Hello there you lot,

I usually hang around trhe bio site, but have snuck in here for a quick look.

I have recently being speaking to someone about using SVo (I get plenty in Darwin) He was jsut using a single tank system, with heaters. I note a lot of you lot talk about two tanks and purging. I have read a fair few posts and note there are a few theories about using two tanks (oxidisation polymerisation and cold oil to name a few)

I am keen to have a go at single tank, as really I can barely remember where I live sometimes, so feel remembering to purge could be a problem. Any thoughts? I have a 2000 troopie with aftermarket turbo. I find it goes real slow on bio when it gets too hot, so I wonder if SVo might make a difference. At this stage i am thinking of a flat plate heat exchanger only, but I am worried about that, as my fuel seems to get hot enough anyway. On a 15 min drive my fuel lines which run under the car right beside the exhaust are uncomfortably hot to the touch.

Any advice? I understand people say it needs to be warm to be more viscous to reduce the load on the IP pump, but I dont believe that. Its not getting heated in the tank, so its taking a fair suck to get it from tank to the heat exchanger IMHO only. Mine would be getting heated earlier, from the moment it comes out of the tank!!

You have to remember too, it is never colder than 17 here except if I go inland to fish, when it might be 14 overnight in the dry season.

Please, any info would help.

Regards

Chris

constablechris,

Welcome here mate,

First of all you need to confirm if your engine is direct or indirect injection. DI or IDI

If it is an IDI then you need to be careful if you are going to run on blended fuel eg. wvo and diesel or bio. These engine need extra care.

Visit the FAQ at the top of this section to learn more about this.

If it is a DI then a 20 or 30 FPHE or a twin coil heater from Hilton before the fuel filter will be enough to run on a light blend of up to 80% wvo and 20% of diesel taking in mind temprature in Darwin.

Cheers

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Fitian
<><

Hi Chris,

Welcome to this side of the forum.

Just a minor correction, albeit an important one, to Fitians posting. The IDI - indirect injection - are best for single tank with no purge. DI - or Direct Injection - really must have a two tank system so you can purge properly. Fitian mixed them up - oops :-)

As Fitian says, have a poke around the FAQ and also the list of vehicles successfully converted in the stickies at the top of the forum. As you say you have an aftermarket turbo, I imagine you have an indirect injection engine - probably a 1HZ with a rotary pump.

Apart from the IDI/DI swap, I agree with Fitian's final paragraph of the blend for you in the warmer Darwin weather and reducing the WVO down to 50% in winter and less for cold weather starts. Running a rotary pump adds to the if/buts/maybes as is described in the sticky.

BTW just to clarify terminology, (see your 4th para) more viscous means thicker, so less viscous is thinner and is what we want. I understand you have 12mm fuels line already so these are a good size and it is less of an issue especially in Darwin, but I can assure you in colder weather with smaller lines, making the fuel less viscous by heating/blending is really important.

I know a guy in Perth who is blending 15% unleaded to 85% WVO quite successfully in a 1HZ and no heating. Others have recently commented on problems blending with ULP and it may be causing some waxes to drop out of the WVO, or ULP, so caution is urged.

Bottom line really is just see how it goes on an increasing blend, starting at 20% WVO. You'll have problems starting from cold when the blend is too much, but also by that time you may have started the dreaded glugging in the rotary IP too.

Tim

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Toyota Landcruiser 1989 HJ61 Manual Wagon
12H-T turbo Direct Inj.
100% WVO, 30 plate FPHE, 12mm fuel lines, twin OEM filters in parallel (with single filter backup) fed by OEM lift pump, controlled by 2x12mm motor driven ball valves with full temp and time automation (Jaycar temp kit). Sureflow Electric fuel pump for fast diesel purge feeds IP direct. 3 sec delay (2 x 4700uf capacitors) in purge time before diesel is returned to diesel tank. Runs with +80°C vege temp.

Good on you Tim.

You have picked up my swap mistake.

I have actually meant it the other way around. As you could see in my last paragraph.

Sorry and thanks for the correction.

cheers

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Fitian
<><

Your decision should to some degree be based on how long you want your engine to last. Research shows that at any blend higher than 15% VO to 85% diesel accellerated engine wear becomes a major factor. If you live in a warm climate and are willing to limit the life of the vehicle to a year or two, then a single tank system might be for you. Assuming that your engine is an IDI engine..

With that said, and as Tim pointed out, all sorts of strange things happen when mixing fuels, waxes drop out, heavier oils seperate, high melting temp fats settle, if using petrol with any ethanol in it the VO can really begin behaving oddly. In addition depending on the quality of your oil and it condition you may clog up steel fuel lines, tank and IP with poly.

The point of heating the oil is to gain more complete combustion by thinning the oil enough that the injectors can inject a fine spray. The thinner the fluid, the finer the spray, the finer the spray the more intimate contact the fuel has with oxygen and the faster and more completely it can burn. The more completely it burns the less carbon is produced to gum up your rings and valves and less fuel gets scraped by the rings into the lube oil turning it to mayonaise.

In addition when dealing with a mich thicker fluid there is greater resistance to flow in the lines (sucking a milkshake through a straw rather than water) and this increases vacuum in the system increasing the likelyhood of air leaks into the fuel, is much harder on the IP and makes filtering difficult if not impossible without heat on the filter.

Thanks for the info gents,

I will look to fit a heater and do the purging thing while I look into getting something like an Elsbett system.

I will purge off bio, and see what my results are...

I will keep reading and thinking though,

thanks for your advice.

by way of geographical clarification cgoodwin, Darwin is just below the equator. Most daytime temps are 28°C to 32°C all year round.

Your principal is of course correct, however ConstableChris has a 2000 Troopie, meaning a Landcruiser Troop Carrier. These all have 12mm fuel lines which we have found to be quite satisfactory in Oz.

ConstableChris, Elsbett systems are not that common here that I've heard about. Not suggesting they are not any good, just that most of us develop our two tank systems ourselves. You might find that having the two tanks already in the troopie as a really good base onto which to build an easy to use two tank system.

I guess you have figured there is a variety of opinions about how to go about things. As long as it all makes entire sense to you and suits your circumstances, including the lovely continual heat you have, then that is probably the best solution for you.

All the best in your choices.

Tim

__________________
Toyota Landcruiser 1989 HJ61 Manual Wagon
12H-T turbo Direct Inj.
100% WVO, 30 plate FPHE, 12mm fuel lines, twin OEM filters in parallel (with single filter backup) fed by OEM lift pump, controlled by 2x12mm motor driven ball valves with full temp and time automation (Jaycar temp kit). Sureflow Electric fuel pump for fast diesel purge feeds IP direct. 3 sec delay (2 x 4700uf capacitors) in purge time before diesel is returned to diesel tank. Runs with +80°C vege temp.

There are a few elsbetts kicking about (i have one of them) Depending on your situation they may (or may not) be good.
If I was going a one tank would consider one, although now you can buy injectors only and build the rest of the kit up yourself. One advantage is they come with all the bits in a box, which saved me a lot in going back and from the parts shop. If you were paying someone else to do the job. All of the stuff seems to be good quality.
For a 2 tank conversion I am not sure I would bother, unless it was on something new.

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cheers
Chris.
1990 landcruiser 80, 1HD-T two tank, copper pipe HE+ 20 plate FPHE, toyota solenoids and filters. 1978 300D, elsbett one tank system. 1979 300D veg oil/ diesel blend for now.