Nice work - I wonder how long ago this was filmed, is the source of veg. oil still readily available?

Matt,

Good video. I have been running 2 300Ds on a converted engine for over 3 years with NO PROBLEMS. I first started out filtering WVO the same way you did. By the way, I didn't buy 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot. They are free in dumpsters behind Asian restaurants. Currently, I filter my WVO with a centrifuge. It eliminates waste AND any water left over. I have "trained" my WVO sources to not cool hot oil by throwing ice into the fryers. One of your critics here, Alastair, warns of police attention in the UK when driving a converted vehicle. Here in the US, you do NOT need to worry. I am an ex-cop with over 13 years of law enforcement experience. I can GUARANTEE you that no patrol officer knows of the Food and Agricultural Code section you violate by acquiring and transporting WVO without a license. Keep up the good work!

"...........Ultimately, what we need is evidence of engine deposits, trashed injectors, etc. There is a lot of speculation but no rigorous analysis to confirm these claims, to my knowledge......."

--YES! I have Seen such damage first hand!

The parts (Elements, -a plunger and a barrel-)-that deal with the Fuel inside a Bosch PES.5.MW.RS. diesel-injection pump (Yours) are made from a very hard, high grade steel alloy. These parts are ground and lapped to less than 1 MICRON clearance, and normally are a high polished appearance (A human hair is around 70 to 120 Micron thick....)

As can be imagined, Even the tinyest amount of pitting and corrosion will affect the surface quality and hence, Sealing of these parts. When they dont seal properly, The Pump--Dont Pump!
--The clearances of these parts Have to be tiny due to the high pressures involved, (135 Bar, --Over 2,100 Pounds Per Square-Inch in the case of a OM-617.952--Your engine...)

Use of 'Damp/Undried' veggy oil will affect these parts, the surface finish will quickly turn dull and of a matt appearance. Extended use (Over months/years) will eventually increase the clearances to the point that the pump will not run the engine on standard diesel fuel,(Very much Thinner, leaks more than veggy...)

--Carbon deposits inside the engine depend on the type of veggy oil, how much Phosphor content it has, The duty-cycle of the engine-whether short trips/long runs- the Engine Injection Timing,--whether its been re-set for veggy or not, The Valve-Clearances, The Compression Pressures, the Glow-Plugs, and the condition of the actual Injectors...

--A H.E. will NOT prevent deposits if the above are/is poor..

The Fuel Actually INJECTED is at Whatever Temperature The INJECTORS and CYLINDER-HEAD is at, NO H.E On earth will change this, so a H.E will not 'cure' engine deposits, Only Proper Preparation of the Engine will!

--I have Never fitted a H.E to my 300D. I just set up the Engine Correctly for veg use, (Timing and Injectors, Larger bore fuel-lines etc) and prepared the veggy properly. I never had an engine related issue...


In your experiences of driving around the UK with veggie oil, did you ever encounter the "french fry (i.e., chips) police"? To capture lost tax revenue from fuel sales, these guys would stop cars which smelled of veggie oil and, perhaps, write a ticket.

Yes-- Here, Its the H.M. Customs and Excise. In earlier times, I had to register and pay Duty on the fuel I used, This was done away with a few years ago, and we can use up to 2K5 litres before having to account for Duty...
--If you were caught running veg before the Duty dispensation of 2K5, and not accounted for Duty on the fuel, Your vehicle would be confiscated and you would have up to £25K fine and imprisonment!!

Nice job Matt, much respect.

Roberto Lastrico

I represent Lovecraft as a customer, and I think their business has internally combusted (no pun) for a host of reasons. Still, the system has not failed me after 2.5 years of use, but I have had to modify things now that I'm living in a much colder climate (Chicago).

Your complaint against Lovecraft is new to me. WVO preparation could be related, though, to arguments against a single-tank system: most people think insufficiently heated veggie oil will create deposits in the engine. The two-tank system would take care of this, by allowing the engine to start on regular diesel while the veggie oil is heated in the second tank. When hot enough, the lines are switched and veggie oil is used. (The lines are switched again before shutting down the car, bring diesel fuel to the engine for the next start-up.)

Ultimately, what we need is evidence of engine deposits, trashed injectors, etc. There is a lot of speculation but no rigorous analysis to confirm these claims, to my knowledge.

In your experiences of driving around the UK with veggie oil, did you ever encounter the "french fry (i.e., chips) police"? To capture lost tax revenue from fuel sales, these guys would stop cars which smelled of veggie oil and, perhaps, write a ticket.

Matt, You are killing a fine machine...

During your video it was evident that you neither Filtered Nor more importantly, Dried the UCO of Moisture--ALL used-oil will contain Moisture...
--Of course Lovecrap Never Told you to do this, Did they??!!

This WILL KILL your injection-system, if you do not prepare the oil first--Settling aint nearly good enough, Oil MUST be DRIED and FILTERED PROPERLY...

LoveCrap Strikes Again!

Thank gawd we aint got a Lovecrap here in UK!

(Fun to see an M.B. 300D, same colour as mine that I ran 12 years ago on veggy, that completed well over 60K on Properly Prepaired veggy oil....)