Biodiesel virgin ready to get greasy with a Westie - Where to start?

topic posted Fri, May 11, 2007 - 8:03 PM by  Violet
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After a long hunt, I've finally manifested an old '82 diesel westfalia to serve as my home and transport for the summer. Finding one in my price range wasn't easy, but part of that was going with an engine that needs a fill of oil along with each fill of diesel (ouch!) ~ or so the last owner told me ~ although he only drove it 100 miles and after the initial blue cloud on startup, she ran pretty well. I'm planning on needing to do an engine replacement eventually, but I'd like to save up for a TDI later rather than a turbo diesel without the oomph now.

Anyway, I'm ready to make the switch to biodiesel, but want to do it delicately since I don't want to send her engine over the edge in detox, or me over the edge financially with an engine/feul pump replacement at the same time. So, I'm wondering the best way to transition my little Turtle, without being too hard on her especially since I'm hoping not to break down in the middle of whoknowswhere during my travels this summer.

Should I...
a) just replace the fuel line & filter now and start putting in B20
b) replace the feul pump now if this will mean less gunk going into the engine
c) plan on an engine replacement asap
d) do something else I don't know about
e) all of the above

Obviously, I'm new to this, so any advice would be appreciated, especially any estimates/info on what mechanical issues to expect. Thanks!
posted by:
Violet
Portland
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  • The main concern here is that deposits may have formed in your fuel system over the years due to all the junk thats in dino diesel. Biodiesel act as a solvent, so usually the main complaint is that fuel filters have to be replaced with higher frequency due to years of gunk suddenly finding itself liberated from from the fuel tank, fuel lines and everywhere else. Its like pumping Drain o through the arteries of someone who constantly eats junk food...

    Anyways, save for a fuel tank cleaning or replacement, I'd recommend you replace all the rubber fuel lines in your vehicle with synthetic and go with it. Vanagon owners seem overly concerned with IP failures due to biodiesel when the truth of the matter is that almost off of them are high mileage and any failure thats bound to happen may or may not be the cause of the fuel. I"ve seen Vanagon (Westfalia model name depending on the year) have all sort of failures running on road #2 diesel for their entire lives. Commercial ASTM and/or BQ 9000 standard biodiesel is only supposed to have trace amounts of methanol (the stuff that deteriorates natural rubber), home brew is highly recommended to wash and dry the biodiesel before consumption, but I know dozens of ppl running vintage diesels that may or may not have problems. That may or may not be attributed to the fuel. Yes I know sounds confusing and contradictory, but thats why its called science. Their are at least a dozen variables that could affect the results and unless your fairly in control of the majority of them its way impossible to say that any one thing caused a failure.

    Iodine value, viscosity and polymerization are far bigger concerns in my book than what should be trace amounts of methanol in any reputable biodiesel.

    But lets be honest here, the cost savings are only realized when you process the bio-d yourself and thats after you initial and ongoing investments. And if your running SVO and NOT using a low micron value by-pass filter like an FS2500 to help keep the contamination of the sump oil reduced, your just fooling yourself as to how much money your saving. Petroleum is petroleum and if your having to change your sump oil more often to compensate for contamination that isnt filtered out by standard engine filters then your outweighing the benefits of burning a less polluting fuel.

    I've researched he Vanagon/Westfalias and besides finding lots of quips about how beastly they are in acceleration I haven't been able to find anything that says that the IP's in these vehicles is any more susceptible to failure from bioidesel use than any equivalent model year Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Volvo, Nissan or Toyota. And I only say that in comparison because their are not very many majors manufacturers when it comes down to component level manufacturing for seals.

    I'd love to get my hands on some disputing data if it exist, but at this point I have no evidence that says that IP in a 82 VW is any more susceptible to failure then any other '82 vehicle when using appropriate fuel.

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