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Long term damage to engine when running NEW veg oil/diesel?

Leopard

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Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
163
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uk
Hi All

I do a fair amount of driving in my cruiser - probably 1,200m to 1,500m per month. This is in an overland prepared 80 series with the roof tent on all the time (like to head out at weekends etc.. so leave the tent on all the time).

With the kind of miles I do and the associated cost, I'm interested in the veg oil / diesel mix idea. I have a Costco near and could get oil in bulk from them. My question is: are there long term risks associated with running on veg oil? I'm talking about piston/cylinder/valve damage type stuff or is it fairly safe?

I'm just very aware that my engine is designed to run on diesel and would hate to drive my truck on a mixture for a few years and realise I'd trashed the engine.

I wouldn't go extreme with my mixing - probably 50/50 or so to try reduce the costs.

I'd be interested for any input from the engine boffs out there about potential damage.

Thanks for any input,

Nigel
 
Re: Long term damage to engine when running NEW veg oil/dies

From what I have read here and on other forums.
Your 80 series 4,2 lump seems to run well, and have no long term damage.
I might go as far to say, running 50:50 mix, it will run smoother, and as such, may be less "wearing out" than if you had run on 100% diesel.
May be not so good after say end of September, where the weather is some times giving a chilly morning, but generally 50:50 for most of the summer is fine.

Gra.
 
Re: Long term damage to engine when running NEW veg oil/dies

Hi Graham

Thanks for the response. Appreciate the advice.

I've been doing a bunch of reading online and I'm well aware of the fact that you need to take what you read with a pinch of salt, however there are a lot of conflicting stories around veg oil. Some say it's great and others say the carbon buildup was so bad that it did permanent damage to the engine.

Any ideas what to look out for or is this dependant on the engine?
Are LC engines designed in a way that the carbon buildup is minimal compared to diesel?
Is there less risk in driving on a blend of diesel and veg rather than 100% veg with a heating system?
Does it make a difference what type of veg oil you use?

Thanks,

Nigel
 
Re: Long term damage to engine when running NEW veg oil/dies

I think Karl will pop up some time soon, also Ben does a fair bit of veggie oil.
others run on Bio, with full blown systems in their garage / workshop.

The LC3 -LC4 - LC5, 120series D4-d wont run on veggie, as in 50:50, so I haven't really been that interested in it from my standing.
Gra.
 
Re: Long term damage to engine when running NEW veg oil/dies

PM sent :thumbup:
 
Re: Long term damage to engine when running NEW veg oil/dies

PM also sent. :thumbup:
 
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Hi guys, I would be very interested in the effects too. Like Nigel says, it seems to be something of a minefield as it always comes down to personal belief. It would be good to hear from the guys who use it. I have also heard of folk adding pre-heaters and such into the fuel line system and wondered if this is a requirement?

Regards,
Gazzbo:drool:
 
I did a lot of reading about Veg oil and decided not to bother.

To run on 100% veg oil you will need a heater to heat the fuel to prevent waxing when cold. Better still a small tank of diesel to start on then switch to full veg oil after the engine is warmed up.

Some folks have had a lot of issues with gumming of the rings. This can destroy an engine but as yet I haven't figured out why some do and some don't even on the same engines.
One thing to bear in mind is that running SVO you still need to pay duty on the fuel. This is different to BIO where you have a 2500litre personal allowance. Some people will say otherwise but if in doubt check with HMRC. If you factor in duty a lot of the benefit suddenly vanishes.....
 
Very true OG. Saving a few pounds could amount to losing a few more pounds.
 
When I had my injectors reconditioned, the first thing that chap asked me was if I had run them on veg oil... apparently residue will build up quicker in/on the injectors/tips.
 
Guys

I've had years of experience running my 100 series on Bio! If well made your cruiser will run exactly the same as on Derv. On Veg, it would seem that polymerisation will get you at some point, it's just a question of how long (some have done tens of thousands of miles without engine failure- others haven't been so lucky).

Build or buy the right processor and you'll make good fuel at around £0.25p - 35p per litre depending on what you pay for the feedstock. I'm always happy to assist with information or help setting up.
 
I'm sure that running waste veg oil must be more damaging than running new veg oil. :think:

Karl and others have issues such as veg oil getting into the sump and fuel pumps packing up. :thumbdown:

Me and my mate have done 40,000+ miles in our toytoas now running on new veg oil and havnt had any issues, apart from the occasional where we've put too much veg in on a cold day. :oops:

In the summer we both run 80%+ veg oil.

I'm currently running 50% diesel to 50% new veg oil, with a splash of petrol. This weekend I've done about 600 miles and shes run beautifully. :clap:

If it went below -10 then I would perhaps change my mix down to say 70% diesel to veg oil.:icon-cool:
 
Keep a eye on this thread

http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forums/showthread.php/47290-Member-converts-to-Bio-diesel

I agree with ben. I guess new oil has got to be better than wvo as i have been using due to the animal fats and water in it. My attraction was 10ppl compared to around £1 ppl for new oil.

Im sure nathan knows the damage caused by either. My only reason for trying the bio is that i should be able to produce it for around 25ppl and i now have a 24v manul truck and fuels pumps and engines for them just arnt around like the 12v engine that i used to run the wvo in so if my 24v was to go wrong it would be hrder to fix the issue.
 
I think Karl will pop up some time soon, also Ben does a fair bit of veggie oil.
others run on Bio, with full blown systems in their garage / workshop.

The LC3 -LC4 - LC5, 120series D4-d wont run on veggie, as in 50:50, so I haven't really been that interested in it from my standing.
Gra.


I hate to disagree, but I've been running a 2005 LC4 on Veg Oil since it was 2 years old. I had it professionally fitted out by DieselVeg and it runs on the ATG two-tank system. I'm no mechanic and don't pretend to be an expert, so please don't ask for specifics, but I believe 2005 was the last year for the LC's to be capable of running on veg oil... something to do with engine management or maybe the common rail, I'm really not sure.

So if you have a pre-2005 LC3/4/5 diesel, I would imagine you'd have no trouble running this on veg oil... but you would need the two-tank system (start on diesel, run on veg oil, end on diesel). I'm not sure I'd even want to run on 50/50 unless I was in a warm climate - certainly not in winter when veg oil thickens up (no without the two-tank, anyway).

If you look at my website www.vegoilcar.co.uk you can see my car, read more about my experiences, and also find links to reputable UK garages that will steer you in the right direction (I've never used them, but I've had emails from others that have).

I hope this helps.
 
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