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Solvents for HMP veg oil

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  • Solvents for HMP veg oil

    While not wishing to revive the acetone debate re fuel economy, I was wondering about whether it has properties that could be beneficial.

    With the onset of some really cold wet weather here in Maitland, I'm getting a rather annoying problem. I'm running SVO from an unheated plastic marine fuel tank in the boot of my Mercedes 300D. When I filtered this oil, ambient temps were about 10 degC warmer than they are now. The oil, while still liquid, has some HMP fats in it which is clogging the bayonet fitting I use. So after 30km or so, the car loses power due to fuel starvation and I have to spray WD40 in there to flush it out before I can continue. Very tiresome.

    Now I could refilter all this oil again, but am wondering if a very small amount of acetone would cure this problem and save me the hassle? I know that acetone has a vey low flashpoint (-20degC), so you have to handle with extreme care, but it is this very property that might be a benefit. From experience, blending with diesel or small amounts of petrol does't work as far as dissolving the HMP components.

    I put some acetone in a jar of HMP filtrate, and it does indeed dissolve it. However, I must admit that it was a 50/50 blend, and there's no way that that would be feasible

    Any thoughts?
    Cheers
    Bruce


    1976 W123 300D (3 litre 5-cyl NA diesel running on SVO since June 2006)
    1982 W126 280SE (Sadly is For Sale)
    1993 W124 300D (3 litre 6-cyl NA diesel - being converted to SVO)

  • #2
    Re: Solvents for HMP veg oil

    Bruce,

    It would be best to refilter the oil.

    When I started my car conversion first off I used the same marine tank and also had the vegy return line looped back. I believe you still have it looped back correct? with this set up I used to get the same dramas.

    Back then I had to refilter the oil but later I ran a return line back to the marin tank to send some warm vegy oil back to the tank- I had to drill a hole for it in the tank. This has improved things by a little. Then later I added the twin coil heat exchanger and used one coil before the IP and the second coil for the return line and that made the problem disapear.

    I am now using the main tank for vegy. The vegy oil runs through 1/2" hose from the tank to the 30 FPHE and no longer heat the return line with no problem. I some times fill up with hot filtered liquid fat and have no worries even in winter.
    Fitian
    <><

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    • #3
      Re: Solvents for HMP veg oil

      Hello Bruce,

      With the acetone I guess it would be a matter of trying some different ratios to see where it is still effective in melting the fats. Before working out the Blend required, I would start with working out the economics required as to how much you can afford to blend and start with that percentage and see if it works.

      Not much use working out you need 5% if that is going to make the cost of your fuel unworkable. If you figure .5% is what you can afford to pay to add to your oil, start testing with that ratio first and see how you go from there. If it works, your sweet!
      I'm not sure if you can readily buy acetone in bulk, but it dosen't seem like it would be a cheap solvent in any quantity you would likely need.

      If your oil has settled out a bit, it's easy to pump from the top to get the clear stuff and you wouldn't even have to refilter. I did this the other day ( not sure why, the setteld, filtered fats in my drums are all very liquid and I have a HE before the filters) and just pumped well clear of the fat layer and then condensed the partial drums into one another to fill them up again for later use.

      You may like to consider Fitians Idea of using the main tank for Veg with a return.
      I know the established theroy was that you could always add dino and drive like normal if you ran out of oil if you kept your main tank for startup fuel, but if your like most oilers I know, you probably never use dino except for your startups and shut downs. It makes sence to me if your travels are not all short ones to use the main tank for the fuel you use more of which for most people with conversions, is Veg oil.

      Fitian,
      I tried the hot fat Idea a while back as well. With the engine hot and the HE just on the supply line, the return fuel comes back very warm. As it turned out, the trip I was expecting when trying the idea didn't happen as expected and rather than a good long run, it turned into multiple short runs with up to an hour stops. I was quite surprised when I got home to find the remaining half a 25L drum I put in the car was still at least as warm 4 hours later as when I put it in thanks to the return fuel keeping it warm.

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      • #4
        Re: Solvents for HMP veg oil

        Thanks David and Fitian, I think it's time for me to re-think my setup and make some mods.

        I'm still going to keep my plastic tanks though as they make refuelling much easier (for me anyway) and so steer clear of the nasty polymerisation issues that could likely occur with veg in steel tanks.

        Fitian, I'm surprised that heating the return line would work that well as the oil has a quite a long journey back to the tank. I would have thought that it would have too much time to cool before it reached the tank. Anyway, it has worked for you so I'll give that a try. Are you using the original steel fuel lines for your start-up fuel?

        Mmmm, what I really need now is an 8-port FPHE
        Cheers
        Bruce


        1976 W123 300D (3 litre 5-cyl NA diesel running on SVO since June 2006)
        1982 W126 280SE (Sadly is For Sale)
        1993 W124 300D (3 litre 6-cyl NA diesel - being converted to SVO)

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        • #5
          Re: Solvents for HMP veg oil

          Bruce,

          You won't need too much of modification. I guess one of thoes twin coil heat exchangers will do the trick 100%.

          All you need is one coil before the IP and the seconnd coil for the return. By the way these coils are 60cm in length.

          Trust me I have been running on vegy from the main tank for the last 5 months if not more and had no dramas what so ever.

          I am using the steel fuel pips for the start up cubee at the back and I am using 1/2" hose for the vegy feed and another 5/16" hose for the return line.

          In regards to heating the return line. It may take a while to heat up the oil but would you agree that when the oil gets hot it holds the heat for a while?

          Cheers
          Fitian
          <><

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Solvents for HMP veg oil

            Fitian where do you get those 60cm twin coils from and what do they cost. I'm thinking of getting a Helton twin coil Biofuel Has anyone used one, they are pretty small and I was thinking of using one coil before the pre filter, then the other for the loop return to the IP on my HJ60.

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            • #7
              Re: Solvents for HMP veg oil

              Originally posted by Alga View Post
              Fitian where do you get those 60cm twin coils from and what do they cost. I'm thinking of getting a Helton twin coil Biofuel Has anyone used one, they are pretty small and I was thinking of using one coil before the pre filter, then the other for the loop return to the IP on my HJ60.

              Alga. These twin coils from Helton are the ones I am talking about.

              Read the section what is inside.

              I have one of these units before the IP while I have a 30 FPHE before the CAV filter.

              I have also converted a mercedes 1984 300D belongs to Ashley "member of this forum" using two units of them one before the CAV and one before the IP and it runs great.
              Fitian
              Was here
              Last edited by Fitian; 18 June 2007, 10:19 PM. Reason: adding some other info
              Fitian
              <><

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              • #8
                Re: Solvents for HMP veg oil

                Thanks Fitian, I've already inquired, so will now order one now. Bloody wet and cold down here, snow, sleet but a warm house. I even thought of buying some aerostart today, but forgot. I wonder how it works with SVO.

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