Fellows, I enjoy reading your posts and admire how easily knowledge is giving about so freely to readers like me, thanks.

I do have a question, I seen an advertisement of a truck in the classified ads using veggie oil for fuel and ask HOW??? I've heard it all now. Does anyone else have any info or experience with this concept? If so, please share it. An alternative fuel to delute or mix with diesel would be awsome for mpg's.

 

I have no experience with this, but here is what I've read, simplified and regurgitated . The system is set up so that the truck is started on #2 diesel and the (well filtered) veggie oil is warmed by engine coolant circulated through a heat exchanger. The veggie oil is too thick for the injection pump at normal temperatures so it has to be heated to somewhere around 150 degrees. Once the veggie oil is hot enough, the engine is switched over to veggie juice. Seems like a lot of complication to me. Veggie oil makes less power than diesel, plus you gotta find a way to store the stuff. You can't mix it with diesel, they have to be in separate tanks. Pluses are less smoke (or is that a minus? ) and the cost of the veggie oil can range from cheap to free. Hope that helps.

 

Yes, thanks, I figured it who be a good cruising fuel on long trips without pulling or grunting. It does sound boring and defines every reason why we have been bombing our rigs.

No Fun!!

 

My parents live in California where it does not get too cold. My dad has a friend that runs leftover fast food oil in his diesels. He had a VW Rabbit now a Mercedes.
He said the Mercedes handles it better than the VW. These guys dont even heat the oil first. They do however transfer the engine back to #2 diesel before shut down, and start them on #2. They get all the Vegy oil they want at no charge.
Now for the clincher. My dad tells me theres another guy he knows running on ATF. I told my dad that ATF is as expensive as Diesel. He tells me Oh no he gets waste ATF from trans shops and filters it GO FIGURE. Leave it to my dad. (raised in the depression) to meet people that are, should I say thrifty Well I still run #2
Food for thought, Or should I say leftover food for thought

 

might want to take a look at this: http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/FAQ/diesel_fuel.htm
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For the "inline" P7100 pump ('94 to 98.5 12 Valve engines). P7100 pumps are internally lubricated by engine oil.

These fuels are "OK": #1 & #2 Diesel, 1K & 2K Kerosene, Jet-A, Jet A-1, JP-5, and JP-8.
NOT OK under any circumstances: Jet-B, JP-4, and Cite
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The "rotary" VE pump (pre '94) and electronic VP-44 (98.5+ 24 valve) VE and VP-44 pumps are fuel lubricated.

#1-D Diesel or #2 Fuel Oil (diesel) only
Alternate fuels listed for the P7100 pump may be used in the VE pump if if 5% lube oil is added.
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Bio diesel is a great idea, except it costs more than #2 and isnt as available but it is alot less resistant to the cold even more so if its not blended. seems like alot of extra work to add another tank, heater to run straight oil and if you forget to turn off with #2 you have a little problem.

 

correct me if i am wrong but i seem to remember that the very first diesel ran on powdered coal?

 

I can't correct you because you're right. Must've been a smoky, stinky sonofagun.

 

Well, if it was in a pickup truck you wouldn't have to pull a tender behind for the coal.

 

Absolutely correct. Apparently, though, it had serious detonation problems, and was not viable.

The M.A.N. multifuel engine (used in some of our Korean war vintage 2.5 and 5 ton Army trucks) would run on almost anything: beef tallow to gasoline. It had a spherical combustion chamber in the piston crown, and the fuel pump was externally lubricated with a mechanism for controlling the delivery amount based on viscosity. There was a fellow I knew of who had two logging trucks with that engine, and used to burn 50-50 diesel and used motor oil. Don't think it would pass today's emissions standards .

I'm a little put off by bio-diesel because it is normally made using methanol, destroys natural rubbers, and has a limited shelf-life -- but I just dont understand the chemistry enough to really form an opinion. I know a couple people who are making it on their farms for very cheap, though.

 

I think I would have the munchies all the time if I was running with Veggie oil. Maybe one week I could collect it from Chinese food places and think about chinese, then Mickey D's the next week and other places to get a different flavor each week. See which one goes the best.