danalinscott
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Registered: 05/30/06
Posts: 720
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Reply with quote | #1 |
 rvcowboy
Registered: 11/04/07
Posts: 3 |  Today at 12:54 PM |  #5 |
Dana,
I have done some research but needless to say, there are a lot of different opinions on systems & componets to use. I've pretty much decided to go with the heated system & probably will not buy a kit because of the rather special application. I guess any links that can help me decide on which components to buy would be of some help..ie: what valves, heat exchanger, pumps, in line filters, injector heaters, fuel tanks, etc.
I do have another question. I have a 150 gallon fuel tank on my motorhome. Since this will become my VO tank, do you know if any tank heaters are big enough to accomodate its size? Also, do any of the links provide a component schematic for a heated system? Thanks again for all your help, Chuck
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Dana danalinscott@yahoo.com |
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danalinscott
Moderator
Registered: 05/30/06
Posts: 720
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Reply with quote | #2 |
Quote: I have done some research but needless to say, there are a lot of different opinions on systems & componets to use.
There certainly ARE!!!
Some of this is due to the fact that VO conversion technology development has been progressing at breakneck speed for the last few years and Kit Vendors tend to want to sell what they developed last year or the year before rather than constantly try to keep their conversion kits current. And some Vendors try to "prove" that their conversion systems are superior to others by bashing competitors kits with "cherry picked" information. This leads to quite a bit of misinformation being distributed as a marketing technique unfortunately.
Most of it however is due to the fact that it is pretty easy to get a diesel engine to RUN on VO (especially in warm climates) and a surprising number of folks in the DIY crowd (and even some vendors) seem to think that if an engine RUNS on VO everything is going to work out just as it would if petrodiesel had not been replaced with VO fuel. Even using the best available technology VO conversion of most engine is considered EXPERIMENTAL. I don't know what it's considered when the R&D of the past few years is ignored. Wasteful?
Quote: have a 150 gallon fuel tank on my motor home. Since this will become my VO tank, do you know if any tank heaters are big enough to accommodate its size? Also, do any of the links provide a component schematic for a heated system?
Heating the WHOLE tank was done with the earliest conversions. It proved to be a very inefficient way of warming VO to the temps needed at injection since that much mass takes a very long time to warm up. These are known as Generation I conversions. I proposed the concept for Generation II conversions...heating VO progressively from the time just before it exits the tank to the point it enters the Injection Pump. I proposed that this be accomplished mainly using specialized coolant heated components. These conversions generally consist of a coolant heated VO fuel pickup, heated VO fuel lines (either HIH or HOH), a main coolant/fuel heat exchanger, and a specialized heated VO filter. Most current kits are based partly on BOTH Gen I and II conversion...though the higher quality/price kits are definitely all Gen II.
IMO if you are using a Generation I conversion configuration at this point you are wasting a significant portion of the potential lifespan of your engine. I recommend that you consider using a Gen II configuration as a minimum standard. Generation III conversion technology is also becoming available..and you may want to consider this as well in your conversion. It may actually save you some money if integrated well from the beginning.
Quote: I guess any links that can help me decide on which components to buy would be of some help..ie: what valves, heat exchanger, pumps, in line filters, injector heaters, fuel tanks, etc.
There is a whole section on components and another on component vendors in this forum/archive. Here's the links to those: components component vendors
Quote: do any of the links provide a component schematic for a heated system? There are bunch of schematic examples in the Conversion Configurations section which should also provide some good idea of what is needed. Again..I need to update them. Like I said the technology is progressing very quickly at this point. My main business for the past few years has been as a VO conversion consultant for fleet owners. And frankly it has kept be hopping for the last 6 months with very little time to do much else. But I am taking a little break for the next few weeks to catch up on other projects. One project is updating this archive...which is why I was able to respond so quickly to your request. I know that you expect to be able to save quite a bit in fuel costs and so off set your cost of conversion..or hopefully pay for it several times over in avoided fuel costs. I think that this is a possibility since my fleet clients typically break even at under 14,000 miles. But with an RV you have a problem that they don't. How will you refuel when you are away from home? Have you though about that yet?
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Dana danalinscott@yahoo.com |
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rwoody
Registered: 12/28/07
Posts: 3
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Reply with quote | #3 |
i ALSO have a 300 cat to convert
i want to filter on the fly so to speak..i will get oil on the road and resort to dino when it is impossible to get oil.
any help is needed.....i would use my mtr home much more when i can not worry about fuel costs so much!
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rvcowboy
Registered: 11/04/07
Posts: 4
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Reply with quote | #4 |
Dana,
Many thanks for your response. Have you made a schematic of a Generation III system yet? IE: What specific componets that would include?
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