WVO-how warm does it need to be?

[ihslave]

Hey all,

I was considering adding an auxillary tank to my 6.9-powered F250 and running WVO in addition to Dino. I have read that the oil needs to be heated to be viscous enough to flow through fuel lines... approximately how warm does it need to be?

Also, does this lead to clogging problems with the fuel supply switch?

Thanks in advance,

scott

 

[Sammy]

Only thing I noticed with mine was the engine turned over a couple seconds compared to firing immediately when I hit the key. Outside temperature ranged from 50* to 95*. Lab tests at work prove that soybean (veg oil) will still flow after sitting in a 32* bath for 20-24 hours (on average). Bet you can't do that . No denying that it flows slower and is thicker when it's cold compared to the opposite the warmer it gets. Only suggestion I can offer is to mix the veg with the dino and you can vary more or less depending whether it's cold or hot weather. I have poured kerosene and veg 50/50 into a glass and let it sit and saw no separation after 12 hours. So in a fuel tank with constant sloshing there shouldn't be any problem of the veg settling on the bottom.

 

[pri]

Engine teperature is almost perfect for the oil, so just build a heatexchanger and use the engine coolant to heat the oil. Another approach is to use a "little devil", which is a glowplug fitted in a T pipe, and let the oil get heated with electricity.

I would not recommend blending veg oil with #2 diesel. A lot of people have had trouble with this getting waxy buildups that clog filters quickly.
If you're going to blend, use kerosene, #1 diesel, JP-4, or ULSD.

Another trick to get the viscosity down, is to blend with about 10-15% gasoline. Use the regular unleaded stuff, it's cheap and if you let it sit over night you'll see a tremendous reduction in viscosity.

Then, ofcourse, there is the possibility of brewing biodiesel from the oil...

Paul

 

[ihslave]

I'm not sure what you mean by blending?

Are you saying that the waxy buildup comes from mixing #2 and WVO together in the tank, or that by running a tank of WVO then switching to a tank of #2 will cause the buildup?

Thanks,

scott

 

[pri]

I'm not sure what you mean by blending?

Are you saying that the waxy buildup comes from mixing #2 and WVO together in the tank, or that by running a tank of WVO then switching to a tank of #2 will cause the buildup?

Thanks,

scott

Scott,
Blending is the same as mixing.
If you mix #2 and vegetable oil, you may get the #2 to release waxes and/or paraffin components. This is not good.
If you keep them separate, starting and shutting down on #2 and then when warmed up, switch to VO, it is okay. In this case you should remember to put the heatexchanger for the VO as close to the IP as possible. Putting cold VO into a warmed up IP can cause it to seize. This is expensive, I'm just about to pick up a reman IP and it has busted my budget for my project.....

Paul

 

[tinker]

A good solution is to use a heated fuel pickup in the tank then add more heat with a heat exchanger , coolant heated filter, or electric element closer to the engine. HotFox is a good commercial pickup or you can make a handmade one.you should try to get the oil to 180* before it enters the IP.

 

[tinker]

Oops,old thread

 

[scout2000]

Oops,old thread

np, nothing wrong, IMHO, with adding new data to a relevant thread, vs creating a new, redundant one.

I wasn't familiar with this thread, but I am now, and subscribed.

 

[stroker3]

np, nothing wrong, IMHO, with adding new data to a relevant thread, vs creating a new, redundant one.

Agree. Seem to get a balance of comments about the need to search first. Then when someone does and adds to it like Tinker did, there's comments about digging up an old thread or the need to start a new one. LOL....Sometimes you just can't win.