Sunflower oil

[mr andy]

has anyone got their landy to run on sun flower oil yet?

[SCSL]

I'm sure it's not that much different than the 90 that was set up to run on vegetable oil where the guy got from CA to Moab on used french fry oil. I would think sunflower oil would work too. Why, you a major shareholder in a sunflower agricultural firm ?

[mr andy]

I 'll have you know I'm growing like FIVE sunflowers! And its free, FREE!

[Disco]

Any sort of vegetable oil will work in a diesel. In fact Mr Diesel ran his first engines on vegetable oil.

[Buckle]

There is a massive thread on this subject in the Landyzone forums, under Discovery I think it was.

Haven`t plucked up the courage to pour it in the tank yet!

[LRR219]

not sure about it but i think you have to make some very minor mods for the engine to accept the vegetable oil, correct me if i m wrong but one being a heater for the oil its self before it can burn? seems like a really cool thing, is all the power still there or does it run just as good?

[130CC]

If you plan on running SVO (straight vege oil) then there are modifications that are need to be made to the fuel system. Yes it must be preheated and the engine warm before switching from fosil (used at start up and shutdown of the engine) to SVO. after you have driven for a while switch to svo then drive a bit further 5 minutes before you turn off your car switch back to fossil. As SVO with become thicker as it cools something you don't want happening in the engine. From all I have read people only tend to run this system in older diesel engines(heaps of info can be found about the old Mec engine running to fuel delivery systems.)

The common system or method is to turn SVO into biodiesel.
Mix vegetable oil (used or unused) with methanol (an industrial solvent) and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in a large mixing tank for 9 hours.A couple of days later a thin layer of black glycerol will settle out at the bottom of the tank. Draw off this glycerol to leave a clear amber liquid – biodiesel. You have to wash this biodiesel with water, which involves adding water, mixing again and then waiting for the water to settle to the bottom. Once you've drawn off this water the biodiesel is ready for use in any diesel car – no conversion required. - This has been taken form this Site.

I am in the process of looking into, and taking my first baby steps and I hope in the next month to be producing my own Biodiesel. I am still very nervous about things such as fuel filter and pump and injectors as I have read that this is where problems can occur. If when I test the consistency of the home made fuel to normal diesel there is a considerable difference then I may re-evaluate my decision to go down this path. I may only run a mix of bio and fossil. A TD5 is a hell of an expensive test engine and that is why I say baby steps.

Adam

[Disco]

I do know of a couple of women who run their discovery on biodiesel, and yes, it does smell like your've walked into a fish & chip shop, although, the odour is not very strong. I figure that if you can get the waste oil for very little $ or for nothing, your on a winner, as making it is quite simple. I'm looking at making it myself to use in my farm machinery.

[RickyRover]

Originally Posted by 130CC

If you plan on running SVO (straight vege oil) then there are modifications that are need to be made to the fuel system. Yes it must be preheated and the engine warm before switching from fosil (used at start up and shutdown of the engine) to SVO. after you have driven for a while switch to svo then drive a bit further 5 minutes before you turn off your car switch back to fossil. As SVO with become thicker as it cools something you don't want happening in the engine. From all I have read people only tend to run this system in older diesel engines(heaps of info can be found about the old Mec engine running to fuel delivery systems.)

Hey which Mercedes Diesel engines are compatible with the Discovery I auto gearbox?

[130CC]

No sorry clear that up the whole Merc cars not sure about a transplant from one into a disco.
Adam

[Moeras]

I have seen some agrucultural tractors and water pumps being run on several diffrent Veggie oils for a long time, (Soya, Sunflower Peanut ect) no conversions done.

Although commong to think of it, it were mainly 1 or 2 Cyl Lister diesels with Gravety fed diesel systems, of Ford tractors. NO ELECTRONICS ON THE ENJINS.

I also have a Isuzu Diesel pickup which I drive on a daily basis and has ran it for a while on a 50/50 mixture of Diesel and Sunflower oil. Made no diffrence to the performance.

[Disco]

Moeras,have you tried biodiesel?