Joe's 99 TDI: Over 500,000 km on WVO, 700,000 km total on engine... and going strong!

Tue, 5 May 2009 17:41:58 -0700

First of all, let’s be clear; a TDI is not as forgiving on waste vegetable oil as other engines. It’s a direct injection engine, and like all direct injection engines, it’s just not as capable of the sort of “complete” combustion of vegoil as an indirect injection engine, or a swirl-chamber engine.

If you’re thinking of converting a TDI, the first thing you need to read is the following, which is a list I put together for one of the forum discussions on this topic a while ago, and which has since been edited by myself and by my associate, Craig Reece, over at PlantDrive.com, the web site that serves the USA market. (No, Joe did not do many of these things, he went more with the usual advice of settling the oil a few weeks, he used a single 6-port valve, etc. A very basic technique and setup. BUT, he does do a LOT of highway driving, and he uses the original-spec European synthetic oil, and these factors have likely been key to the longevity of this particular engine).

So, here are the “best practice” recommendations:

How to Avoid Problems with a VW Tdi or Tdi/PD Converted To SVO

1. Change lube oil more often, at least 2/3rds as often as usual, for a 2-Tank setup (which is all we do for these engines), and twice as often if you are attempting any sort of single-tank setup (which we don’t sell, but “twice as often” is the standard practice in those cases, according to most of the reputable research). By the way, this is valid for ALL direct injection engines.

2. Get lube oil tested on a regular basis and use a true, full-synthetic motor oil. (Fluidlife.com in Edmonton is a good lab, and can provide the inexpensive “oil thief” suction device and sample bottles needed to draw samples out the dipstick hole. Then you just mail them in, and they send you a report.)

Very good is Mobil’s Delvac 1 or
Mobil 1 “TurboDiesel Truck Oil” which is the same product. Please note that no other Mobil 1 oil is a diesel-specific oil.

Amsoil also offers a very good diesel-specific synthetic motor oil. Google around, you’ll find it.

Petro-Canada and others also make a good, true, full-synthetic.

3. Use two, and preferably 3 (for faster purge times), 3 port valves and a controller of some sort. We sell the VOController, which is the most feature-rich controller on the market.

Two 3-port valves, if sequentially switched during the “purge” cycle, will prevent cross-contamination of the diesel tank with SVO. See: http://www.plantdrive.com/html/faq.html#30, “Cross-contamination with a 6-port valve, a problem or not?”

Use the best vegoil and best prefiltering techniques you can. You want the fuel oil to be especially clean, water-free and as close to pH-neutral as possible. Don’t run junk. Look for good Canola WVO, as close to new as possible.

You can buy a water-testing kit from Utah Biodiesel Supply: http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/biodieselwatertestkit.php
and you can use it to test your SVO for water.

See also: http://www.plantdrive.com/Used_Cooking_Oil_Fuel_4_18_07.pdf

6. Get the injectors rebuilt or exchanged at time of conversion if the engine has over 100,000 km on it.

7. Do not add performance modifications such as power chips or modified injectors.

8. Do not even think of single tank on these unless it is a well proven conversion to fully optimize the engine for vegetable oil of the type you intend to use, and has been designed for your climate, and you are willing to follow all the recommendations of the supplier.

At the first sign of rough running, poor starting, reduced fuel economy, unusual increase in lubricating oil consumption, increase in lubricating oil level on the dipstick, reduced power or unusual increase in black smoke, or any smoke, start investigation of possible causes
Make sure you get that engine out on the highway, and give it a long hot run often, and do an "Italian tuneup" (full throttle run through the gears) once a week.
Avoid idling and low engine loads on SVO. If you are stuck in traffic or doing an lot of stop-and-go city driving, get a Hybrid. That’s where they shine (and conversely, where they do NOT do well, is on the highway...a TDI will give you better fuel economy, typically). A TDI is for the highway, and regular trips of at least 15 minutes at a time should be the norm.
Ensure your SVO is hot enough, consistently, under all operating conditions, as much of the time as possible. 158F/70C target temp, preferably hotter, in the 80-90C area.
Make sure the SVO is not *too* hot (limit to 212F/100C.) Our Vegsensor will limit our Vegtherm Standard to about 95C.
Install an Amsoil bypass oil filter kit, available from Diesel Geek: http://www.dieselgeek.com/servlet/Categories?category=TDI+Bypass+Filter+Kits
In cold climates, install a good engine heater, such as the TDIHeater from FrostHeater.com. This will speed warmup time, and allow you or your controller or SVSW50C Early Switchover Preventer to switch to vegoil sooner, by preheating the engine prior to startup.

PlantDrive-Sponsored LoCost Max news...

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:06:22 -0800

The following is from a post at the LoCost MAX blog over at Mother Earth News.....thanks, Jack!
“I have praises to sing, and first on the list is Plant Drive. A couple months back, I got a message from the company. They had read the MAX article in Mother Earth News and wondered if we'd like to try converting to veggie oil. I said I'd think about it. Well, I thought about it until the last minute (yes, Dad, I do my best work under pressure), and while Plant Drive doesn't make a conversion kit for a MAX, we exchanged e-mails and figured out what would go in one if they did. In Berkeley the day before the race, I primed the lines with canola oil and started MAX. Then Sharon flipped the switch on the dash from D (diesel) to SVO (straight vegetable oil), and we stood around until we felt the urge to order French fries.

Other than the improved exhaust scent, there was no difference. Then we went out driving, and no difference. It just worked.
I am sure there are other good conversion kit manufacturers out there, but we've been raving about Plant Drive for three days now. I'm really glad I didn't follow my original plan and get bits and pieces from various sources and concoct my own system. It would have made a better story, maybe, but it would have been a long story. We were racing, after all, and it was nice to be able to answer "How did you get it to run on vegetable oil?" with "We got a Plant Drive conversion kit, we followed the instructions, and we flipped that switch there. Gotta go."”

Buying Used Cars the way to Go Green?

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:53:46 -0700

Buying used is the way to go green

Feel eco-guilty about buying a used car? Don’t. “Used cars” and “green cars” seem like diametrically opposing expressions but the truth is buying a used car may be a better way to help combat pollution and global warming than buying a new hybrid. At least, for the next couple of years until used hybrids become available. Click here for entire article.....

LoCOST “MAX” Blog....

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:57:03 -0700

Introduction

Joe's 99 TDI: Over 500,000 km on WVO, 700,000 km total on engine... and going strong!

PlantDrive-Sponsored LoCost Max news...

Buying Used Cars the way to Go Green?

LoCOST “MAX” Blog....

PATENTED PROCESS FOR NEUTRALIZING OIL