1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

[Fitian Was here Find all posts View Profile Close Fitian]

Hello Fine People,

I'd like to share with you some photos of my latest conversion for a Mercedes 300D 1976.

This car has done about 180,000 Km and it is in almost mint condition.
Owned by a good man who deserves to have such a beauty.

I have uses two 30 flat plates heat exchangers.
one before the CAV and one before the IP.

It was a challenge to fit things in this engine bay
because the car comes with a self levelling suspension
and the bottle as you all know is in the way .

I am running wvo in the main tank and the start up tank is a cubee at the boot as usual.

To fit one of the FPHE on the driver side,
I bought the bracket that holds the self levelling suspension bottle.
The bracket comes in two shapes left hand and right hand.
In this case I bough the driver side bracket.

Then I made up a bracket to hold the CAV filter and also another bracket
to hold the other FPHE on the other side of the engine bay.



























The FPHE before the IP will share both fuels and since there is always
some wvo going to the starter tank via the return line
when changing over the starter fuel will always provide enough lubrication
no matter how hot it gets. Besides it will not be used for too long anyways.

[Guest Close David]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Another very well thought out and neat installation Fitian.

Maybe you should look at selling conversion plans or kits for people wanting to convert their vehicles and avoid all the potential pitfalls and mistakes.
Certainly your Multiple heat exchanger setups are a lot more advanced than the traditional conversion designs and I have no doubt would make using straight veg oil as problem free as possible.

No doubt this fine example of a W123 will be around for a long time yet and repay itself many times over in saved fuel costs.

Well Done Fitian.

[W123 x 2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close W123 x 2]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Well done Fitian,

I went looking for the quick release hose clamps and the disposable filter, but couldn't find them. Is there a disposable? Or have you already cleaned the tank?

Cheers, Michael

[pangit Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close pangit]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Very nice Fitian, me like. You're rapidly becoming the forum expert on 300D conversions!

Looking at that setup makes me want to do a conversion myself on my recently acquired 300D (which also has that pesky SLS reservoir), which I'm currently running on bio. Approximately how much did all the parts cost? And how long did it take to do?

I might want to call on your expertise when the time comes to do mine. Although I'm not quite ready to do that yet!

The main thing that's stopping me at the moment is the fact that the car is mainly used by the wife, and mostly for short trips around town. I would hate for her to be stranded after forgetting to switch back to the startup tank!

[Fitian Was here Find all posts View Profile Close Fitian]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Well done Fitian,

I went looking for the quick release hose clamps and the disposable filter, but couldn't find them. Is there a disposable? Or have you already cleaned the tank?

Cheers, Michael

Thanks Michael for your kindness.

Which filter are you talking about.?

[Fitian Was here Find all posts View Profile Close Fitian]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Very nice Fitian, me like. You're rapidly becoming the forum expert on 300D conversions!

Looking at that setup makes me want to do a conversion myself on my recently acquired 300D (which also has that pesky SLS reservoir), which I'm currently running on bio. Approximately how much did all the parts cost? And how long did it take to do?

I might want to call on your expertise when the time comes to do mine. Although I'm not quite ready to do that yet!

The main thing that's stopping me at the moment is the fact that the car is mainly used by the wife, and mostly for short trips around town. I would hate for her to be stranded after forgetting to switch back to the startup tank!

Thanks mate, I still a lot to learn.

How much it cost will depend on what you want to install and where you get the parts from. If all the items are available and ready it won't take more than two working days.

I found that the 300D works really well with one heat exchanger before the CAV filter and another one before the IP.

I converted 5 cars so far and used FPHE as well as twin coil heat exchangers and had no trouble even when I installed two twin coil units one unit "two coils" before the CAV and one unit before the IP.

I see no problems in going ahead with the conversion even if the car is driven for short runs. You can still run it on bio in short runs and have the option of running on vegy when all the family go for a long drive.

I'd be more than happy to help any time.

[Guest Close David]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

The main thing that's stopping me at the moment is the fact that the car is mainly used by the wife, and mostly for short trips around town. I would hate for her to be stranded after forgetting to switch back to the startup tank!

You may be able to get around this by using a turbo timer.
As the Mercs are switched off by vacum, you would probably have to wire the timer into a solenoid so it activated that to shut the engine down.
I believe some turbo timers have an over ride so you could change over before you stopped and then over ride the timer or if you forgot to purge, you could just get out and let the thing turn itself off after you flipped the switch which the car continueing to run should remind you to do. There may be an output on some units to automate the changeover as well.

For short journeys, of course best to stick with bio but you could always stretch it a bit by Blending with WVO.

Don't worry if you don't feel comfortable doing the conversion yourself, I think "Fitian's WVO Conversions PTY LTD " will soon be open for Business!
Book your car in now to avoid the rush.

Fitian,
I think what Michael is refering to is the Disposeable Filters and the thumb screw clamps like I am using.

The filter is there Michael, 6th picture, just to the left of the red handled Dipstick. Fitian uses the stock MB type filters rather than the Supercheapo type so it may be a little different to what your looking for.
I don't think I've won him over to the idea of the thumb clamps as yet but mine have been on over 6 weeks and I haven't had any problem. They haven't come close to melting either although this feature could come in handy for diagnoseing other problems....Like an engine bay Fire! .

[W123 x 2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close W123 x 2]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Fitian and David,

I see it now . I thought it was just the std MB pre filter with the 90 degree bend etc. These sell for $4 at MB spares so cost the same as the disposables anyway. Think they must be 50 micron or thereabouts, but not sure. I use the super creep one, before the MB pre filter, as I think it is 15 micron nominal. I don't want to replace the main filter more than I have to.

Cheers, Michael

[Fitian Was here Find all posts View Profile Close Fitian]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

You may be able to get around this by using a turbo timer.

David have you ever seen one? Do you know where to get them from? how much? and Can you connect them?

I would like to try it on my car first before I recommend them for anybody.

Michael,

I am using the clear one indeed you can get them from MB spares too.

I do not throw them away, Instead I soak them in clean kero and blow them off with air pressure.

David,

Since I am using bio from a trusted maker now I do not need to change this in line filter as often as I used to before. This is why I do not need to use that fancy clamp

[Guest Close David]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Hi Fitian,

Nothing special about Turbo timers, very common item amoung the Rice burner go fast brigade.

Here are a few from ebay:

This one looks to have some interesting features

Apexi is a good brand

A cheapie that would still do the job.

You could also get them from any performance car parts place.

As for wireing them up, I have done a couple years ago on petrol engines but I think for a Diesel Merc you would have to switch the vacum through a Solenoid valve ( about $13 from jaycar) as well as switch the electrics. There is nothing complicated about wireing up the timers, it's fitting them to the intended vehicle that would be a little more involved but I can't see any great difficulty in it.

If you really want to try one, let me know and I'll have a look at the wireing diagrams for the car and see if I can spot anything unusual or " Mercedes like". If it looks normal, I'll be happy to wire one up for you and we'll see how it goes.

I know what you mean with the filters. Since some very nice and extremely handsome gentleman put me onto filtering my oil through filterbags, I have gone from changing my inline filters every 10 days to every couple of months, just as reassurance. I checked the current one yesterday and it still looks like new after 2 months so I won't bother changing this one till it needs it.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Fitian,
Jaycar Electronic parts sells 2 kit type Turbo Timers. Search in Jaycar for "Turbo Timer" and you will find CAT. NO. KC5254 and CAT. NO. KC5383.

I used the former one in my Capella and can see that it would work well in the Merc, using a standard MB vacuum solenoid from any of the SI engined MBs from the W123 on. I grabbed a few from the wreckers for $1.o00 each.
I use one of these as vacuum shutdown in my diesel converted W123 (ex 280E) as the car did not have provision for a vacuum valve on the ignition switch body. I had 12V Ign. at the engine bay (from the engine ignition module) so I wired up a vacuum solenoid to block vacuum when 12V was present. It works well and despite having 12V on it all of the time the ignition is on, it has not shown any ill effects at all in the 18 months I have used the car since conversion.

I hope this helps,
Tony

[Fitian Was here Find all posts View Profile Close Fitian]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Thank you David and Tony for all the great info.


Just comming to think of the real need for this option though. Is it that hard to remeber? If the light buzzer stops working or if the car does not come with one, do we still forget to turn the light off?

I personally had no trouble remembering to change back from vegy to bio or diesel and my wife also drive a converted car for a while now and never forgotten.

I guess the fear of forgetting comes with the stong warning advise we give to people wanting or about to convert their cars. For example I often drove long hours "over 18 hours a day" and used to come home really falling a part yet I never forgotten to change over. I also spend 10 hours in studio recordings and come out with painful headache and still do not forget to switch back to diesel. Owners of the cars I converted are also finding it very easy thing to remember.

Thanks again for the info. I will look into it in depth for sure.

Tony, What if I went for a long drive and only stopped for a coffee where I do not need to change over?

[clackdwack Member Find all posts View Profile Close clackdwack]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Great work emad, looks good and enjoy the cruisning,

cheers mike

[pangit Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close pangit]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

It's reassuring to hear neither yourself of your wife have forgotten to change over, Fitian. I guess it's the sort of thing that if you do forget once, you probably won't again!

Another thing that might put my wife off is reliability. Has anyone had any problems with one of these systems that has caused reliability issues? I'm thinking blocked filters, leaking hoses, faulty pollack valves etc.

[Fitian Was here Find all posts View Profile Close Fitian]

Re: 1976 Mercedes 300D - WVO conversion

Thanks Mike, I appreciate your kind words mate.

pangit,
Blocked filter and leaking hose can happen with any system. It depends on how clean is your fuel vegy or diesel. Also for the hoses it will depend on what quality you use and how good you fit them in the first place. I had a faulty Pollak valve once and got it returned. But even that one did not take more than a day to show that it is faulty. I installed 6 of them in 6 different cars and none of them failed.

As I said before... do not change over to vegy during short trips.
I personally do not bother changing over if I will be driving for a short trip. It is always great to have the option there for you to go green when you can and save money too