Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:49:18 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Re: Diesel Subaru Conversions
In-Reply-To: <4411B9A2.3070401@charter.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Once the Diesel is up and burning, the vapor point is already exceeded
so there is no longer an advantage. Yes, Diesel is harder to get
started, but once going, it will actually burn longer and do much more
smoke damage anyway. Diesel is the preferred choice for firefighter
training. Gives lots of time for demonstration. Gasoline alone burns
quick, flashes real hot and is gone.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of John Rodgers
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 12:39 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Diesel Subaru Conversions
Another good reason to go to diesel - lowered risk of a fuel fire. If
you do have a diesel fire, a CO2 extinguisher works well because of the
lower vaporizing temp of diesel.
One might consider over a ten year period the degree risk of exposure to
a fuel fire - gasoline vs diesel - and factor that into the economy
equation.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Pensioner wrote:
>Musing over conversions, one of my many talents, brings me to consider
the
>cost-benefit scenarios. Let's postulate that we drive 10000 miles per
year
>just to use easy numbers. Discounting the normal maintenance for both
a
>converted vanagon and a non-converted vanagon, the costs of conversion
seem
>to range from ~$14000 (not a misprint) in my case to perhaps $3000 for
an
>average of $5000 (high but we have to start somewhere).
>
>If fuel costs over time are the principal reason for going to diesel
(not
>fuel availability, or the desire to side with Willie on the BioDiesel
>concert) then it makes sense to look at the fuel savings one would
enjoy
>over that 10000 miles per year. Diesel currently costs about %10 more
than
>87 Octane and is likely to stay that way. For $2.50/gallon 87 octane
let's
>say and vanagon average fuel efficiency of 17 miles per gallon. The
gallons
>per year is easily found to be ~588 gallons times $2.50 gives $1470 per
year
>fuel cost before conversion. If you go with diesel the fuel
consumption
>will probably be on the order of 25 miles per gallon. For the same
10000
>miles per year you'll pay $1100 in fuel costs including the %10 higher
price
>for diesel. You will get additional range between fuel stops but
you'll
>need it as not all fuel services feature diesel.
>
>In summary you'll save $370 per year in fuel costs for 10000 miles per
year.
>How many years to break even on the installation is left as an
excercise for
>the reader.
>
>Seems to be over ten years if your previously owned motor lasts that
long.
>FTSOE let's say it does. You will have saved $3700 towards the motor
>replacement.
>
>The above example is to be considered a conservative estimate process,
your
>mileage, tolerance, costs, will no doubt be different.
>
>"If a man professes knowledge but cannot express that knowledge in
numbers,
>then that knowledge is of a meagre and insufficient kind" -- Lord
Kelvin
>
>Numbers rule!
>
>
>
>
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