All vegetable oil users - please post your experiences

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using veg oil

Hi guys, ive used veg oil throughout the summer season using 30% oil and the rest diesel. I then got braver as time went on and started using 70% veg oil and i can honestly say i had no trouble at all it ran as if on straight diesel never missing a beat or loss of power. I only used new veg oil from the bottle i decided that old stuff would not do cus it congeles more. just change your diesel filter more often and you should'nt have any problems. i wouldnt recommend using it in winter but if u do keep the veg oil ratio 30% or less, anymore than that could give you trouble for starting your beloved surf on those cold mornings.
Hope this helps some of you.

[Domcr250]

Great thread with lots of useful info.

My 1990 2.4 has been running for about a year on a 50 / 50 mix of new veg oil and pump diesel – no real problems, it actually seems to run smoother. On the second to last fill I got a little carried away and bunged in 40L of veg – the thing ran like a dog – I could walk faster than it would pull up a hill!

I buy the oil new from CostCo – it’s gone up from 75 pence a litre to 85 now, but on my low usage and a 50 / 50 mix I still figure on saving about £300 a year.

Ohh – no heat exchangers yet, I might make one out of 28mm pipe and microbore – the stuff on fleabay seems a little pricey.

The petrol mix suggestion looks good, may make it easier to run a higher concentration – what do you all think?

Dom

[VTXLister]

I also got caught out the other day - filled up about 50% with diesel, and then topped up as usual with veg when I got home.

Temp. dropped a lot overnight - engine started fine, but would not go above 25mph.

Had to go home and leave engine running while I had a cuppa, then did 100 miles and topped up with diesel again.

[Diezel Weazel]

Ya may find it easier or practical to fill a 10 or 20 litre container with ya Veg/Diesel/Petrol mix, n to make sure it's mixed up proper before putting in the tank from ya container ...
It works for me !!

Jess
"Cos short cuts can cost more in the long run"

[tonupteabag]

Ya may find it easier or practical to fill a 10 or 20 litre container with ya Veg/Diesel/Petrol mix, n to make sure it's mixed up proper before putting in the tank from ya container ...
It works for me !!

Jess
"Cos short cuts can cost more in the long run"

Hi Jess
Aye mate i do the same with mine and sods law today is the first bit of hassle i've had with a blocked filter or at least i'm hoping thats all it is, Loss of power check light on leave to idle for a little while runs as normal then it drops power again usually when asking for more go, But i did fit a smaller diesel filter in-line before the heat exchanger to save on main filters so i think it's just this one thats a bit choked, Anyhow through the freeze down here she hasn't failed to start or run rough first thing in the morning so i think my mix is ok it's just the standard filter clog thats given me hassle today. I've found that 18ltrs wvo 1ltr petrol and 10ltrs diesel is pretty much on the money to around minus ten

[Diezel Weazel]

Forgot to mention ............ n You run a heat exchanger too !!

If like me ya carry a(20 litre) spare container already mixed ready for the tank (10 litres i'll do the same) in the back of ya Truck it provides a good indicator as to the right /wrong mix.. without a heat exchanger

Jess
"Cos short cuts can cost more in the long run"

[tonupteabag]

"Update"
Changed the smaller fuel filter and the old girls back on form panic over methinks...

[johnsiddle]

Great thread with lots of useful info.

My 1990 2.4 has been running for about a year on a 50 / 50 mix of new veg oil and pump diesel – no real problems, it actually seems to run smoother. On the second to last fill I got a little carried away and bunged in 40L of veg – the thing ran like a dog – I could walk faster than it would pull up a hill!

I buy the oil new from CostCo – it’s gone up from 75 pence a litre to 85 now, but on my low usage and a 50 / 50 mix I still figure on saving about £300 a year.

Ohh – no heat exchangers yet, I might make one out of 28mm pipe and microbore – the stuff on fleabay seems a little pricey.

The petrol mix suggestion looks good, may make it easier to run a higher concentration – what do you all think?

Dom

Dom
Take a hit and pay for a heat exchanger, I made one out of copper which worked well for about a year then all sorts of chicken skin started clogging my injector pump. Fit it just before the injector pump NOT before the filter.

There is a small one on ebay at the moment one of the plate variety I was going to get it as an extra one to put in the line from the tank but decided I dont need it.
If you decide to make one try and get it chrome plated inside, Popeye might be able to tell you where to get that done and use 22mm inside 28mm the more oil that stays inside the pipe the hotter it will get, microbore is too small.

My system is, I run 100% all the time I have twin tanks (a landrover tank where the spare wheel used to be) I have fitted a ladder of 15mm copper pipe in the tank thro which runs hot water. I try to remember to switch back to dino about 2 miles from home.

Then it goes thro a glass bowl type filter (which catches water and glycerall) then up to a twin cartridge type filter before going to a second surf filter finally going thro a home made heat exchanger but with 22mm Flexible Stainless Steel pipe going thro 28mm copper which has hot water in.

The second surf pump has a couple of coils of 10mm copper pipe coiled around it which really heats it up from the hot water.
I did put the surf filter, without the heating coil after the fuel heater but that really screwed things up when the weather turned cold.

But to get back to the original thread I really recommend a heat exchanger that has no copper in the oil run.....

John

[johnsiddle]

Hi Jess
Aye mate i do the same with mine and sods law today is the first bit of hassle i've had with a blocked filter or at least i'm hoping thats all it is, Loss of power check light on leave to idle for a little while runs as normal then it drops power again usually when asking for more go, But i did fit a smaller diesel filter in-line before the heat exchanger to save on main filters so i think it's just this one thats a bit choked, Anyhow through the freeze down here she hasn't failed to start or run rough first thing in the morning so i think my mix is ok it's just the standard filter clog thats given me hassle today. I've found that 18ltrs wvo 1ltr petrol and 10ltrs diesel is pretty much on the money to around minus ten

I have tried loads of those small plastic filters but as soon as the insides get a little clogged the whole inside collapses, the pump tries to suck it down the pipe and then the flow drastically reduces.
I now use a twin cartridge filter using cheap 296 cartridges (bought 20 on ebay worked out at £2 each) and fitted it BEFORE the surf filter. Make sure you get the banjo's with the filter tho cuz they are hard to source otherwise.

It might be worth cleaning the little filter behind the oil temp sensor on the injector pump, be careful getting it out tho cuz its fragile and easy to poke a hole in.
I have just put half a gallon of petrol in my quarter full tank of dino to help with this cold snap.
(I run a twin tank system and 100% bio)

John

[stormforce]

It might be worth cleaning the little filter behind the oil temp sensor on the injector pump, be careful getting it out tho cuz its fragile and easy to poke a hole in.
John

The 2.4's don't have this filter John in the fuel pump

[johnsiddle]

The 2.4's don't have this filter John in the fuel pump

OK, Sorry.
I didn't know about the filter when I had my 2.4, only learn't about it when I was embarking on a marathon learning curve on how to strip injector pumps on my 3.0.
John

[Diezel Weazel]

Hi Jess
Aye mate i do the same with mine and sods law today is the first bit of hassle i've had with a blocked filter or at least i'm hoping thats all it is, Loss of power check light on leave to idle for a little while runs as normal then it drops power again usually when asking for more go, But i did fit a smaller diesel filter in-line before the heat exchanger to save on main filters so i think it's just this one thats a bit choked, Anyhow through the freeze down here she hasn't failed to start or run rough first thing in the morning so i think my mix is ok it's just the standard filter clog thats given me hassle today. I've found that 18ltrs wvo 1ltr petrol and 10ltrs diesel is pretty much on the money to around minus ten

In comparison to your mix...
My mix is 20 litres @ 100% Peanut Oil x 2 litres of Petrol x between 2 - 5 litres dino

Jess
"Cos short cuts can cost more in the long run"

[tonupteabag]

In comparison to your mix...
My mix is 20 litres @ 100% Peanut Oil x 2 litres of Petrol x between 2 - 5 litres dino

Jess
"Cos short cuts can cost more in the long run"

I'd like to be able to get peanut oil down here but it seems vegetable is the norm and that isn't good quality either, Iend up with a lot of animal fats leftover as i won't make bio-diesel due to my bedroom being over the garage so if anything did go wrong and it explodes me and the wife will be a bit charred

[gonyosoma]

OK, 10 litres of veg (soy) oil from Costco going in today to be topped up with diesel for the rest...wish me luck!

[gonyosoma]

10 litres...worked like a dream...
20 litres veg oil next time!

(Just felt like a bit of a plonker pouring it in at the petrol station)