I replied after only reading first page

By the way,thanks everyone

I think on a wagon, the roof rack is a great alternative for the spare. It may (will) reduce your fuel economy but you could create a fairing in front of it to help some or some sort of aerodynamic "box". The spare tire / oil drum tank is definitely the way I'm going to go once I get the nerve to do my conversion.

Of course, this will take the place of the spare tire CNG tank I was considering but I like the WVO idea better anyway. Not sure I want a CNG tank inside my passenger compartment, anyway!

why not take out the spare tire in the TD? Also on the other side there is quite abit of space to put a tank. Also there are "soft tanks" that will conform to any shape that is needed when you fill them.

For me, the whole issue is having a fuel tank 'inside' the passenger compartment (wagon). Not that the tailgate is much better, but the roof mounted idea still appeals to me.

I put my WVO tank in the spare tire well, and moved the spare to a homemade bracket in front of the jack stowage area. I was in a hurry to get up and going on WVO and with no welding, built a 5 gallon tank out of a GI jerrycan (available at most Army-Navy stores). Got the tank for $5! To heat it, I just wrapped the tank with 3/8" soft copper and Armaflex insulation. It's ugly, but still works.

Out of curiosity, have any of you with copper heating coils in your WVO tanks experienced corrosion of the copper and solder? I've noticed corrosion on copper pipes I've used to collect oil sometimes, and figured the (hopefully slight) acidity of the oil was eating the copper. Thus the reason I separated the copper from the oil in my tank. I guess aluminum or stainless tubing would be safe.

OttosBoy
1985 300TD w/Neoteric WVO kit

there shouldn't be any acid in cooking oil. having said that let me fetch a bottle and check.hmmmmno no label on the veg oil. no acid mentioned on the olive oil label.

you might want to check on the www.greasecar.com site and use the search for acidity or the www.frybrid.com site for the same thing.

batteryboy on the gc site sold his wagon but had the tank lengthwise on the dright side. he filled it from the roof where he has/had a jag locking cap anda clear hose to the tank. its brilliant actually because there should never be an over spill.

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currently
[1981 300 td tdidi 165500 dark brown/palamino-Brownie-mine-3k miles of ownership
1983 240d 162+++ Anthricite grey w/ henna red interior and hella lights-wifes car-Red

the above two cars are for sale
and can be seen on the cars for sale thread here. pix also available.


240d-144+ Manilla Yellow w/ palmino interior-greasecar kit-Blondie-the college kids car

23" gt 21 speed still on original tires-still got the nubs
21" khs tandem

I wonder if you could post some pics of the hose routing under the hood and coming up from under the car to the passenger compartment. I hope to convert my wagon in the next few months.

Thanks!

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1983 300td 240k (down with bad tranny)
1984 300d 222k (daily driver) "Olive"
1997 GMC K2500 105k (sled dog limo)

"The scenery in ANWR is as spectacular as the Grand Canyon and the wildlife is more impressive."

for an awesome wvo tank for a wagon, go to www.plantdrive.com photo gallery -- here :http://www.plantdrive.com/page4/page6/page6.html & scroll down to the TD photos.
slicker than **** but i'm sure it ain't cheap...

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Jeff
___
1982 300D Turbo 150K
PlantDrive Single tank WVO conversion
6000 veggie miles and counting!
-----------
1985 Ford F250 - 132K
PlantDrive Two-tank WVO conversion
15,000 veggie miles and counting...

Driving for FREE!

That is nice. Looks clean and you don't loose much space.

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I always find it best to upload the pics as the links tend to go stale.

Awesome looking tank indeed. I emailed to ask of its availability and cost.

Attached Thumbnails

     

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85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

Share what response you get and see if we can get a bulk discount

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1990 300D 2.5Turbo, two tank WVO, daily driver 300,911
1992 E300 gaser, 150k. Parts only, For Sale

[B]1984 300TD Euro 4speed Sold
1977 300D Elsbett SVO single tank Sold
1981 300TD "Silver bullet" 285k ran B100 Sold
1981-5 300D x 5 cars stripped and reused, parts for sale

Other toys:
1995 Dodge 2500 Cummins 12V P7100 Bosch mechanical pump with 2 tank veggieconversion kit, only 120k!
1959 Cadillac Dad's legacy, needs finishing

I havnt received a response yet. 2 weeks and no response? Not good.

__________________
85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

I actually inquired about this tank 6 years ago when I first got my wagon. I believe I was quoted $1,000 for the tank. That did not included a heated pick up, which in the pictures the car had a hot fox pick up and electric pad heater on the bottom of the tank.

If anyone has ideas on making a tank like this I'm definitely interested

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1983 300TD - 202k with 5 speed Getrag conversion

MNBenz: Granted you are in an area with a harsher winter climate than some of us are, but even in temps just below freezing, it is my opinion that a heated pick up is not necessary and in many cases is detrimental. One could complicate the system with a simple bypass once the system is up to temperature. ie, an electric valve can us used to divert coolant from the pick up, but still make the journey from the motor to the tank to start warming the fuel in the line.

The oil starts to break down the more it is heated/cooled. For this reason it is best to avoid heating the reservoir unless temps are at or below the point where the oil will cease to pour.

As for tanks, it seems that 800-1500$ is about industry standard. I am sure we could replicate this tank for a little less. Given my thought of keeping a tank simple, this is a reasonable assumption.

In most conditions a tank needs at a minimum:
pick up tube
vent
fill port.
In some cases, for convenience, a tube style level sender.

Given the nature of VO, the vent needs to be large with a hose and a filter at some point to keep dirt and critters out. The fill port should include the ability to exterior fill. This eliminates any worst case filling related messes. I prefer to use an onboard pump as a back up to fill from a loose container, and a larger port with a tube to allow filling from a pumping station or sorts. All to keep the car clean.

Another thing to keep in mind is not having any tank penetrations down low. This could risk a leak in the future. You may also wish to have a tank that provides the least compromise to how you intend to use your car.

Given the nature of the TD, any tank added to the cargo area is going to be at a compromise. That being said, it might be best to consider a two tank system where 3-5 gallons of diesel is hidden some where for purge and start up, thus leaving the cargo area untouched.

Note: I also contacted the company with the tank in question and received no response. I can only assume they are independently wealthy doing this only for fun at their leisure, or out of business.

How many would be interested in a tank of one can be made for 6-800$ ?

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85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.