Biodiesel on a Budget

[rh77]

I read in USA Today that a company (forgot the name and didn't write it down) is significantly ramping-up Biodiesel production, so I got to thinking.

Let's say I decide to buy a diesel -- it would have to be either VW or Mercedes (on a budget, so <$2000). Then how much would a conversion kit take, or can you just run Bio-D? I'm thinking of an ancient Golf or Rabbit manual to experiment with.

Any thoughts?

RH77

[rh77]

Well filtered HTML doesn't like the "less than symbol"...so

...less than $2000 like an old Golf or Rabbit manual. Can it run immediately, or would some mods be required. Would it be worth it?

Any thoughts?

RH77

[SVOboy]

SVOboy was my original handle on VWVortex two+ years ago when I was shopping for a Rabbit Diesel L to convert to run SVO/WVO. If I were you I would go this route. There is install necessary, but it is very easy. Say the word and I'll give you a run down on how it works.

[rh77]

The SVO popularity has driven the prices up, but I found some possibilities on E-bay Motors -- any other recommendations for search? My budget for a project car is about $2K, so it looks likely this far. How much is the conversion, to get a ballpark figure?

[SVOboy]

SVO conversion is like 300-500 conservatively, a little bit for the refining ****, but basically free shizzle.

[rh77]

Well, I consulted with the other half and got vetoed on the Bio-Diesel project. We're trying to save money, and we keep each other in check on our spending, so that's that (crap).

RH77

[Ryland]

well, if you change your mind, and want to make a trip to wisconsin, just minutes ago I placed an ad to sell my 1981 VW rabbit diesel 4 door, I was going to wait and maybe do more work on it, but I want to get this civic hatch back, and I figure I need to sell at least one car, or a few motorcycles befor I can justify it.
For anyone who wants to know, what I learned while looking at converting a rabbit to bio or svo, was that the main over looked part is that VW used some kind of funky rubber fuel lines that after 25 years get a little soft, really they used steel fuel lines for most of the run of the car, but the ends connect with short rubber fuel lines, and that bio-diesel will eat thru these 25 year old lines like acid turning them in to soft goo, now for about $20 you can get the whole 3 feet or whatever that you need of the best chemical resistant fuel line you will ever find, and replace all that rubber line, and never worry about it again, or buy new oem lines and they will last about 2 years, also, vw uses only one fuel pump, the fuel pump that is mounted on the engine and it's sucking fuel all the way from the tank, up to the engine, presurizing some of it to 2000psi, and sending the rest back to the tank, if you don't properly heat, or thin your fuel it will be to thick and your pump will wear out faster, and you will also start to suck air in thru any little worn seal it can find.
other then that, I would highly recomend a vw rabbit, as the book says "if you get less then 45mpg mixed driving, you know it's time to preform a tune up" my grandpartents had a '81 rabbit just like mine (only mine has a sun roof!) and they would take it in if it droped below 50mpg, and they peeked around 60mpg.