yeh don't do the hybrid thing Paul. next thing you know and you are singing "mmm..bop" in your LR2. no one wants to see that happen.
Have gas prices affected you?
- Thread starter Spectre
- Start date
Anyone tried using one of these comercial fuel sites?
http://www.cfnnet.com/index.html
Our company has for years. Unmaned cardlock stations that are cheaper and also give you the option to use off highway diesel (non highway taxed). I have never seen a pickup truck get it's tank dipped to check for the fuel color. I think it's around 0.50 a gallon cheaper.
http://www.cfnnet.com/index.html
Our company has for years. Unmaned cardlock stations that are cheaper and also give you the option to use off highway diesel (non highway taxed). I have never seen a pickup truck get it's tank dipped to check for the fuel color. I think it's around 0.50 a gallon cheaper.
Pablo Jose said:
I have. It happens a *LOT* here. The state police and highway patrol here know that a lot of farmers drive diesel pickups and might try it, they'll pull people over coming out of the stock yard and bust them. Not cool.....
Pablo Jose said:
There is a place in Mesa (AZ) that has been selling them for quite some time, and I have seen several scooting around town. They're pretty cool little cars; but the website claims 40 mpg, not nearly as good as you'd think in a car that small.
az_max said:
Robert Davis has been doing this in his Rover for almost three years now - just highly filtered WVO - no methanol/lye separation of the glycerides. One of the problems is that schmaltz can plug up the filters. That why he prefers waste oil from a seafood place, not a chicken place....
Robert has found that WVO works best when preheated to about 145F. So he has put together a kit with a pre-heater reservoir. When you initially start, a water heater element warms the oil and times out once heated engine coolant begins flowing. There's also a loop plumbed into the fuel tank. Both of these loops come from a heat exchanger, so a leak won't compromise the engine. Sounds a bit Rube Goldberg-esque, but he hasn't been to a gas station in his Rover in three years....
Following him does smell like cooking french fries....
Cheers
Pablo Jose said:
We have off-highway diesel tanks at all our jobsites...if that fuel ends up in a road truck it's a $50k fine. Not really worth the ~65 cent/gal savings. I'm sure it's only slightly less bad for private trucks...so if you're caught expect a flying book.
apg said:Robert Davis has been doing this in his Rover for almost three years now - just highly filtered WVO - no methanol/lye separation of the glycerides. One of the problems is that schmaltz can plug up the filters. That why he prefers waste oil from a seafood place, not a chicken place....
Robert has found that WVO works best when preheated to about 145F. So he has put together a kit with a pre-heater reservoir. When you initially start, a water heater element warms the oil and times out once heated engine coolant begins flowing. There's also a loop plumbed into the fuel tank. Both of these loops come from a heat exchanger, so a leak won't compromise the engine. Sounds a bit Rube Goldberg-esque, but he hasn't been to a gas station in his Rover in three years....
Following him does smell like cooking french fries....
Cheers
this is a similar setup that our bee keeper uses. he took old fuel tanks out of ambulances that were already pre-heated and fit them to his Dodge trucks (pre-98s). He also runs a few old ambulances as his "work" trucks and uses the stock setup.
he has been using WVO from three restaurants in the area. all they do is leave the tanks out back and he attaches a pump with a screen filter and that's it. when he's in the area he fuels up and goes.
I'm not sure what engines they are using i the Smarts in the states but the diesels in Europe are supposed to get around 70mpg. I can't remember who but I thought I heard of a diesel hybrid by one of the euro manufacturers was being looking into also.
apg said:Robert Davis has been doing this in his Rover for almost three years now - just highly filtered WVO - no methanol/lye separation of the glycerides. One of the problems is that schmaltz can plug up the filters. That why he prefers waste oil from a seafood place, not a chicken place....
Robert has found that WVO works best when preheated to about 145F. So he has put together a kit with a pre-heater reservoir. When you initially start, a water heater element warms the oil and times out once heated engine coolant begins flowing. There's also a loop plumbed into the fuel tank. Both of these loops come from a heat exchanger, so a leak won't compromise the engine. Sounds a bit Rube Goldberg-esque, but he hasn't been to a gas station in his Rover in three years....
Following him does smell like cooking french fries....
Cheers
Yeah, you can get glow plug preheater kits for the fuel, then there's heat exchanger from the engine once the temperature is up. Some of the more advanced systems use a diesel tank for startup/shutdown and bio tank for driving.
As for filtering, it's almost like filtering old motor oil. A screen for large solids, a drum filled with rockwool sitting on a drum filled with rags gets you pretty clean WVO. Let it settle in a tank and pump through a standard fuel filter into the truck's tank. I'd definitely get a fire suppression system installed if I had that in my garage though. it'd be one hell of a grease fire if it ever ignited
Pablo Jose said:
Id like to get one, but i dont know if id fit in it or not. I hardly fit in a Mini, my SIII, and the Disco is a bit short on shoulder room.
It costs less than the BMW motorcycle i want and i wont get wet when it rains.
It's expensive, but so is that bottled water people buy all the time. I never bother with the price, just plug her in and let the 93 flow. There isn't much sense worrying about it, it's not going to change anything.
I've always got some other car anyway, that gets 20-30 mpg on crap gas. Still, it never saves me money, because I'm always buying cars.
Right now, it's an old Nissan, and I'm about to replace the Ujoints.
Cheers,
Kennith
I've always got some other car anyway, that gets 20-30 mpg on crap gas. Still, it never saves me money, because I'm always buying cars.
Right now, it's an old Nissan, and I'm about to replace the Ujoints.
Cheers,
Kennith
Have you ever tried to ignite WVO at room temperature? Unless your garage is extreemly hot or you plan on holding a blow torch to your WVO I don't think you really have to worry. Now if you shop is already burning down it would definitely add to the fire but at that point would it make a difference?az_max said:I'd definitely get a fire suppression system installed if I had that in my garage though. it'd be one hell of a grease fire if it ever ignited
FYI . . .
RAND paper finds diesel, hybrid vehicles can provide more societal benefits than gas-powered autos
Rand Corporation ^ | November 8, 2007 |
RAND paper finds diesel, hybrid vehicles can provide more societal benefits than gas-powered autos
Rand Corporation ^ | November 8, 2007 |
Cars and light trucks powered by advanced diesel technology or hybrid technology can provide larger societal benefits than traditional gasoline-powered automobiles, according to a RAND Corporation working paper presented today.
The research by RAND, a non-profit research organization, also found that light trucks and cars continuously fueled by a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline – known as E85 – compare unfavorably with the other two alternatives. . . . .
Among the key findings from the consumer perspective:
* For all three vehicle types, the advanced diesel offers the highest savings over the life of the vehicle among the options considered. These savings increase with the size and fuel use of the vehicle: $460 for the car, $1,249 for the SUV and $2,289 for the large pick-up truck;
* The hybrid option has smaller but still considerable savings for SUV applications ($1,066), moderate savings for pick-up applications ($505) but minimal savings over the life of the vehicle for car owners ($198);
* The vehicles operating on E85 cost all three owners more over the vehicle life, with a greater net cost burden for larger vehicles and increased fuel consumption: (-$1,034 for cars, -$1,332 for SUVs, -$1,632 for pick-ups).
Both the hybrid and diesel vehicles are more fuel efficient than their gasoline-powered counterparts: 25 to 40 percent better for hybrid and 20 to 30 percent for diesel, depending on the vehicle.
“While it is assumed that the hybrid vehicle will save more fuel than the advanced diesel, the overall advantage goes to the diesel because of its lower technology costs and better performance such as increased torque,” Graham said. “For E85, it is the cost of producing the fuel, not vehicular changes, that drives the negative results.” . . .
The research by RAND, a non-profit research organization, also found that light trucks and cars continuously fueled by a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline – known as E85 – compare unfavorably with the other two alternatives. . . . .
Among the key findings from the consumer perspective:
* For all three vehicle types, the advanced diesel offers the highest savings over the life of the vehicle among the options considered. These savings increase with the size and fuel use of the vehicle: $460 for the car, $1,249 for the SUV and $2,289 for the large pick-up truck;
* The hybrid option has smaller but still considerable savings for SUV applications ($1,066), moderate savings for pick-up applications ($505) but minimal savings over the life of the vehicle for car owners ($198);
* The vehicles operating on E85 cost all three owners more over the vehicle life, with a greater net cost burden for larger vehicles and increased fuel consumption: (-$1,034 for cars, -$1,332 for SUVs, -$1,632 for pick-ups).
Both the hybrid and diesel vehicles are more fuel efficient than their gasoline-powered counterparts: 25 to 40 percent better for hybrid and 20 to 30 percent for diesel, depending on the vehicle.
“While it is assumed that the hybrid vehicle will save more fuel than the advanced diesel, the overall advantage goes to the diesel because of its lower technology costs and better performance such as increased torque,” Graham said. “For E85, it is the cost of producing the fuel, not vehicular changes, that drives the negative results.” . . .
oh i don't think it's so much about the environment or alternate fuels, rather the pocketbook....
Good thread. You don't have to be strapped for cash to be annoyed at the cost of driving a 13-15mpg vehicle.
I chose the Prius over the Jetta diesel, and I was not sure at the time I'd made the right decision. I've owned a few modern VWs before, including a 2001 New Beetle TDI that got a little over 40 on the highway. I'd rather own a New Beetle diesel than a Jetta. The Beetle's have a ton of room in the front seats - more room than a lot of full-size trucks. The rear seats in the Jetta suck donkey balls for anyone but the little people, and by little people, I mean the people-formerly-known-as-midgets little. In the Prius I've had a 6'4" person in the back seat whose knees did not touch the front seat even with it all the way back, nor did he lack for head room. The Prius is much bigger inside than it looks and is on par with the Camry in the room department. It does lack some trunk space, but the hatchback and fold-flat rear seats really give you a lot of cargo room if you need it.
All that said, I don't enjoy being "seen" in a Prius, but I do get a perverse joy out of getting 50+ MPG and over 500 miles on one fill-up of 10 gallons or less. $26 for 500 miles versus $60 for 300 in our LR3.
I chose the Prius over the Jetta diesel, and I was not sure at the time I'd made the right decision. I've owned a few modern VWs before, including a 2001 New Beetle TDI that got a little over 40 on the highway. I'd rather own a New Beetle diesel than a Jetta. The Beetle's have a ton of room in the front seats - more room than a lot of full-size trucks. The rear seats in the Jetta suck donkey balls for anyone but the little people, and by little people, I mean the people-formerly-known-as-midgets little. In the Prius I've had a 6'4" person in the back seat whose knees did not touch the front seat even with it all the way back, nor did he lack for head room. The Prius is much bigger inside than it looks and is on par with the Camry in the room department. It does lack some trunk space, but the hatchback and fold-flat rear seats really give you a lot of cargo room if you need it.
All that said, I don't enjoy being "seen" in a Prius, but I do get a perverse joy out of getting 50+ MPG and over 500 miles on one fill-up of 10 gallons or less. $26 for 500 miles versus $60 for 300 in our LR3.
I only drive 6mi round trip on my daily commute, however my wife is the one that drives the D2. She's just running daily errands and stuff, but I still feel the pain at the pump since I had been spoiled by high MPG, 87 octane compatible, japanese manufactured cars for most of my driving years.
However I love my D2 so much that I try not to mind it too much. When I bought the thing a few months ago I knew what I was getting myself into so I've come to terms with it. The problem I'm having now is that I'm considering selling my 27MPG 2000 Honda Accord for a 94' RRC thus eliminating my only option for economical driving.
However I love my D2 so much that I try not to mind it too much. When I bought the thing a few months ago I knew what I was getting myself into so I've come to terms with it. The problem I'm having now is that I'm considering selling my 27MPG 2000 Honda Accord for a 94' RRC thus eliminating my only option for economical driving.