Quote:
Originally Posted by tjts1
I agree, theres a big difference between what he's doing and a proper WVO or biodiesel setup. Single tank WVO where he's not factoring in any other costs is the definition of a poorly conceived and executed system. Simply heating and filtering fuel is not enough and he knows it. I guess some people only learn the hard way.
I've gone through the same process you describe and one step further to create real biodiesel through transesterification. It was a fun project and the car ran fine on it but its not worth it for me to produce in small batches. For other it is and I'm all for that. Good quality bio diesel can actually increase the life of the injection pump and injectors.
He's pretending WVO is magical free fuel so he's not counting those gallons into his calculation.
I can see why this is so tempting especially in Hawaii where diesel fuel is about $1 more per gallon than gasoline. But the long term costs of running single tank WVO far outweigh any savings.
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It boils down to so many factors. My 190D is an extreme example of WVO performing for long periods of time (580k miles) because of its inherent robust design, my choice of oil sources and fastidious cleaning and a custom electric/fluid heating system. The water injection helps too. All on a single tank system.
But this vehicle is used between a semi tropical coastal city and a desert city - no snow days.
And I was not referring to AlohaSpirit as an example of inept WVO application - the TDI owner in the link above was. Again, choose a diesel with an inline pump as the basis for your WVO setup. Other pumps can run WVO but the margin for error is small. Know the limits of your oil stock and the weather conditions you operate in. Design your fuel system to work accordingly.
And if AlohaSpirit wants to calculate his mileage as he does, so be it. Chevy gets to set the Volts mileage based on only the gasoline it uses in a time period. Cost per mile is a good analysis reference.
Again, WVO is not for everybody. But it is an economical advantage for me. And it can be an educational experience for others negating the disadvantages via the fun factor.