Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 21:56:21 -0700
Reply-To: Ryan Mark Shankland <mark.shank@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ryan Mark Shankland <mark.shank@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: How many spare amps from a properly running altrenator in a
vanagon with a 2.1?
In-Reply-To: <AIEFIGCNNANNIHLNFBPEMEOALEAA.vanagon@volkswagen.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
When the engine is running how many amps can I expect to run accessories
after accounting for headlights and an average radio?
I'm curious if I'm running enough amps to run the fridge and recharge the
2nd battery at the same time, or if my alt is old if I'll kill the aux
battery while running?
I tooled around the archives for a while, but know someone out there knows
this by heart...
Thanks, Mark in Denver '87 high-top "golden egg"
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
David Marshall
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 10:56 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Bio-diesel in VW's
I ran a 1.6TD Jetta last summer for about 10.000km on used Canola Oil,
filtered to 10micron with a Fleetguard filter before pouring into the
outboard motor tank in the trunk. I used a 30A 12V heater strapped to a big
metal fuel filter in the engine compartment - it ran fine all summer. No
coolant lines to mess around with, just the heater attached to the fuel
filter and some 'bubble wrap tin foil' to keep the heat in the filter. When
temps got below about 10C/50F the motor would start to miss a little,
indicating that the Canola was too thick.
Often times, I forgot to switch back to Diesel before shutting off - on cool
mornings between 5 and 10C it would be hard to start, two shots with the
glow plugs and about 10 seconds of cranking would get it going with lots of
smoke. Getting a boiling kettle of hot water and slowly pouring it over the
injector pump would get you up and going in no time.
My plans are to make an aluminium tank for the truck that fits like a
subwoofer box next to the rear seat that has a stainless steel or aluminum
heat exchanger in it so that coolant can heat the veggie oil. The heater on
the fuel filter will be there for auxiliary heating when the oil is below
60C to help bring it up to temp. I hope to be able to use this with
straight veggie oil to about -10C once the vehicle and tank is up to
operating temp. For temps colder than this kerosene or Diesel will be added
to the canola to make it thinner. I will also have a tank for the Vanagon
as well with a heater in it for WVO owners.
I personally don't like the idea of Bio-Diesel as some of the chemicals used
to make it is very dangerous and you have an acidic waste product to get rid
of. For me, I go to the restaurant about once a month and get 200L of their
used oil. I let it sit for a week to get most of it to settle to the
bottom. I have a washing machine motor attached to a Vanagon power steering
pump that forces the WVO through a 10 micron filter. Over 10.000km I had to
change my filter only once in the Jetta at a cost of $6. The sediment left
over from he settling process is returned to the restaurant for proper
recycling. To make this all worth while, it has to be simple, the straight
veggie oil is very simple and doesn't take a lot of time to prepare.
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf Of
Ryan Mark Shankland
Sent: March 17, 2004 7:46 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Bio-diesel in VW's
The pure veg oil is frightening to me as if you forget to turn it off and
clean out your system with your diesel tank it congeals when the engine
cools-- the soy biodiesel I'm buying is rated to 0 degrees F at 20% and 20
degrees F for 100%, and the upcoming mustard seed is rated lower. Also it
cleans the fuel system and produces fewer carcinogins.
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Steven Dodson
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 4:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Bio-diesel in VW's
I think a majority of diesel in Europe has at least 25% bio in it. (Euro
listies, please correct me if I'm wrong) From what I understand, VW TDi's
are certified to run on bio-diesel with the exception of US bio-diesel. The
reason seems to be that some distributors of bio-diesel in the US think it's
more profitable to water theirs down with rendered grease (animal fat),
which they can get paid to take away from slaughter houses. This fat
solidifies at a higher temp and thus renders the fuel useless in low temp
areas. Can you say molasses? Humboldt State U's CCAT did tests on locally
supplied bio-diesel and found rendered grease in it. Getting the bad stuff
by accident can be a real turn off to those trying it out for the first
time. Vehicle won't start if outside temp in under 45F. Diesel stabilizer
helps but not enough to keep this junk flowing.
Though it depends somewhat on the type of plant the oil comes from, clean,
refined bio-diesel with diesel stabilizer in it, should perform well in most
climates form 20F-100F.
The problem with unrefined plant oil is that it doesn't burn as clean and
produces nearly as much NOX as petrol-diesel. Yes it's a plant based fuel
but dirty. The refining process does a lot for the emissions. There are no
toxic byproducts of the refining process unless the batch is bad.
I don't know the story on how Rudy died but it wasn't long after his death
that the oil companies had a market for a refinery byproduct that they
previously were burning off.
Just think about the direction the world fuel economy might have taken if
Diesel's plant fuel, had been successfully marketed. I wonder how many less
wars might have been waged in the last century?
Admittedly, bio-diesel is not a perfect fuel but it is certainly a step in
the right direction.
I'm burning bio-diesel in my generator and hope to be burning it my Vanagon
by summer.
-Steven Dodson
Kneeland, CA
"Inga" the 87 Syncro
>but yes--VW does frown on running bio-diesel or pure vegetable
>oil--they = dont ever really have to know do they? as much as i like
>bio-diesel--I'm = leaning more towards pour vege oil--all you do is
>dump it in and your = ready to roll
