Allright. I've been collecting WVO from a few restaraunts recently for use in my bio diesel processor when it's done. I was told I can run up to 25% WVO/ diesel in warm weather such as this. I decided to run 10% or less (I added 2 gallons to a 3/4 full tank of diesel). For 1 day of driving (70 miles or so) I saw no problems. the second day I kept getting the Water in Fuel light. I never let it stay on long at all. I pulled over at the closest safe spot to pull over and drained the filter. I did this for 2 days of driving... having to drain the filter probably 6 times a day!

Last day, idle started acting erratic. If I bumped the throttle to 1000rpms or so, it would ocsillate and hunt up and down untill the RPMs settled. It also would stall if I revved it quick and let off the throttle. Driving home I got WIF light so I drained it the normal amount of time. the light was still on so I drained it 2 or 3 more times... probably a 1/2 gallon total and it was still on. I thought at this point my sensor was FUBAR'd so I kept driving home from work. Stop at the store to get some stuff for supper and start the truck just fine. Drain some off the filter and light still won't go off. I take off and drive 400 feet or so. Some one cuts in front of me and I let off the throttle quickly; she dies. I can't get it restarted!!!

I drain and drain and drain the filter using the hand pump. I bypass the fuel shut off solenoid and try again, nothing. I open the bleeder screw and make sure there is no air... nothing. I crack all the injectors and crank it over several revolutions: And I only get fuel out of #1 and #6 injectors!!!

So. Obviously water problems... with a rotary pump I know this is very bad due to all lubrication is from the diesel. Does anyone know what broke in the pump? I'm guessing the "wobble cam" (for lack of correct term) is sheared off with the plunger set in between the #1 and #6 cylinders (I'm guessing they are next to each other in firing order). Anyone got a solution??? Injection shop doesn't really know, but estimated $1000 for a fix!!! Anyone got another solution, or a spare 89-91 IP I can buy?? Thanks guys. Hope someone learns from my expensive mistake!

BTW, I have since disconnected the supply fuel line and pumped fresh diesel throught the whole system and cranked it over several times to try and clear water that is in the injection system. any other tips?

 

Spare VE's are hard to come by... Sounds like you may have been due for a rebuild anyway, you may have just sped up the demise... ?

 

VE pumps tolerate WVO beter than most -
with one exception - the rubber o-rings...
Just a guess on my part. I've been running WVO for ~ 2 weeks and no prob...
Just playing - 1 gal in full tank. Prolly less than 10%.

Did you change your fuel filter ? Any junk in your tank will come loose. I changed mine and was surprised at the crap.

Hope you get it figgered out.

 

I forgot to mention something in the post about the WVO I added. I did some later tests with the WVO added and some stuff that other greasers in my area have told me is reputable.

The stuff I used I brought up to 200*F and let settle overnight before using it. I was pleased to see no water seperate out. It was a much lighter color than the stuff I got from the reputable restaraunt, but I excused that as difference between french fries and the Thai food cooking. Anyway, after the IP failure I did a test with the good stuff and the stuff I used by adding water and seeing if it would fall out: The good stuff settled the water our easily after a minute of shaking it up. The stuff I used NEVER SETTLED THE WATER OUT! I also did a test with adding the 2 50/50 with diesel and seeing if they would seperate. The good stuff made a homogeneous mixture and the stuff I used seperated out almost instantly!!! I'm guessing this restaraunt uses some cleaning chemical or something that royally messed up my IP.


Side note: I can get my hands on a rotary pump off of a boat 5.9L cummins. a 210 and a 250 hp model, will they work on my 89?

 

they should work,

take the top off and look in side to see if somethere looks bad, pull the injector lines and turn over the engine to see if fuel comes out of the rear of the pump,

 

im thinking check your filter first thing. buddy of mine runs veggie, said when he first started went thru three filters within first couple weeks then was fine. his was a ford if that makes a diff?

 

Definatly try and change the filter first if you haven't already. WVO is a waste without at least an apple seed processor. Mixing will get you introuble everytime. Maybe not at first but it will catch up.

 

yup, changed the filter and still only fuel from #1 and #6 injector lines... this is the main reason why I think I killed the pump because no fuel comes out of the other lines.

So you guys think that the 210hp and the 250hp pumps from the boats will work?? I wanna say that a guy looked at my engine once and said that my pump looks physically smaller than the rotarys on the boat he was used to... then again he could have been working on a 24 valve VE 44??

The guy at the injection shop said it would be a pain to change the 93 pump into the 89 engine... is that true?? Anyone else's take on the different VE pumps?

 

The delivery valves are different. Not a real pain, but just not convenient.

 

WVO and processed BIO that you get at the pump are two different animals aren't they?

 

Damon,
If the wvo that you used didn't have anything separate, then it appears that it was water and probably some degreaser. Water will always separate from wvo.

 

Charger,
WVO( waste vegetable oil ) is raw material used to make biodiesel. WVO must be filtered and dewatered and then go thru 1 of 2 main processes to become biodiesel. You can use the methanol and lye method or you can mix 10% kerosene and 5% regular unleaded along with some fuel lubrication additives and anti gel additives. I've used the 2nd method and have 1000+ miles on my truck and around 3000+ miles on my wifes Jetta without probs and without buying diesel from the store for 2 months and 6 months respectively. And no I don't promote either method. I just like paying an avg. .75 cents/gal

 

How long did you let the WVO settle out for? I have run mine up to 8gal of a 23 gal fill up. Typical is 5gal. Runs fine both ways. Off and on i have done that for 40,000 miles.

 

Probably they had the water, degreaser, and WVO all in the same bucket. Like I said, I did tests with known good WVO for greasers in the area and it would drop the water out almost instantly.

I'm making my appleseed processor in the garage... I just wasn't done and wanted to try some of the 50 gal of WVO I had collected thus far.