Vegetable Oil SVO WVO waste cooking oil as biofuel

[gudgean]

hey ya'll. i am new here so be gentle. i have a 97 ram i am converting to wvo. i live in south central pa and it dies get cold here so let me get started here.

i bought a box of componants from the installer at pa biodiesel. brad baublitz. nice enough guy but doesnt return calls. that said i admit i bought these componants a yr ago and am just now getting around to installing it. i have a wvo designs hot fox pick up in the 35g aluminum tank with a level sender in it. a non heated filter setup that will be mounted under the drivers door on the frame. i have 3 3way valves from greasecar series 200, a greasecar controller with pcu and all the trimmings, a 35' peice of heater hose, 10' of aluminum line that i am thinking of a hih system with if i cant find enough diesel fuel line( stuff is spendy 2.00 to 5.50 a foot!)if not maybe a 3" pipe insulation tube with both coolant lines and fuel line in. A 30 amp 12volt filter heater and i may buy a 10 plate HE from duda diesel.

i want to do a 2 valve system with looped return for the wvo. running off the bosch ip pump, where do i make cuts in the fuel line? do i need to run the wvo through the diesel filter?Which line on the ip does what? can some one please provide me with a diagram for a system like i have described? preferably sooner than later. i am a member over at cumminsforum.com and that place has gotten extremely slow in the responses if i get any at all.

i have a fair amount of wvo collected centrifuged (pabiodiesel) and stored and collect more every week.i run a 30 to 40% blend in my truck now and i found the other day that the transfer case or transmission is leaking from where they bolt together so i figured i would do the conversion and install gauges while i had it down, before winter hit.

[SunWizard]

See my diagrams and full description of the best setup in the converted vehicles section here:
cummins-wvo-conversion-t28.html

[gudgean]

See my diagrams and full description of the best setup in the converted vehicles section here:
cummins-wvo-conversion-t28.html

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what would be the harm in putting the heated filter on the frame before the lift pump? and thank you sun wizard!

[SunWizard]

See my diagrams and full description of the best setup in the converted vehicles section here:
cummins-wvo-conversion-t28.html

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what would be the harm in putting the heated filter on the frame before the lift pump? and thank you sun wizard!

Thats worse since it puts the filter and more connections under vacuum, which leads to air leaks. And all pumps are weaker at sucking than pushing. The stock one would be about 3x weaker plumbed that way. See that thread for that and many other questions about why I designed mine the way I have.

[gudgean]

0k so i have decided to go with the hih design and also to go with sunwizards design with my componants. I am still planning on mounting the wvo filter on the frame under the drivers door because there is no room anywhere else. If i were to go in the engine bay i'd need to move the passenger side battery to make room. I already have the 12 volt oil filter heater ,and ordered a 10 plate heat exchanger from duda diesel on the way, ordered a boat load of stuff from mcmaster carr to help with the finish installation. will be here by friday.

I now have a 3 gauge pillar setup for ex gas heat, trans temp , and turbo boost. also i have a second 3 guage setup for voltage, oil pressure , and coolant temp. The oil pressure gauge will be used as a fuel pressure gauge mounted after the fuel switch valve

I have installed two 5/8 tees in the heater core lines already. I got that stuff with the parts i bought from Brad Baublitz that included with it a coolant temp sensor that will tie in with the greasecar computer setup.I believe there is also a fuel temp sensor as well. The 10 plate HE will be mounted on top of the alternator mount close to the inj pump. This computerized setup will control all 3 3way series 200 valves.

Conceding that the filter should be mounted after the lift pump, i still need to mount it under the drivers door. I was told to use a baldwin 125r filter but cannot find them or they are discontinued. What filter should i use in place? nd also can someone please tell me or show me in pictures what point on the inj pump must be spliced into. In other words, i know where one valve goes,at the feed from the diesel tank to the filter. But where do i tie in the others?

And how in the hell do i prime this thing now?

I'm sure i will have other questions

[SunWizard]

What filter should i use in place?

There is a good one linked in my thread above, 1st post.

also can someone please tell me or show me in pictures what point on the inj pump must be spliced into. In other words, i know where one valve goes,at the feed from the diesel tank to the filter. But where do i tie in the others?

Follow the fuel lines from the frame rail through lift pump, filter, inj. pump. and back to the return. You need to know where all of those are, and can splice into them anywhere you like once you know what is where.

And how in the hell do i prime this thing now?

I put air pressure in my tank and opened the line nearest the IP until fuel flowed. Or you an crank with pauses to avoid overheating starter, or tons of hand primer on lift pump.

[gudgean]

ok so on the top of the filter i have 3 lines. 2 3/8" and 1 1/4".what is the 1/4/' inch for?

[SunWizard]

ok so on the top of the filter i have 3 lines. 2 3/8" and 1 1/4".what is the 1/4/' inch for?

From my above link, post#1 which answers all the common questions:
Note in the diagram, you have to cut the existing injector drain manifold (small line) going into the top of the stock fuel filter and cap that line, and tee the injector drain line into the IP return line, so the small amount of WVO in there gets sent back to the proper tank.

[Bear Pen]

Howdy Gudgeon--welcome to the wonderful world of grease! I just finished converting my '98 Dodge, just like your truck only 2WD. A couple of tips: use 5/16 rubber fuel injection hose on all your connections past the Lift Pump. It costs a little more but is worth it. Some hose is marked "not for fuel injection systems". I had one of them blow the other day and I'm lucky it didn't catch my truck on fire.
Put a flat plate heat exchanger as close as you can to the IP. Mine is mounted on a plate on top of the valve cover (this plate also has three solenoid valves on it). In the line from the FPHE to the IP is a tee with an oil temp sending unit. Even with the FPHE so close, my WVO doesn't reach 160 degrees until my engine temp is 180. Like you I have a three-guage pillar with digital guages for fuel level, engine temp, and WVO temp. This takes the guesswork out.
Follow Sunwizards advise and put in a 190 degree thermostat. As soon as the weather cools off you will have to put some cardboard in front of yiour radiator to maintain engine temp.
Use 3/8 hose clamps, and double-clamp EVERYTHING. Use a nut driver to tighten them, not a screwdriver.
As soon as I can get to a faster computer I'll be posting photos of my conversion. Like you I have a 35g tank and a Hotfox. After I post this I'll try to upload a diagram of my conversion..........

[Bear Pen]

Here is a diagram of how I did my truck. I took off that CUMMINS plate that is bolted to the valve cover and made a plate out of stainless steel that would use the same two bolts. In the front is my FPHE, followed by three solenoid valves in the order you see in the diagram.

[Bear Pen]

Diagram of Bear Pen's '98 Dosge 12-valve conversion

Diagram-1.jpg (112.92 KiB) Viewed 728 times

One more try at posting my diagram. First one was too big, so my son fixed it (I hope)

[gudgean]

thank you bear pen.you know, trying to find info on these trucks is difficult at best but thanx to sunwizards diagram and some research i think i figured it out. should know tomarrow.

been busy getting all the parts and living life. thank goodness i have a second vehicle to drive. this is not a 1 day undertaking.

so i took suns design and used my componants. a greasecar computerised controller, 3 sv200 valves, lots of fittings, a small fphe and a fuel filter band heater.
the system came with a 5/8 ball valve assembly with coolant temp sensor, a fuel temp sensor and a aluminum block with 3 1/2 inch holes.

the controller also measures fuel level, and does timed purges to ensure i do not turn the truck off before properlly purged.

FOR ANYONE DOING THIS CONVERSION ON A EXTENDED CAB TRUCK!!!! do yourself a favor and order a full 25foot roll of fuel hose trust me. I did a h.i.h from the tank to the engine compartment and had only 10 feet of diesel/ biodiesel fuel hose to finish the job and quickly found that i need more hose. i only cut the 1/4 inch recirc line.and replaced the others with fittings and hose.

i mounted a aluminum plate to the original cummins name plate on the engine so i could shield the valves from the heat of the head a bit and make it easier to plumb everything in also i mounted the fphe to the alternator mounting bracket. with the antilock brake crap on the drivers side there is almost no place to mount anything. i put the fuel filter down under the drivers door on the frame rail behind the front wheel.

i had to use the same cheap fuel line that sunwizard used but will replace it in spring when i make some mods to the system. i want to put in a ball valve at the wvo side of the "t" where the wvo and diesel meet up to isolate the wvo. also want 2 valves on the in and out of the fuel filter to make it easier to change the filter and not put to much air in the system. at the same "tee" i also drilled and tapped the back of it to mount the valve that sun had recommended to help with fuel pressure gauge and found that i could use it for purging and bleeding. not the highest point on the system but it may work.

went to finally get it started today and found the batteries dead so first thing in the am.

may try to post a few pics.

[gudgean]

back to it today. it started!! now i need more fuel to do the rest. any pointers? anything at all throw it out there now. stop me before i do something i'll regret. cant do anything till tomarrow morn now cause i am busy. back on the charger.

[gudgean]

any one with experience installing this system i would love to talk to and pick their brains. call me 240 675 0934 ask for gudge

[gudgean]

Got a problem. i got it started but it wont idle. also have a leak at the 1/4 inch return line on the 3rd valve back from front. spraying everywhere. guess i need to replace the washers on those now. i think that now that i have capped off the return line it is trying to put pressure somewhere. may also be a compressed air bubble in the lines.

AGAIN!!! ANYONE WITH EXPERIENCE WITH SETTING UP THIS SYSTEM PLEASE CALL ME. I AM NOT A DIESEL MECHANIC ALTHOUGH I HAVE BUILT A FEW GAS ENGINES IN MY TIME ,SO I AM NOT A RETARD WITH A WRENCH. I COULD USE SOME POINTERS!!!!

i have not yet tried to change the valves to veg oil . cant get it to idle and build temp.

SO FOR NOW I MAKE BEER.