Ok, ok. I know I'm probably gonna get flamed for this, but I just have to know.

I've been contimplating converting my 300D (or buying a clunker to convert) to run on SVO / WVO. Only one thing holding me back, though. Why is the kits to convert so expensive? The "cheap" greasecar one is nearly 800 dollars!

I understand that once everything is said and done, I'd be getting "free fuel", which would pay for itself. The investment just seems to be a huge cost factor, for something with (relatively) basic parts. Greasel kits run even higher.. On top of all that, the whole thing seems to be a lot of work to install. My question? Is there a cheap way to make a homebuilt system to do this? $800+ just is too large an investment for chromed-out tanks and fancy gauges. Keep in mind I live in NJ, so it would need to be heated.

So the ultimate question.. is there a "good" way to go about doing this (even if it means hunting down parts from 30 different stores), without spending a large sum of cash? I'm not saying that anybody who bought these kits is a fool, since it may be a "good price", after all. I just don't understand how a gas can, 20 feet of tubing, a simple switch (and valve), and a heat exchanger can come out to anything more than $300. I guess I'm just bitter that there seems to be a "perfect" escape from high diesel prices, but it just comes with an even bigger price tag.

Cheapest way to convert a diesel to VO or WVO:
No heater required.
Only equipment required is a good WVO filter which can be a few old T-Shirts.

Now do step one and the other problems are minor:

Step ONE:
Move South

__________________
84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)

Well said!

__________________
BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

Blending works well. No up front investment at all (except an injector line pre-heater kit is a good idea), and up to 70% fuel savings in the summer months. Go back to straight Diesel in the winter.

Dave
'76 300D

how about biodiesel?

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Depending on the length of your trips the costs will vary. Blending may be the easiest way....You get what you pay for. I bought the 'cheap' greasel kit but all I have left of it is their hose.

Read up and make your own decisions (there are no clear cut answers).

Figure a way to get your veggie to 150F and you have your setup. For me a FPHE, 12 feet of copper HIH and an electric wrap has done the trick.

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82 300D....went to MB heaven
90 350 SDL....excercising con rods

I put my system together, using only the best of the best. That means all brass fittings and such, 6 port pollak, two posi flow pumps, 30 gallon aux. tank, 2 Micron Filter, Heat exchanger.. etc.

I did not spend more than 500$ on mine, and it works flawlessly.

You could probably shop around, and use your stock lift pump and stuff, and get the price way way lower.. probably like 200-300$

"I'd be getting "free fuel", which would pay for itself."

AFTER you spend hundreds on a conversion, and AFTER you spend more on collecting, settling, dewatering, and filtering equipment, you'll have ongoing expenses for filters (not just the car, the filtering setup too). Then you'll spend several pleasant Saturday hours collecting, settling, and filtering (once you get the bugs worked out - which usually costs a bit more than budgeted). When an oil source dries up (new manager/owner, new contract with renderer, mad because you spilled oil, etc.) you'll need to find more - which often involves eating at the establishments. Your $8 buckets may go missing. Then there is ruined clothing, spilled oil that coagulates and can't be removed with anything less than a sandblaster, the AAA call to get you towed when something quits working, the cell phone you'll need so you can call AAA, repairs of collection/filtering equipment and that one time you really need some nookie, but smell like a grease dumpster.

It ain't free by a long shot.

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1984 300Sd 210k

Former cars:
1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break.
1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter
1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer

Well said collecting oil in a Brooks Brothers suit ain't happening.

Like anything their are pluses and negatives. I'd rather just pay a few bucks a week at the pump. Although if Biodiesel was sold at the pump I'd probably use it provided the price wasn't to crazy.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Hmm, looks like I have some things to think about. Blending in summer may be an option, I suppose. Which, of course, brings me to another question..

Used Tranny fluid. I've heard of people using this stuff in their tanks, without any conversion equipment. They just filtered it, and poured it in. Is this safe? I'd hate to blend ATF, and have my injectors coke up a week later.

I paid about $700 for my neoteric kit and if I had it to do all over again, I'd just find some kind of separate filter setup, get a six-port valve, and use two glow-plug heaters, one before the filter and one after. This with some kind of heat exchanger in the separate tank should give you all the heat you need. By the way, its taken me over a year experimenting with different setups to get all the bugs worked out.

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Seth

1984 300D 225K
1985 300D Donor body
1985 300D Turbo 165K. Totaled. Donor Engine. It runs!!!
1980 300SD 311K My New Baby.
1979 BMW 633csi 62K+++? Dead odo

I don't even own a diesel yet (owned a TDI Passat the passed away) and I make biodiesel. Granted I own a bar and I get my oil without a problem, filter it right at work while I'm changing my oil. But it's not difficult to make. It does take time, but anything less than pulling up to the local Conoco (not using Exxon or Mobil, RIGHT????) and filling up will take extra time. The thing you need to think about it what your reason for using the alternative fuel really is.
I personally want to use it to make my engine run better (extra lub), give my oil (at $15 per 4.5 pounds) a second life, and make my car less smokey with less emissions. All great reason either together or choosing just one.
Biggest reason is so I can feel superior to those still giving some much money to the oil giants.

So, you need to decide how much time you're willing to spend each day, week or month doing what you need to to use the new fuel. If time isn't a problem then this might be for you. If you have no time as it is, then maybe it's not going to work.

Sorry, I can't talk about the SVO side as I decided that I didn't want any extra surprises that SVO could bring if not filtered right. There are enough of those with making bio!

There are a couple good sites that you can ask questions, get advice and find better systems than greasecar.com (some love frybrid.com much better).
Go here:
http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/groupee/forums


Good luck!

Ginny in Denver