Do you want it?

[The Great Pretender]

After running 100% veg oil for 5 years I decided to make some alterations.
I stripped out the working parts of the veg system and reverted to the standard diesel system as I have had long term symptoms (small amounts of coolant loss, poor starting from cold with white smoke) that pointed to head problems.
It wasn’t.

Anyway, getting back to the question, I’m refitting the lift pump and heat exchanger in a different position and was wondering if was worthwhile putting up pics for you guys n girls if anyone is interested?

[winchman]

Yes this would be good
Could we not have an alternative fuels section on the forum?

[mikeonb4c]

After running 100% veg oil for 5 years I decided to make some alterations.
I stripped out the working parts of the veg system and reverted to the standard diesel system as I have had long term symptoms (small amounts of coolant loss, poor starting from cold with white smoke) that pointed to head problems.
It wasn’t.

Anyway, getting back to the question, I’m refitting the lift pump and heat exchanger in a different position and was wondering if was worthwhile putting up pics for you guys n girls if anyone is interested?

What was the cause Mel and how did you establish it wasn't a head problem? Might help the next worried owner

[mikeonb4c]

Yes this would be good
Could we not have an alternative fuels section on the forum?

We do and its in it I think?

[helen&tony]

Hi
Absolutely, Mike...It's here
Cheers
Helen

[The Great Pretender]

[quote="mikeonb4cWhat was the cause Mel and how did you establish it wasn't a head problem? Might help the next worried owner [/quote]


I didn't think it was the head at fault, but as I replaced the parts that I thought were the problem without a full cure you begin to fear the worst……………

White smoke and grumpy running when started from cold was thought to be mainly down to the glow plugs and front seal on the injector pump. 2 of the glow plugs were terminally ill; replacing the lot improved behaviour but didn’t cure it. Next step was replacing all the seals on the injector pump, starting from cold still smokes with misfiring, this along with a small loss of coolant that I couldn’t find made me wonder if the head needed to come off.
By this time I had removed the veg oil system piping up the Bongo as standard


It then refused to start, by this time I was ready to do a Basil Fawlty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78b67l_yxUc
But instead thought stop solenoid. So I cracked open a fuel line to an injector and under cranking no fuel was leaving the pump, my battery was running out of puff before this episode and ordered the Bosch one recommended here by the one that knows but sourced it from here.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360518031699? ... 1497.l2649
.After 4 days of trying to find the problem and thinking each day I had cracked it, it was the same in the morning…………
So the next day I thought bu99er this and just kept cranking it and it eventually started…………..
Then the little grey cells started working, the stop valve was open but no fuel, I had already tried the fuel cap and left it cracked open in case it was blocked, what else could cause a vacuum?

THE BLOODY TANK FILTER.

And where is it? Probably under my kitchen…………..
So I removed the pipe feeding the injector pump and fed air down it at low pressure hearing it bubbling back into the fuel tank.

I have no coolant problem since removing the heat exchanger so I must think the coolant loss was evaporating on it.

Since clearing the tank filter starting is ‘on the button’ and no white smoke.
Basic problems can be hard to find………… Hopefully sorted...........

[mikeonb4c]

Phew! Well that was a bit of a saga. Very interesting tale and thanks for taking the time to write it up.

[The Great Pretender]

It was 5 years ago when I first converted my Bongo to run 100% veg and have since covered around 40,000 miles without problem with it. I did a topic on the conversion then and apologies in advance to members if this covers some of that topic again.

I always thought that the position I first fitted the heat exchanger (HE) was correct one, although I couldn’t make it work. My knowledge of the diesel engine then was extremely limited, I have had 5 years to learn, so now it has advanced to just limited. So time to find out if my original thinking was right.
Installing a veg system is moderately easy as there is enough space for it in the Bongo…………But…………As this shows………………………………………….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zHBN45fbo8

Placing is the important part once you have decided on the criteria. Mine was fitting the HE as close to the injection pump (IP) as possible with the diesel connection after it so the only purging needed was for the IP.
So here is the HE, not necessarily with the right orientation



And here is how it finished up.



The filter and lift pump are fitted here.



And finally it has to fit around the essential bits.



The veg outlet now has a temperature sender incorporated, and there is a manual vent fitted for test purposes where the auto vent is, and if this if needed will be mounted remotely with a one way valve.

Initial testing has proved positive ……………..The next five years will tell.

[The Great Pretender]

The copper pipes I have used were because they were to hand, fuel hose would do the whole job just as well.

Let’s throw a few numbers as to why it is worth running 100% veg.

40,000 miles over 5 yrs = 8000 miles per year.

8000 miles at an average of 27mpg

27mpg = 5.94 miles per litre

So unconverted @ £1.40 litre = £1885.52 per year.

Converted if you have to rely on retail shops for your oil, £1.00 litre is out there.
So @ £1.00 litre = £1346.80 a saving of £538.72 or £2693.61 over five years.

It gets better, get a trade card and it is £0.93 litre = £1252.52 a saving of £633.00 yr or an eye watering £3165.00 over 5 yr.

Make sense?