Veg Oil Conversion Diary

[The Great Pretender]

Ok guys n girls I have started my conversion and will post as I progress. Feel free to comment as it is an experiment.



Pic is of 4 LPG solenoid valves (closed when no voltage) and reasonably self explanatory, I hope. The idea is to Start up with valve 2 and 4 energised. This will allow the diesel to flow as standard but through a heat exchanger. When the heat exchanger is up to temperature an on-on switch will be used to swap power from valves 2 and 4 to 1 and 3.
The next pic shows the 8mm pipework connected.



With 1 and 3 open and 100% veg being used the return from the injector pump is fed back into the flow to the heat exchanger to maximise the fuel temperature.

Now where is that bottle of wine.

[lizard]

It looks spiffing hope all goes well.

[Dabs]

Forget the wine have a pint after all that plumbing
Dabs

[The Great Pretender]

[img]

Forget the wine have a pint after all that plumbing
Dabs

Cheers Hic

[cheffy34]

Looks a bit complicated to me GP glad i got a petrol

Good luck with it, hope it goes well

[The Great Pretender]

Looks a bit complicated to me GP glad i got a petrol

Good luck with it, hope it goes well

Got that alarm fitted yet? Then why not self fit LPG

[cheffy34]

Looks a bit complicated to me GP glad i got a petrol

Good luck with it, hope it goes well

Got that alarm fitted yet? Then why not self fit LPG

yeh right

im gonna do it, you got me detirmined now, be easier than your new project, especialy seens you already fitted alarm and your a decent guy and your gonna let me bend your ear

gotta wait for a few days off, don't get many of them at mo

[bigdaddycain]

So, thats your bodykit, AND fuel system that i'm gonna have to check out eh?....

Now then...a question.... Wth regards to the switching from veg/diesel and vice versa,(you'll have to work with me on this one, i'm no expert by any means)

Am i right in thinking that this is a ONE tank system? And the fundamental principle in such a set-up is that the bongo should ideally start up (cold) on diesel, then, when the coolant temp has reached running temp,the fuel supply is switched from diesel to veg,and the reverse procedure for when shutting the bongo down for the night? i.e. run on diesel for a few minutes before shutdown?

Or did you utimately opt for a twin tank system?

What i'm thinking (assuming the above is the case in this scenario) can my turbo timer be somehow linked into the electronics of this system?

Here's my thoughts,my turbo timer has the usual increments in time setting from 30 secs,right up to 5 minutes, would it be a feasible propositon that the switching of the fuel systems can automatically switch the turbo timer to 5 minutes when switched to derv,from veg so that all the veg is purged from the fuel lines/pump, meaning i can run 100% derv on the next cold start? Or would this be over complicating an essentially straightforward system? And it would be easier to remember to manually toggle a switch as and when?

[The Great Pretender]

Forward planning cheffy, I put a piece of masking tape around each cable as I identified its purpose and write on it where it goes until there were none.
It can be fitted a bit at a time without breaking into the system. For obvious reasons im not going to discuss in an open forum where and how to locate/ install system. Feel free to p m me to kick start you.

[The Great Pretender]

So, thats your bodykit, AND fuel system that i'm gonna have to check out eh?....



Yep


Now then...a question.... Wth regards to the switching from veg/diesel and vice versa,(you'll have to work with me on this one, i'm no expert by any means)

Am i right in thinking that this is a ONE tank system? And the fundamental principle in such a set-up is that the bongo should ideally start up (cold) on diesel, then, when the coolant temp has reached running temp,the fuel supply is switched from diesel to veg,and the reverse procedure for when shutting the bongo down for the night? i.e. run on diesel for a few minutes before shutdown?

Or did you utimately opt for a twin tank system?



Twin tank but it works as u stated


What i'm thinking (assuming the above is the case in this scenario) can my turbo timer be somehow linked into the electronics of this system?

Here's my thoughts,my turbo timer has the usual increments in time setting from 30 secs,right up to 5 minutes, would it be a feasible propositon that the switching of the fuel systems can automatically switch the turbo timer to 5 minutes when switched to derv,from veg so that all the veg is purged from the fuel lines/pump, meaning i can run 100% derv on the next cold start? Or would this be over complicating an essentially straightforward system? And it would be easier to remember to manually toggle a switch as and when?

Yes it can, when you find out how to do it tell me.

[dandywarhol]

A lot of folk reckon it's not good to use copper pipe with veg GP - something to do with a reaction between the two but I'm no chemist.
I got a lot of comments from do-gooders on Ebay when I was selling a copper pipe based heat echanger........

[The Great Pretender]

I think the objections refer to waste veg oil and transesterfication, unproved I think as a lot of people use a copper cylinder inverted as a processor.

[missfixit70]

What i'm thinking (assuming the above is the case in this scenario) can my turbo timer be somehow linked into the electronics of this system?

Here's my thoughts,my turbo timer has the usual increments in time setting from 30 secs,right up to 5 minutes, would it be a feasible propositon that the switching of the fuel systems can automatically switch the turbo timer to 5 minutes when switched to derv,from veg so that all the veg is purged from the fuel lines/pump, meaning i can run 100% derv on the next cold start? Or would this be over complicating an essentially straightforward system? And it would be easier to remember to manually toggle a switch as and when?

I did mention this idea a few months back I think in reference to Torchwoods setup, I reckon it would be reasonably simple to set-up if you have already got a turbotimer installed.
You would use the turbo timer feed or output? to switch the valves over probably via a relay so that no thinking is involved when switching off the engine, the switchover happens automatically as you turn the ignition off & the timer takes over, purging the system as you say Ste.
I don't think it would be too difficult for a thermostatic switch to operate the startup changeover either once it's up to a certain temp.

[missfixit70]

Ok guys n girls I have started my conversion and will post as I progress. Feel free to comment as it is an experiment.



Pic is of 4 LPG solenoid valves (closed when no voltage) and reasonably self explanatory, I hope. The idea is to Start up with valve 2 and 4 energised. This will allow the diesel to flow as standard but through a heat exchanger. When the heat exchanger is up to temperature an on-on switch will be used to swap power from valves 2 and 4 to 1 and 3.
The next pic shows the 8mm pipework connected.



With 1 and 3 open and 100% veg being used the return from the injector pump is fed back into the flow to the heat exchanger to maximise the fuel temperature.

Now where is that bottle of wine.

Good work GP, I am watching this space with interest I'll be very interested in the tank & heat exchanger arrangement.
Just a thought, is it wise/necessary to have a return to the diesel tank? is that overcomplicating it & possibly contaminating the diesel with veg oil when the system purges?

[The Great Pretender]

Ok BDC n Kirsty, slow down a 555 chip and thermistors can be used to control the system but I want to prove it first. Lets go with the KISS system first, when we are walking maybe then we can try to run.