Panel Vans that will operate on Vegetable Oil or Biodiesel

[wookey]

I ran a C15 (1.7 XUD engine) on SVO for a year or so (in europe where it was allowed). I now have an expert 1.9 XUD and have not got around to converting it yet.

A good resource for info on this is the vegoil-diesel yahoo group : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vegoil-diesel

I haven't been keeping up for the last couple of years but you are correct that you need to either get a suitable (= older design such as excellent XUD or even better mercedes engines) which will run SVO. Bosch injection pump needs either suitable heating arrangements or mix around 50% diesel to keep viscosity reasonable. Lucas CAV injector pump needs careful heating as it is intolerant of high viscosity - better to get a bosch one. Mercedes inline pumps will take pure cold vegoil quite happily. For new electronic HDI systems you really need to use biodiesel, not vegoil. They should be fine with that, although I have not read latest thinking on this. All diesel fuel is now 5% biodisel anyway.

So if you want the older engine option then the Expert/Jumpy/Scudo/Dispatch van is suitable 1998 or earlier (essentially ones with older bonnet styling). Not sure if this is a big enough van for your purposes.

HTH.

[Bargeman]

Hello Folks,

Eventually I plumped for a relatively low mileage 1997 MWB 308 Mercedes Sprinter complete with inline injection. As suggested elsewhere this has no qualms digesting straight vegetable oil at this time of year. I may opt for a mix during the colder months. Will experiment and see how it performs as the days grow shorter during Sept.

thanks and regards

[room101]

I have a Toyota Hiace supercustom and have been running it on v100 for 2 years now from various sauces with no problems other than the filter blocking after the first tank, which i was expecting. the toyota engines use denso pumps which are a copy of the bosch units i think.

[ajstoneservices]

Bargeman,
With the arrival of colder weather, how's the Sprinter on the veg oil.

Tony

[KenB]

List,

I'm about to buy a 2000 Nissan Vanette, 2.3 diesel.

Has anyone had any experience of running the Vanette on SVO, or know the origins of the injector pump used?


Thanks in advance,


Ken

[Bargeman]

Hello Tony,

I'm still on 100% filtered waste VO for the moment and she starts without any problems, god bless her. I am down in Kent so we are probably a couple of degrees warmer than our friends in the north. I'll probably treat her to a new fuel filter fairly soon though.

regards

[ajstoneservices]

Bargeman,

Thanks for the feedback, its time the Vito CDI went and was replaced with an older Sprinter. We work for several chip shop owners so hopefully fuel shouldn't be a problem.

Regards
Tony.

[Bargeman]

Hello Tony,

One slight proviso is that I don't tend to use the waste oil from chip shops. This will typically be palm oil and is more viscous at low temperatures (comes in solid blocks) than the types of vegetable oils used in the more high faluting of our local restaurants and pubs.

Some modification to the fuel injection system, e.g. pre heating, should probably be used if you are sourcing your oil from chip shops.

regards

[Flamethrower_]

Any one here Know if a M reg Montego Turbo Diesel will run on SVO or WVO ?

[Bargeman]

Hello,

For anybody thinking of getting a van to run on WVO, my Mercedes sprinter 308 (P Reg) started to stutter a bit in the recent colder weather on 100% WVO. I have moved to a 75% WVO / 25% diesel mix and she is now back to her old self.

regards

[Ivan]

Wish I had a Sprinter! My transit has trouble starting on diesel

[itsnewtome]

What about an s reg 1998 astra turbo diesel van.
Do we reckon it'll stand bio diesel??

[Bargeman]

Hello,.

It's pre-common rail injection so gets a tick in the first box. Check the fuel pump; Bosch inline injection should be fine, but I suspect you'll find its a CAV rotary pump. If the latter then at this time of year I would either try it with a low ratio (<20%), or wait until some milder weather.

regards

[Ivan]

Are you suggesting that the CAV pump can't cope with biodiesel? Or was your 20% comment relating to veg oil?

[wookey]

CAV pumps don't like veg-oil (viscosity too high), although I used one for a year on heated SVO OK. Any pump should be fine with bio-diesel.