Mercedes 300D conversion

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Hello Chris,

In my configuration, the HE is before the CAV filter and the Pollak valve is after both of them. So when I change over the cold oil in the cav is still cold. I think if I place another HE after the CAV the valve will be damaged (I could be wrong). But if I place a HE after the valve ... ummm .. both lines will go hot to the lift pump ! is it okay to warm up the diesel too?

Cheers,

Fitian

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Hi Fitian

Yes, I agree with Capt E, you have a fuel starvation problem. Most likely your cartridge is blocking. Tony once mentioned that he had a problem with the Delphi brand cartridges plugging up quickly, so you might try swapping the cartridge with another brand like Fleetguard. I’ve had no problems with these.

Are you cold filtering at 10 micron or less, preferably 5? Cold filtering will ensure that you remove all the HMP fats, waxes and tallows that are solid at ambient temps.

When the car stops, did you notice if the CAV filter was hot? It should be. Moving the HE to before the IP won’t work too well as you will have cold oil going into the filter, and this will cause the filter to plug up even faster. If you don’t think you are getting enough heat to the IP, you will need to install another heater before the lift pump or IP. However, swap out the cartridge and try another brand first.

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Thank you Bruce,

Do you have the contact for another CAV cartridge supplier please?

Warm regards,


Fitian

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

I do cold filter the oil and I use a 5 micron filter supplied by Tony. when the car stops the CAV filter is really hot. I am not sure if it get blocked because driving on high speed everything runs great. But I will keep an eye on the CAV.

Thanks Bruce for your support

Fitian

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

I do cold filter the oil and I use a 5 micron filter supplied by Tony. when the car stops the CAV filter is really hot. I am not sure if it get blocked because driving on high speed everything runs great. But I will keep an eye on the CAV.

Thanks Bruce for your support

Fitian

Hi Fitian

If your filter is hot, that's good. At high speed, your pump is working harder, so it has more power to pull the oil through the paper elements.

I get my filter cartridges from my local Cummins/Fleetguard service centre, but you could try other sources for other brands. Most outlets like Super Cheap, marine chandlers or diesel mechanics would probably have the 296 cartridge. They are very common.

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Hi there... I'm in the middle of a 300D conversion and have decided to go with the Pollak 6 port valve instead of solenoids. My plumbing arrangement is identical to the Greasecar system. I'm attempting to use the top set of ports as "Solenoid A" and the bottom set as "Solenoid B" to allow for a flush of the system prior to shut down. Everything is well, except for the fact that the instructions that came with the valve do not contain simple (and critical) pieces of information such as "power to wire X results in Y." So, does anyone have insight regarding how I can wire the Pollak valve for this application? Thanks in advance!

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Hi there... I'm in the middle of a 300D conversion and have decided to go with the Pollak 6 port valve instead of solenoids. My plumbing arrangement is identical to the Greasecar system. I'm attempting to use the top set of ports as "Solenoid A" and the bottom set as "Solenoid B" to allow for a flush of the system prior to shut down. Everything is well, except for the fact that the instructions that came with the valve do not contain simple (and critical) pieces of information such as "power to wire X results in Y." So, does anyone have insight regarding how I can wire the Pollak valve for this application? Thanks in advance!

Usually the Pollak valve comes with a plumbing and wiring diagram that is quite easy to follow.

PM your email address and I'll send you the diagram in pdf format.

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Fintan it may be a good idea to check to see if the pipe leading into the IP is warm, if it is in a lot of breeze (and it may be when the car is moving) it may be worth insulating it. I heat the diesel also, Tony says some veg oil in it will help with it keeping it lubricating properties, but 300D injector pumps are lubricated with engine oil, not so much fuel oil, so it should not be a problem.

And Happyoil, I wired mine up, and blew through the pollack valve, then labeled which were diesel and which veg oil. before plumbing.

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Fintan it may be a good idea to check to see if the pipe leading into the IP is warm, if it is in a lot of breeze (and it may be when the car is moving) it may be worth insulating it. I heat the diesel also, Tony says some veg oil in it will help with it keeping it lubricating properties, but 300D injector pumps are lubricated with engine oil, not so much fuel oil, so it should not be a problem..

Okay, I think I should place a HE right before the IP and see what happens. I will also add 1 litre of veg oil to the diesel but I use biodiesel all the time. I guess it won't hurt adding some oil anyway.

And Happyoil, I wired mine up, and blew through the pollack valve, then labeled which were diesel and which veg oil. before plumbing.

The valve has one inlet open when not wired. You can simply use it for the diesel at least if anything goes wrong in the wiring the valve will go change back to diesel. Do you guys agree?

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Fitian,
Your problems seem to be due to a fuel restriction in your veggie fuel system. Please check your veggie fuel lines from your tank to the filter and the Pollak valve.
Diluting the veggie with biodiesel makes the veggie flow better, so restriction makes less effect.
Due to the restriction, I think you are getting some air in the fuel lines, which are not a problem while using the fuel at highway speeds. When you slow down after highway speeds, the air in the system is not being passed thru the injectors and accumulates somewhere in the veggie system.
This is most likely what is causing your stalling and rough running at idle.

Re-check the clear fuel lines for air in the veggie entering the IP, as soon as you stop after a highway run.

Tony

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Fitian, I think I know what your problem is now. This morning I installed the original Delphi cartridge that came with my new CAV when I broke the glass on my original one. After 30 km or so, I began experiencing the same symptoms as you did with the car losing power, and I had to switch over to diesel for the rest of my journey home from Newcastle to Maitland. As you know, I have a heater in front of my lift pump as well, which boosts my oil temp to 100degC. While on the way home, I had two more attempts at running on Veg, and on each occasion the 300D started to stutter, so I had to switch to diesel quickly.

I know that the system was primed OK, as I have done the routine many times before, and my trip down to N/C on veg was quite normal. I'm almost positive now that it is the Delphi cartridge that is the culprit.

I've just opened up the Delphi. As expected there was no plugging of the paper element (it was NEW). However, one thing was obvious, the element was holding a lot of oil - much more than I noticed when I pulled the Fleetguard one apart.

What I think is happening is that the heat affects the Delphi's paper element in some way which causes it to swell and block the passage of the oil, thus causing fuel starvation. When you added biodiesel, it thinned the oil enough that it was able to pass through the filter OK, so your car then ran without a problem.

Try another brand of filter cartridge, as I'm 90% certain now that it is the Delphi causing the problem. I'll be 100% certain on Monday once I've travelled to and from work without problems using a Fleetguard cartridge.

If anyone is using the Delphi CAV filter housing, what brand of filter cartridge are you using successfully?

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Fintan- The pollak valve does not change with the absence of voltage, it will stay where it is. The two leads into it (that are not the fuel guage wires) get electricty going one way or the other for diesel and veg, and it changes when the power is reversed from what it just was (so as you are driving, if your alternator dies and the battery goes flat the car will not change the fuel it runs on). As it comes from the box could be either way. (so basically I dont agree, but hey I have been wrong before! )

Bruce- I am running a "vapourmatic company england" (which came from Gambier west hydraulics). It seems not to suffer whatever you guys are suffering.

Tony- Oonce again I have learnt something from the master! I will go and check my system for leaks to help its starting. (ever time the car coughs I get reminded of the time I got stuck in the wee hours of the morning )

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Hello fine people,

Tony, thanks for help there. I went to check all the fuel lines from start to finish looking for any restriction but it all fine.

Bruce, thank for the thinking too. I just bought a new ryco cartridge but did not get a chanse to get my hands dirty yet . I'll replace it and let you know. I hope that this is the problem.

Chris, Hello mate, I must have misunderstood the digaram for the valve and must have picked up the wrong idea. No harm done I guess. Thanks for the correction bro.

--------------------------------

Today I drove to the shops and while looking for a spot to park the car, I looked in the mirror to find a pregnant woman vomitting. I jumped out of the car to offer her help but she said nothing but "It is all because of your stinky smelly car" Is there a way to reduce the smell of the veg oil?

Cheers,

Fitian

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

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Today I drove to the shops and while looking for a spot to park the car, I looked in the mirror to find a pregnant woman vomitting. I jumped out of the car to offer her help but she said nothing but "It is all because of your stinky smelly car" Is there a way to reduce the smell of the veg oil?

Cheers,

Fitian

Rose oil?

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: Mercedes 300D conversion

Having said about my filter, my fuel system does not get to 100 degrees.

Perhaps the woman was in denial about being pregnant, and did not wish to admit to morning sickness? Or a garbage truck went past close by at the same time?

No worries on the pollack valve, It may save some confusion.