes. It seems to do just as well on vege as Diesel, although without the turbo it would probably be a slug on either.
August 24, 2004 - 5:06am
#5
2) My personal feeling is that the car makes a bit less power on SVO. Nothing to keep me from driving in the mountains, and so hard to be certain. It also seems to get slightly pooorer mileage. We need a dynomometer test. And of course you can alway switch back to diesel for a climb if you feel you need it.
3) No difference in sound.
6) My biggest objection to timed idlers is that you have stinky diesel running in your driveway for a few minutes.
Right about not running out of oil; wrong about Bush.
August 25, 2004 - 6:24am
#6
I chose the greasecar kit for consumer preference, I like the aluminum tank and the hose in hose works fine, it is simple and most of all it works, I'll preach again,,two most important things 1. prefilter to below your veggie filter micron value, (normally 10 microns) I filter to 5. 2. WAIT for your engine temp to get all the way up to normal operating temp before switching to veggie. There can be room for all sorts of automation on this system but again it works like it is and if you feel the need to add more go ahead. If you spill veggie oil on your car you can simply wipe it off, if you don't it won't harm the paint or finish it will gather dust and then you can use some 409, citrus cleaner or simple green to clean it off. It is not a petroleum product. I have not used the kit in higher altitudes so I can not offer any experiences. My Jetta seems to run quieter while on veggie, no noticable loss of power or gas mileage. I do have over 22,000 problem free veggie miles in weather from 85f to -30f. It does take longer to warm up in the winter before switching, I have run my hoses inside the passenger compartment on both my veggie vehicles 1998 VW Jetta 1.9L TDI and a 1994 Chevy Suburban 6.5 TD. I should finish the "Burb" this weekend and take it on its maiden voyage of 500 miles. I'm looking foward to completing my daughters 1982 VW Westy 1.6 ( 48 screaming horses) Vanagon L Diesel. So I'll have three grease cars, I'll finish with a pickup. We all offer our opinions here some professional (CGOODWIN) and some practical (mine) but its done to help each other and learn/share ideas to better the veggie experience. There is room for all of God's creatures...right next to the potatoes and gravy.
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KEEP ON GREASIN'
August 26, 2004 - 10:26am
#7
This is exactly, more or less, why I want to do it. Ecconomics and novelty. So I figure take a '69 camaro, restore it, and slap one of these 2005 Mercedes CDI diesel engines in it when it comes out and blammo, I'll be set. Just have to wait for a couple years and convert a '99 jetta in the meantime. Oh well, I'm a patient sort.
As for the eco nazi comment, considering that many environmentals put 'communal good', etc, over the rights of property owners, I don't know how far off it is.
And please... basically told the rest of the world to screw off? How funny, we did have the biggest military coalition since WWII, so it isn't like we 'alienated' the world, just the appeasers. So we alienated germany and france, which has a shown history of appeasement, so what? They were trying to appease Germany even when Germany started the invasion, we don't need them.
I guess that the following nations just aren't part of the world or something... Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kuwait, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Palau, Portugal, Rwanda, Singapore, Solomon Islands, and Uganda.
And before you think I'm a Bushie think again, I can barely stand our President. I'm just sick of people who keep repeating things that are obviously untrue.
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- Windaria
August 26, 2004 - 11:41am
#8
Dude, your first post said you were "pro-bush", now you say you can hardly stand him, what gives?
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I love my kind veggie '77 240D.
August 26, 2004 - 5:12pm
#9
I got veggie on my bumper, and it did bubble in 2 places. Definitely wipe any spills off immediately!
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If a horse can eat green *&!# and run like a mother-&*#!er then so can {my car}!
-Miles Davis
August 30, 2004 - 2:03pm
#10
indagrease... no I didn't, heck, I even searched these forums for my nic (windaria) and the word bush, and this was the only post that came up. Now I may have voiced highly conservative principles when others voiced liberal ones, but that hardly makes me someone who would like Bush. I'm far more in the Constitution Party camp than the Republican one by a long shot. You know... the people who look at Republicans as entirely too liberal for them.
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- Windaria
August 30, 2004 - 2:11pm
#11
Oops, sorry. May bad. I had you confused with narcoleptic_seizure.
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I love my kind veggie '77 240D.
August 30, 2004 - 2:21pm
#12
It's all good.
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- Windaria
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in order
1)greasecar has a better tank, they also have everything you need to use with thier kit and a backflush feature so you don't need to get out of the car and burn your hand on a hot threeway valve :-)
greasel's kit pricing does not reflect a filter, and the filters that they do have they overcharge for. (look for racor in google you'll see what i mean.) i have not bought any kit but this is what i observed through research. i plan on making my own to fit my needs.
2. beats me
3. i've heard tell that there is no difference if anything the engine sounds a bit smoother.
4.no but the nomad is just a second heated tank with a sock filter holder. i think that an inline filter like an under the sink filter and a heat exchanger with a pump would work better. i haven't done it...yet but it would be faster and less messy. go to www.frybird.com i think that cgoodwin the owner of that site is developing something called OFF (on the fly filtering). contact him and maybe he'll be able to set you up with something more comprehensive. he is also on these forums and is a professional diesel mechanic.
5.dunno, gety an old car door and try it out i guess.
6. nope none out there that i've heard of. i heard about using a timer from a turbo engine but most use a warning signal of some kind to let you know. i think that letting your engine run without you in the car is illegal isnt it?
7. no i don't but most filter out their oil from oil dumpsters behind resturants. otherwise vegoil would be more expensive to run than anyother fuel. people like fried food and we just benefit from the byproducts.
i'm sorry but i think that it is stupid to call anyone an eco-nazi. and i'm not voting for bush because of his reckless pursual of an unneccecary war that has cost this country billions. it turns out that even if saddam is a bad person we have no hard evidence of his weapons. it wouldn't be so bad if we had the support of the rest of the world but he basicly told them to screw off and sent us to war anyway. so we are footing the bill alone without anyones support. Great Britan doesn't count because the only one who ever supported bush in that country was Tony Blair. my question is where is this money coming from?!!!! he wants more and more but where is it coming from? i don't give a damn about any gas prices but anyone who is willing to wager this country's future so easily will never have my vote. i love america and i feel that bush is poison to this country.
i hope that you have success with your greasing