Off Road / Expo biodieselers & WVO users...

[dieselcruiserhead]

I started this old thread on pirate some months back.. Got some great response.. http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=534008&highlight=biodiesel

There actually is a fairly large and growing biodiesel and/or WVO crowd that are 4WD drivers or close to it.. One of the guys (Craig Reece) owns the custom D100 and also owns an 80 series converted to 1HD-FT diesel, owns PlantDrive systems.. The D100 came from www.roverhybrids.com and as someo f you know the TDI 300 swaps and similar have been popular in the Rovers for years, many of these guys are biodiesel users...

Also, there is a new company in Colorado that is doing a 4BT in a FZJ80 (http://bpcenters.com/) not to mention www.ProffittsCruisers.com and www.dieseltoyz.com...

Maybe we can use this thread as an index for biodiesel / SVO guys or those interested in it for tabs in on the Expo board...?

 

[DesertRose]

Great thread, Andre - thank you!

I'll join the club officially in a few months. Tucson has a burgeoning biodiesel community and I'm looking forward to joining it.

Cheers!

 

[1leglance]

my son nathan has a mercedes 300turbo that we run biodiesel bought @ western states petroleum and wvo we filter ourselves. 300,000 miles & runs clean & strong.
I really wanted a diesel 4x4 but the wife didn't like the dodges and did like the fj cruiser so that will do until toyota brings a diesel to the usa.
arizona is a great place for bio & wvo, if anypne needs help w/ setup or equip let me know
also check
biodiesel.infopop.cc
enjoy
1leglance

 

[BlueHZT60]

I just put 3.6 gallons of bio in the diesel 60 series landcruiser. In reference to my diesel transplant - it's a big deal to add 10% bio - for now.

I'm on engine #2 and both my mechanic and Oregon Fuel Injection made me promise not to use biod. Lots of $$'s and time later, I've listened - only for a year though. Being a member of two biod co-ops, a firm believer and lots of research, I think my problems were engine specific rather than biod. caused. It's still hard to jump back into biod. with both feet after what I went through.

I'll smell more like a deep fryer and less like a stink pot on Rubicon.

Bob

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

It is the 1HZ that has had problems with biodiesel? None of the other Toy diesels I have spent time with have..

 

[DesertRose]

My understanding was that older engines had some issues with rubber hoses degrading with use of biodiesel and that everything should be replaced with new hoses - I can't recall what the chemical reaction is that causes this.

We are going to be getting a 1HZ for my 60. Would be curious what you have to say - I've not read anything else bad about biodiesel (I'm talking commercial here - not homemade).

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Commercial and home brew are actually made almost 98% of the time by the same methods. You can reach the ASTM spec for real biodiesel fairly easily and I have a bunch of friends who have done this. That said if you run poor quality biodiesel it can cause some problems, but it is fairly easy to determine if your end product is of quality or not by a series of small and easy tests.

The biodiesel rubber issues are related to mostly older natural rubbers. Some say there are no issues in 1991 and later models. I have never hard to replace a seal or rubber line because of it personally. These are over a half-dozen vehicles we have regularly run on biodiesel and never had to replace lines or o rings on any of them...

The big issue with biodiesel IMO is it can prematurely clog certain types of fuel filters. Most factory filters are fine, but aftermarket Racor, etc, seem to clog easily. Clogged filters can break pumps, etc, are fairly easily... There can also be issues with residual water in biodiesel that can interfere with very late model diesel injectors specifically.

 

[pwc]

I run biodiesel in a 94 Suburban and a 96 Passat wagon. The Suburban did have some problems with the assist pump dying (could jsut be old age) but also with two O-ring some place being eaten out because they were rubber. I didn't plan on having the Suburban long so I didn't research what was rubber or synthetic.

The Passat has been fine but some replacement fuel lines still seem to have a weep to them. It's odd and I need to look into it further. But it has been running fine for 20,000 miles or so.

I'm having a 2.8L International TGV engine put in a Defender 110 right now, ready in about 10 days.....can't wait....

 

[DesertRose]

The big issue with biodiesel IMO is it can prematurely clog certain types of fuel filters. Most factory filters are fine, but aftermarket Racor, etc, seem to clog easily. Clogged filters can break pumps, etc, are fairly easily... There can also be issues with residual water in biodiesel that can interfere with very late model diesel injectors specifically.

Is this because the biodiesel loosens up deposits in the tank? The fuel itself is pretty clean. I was told to be sure to change out filters frequently right after running the first biodiesel through.

And the water problem I heard about, too.

Now if I can only just get the engine I want! (I have to wait til I get back from my trip, in August . . . if anyone finds a great deal on a great 1HZ, PM Jonathan!)

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

The best deal hands down on those, stateside (Canadian actually), are from my friends Greg and Sheldon at GSCruiserParts.com... Hope it helps..!

The biodiesel will loosen up and put sludge from the diesel fuel into your filters for the first few tanks. That said again some filters are designed for use of biodiesel, others aren't.. And the weird thing is for some filters it matters, others it doesn't. Again the Racor non bio specific ones I have used have been a major PITA, even if the bio was pre filtered to the same micron before going in your tank.. This is with home brew (I am part of a small 4 person mini coop about a mile from my shop) but I have had pretty similar experiences with commercial biodiesel also...

If you do commerical, generally with the smaller blends, b20, etc, you have no negative effects at all, not even noticeable (one of the big reasons they sell B20 at the pump). B100 will have more drastic effects especially with first few tanks...

The big thing IMO is don't skimp on filters, and I would use WVO vegetable oil systems for the filters if you plan on running a lot of biodiesel.. It is only $100-$150 more than a good diesel filter anyway, which is pretty much mandatory regardless... That is what the WVO filters are, good proven diesel filters that work with biodiesel. I recommend RoverHybrids.com, Plantdrive.com, and frybid.com as good sources and vendors.. PlantDrive.Com is a cruiserhead and had Shane from RoverHybrids.com build him a near 300tdi powered custom D100 mid wheel base. And he also has a killer FZJ80 that is converted to 1HD-T Toyota Turbo Diesel done by one of the best diesel swappers in the country, so exclusive I'm not even supposed to mention his name

 

[DesertRose]

Andre - You're awesome, thank you!

I can't wait to get this project going. Trouble is the "to do" pile was so high, and now I'm leaving the country for a bit.

The cool thing is in July I'll be driving a diesel HiLux all over southern Rift Valley and then over the Aberdares to the Laikipia Plateau in Kenya - so I'll be doubly jazzed to get my 60 converted!

I'll be trying to do trip report here on ExPo (if I can find a working uplink) - maybe even from the field.

 

[BlueHZT60]

It is the 1HZ that has had problems with biodiesel? None of the other Toy diesels I have spent time with have..

I believe it was this specific engine. There was another guy in Bend that dropped a 3B in a 60 over 1 (one) weekend and ran/runs WVO without a problem.

And yes my fuel return hose turned to an interesting goo. We can re use the goo for rust treatment on the underside. Bob

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

If fuel line is turning to goo then that is a bad sign, you want to replace those lines...

I found this thread about 12H-T versus 1HZ...
http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=125477

There are a couple of good threads on the 12H-T versus the 1HZ or 1HZ-T if you search over on mud. I personally would probably take a 12H-T over a 1HZ and they are similar price.. The 12H-T is direct injects so you can crank it up easily. Both are usually 24 volt from Japan... 12H-T is a 2F bolt pattern to bolts to a wide variety of transmissions...

Hope it helps...

 

[DesertRose]

I have a question about Toyota diesels - I had pretty much settled on a 1HZ. But I might have an opportunity to purchase a 1984 BJ60 (Canadian) with a 5spd H55f, non-turbo 3B.

Any opinions out there on this engine? It would be a whole vehicle, not just engine. There is some frame rot, so I'd do a swap.

Is the 4 cyl too piggish?

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

It's a great engine. Only thing is particularly at altitude it is a dog.. One of my best friends has one in a BJ42... Even with the turbo it is a still a slight dog.. I drove one that Mark Ritchie (old school Canadian cruiserhead had) and couldn't believe the power he had. Also using a cheap home brew turbo... He pulled the head, ported and polished it himself, and put back on, and simply porting and polishing was night and day. It will still be slightly doggish juiced up versus say a 12H-T, but will still work fine. Without the port and polish it will be really really annoyingly doggish, and will have high EGT's when you turn up the fuel to where it should be. It will cruise fine on the flats but will have doggishness in 4WD and the slightest hill will bog it down...

Before CM, I would have told you to stay away, just too doggish. Bottom line is a turbo is required, so factor in that cost (~$1800 usually for a decent kit. Or you can home brew (I have done for less than $400 and it worked great, but is... ...homebrew).

The bolt pattern is more or less the same as the 2F but requires a longer input shaft so requires a B series specific transmission, which are slightly different than the off the shelf stuff. Buying a complete drivetrain is not a bad way to do it at all.. Jeremiah Proffitt is doing just this right now.. So far he dislikes the 3B from a install point a view (the EDIC install is slightly complicated from a diesel install point of view (the 1HZ is one wire like a Cummins setup - 12V on, 12v off turns off. Then alternator and starter and glow and that's it)... Again the head ported and polished goes a long way...