My WVO conversion system
 

Okay here it goes. I'm gonna try to document the installation of the WVO system I'm installing on my 93 Dodge Cummins. I've spent about 40 bazillion hours researching, designing, fabbing and installing. Enjoy!

I started out purchasing a used toolbox tank I found on Craigslist specifically designed and built for the Veggiestroke system for about a third of the cost of new.

Attachment 63267

Here's a pic of the fittings in the back of the tank:

Attachment 63268

I opted to build a tube in tube design to go between the tank and the engine compartment to minimize the exposure of fuel lines to the outdoor elements.

Attachment 63269

This will also help heat the fuel and eliminate any gelling in cold weather. I used 3/4" heater hose for the outside line that I bought at a local auto parts store and 3/8" aluminum fuel line tubing I bought here:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Alumin...Line,1633.html
The coolant hose barb is 5/8", the brass tee is 3/4" and the the terminal end is 3/4" fnpt X 3/8" compression which had to have the the hole inside drilled out large enough for the 3/8" aluminum tubing to pass through.

Next I ran a 5/8" heater hose return line from the tank to the heater core return line.

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSCF2108.jpg

I cut the factory hose close to the firewall with just enough free hose to slip in a hose barb fitting then replaced the other side with a piece of the hose I bought putting the factory piece in the glove box just in case I ever need to convert the truck back to factory. As you can see in the pic the hose runs fairly close to the exhaust manifold and the downpipe so I'll probably install a heat shield on it. I'll tackle that and document it later...

Next I installed a 3 way solenoid valve I bought here:
http://www.wvodesigns.com/wvo-conver...valve-12v.html
for the injector pump/line return line.

Attachment 63270

Short pieces of 5/16" rubber fuel line and hose clamps work great for splicing in the valve. Just slip the fuel line pieces over the factory plastic fuel line and secure with hose clamps. Cut the factory line with a utility knife about 1" below the hose barb fitting thats inside the factory line where it adapts from steel line to plastic and cut the other end of the factory line short enough to complete the splice without binding. These 3 way valves are the 1 inlet/2 outlet design so make sure you plumb the diesel outlet on the power off side and the WVO outlet on the power on side. Also make sure you prewire some 3 ft. leads before you install as it's very tight back in there.

Next I installed a standpipe and shutoff valve for the coolant pressure side.

Attachment 63271

There is a 1/2" NPT pipe plug next to the factory heater hose that I removed and installed a 4" black pipe nipple and elbow for the shutoff valve. Make sure you use teflon sealing compound on all pipe thread connections! This line goes to the heat exchanger/fuel filter that I bought here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=42604
I couldn't hardly build one of these myself for that price so being inherently lazy I opted to just purchase it. They also carry one with a thermostatically controlled glow plug that is used to speed up initial warm up in cold climates (That's the one I bought) Pictured here you can see I relocated my battery and mounted the HE and fuel pump

Attachment 63272

I turned the battery 90 degrees to allow more room for the HE and only required drilling hole in the battery tray for the hold down and splicing some longer leads on some accessory hot wires. The HE is mounted on a super fancy custom build bracket I built out of a scrap piece of angle iron. The needle valve to the right of the HE is used for bleeding air out of the system during filter changes. To the left you can see the fuel pump I bought here:
http://www.fuel-pumps.net/frb51.html...FRtKgwod0ntlHA
It's a Walbro FRB-5 which is the only fuel pump I found that is designed for Biodiesel and hot WVO. They are rated for a maximum temp of 140F so I have the WVO bypass going to the outlet side of this pump that way the pump only pumps what the engine consumes and any bypass fuel gets reheated and filtered. This pump is not very quiet so it should be mounted with rubber insulators between it and the body. It grounds off the body though so you may have to run a ground wire.

Coolant flow leaves the engine, past the shutoff valve to the bottom of the HE, out the top of the HE and to the tube in tube setup that goes to the tank.

Next I removed the banjo bold to the fuel line at the outlet side of the fuel filter (be careful not to loose the special washers that are on both sides of the banjo). Then I unhooked that line at the injector pump and removed it towards the front of the truck. I then took a pipe cutter and made a cut between the first and second bend by the injector pump fitting. slid a section of 5/16th" fuel line hose over each of the cut ends (after wire wheeling the paint off the outside of them) and reinstalled the banjo/fuel filter side first. The following pic shows how I turned the other section 180 degrees so both lines are now pointed towards the left side of the truck.

Next I installed a second 3 way solenoid valve shown here:

Attachment 63273

For this installation I spared no expense and used old rusty tie wire. You may opt for a more elaborate mounting system but at some point you've got to tell yourself "Okay this is just too fancy!" Also now the valve is sandwiched between two two coolant hoses... Need I say more? Notice that with this setup when you shut off to backflush there is only the WVO leftover in the injector pump and injector lines. On this setup the two outlets must now be used as inlets. You can also see I have a tee just before the WVO inlet. This serves many purposes but most importantly it goes to the recirculation solenoid valve for initial startup allowing WVO to circulate through the HE/filter system to eliminate temperature fluctuations during cold weather.

Here you can see the tube in tube plumbed into the fuel pump inlet (bottom) and HE unit.

Attachment 63274

You can also see the check valve I installed on the bypass line. I did this because of the design of the 3 way valve to prevent WVO being pumped into the diesel tank. At the bottom of the fuel pump you can see a tee with one port capped off. This is where the recirculation line plumbs into after all the lines have been bled of air.

Attachment 63275

Here's the whole sebang! My air bleed valve was leaking out the top so I had to replace it with a pipe plug for now. You can see just behind and to the right of the red intercooler boot the recirculation solenoid valve. This is a small 1/4" NPT inlet/outlet valve for preheating the system upon initial startup. This can be open and the pump can be running while you are waiting for your engine to reach full operating temperature. You can see the top of the HE has one of the four ports plugged off. Eventually I'm gonna install a temperature gauge probe there.

On a side note, if you install your WVO tank in the bed of the truck as I did make sure you protect the rubber hoses passing through the bed floor because it's sharp. I took an empty steel carb cleaner can and cut it open and cut 2 wide strips out of it with a pair of tin snips and wrapped the strips around the hose where they pass through the bed.


Tomorrow I'm going fishing so no updates ...

Sweet.

I need my bed space so I cant run a tank there. Dont want to deal with DOT inspection hassles or potential for fines trying to negotiate the red tape in my state. Id prefer to mount the tank(s) under the bed somewhere.
Also thinking about adding propane which might be able to go where the spare sits.
I thought about mounting some spun aluminum tanks on the sides between the cab and the rear wheel, but Id need to modify them a bit to put in baffles, heating coils and pickup / return lines. If I had a TIG welder Id be all over that.
I tried making some WVO tanks from plastic boat tanks but theyre just not sturdy enough to feel safe on the truck so I took them out.

your could mount a tank where the spare is and build a flip down license plate or find a vehicle with a similar sized rear bumper that already has a flip down license plate for that stealth capability. you can add a touch of food coloring to WVO to make it match diesel as well.

Well apparently I can't add to my original post anymore so I'll have to start again here.

I started the next step by building a control panel out of a scrap piece of stainless

Attachment 63227

Here you can see I have a switch for everything except the photon torpedos... This way during initial startup I can turn on the pump and recirculation valve to start heating up the system. If it's cold out or real slow to get to temperature I can turn on the auxiliary heater (glow plug heater). The WVO switch, which activates the 3 way valves, I bought at harbor freight tools and has an LED light on the end that way at night I don't forget to turn off the system. Later I'm gonna add an LED light that will go out when the system is up to operating temperature. I'll document that later.

The wiring in back looks like this.

Attachment 63228

The top four terminals I'll run to the hot leads on each of the components and the bottom four I will splice together to a 10 gauge primary wire that will run directly to the battery. Make sure you add a weatherproof inline fuse right before the battery connection. I installed a relay for the preheater as it requires 10 amps but is not necessary for anything else as the solenoids only require 1 amp and the pump operates on 2.4 amps.

don't drink any alchohol when wiring this up since they are all the same color :)

oh and do yourself a HUGE favor. don't run the switches straight to the battery. install some relays. let the relays take the load








only playin

Hey Cbrahs, I do my best work when I've been drinking!

After the wiring was hooked up I installed the control panel.

Attachment 63202

Here's how it looks! Easy to read. Easy to access without taking your eyes off the road and no wires showing! Note the LED light in the bottom middle. this is hooked to a thermosensor on the top of the HE that shuts off the auxillary heater when fluid temperatures reach 180F If the light turns off without the aux. heater I know the coolant HE is adequate.

Next I need to setup a filtration system.

Attachment 63203

This is what I have so far. The steel barrel is an open top design that has a set of barrel strainers I bought here: http://cgi.ebay.com/5-55-Gallon-Barr...item35a7ec32cd
This is a set of 5 barrel strainers that are 75, 100, 200, 400 and 600 microns that you stack on top of one another. The steel barrel is also elevated with cinder blocks to allow my turkey fryer burner underneath to preheat my oil to 100 degrees before additional filtering. Once it reaches 100F I can turn on the pump and the oil flows to the series of filters you see here. The first is a Goldenrod waterblock filter and the next two are 25 micron and 5 micron filters. From there it can be pumped directly into my trucks auxillary tank or stored in these 55 gallon barrels.

Well there you have it. Now All I have to do is wrap some insulation around all the lines and HE and fill my tank with some filtered oil and its off to wherever!

Update to my WVO conversion
 

Well finally took it out for it's maiden voyage on straight WVO. Hit the interstate and set the cruise at 65, flipped the switch and nothing. Couldn't feel any difference or hear any difference. Drove about 10 miles and pulled over to check everything out and the first thing I noticed was how much quieter it idles! No more rattling! Exhaust smells like a truck stop restaurant! Still pulls hills nicely. Thought about checking my fuel economy but why! Other than the cost of filters It costs me nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero, the big fat OOOOOO! Woo Hoo! Checked the temp of the oil entering the injectors and it's between 146 and 158F! Perfect!

Great job!

Thanks for posting all of this. Bookmarked.

Looking forward to more.

You might keep an eye on the aluminum fuel line. I would be very concerned with the vibration and about a movement causing the line to crack or fracture. My two cents, Mike.

You obviously aren't running a WVO system. If you did you'd know that the aluminum fuel line was inside a 3/4" coolant line. Only about an inch of it sticks outside of it and it's encapsulated by a 3/8" rubber fuel hose.

Oh and Santa? Could I get a new fishing pole for Christmas???

Nice build and thread.

I agree with Santa, you should keep an eye on the aluminum tubing. Fatigues easily.

Okay I appreciate the concern but like I said there really is no stress point once installed.

Update to conversion
 

Well I have my first issue running WVO. Not sure if it was caused from running WVO or if it's just a side effect. Lately I've noticed that the idle speed seems way lower on WVO than diesel plus if I shut off the truck on WVO to run in the store or something then try to restart it it won't start on WVO Even if engine is at full operation temp and the WVO is hot! Any suggestions? Could this be a weak injector pump? Drives fine and has plenty of power but acts like it's starved for fuel at idle. Fuel pump and filter are new.

Well fixed the problem. Breather tube for the tank was plugged with ants or an ant nest. Apparently ants LOVE WVO. So alls well in WVO land.

New update. Have about 2000 miles on WVO so far with no problems other than the ants... I finally got around to checking my fuel economy on WVO and driving back and forth to work (3000 foot elevation change) and I got 17.2 MPG which is pretty good for a 3/4 ton extended cab 4X4!

OK!I will ask the question.Where are you getting the VO? Restaurant owners have to be wising up by now knowing that a bunch of diesel heads want their waste. Is there a source for just bulk soybean,canola,rapeseed etc,etc. oil?

I put ads on craigslist, local papers and collect some from individuals trying to "do their part to save the world" by recycling their WVO from their frydaddy and one of the area grease trap cleaners supplies me with about 50 gallons a week for 50 cents a gallon. I also have found a few mom and pop grocery stores and gas stations with a fryer that I buy their oil from at 50 cents a gallon.

The big rendering companies probably don't pay anything for their service but they also have a big dumpster that they can just pour into rather than having to carefully try to get it back into the original containers. Some other VO burners in the area have set up customers with 55 gallon barrels to collect in. It's messy and kinda a PITA and that's why most people won't bother but I have the real estate for doing it and so far it's worth it.

Update: I ended up installing a bleeder system after the fuel filter that removes any air from the fuel that ties into the WVO bypass line that now goes back to the WVO tank. I did this because I was still having problems with a really low idle while running on WVO. I also had to replace my Walboro frb5 because the motor burned out of it.

I currently am living with the fact that it idles low on WVO. Maybe something wrong with the injector pump. Who knows but I can run about 1500 miles and only use a half a tank of diesel so it's saving me a ton of money. I've currently got about 5,000 miles on
WVO with no problems other than the low idle and my engine oil still looks pretty clean so that's good.

I'm gonna probably experiment with mixing 10% gasolene to the WVO in order to reduce the viscocity to see if that fixes my idle problem.

This is common. You can bump the idle up or someone somewhere suggested using an A/C idle solenoid to bump the idle up when running WVO.

Oh sure! Now you tell me! Actually I was gonna do the AC solenoid setup but since steel prices went through the roof it's really hard to find parts cars/trucks around here. What I've been doing is blending 10 parts WVO with 1 part gas to thin it out some which seems to be working well. Though I've noticed that it will cause absolutely all impurities to settle out including fat solids that would normally stay suspended. So... to minimize filter clogging I've been having to premix in a barrel that I welded a bung on the bottom and drain out the impurities after 24 hours. Probably gonna do a new thread on this procedure once I've got it mastered to help out others.

Other than that I've been using the truck to commute to jobs and can usually travel between 600 and 1500 miles before I use up a half tank of diesel (I always refill the diesel tank once it hits the half way mark). Went to the coast this weekend and probably traveled 400 miles and maybe used a half gallon of diesel.

Well thought I'd throw in an update. I have approximately 14,000 on the WVO. No leaks, no clogged filters, no loss of power, no cold starting problems (down to 25F) and no way I'm running on diesel alone again. If I can run like this for a total of 30K I will have paid for the truck and all the mods I've added.

HI How has the wvo rig been doin so far ? Have you had any more issues ? Thanks, Ron

Update: Modified my original design. relocated my fuel pump (Airdog Raptor) and fuel filter to the inside of the toolbox compartment of my heated toolbox tank. VERY happy with this setup! Makes my engine compartment look clean and roomy again. I've acquired approximately 35,000 miles so far on this truck running on WVO dragging my 32' fifth wheel around the state for work and play. Truck always runs flawlessly. Did a Blackstone oil analysis after 12k and again after 11K and reports were excellent with the oil "retaining most of it's lubricating qualities even after extended use with WVO" while using plain ol' Mobil Delvac 15w-40. So... I'm saving money on fuel and I don't have to change the oil nearly as often. Hard to beat that with a stick!

Great Update
 

Could you post pics of how you modified your system, from your original design. I'm in the process of building a crew cab CTD conversion. I'm also using your set-up as a template (Copy cat) for my wvo conversion. I think it is a gem of an example. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ron

Latest update
 

Well I've got maybe 70-80K on WVO only. My IP just ceased on me (while running on diesel). One of the main springs broke (Apparently a common cause of failure in the VE pump). So... while the pump is getting rebuilt I decided to replace my injectors with some performance ones since the stock ones have 200K on them and have been told that the new performance ones are much more efficient and should help proper spray patterns with WVO (to be determined) So I pulled my stock injectors and they look freakingly clean! One has rust on the outside which would explain the high sodium and potassium presence in my Blackstone Lab results suggesting an antifreeze leak in the head at the #6 cyl. So for all you skeptics about coking while running (proper)mix and/or SVO in a well designed system, here are the pics to prove otherwise! Also here's a pic of my toolbox tank pump and filter setup.

Another update. Had my injectors tested at Pacific Injection in Portland,OR. they said they are in great shape so I decided to just put them back in. What the heck right? If it aint broke, don't fix it.

Hi;
Very complete documentation and writeup, well done!

I converted my 97 Dodge 12 v about 2 years ago but have not put on as many veg miles as you. I had some teething problems with fuel starvation and cannot always access enough supply of veg.

My veg filter is currently mounted under the hood but I have been tempted to move it to the truck box next to my veg fuel tank. I have a heated fuel pickup (Hot Fox) as well as coolant heated filter and a final in-line electric heater. Most of the parts came from Plant Drive. I also have a flat plate HE that I am still planning to install but have not yet. Like you, my idle is slower on veg.

Apparently, you have had no trouble with the veg filter mounted in the fuel tank box? How did you measure the fuel temperature to the injectors? (you said 146 to 158F, as I recall). I am planning on installing a small digital temperature gauge for fuel temperature, between the fuel filter and the injector pump.

Thanks again for posting your experiences!

Sorry for the Slow response. I pull over somewhere along the freeway and shoot the injector tops with a digital pyrometer's lazer. Best way to determine actual driving temps which are quite lower than at idle. In fact if you pull over and wait 5 minutes the temps (or mine anyways) will raise 15-20 degrees.

Thanks for the reply. I have also used a handheld laser sighted unit and they are handy. I thought that maybe you had a permanent installation but the handheld probably works just fine. I installed a digital oil temperature gauge in a tee in the banjo bolt on the injector pump, that feeds fuel from the filter. I certainly see higher temperatures when idling, as compared to highway cruising.

I thought about doing that too but the temp that matters the most is the temp of the fuel as it enters the injectors. You could maybe wrap your sensor around one of the injector housings with silicone tape and dielectric grease somehow for that on the go reading.

My first "cut" at a fuel temperature gauge was a $3 digital aquarium probe taped tightly to the fuel supply hose just downstream of the fuel heater….. talk about cheap and low tech! I think I'll stick with the new sensor mounted in the tee on the IP. I can always use the laser gun and compare to the permanent gauge and get a good idea of what's going on. I have learned that the fuel temperature varies dramatically based upon outside air temperature and driving conditions.

Updates to date
 

Ok. This is all a work in progress. My current system is almost completely different. Partly due to 3 way valve failures( which no one sells any more due to this), electric fuel pump failures, relay failures, all kinds of stuff.

​​​​​​Good thing is I've put over 100k on WVO and with today's fuel prices that comes out to about $25,000 in savings.

If I were to do it again. I would use relays to run starter solenoids on anything that draws more than 5 amps because USA made relays don't exist and the Chinese ones don't hold up to their 30A ratio.

My latest system requires 2 electric fuel pumps. I'm using Raptors since they seem to be the only ones that last but even those have failed on me once. Luckily they are rebuildable.
1. I use a starter solenoid to provide power to everything when the key is on. My dash has toggle switches marked WVO, Heat and Return Line.
2. The WVO switch on the dash sends power to the WVO relay which powers the WVO pump.
3. The WVO Relay (when switched off ) sends power to the Diesel Relay.
4. The Diesel Relay ( when powered by the WVO system being off) sends power to the Diesel fuel pump which provides diesel to the injection pump.
5. The "HEAT" switch on the dash powers a relay that turns on the filter heater and the injector line heaters. When it's cold outside I turn these on as soon as I go to start the truck.
6. The Return Line switch sends power to the Return Line Solenoid (normally closed). a: when powered "on" opens up and sends the return fuel line fuel to the WVO Tank. b: when "off" ,closes, sending return fuel line fuel to the Diesel Fuel Tank.
7. There are 3 check valves in the system. One just past each fuel pump (WVO and diesel) to prevent backflow, and one for the diesel tank return line.
8. The Return Line Fuel line has a "T" before the Return Line Solenoid Valve. When the valve is open return line fuel passes through it to the diesel tank. When it's closed it takes a few psi to open up the check valve that allows fuel to the WVO tank.

All this seems complicated but if any solenoids fail the truck runs on diesel and NO WVO ever passes through to the diesel tank contaminating the diesel fuel which is REALLY important when it's really cold outside. If the return line solenoid valve fails, return line fuel goes to the WVO tank regardless of what it actually is. Again preventing diesel fuel contamination. Keeping spare fuses and relays in the glove box is important.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...be59cb3656.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...276e913383.jpg
Fuse panel and relays galore! Oh my!
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...f8d267b2a9.jpg
return line stuff
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