Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

[03Hiace Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close 03Hiace]

Greetings All,

Thanks for all the great info posted here.

I'm hoping to convert a toyota hiace van to SVO. From research so far I understand that:
- WCO needs to be clean (of particulates > 5 micron and water)
- SVO needs to be heated near the IP and filters to improve flow and combustion
- a duel tank system is needed for direct injection engines (start and finish with petro or bio-diesel)

I'm looking to get a 1990 - 2004 model. Does anyone have experience with converting one of these vehicles/engines? "Tbird650"? "98troopy"? "Fitian"?
Are there any types/year models I sould avoid?

Are the 2.8 litre toyota hiace engines the same as the hilux ("3L") and the 3.0 litre hiace engine also called a "5L"?

Paul

[Nuddy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nuddy]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

Greetings All,

Thanks for all the great info posted here.

I'm hoping to convert a toyota hiace van to SVO. From research so far I understand that:
- WCO needs to be clean (of particulates > 5 micron and water)
- SVO needs to be heated near the IP and filters to improve flow and combustion
- a duel tank system is needed for direct injection engines (start and finish with petro or bio-diesel)

I'm looking to get a 1990 - 2004 model. Does anyone have experience with converting one of these vehicles/engines? "Tbird650"? "98troopy"? "Fitian"?
Are there any types/year models I sould avoid?

Are the 2.8 litre toyota hiace engines the same as the hilux ("3L") and the 3.0 litre hiace engine also called a "5L"?

Paul

You are on the right track, well done with your research.
2 tank is also advisable for IDI engines, just not as critical as with DI.
Make sure of your supply of oil before proceeding with vehicle purchase and conversion.
I have converted only 1 vehicle - 1990 Hilux surf with 3L 2.8 litre IDI N/A engine.
Fitian has converted many vehicles of various makes. I don't know if he has done a HiAce but he is the one to advise.

[03Hiace Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close 03Hiace]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

I have access to WCO from local resturants of:
- rice bran oil
- rapeseed (canola)
- cottonseed

One of these resturants used to supply someone (who has moved interstate) WCO for their SVO duel tank vehicle.

[bimbo Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bimbo]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

as far as i know the engines are the same in hiaces as hilux's. I know that the 2.8 (3L) engine is exactly the same and interchangable. Might have some luck searching on the forum under hilux's with the same engines as you are looking for.

[tbird650 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tbird650]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

PaulT

Any Hiace of those years and you'll be good to go. Motors are almost bulletproof providing they are not overheated. A trap for the unwary is the coolant temp sensor. Should your van loose all its' coolant, the sensor will not read! (must be immersed in liquid to read accurate)

I believe the Hilux/Hiace motors interchange but items like sumps, etc are different.

What might work on a Merc may not necessarily apply to Toyota's 2L, 3L & 5L. I had a 2L, now have the 5L. I think it's 11 years now, 5 on veg.

Toyota rotary injector pumps are a bosch copy. They run a high return flow back to the tank, @ 1Litre per 3mins @ idle. What this means is your fuel lines and filtration need to be modified to cope with the extra viscocity.

Fuel line to be at least 10mm, especially from the tank.
Generous sized filtration to cope.
Injected fuel temp of around 70C+
Prefilter temp maybe 40-50C-ish+ (the heat will reduce viscocity and improve flow)
Aim for zero fats in the fuel which equates to less problems.

(advice may vary depending on average ambient temp).

Have a look@ my blog for latest info or email direct.

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

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

What might work on a Merc may not necessarily apply to Toyota's ....
.

I agree . Not only that. Actually what might work with one merc may not necessarily work with another merc.

[Psykamaholik Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Psykamaholik]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

its also the same engine as in alot of surfs, i dont know if the hiaces have the 2LTII's or 2LTE's though

[colvan Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close colvan]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

My WVO conversion is to a 97 Hiace. 30,000 kms so far with no problems. It is the 3L engine as also found in Hilux.

From my experience, what works on a Merc does work on a Hiace, with an added bonus, the 3L IP appears to be very resilient against developing airlocks – even with a looped return in the WVO.

Try and steer towards an engine from mid 96 onwards, as these would be fitted with vitreous seals to cope with low sulphur diesel, which will also cope with the acid in WVO, and thus save you an unexpected injector rebuild.


Space around the engine is a premium. To make room for a pollak valve, I relocated the radiator overflow canister to the inside of the van. The heat exchanger and CAV filter are located in the space between the gearbox and the sliding door step, which is a convenient location for messy filter changes.

Good luck

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

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

Colvan,

What is your change over distance? In other words, How long do drive to purge the system?

Regards,

[03Hiace Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close 03Hiace]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

Colvan,

Thanks for the tips on fitting the WVO bits into your 97 hiace.


Just got my new vehicle, a 2003 hiace. Been doing some maintenance (including timing belt) and there is minimal room to play in the engine bay, but spaces nearby to fit stuff in. Some rearranging is probably in order. The toyota engineers have already squeezed the radiator overflow into the passenger side B pillar!

This is my first diesel vehicle and I'm really impressed with the power, especially up hill (maintaining speed with revs at 2,200 - 2,500).

Scored another 50L of nice clean oil today.

Paul

[03Hiace Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close 03Hiace]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

Here's an update on the van conversion:

The 5L 3.0 litre engine seems to be in good condition and is the same as in a hilux except for periferals like air intake, battery, heating hoses, etc. I've replaced the timing belt (155,000km) and all the fluids and filters. The injectors have been cleaned and recalibrated. The valve clearances have been checked and adjusted. The glow plugs have been renewed. The compression has been tested and all cylinders are within 5% of each other (42 - 44 Bar).

If anyone nearby wants to borrow the compression tester you are welcome too, just send me a PM. It has a glow plug adaptor with 10 x 1.25mm thread.

I was suprised to find that the engine will start from cold (7 C engine temp and 5 C ambient temp) with the glow plugs not connected and strarts within one second!

The van is now in the good hands of Fitian who is doing the conversion. The plan is to move the battery and use this space to fit most of the parts.

The original tank with 5/16" and 1/4" lines will stay as the dino tank. A plastic tank will be used inside the van for vegoil.

The vegoil will flow through 1/2" hose to a HE then its own filter to a three port pollak. The dino will flow through its own filter to the pollak, then both fuels will follow the some path through another HE and small filter to the IP after which they will return to their respective tanks via a second three port pollak.

During initial purging the vegoil from the HE and IP can be returned to the veg tank and sould allow the startup tank to stay resonably clean therby minimising the risk of gumming the injectors and/or coking the rings.

Cheers

Paul

[RODEONICK Too Busy To Bio. Find all posts View Profile Close RODEONICK]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

Fitian is doing it then.
Well its in good hands congrats on a good choice.
Lets hope your filtering is as good
Cheers Nick.

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

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

Fitian is doing it then.
Well its in good hands congrats on a good choice.
Cheers Nick.

Thanks for your kind words Nick,

This Van is now on the road running on wvo.

I have used a 30 FPHE installed under the van in a higher level than transmission. And a 12 FPHE before the IP.

Two Pollak valves are also installed to manage fuel feed and return

Moved the battery to behind driver seat. and installed both filters and pollaks in place of the battery.

Installed a temp veg tank inside the van. and run steel fuel lines under the van from veg tank to before veg filter.

In case you don't know much about this van, The engine in under front seats. Every thing is very tight.

A heat and vaccuum guages are installed on the fuel line right before the IP.

Everything I have moved/installed is reversable.

Heat guage is reading just under 80 C and vaccuum max reading 9 IN-Hg on veg and max 3 IN-Hg on diesel.

We managed to take couple of photos of what we can see.

I hope that Paul enjoys his work van for many years to come.

[tbird650 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tbird650]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

Every thing is very tight.

Yep, very true. Nice work!!

[Nuddy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nuddy]

Re: Converting a Toyota Hiace to SVO?

We managed to take couple of photos of what we can see.

I hope that Paul enjoys his work van for many years to come.

I'm sure he will. The photos show another example of Fitians meticulous workmanship.

Well done.