Getting Off Gas!

[bennelson]

I forgot to mention that I put 5 gallons of E-85 in my (non-flex-fuel) S10 yesterday.

Now don't you all instantly reply telling me how stupid that was! I have done my reading and talked to people who have converted to E-85

I felt very naughty doing it - like removing the tag on a mattress that says "DO NOT REMOVE"

The E-85 pump is absolutely COVERED with warnings not to use it on anything but the official flex-fuel vehicles. Seems more like the fuel company covering their @$$ in terms of liability if anything did happen!


Well, it's a start. That's my first use of at least partly non-gasoline long-distance fuel. It's not my long-term plan, but at least I'm doing something!

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by bennelson

I forgot to mention that I put 5 gallons of E-85 in my (non-flex-fuel) S10 yesterday.

Now don't you all instantly reply telling me how stupid that was! I have done my reading and talked to people who have converted to E-85

I felt very naughty doing it - like removing the tag on a mattress that says "DO NOT REMOVE"

The E-85 pump is absolutely COVERED with warnings not to use it on anything but the official flex-fuel vehicles. Seems more like the fuel company covering their @$$ in terms of liability if anything did happen!


Well, it's a start. That's my first use of at least partly non-gasoline long-distance fuel. It's not my long-term plan, but at least I'm doing something!

I've been running mixtures up to E50 for couple of years in non FFV. No problems. Frank Lee also has a lot of experience running high mixtures of E85 in his non FFV without problems. He even lives up there in the cold country.

I personally think it's much to do about nothing if you're running in a car that was manufactured after 1988.

Here's another thread on it.

I found this to be pretty accurate.

[Intrigued]

Did anyone else see the spot on the national news about making ethanol out of kudzu? Kudzunol, I believe he called it.

For people living in the deep South, that's one inventive way to take a lemon and make lemonade!!!

[Christ]

Brink! on one of those "smart people" channels that I watch all the time had a blurb about getting Ethanol from algae. Thought that was pretty neat.

Also - check out "Going Green" I think it is.. on the Green channel. These dudes drive a Green van around checking out ways to "Go green".

[bennelson]

It seems like diesel is the way to go if you want some good potential use of alternative fuels.

I have seen a lot of older diesel trucks for sale lately. Too bad they are all what author Doug Fine calls ROATs - Rediculously Oversized American Trucks.

The more I think about it, the more I actually like my S10 pickup truck.

It gets pretty good fuel economy, just big enough to tow and haul, and plenty of space for transporting my motorcycle in the bed.

Imagine my surprise, looking through FuelEconomy.Gov to find that there used to be a DIESEL S10!

It had a 2.2L 4 cylinder engine. The exact same size as the one I have, only as a diesel!

Had I the diesel version, I would ALREADY BE RUNNING bio-diesel or veggie oil in it!

As it is, I am still haunting the halls of Craigslist in constant search of a vehicle to modify to be truely fossil fuel free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVeVFurUtzM

[Intrigued]

It wouldn't get you off gas completely, but an idea might be to make your S-10 a PHEV with a DIY setup similar to this:
Electrocharger / Retrofit PHEV Hybrid Conversion Kit :: Sigma Automotive

Another thought: as many different times that I have seen small-block chevy engines in S-10s, it shouldn't be too difficult to swap in a suitable diesel. Hey, if you can adapt a forklift motor into a car, why not a diesel into a pickup???

Oh, and I don't know about folks around where you are, but I've tried 3 times on Craigslist to get in contact with folks locally who had donor cars, and only got one answer, and it was an automatic. Just as well, I guess: My son's GMC ended up needing work, and I spent most of my Christmas cash on it...

[Christ]

So - I'm thinking honestly as hard as I can about this diesel engine thing, trying to find a cheap/economical alternative.. I have yet to come up with something.

Intrigued - I'm guessing you'll be surprised to find out that Mazda B2000 and B2200 engines (FE series) are used extensively in fork lifts... so are Nissan 4 cylinder motors (can't remember the code) as well as several types of DSM Engines (Dodge/Plymouth/Eagle/Mitsubishi/Chrysler/Hyundai). I used to have a B2200 Pickup that I was in the process of converting to run on propane, which I could have had basically free, since I was a forklift mechanic at the time. (Used tanks always have some 'pane left in 'em.)

Ben - I'm going to keep searching for diesel use alternatives for you... or even a way to use diesel in the stock engine (I'm sure there's a way, since spark-ignited diesel isn't all that far-out anymore.)

[Intrigued]

The one forklift the lumberyard had used an old Continental engine, on gas, but the propane one was definitely a "foreign jobber." (Sorry, GM guy. Ignorance is bliss...)

My dad used to be the serviceman for a local propane company years ago, so the family had a couple of cars converted over. Boy, I'll tell you: when you run out of propane, it's like shutting off a switch. Good thing we all ran dual fuel!

It would seem that doing the adapting to run a gasser on spark-ignited diesel could get complicated quick. As lazy as I'm getting in my middle ages, I'd sure try to find a suitable swap. Just me, though...

[bennelson]

I just found an old ad for a 1976 Mercedes Benz 240.

According to Wikipedia, it has an OM616 2.4L inline 4-cylinder diesel engine.

This engine is rated at 65 horsepower.

Could this replace my S10's 2.2l gas engine?

By purchasing an entire car, I would have the radiator, starter, transmission and everything else needed to make it run.

The transmission is an automatic however. (you could get manual in Europe!)

Since those were rear-wheel drive (like my truck!) the engine is longitudinally mounted and would connect through the transmission to a driveshaft to the rear wheels.

This sounds like a swap would be possible. An inline 4 diesel should fit fine in the same space as my inline 4 gasoline engine. It's pointed the right way. I just don't know about getting an automatic transmission in there?!?!?!

If I bought that car, I could use the engine/transmission, and then part out the shell, hopefully recovering some of my money.

I actually came out ahead on the Electro-Metro by selling parts - of course the engine was the most valuable thing on it.

What do you think?
Mercedes 4 cylinder diesel in a Chevy S10 truck?

Call it the Mer-Chevy Ben's!

[Intrigued]

Originally Posted by bennelson

What do you think?
Mercedes 4 cylinder diesel in a Chevy S10 truck?

Call it the Mer-Chevy Ben's!

I hear the old Mercs are a solid engine. Seems like someone on ecomodder had mentioned they'd do biodiesel pretty well. You'd just about have to look at the car to see if the tranny would fit or not... or buy a BIG HAMMER...

You might look around at the salvage yards around the area. There might be a diesel vehicle with a bashed body at one of them!