soakes94 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 So I'm wanting to try and use some vegetable oil in my diesel tank. I'm not looking to run on 100% vegetable oil. But what's a good starting point and I know the mix tends to be based on the temperature. I'm in sunny Scotland where just now where the temperature is between 1 and 11 degrees. Should I be looking at maybe 10 litres of oil to 30 litres of diesel? It's a 1987 Land Rover 90 with a 300TDi engine. And at what point could I do a 50/50 mix and could I ever do a more oil than diesel mix? Obviously it depends on alot of stuff but just a rough idea would be good. Anything else I should be aware of? I'm going to get some extra filters and will carry one with me just incase. Thanks Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffernutter Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 You will find that when you first use veggie oil, the filter will clog almost immediately! The second one will last a few days and from then on, the filters will last quite a while. There is something in the veggie that attracts all the gunk in the tank! Cheers Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcock Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 It was recommended to me to use 30% in colder weather rising to 70% in warmer weather. Are you planning on fresh veg oil or recycling? The price of diesel at the moment doesn't make it worthwhile on new. I used to run a twin tank system on my old Discovery so ran at 100% most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 IIRC LR only recommend a 5 % veg oil mix for both tdi engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrr47 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 My old 200 tdi Disco ran on 100% vegie oil until the price went up to about the same as diesel. There is an oil used for oil paints, to thin the paint, clean brushes and the like. It's vegetable based but because it was not used for food it had none of the health and safety nonsense, plus, it was almost clear as it needed no flavourings or cooking qualities. The Disco ran best on that and it was as cheap as chips, (get it), worked out to 25 to 30 pence a litre in 2009. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Ralph, is the LR 5% recommendation not bio diesel rather than SVO? More to do with ethanol content than viscosity, the way I understood it. SVO doesn't have ethanol content, just high viscosity. I tried 25% SVO on a 300Tdi in the summer and it damaged the injection pump. It still ran, but the rpm hunted after that one trial and the pump had to be rebuilt. My 200 Tdi runs fine on rape seed oil, less powerful on sunflower, but that's with a heat exchanger to allow 100% SVO use (multi tank system). D not use palm or soya pil as they produce heavy deposits that will gum up the valves and rings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soakes94 Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 Thanks for all the replies, my plan was to run it on new vegetable oil £12.99 for 20L in Costco just now (I think might have been £13.99). Also would have access to used cooking oil but Im not really setup just now for filtering oil and leaving it to sit for long periods of time. Hows best to work out the best ratio? Don't want todo a 50/50 mix and find its to cold and then have a tank sitting full of fuel I can't use or try to go to work and can't get anywhere! I have thought about a heating system and dual tanks but don't have the time just now or the money to set that kind of thing up! Start maybe 30/70 and see how it runs? S Also would I get away using some cheap Britpart filters to start with or should I stick with something a little better? S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Ralph, is the LR 5% recommendation not bio diesel rather than SVO? More to do with ethanol content than viscosity, the way I understood it. SVO doesn't have ethanol content, just high viscosity. I tried 25% SVO on a 300Tdi in the summer and it damaged the injection pump. It still ran, but the rpm hunted after that one trial and the pump had to be rebuilt. My 200 Tdi runs fine on rape seed oil, less powerful on sunflower, but that's with a heat exchanger to allow 100% SVO use (multi tank system). D not use palm or soya pil as they produce heavy deposits that will gum up the valves and rings. Yes, sorry got confused, 5% bio diesel, although most diesel sold now has some bio content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dag019 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Also would I get away using some cheap Britpart filters to start with or should I stick with something a little better? I use the cheap britpart filters on mine, but when I am running it on oil I change the filter regularly at about 2000 miles. I only run it in the summer months and go back to pure diesel for the colder weather. I add 25l and then fill the tank (standard 110 tank) with diesel so I would guess that's about 30/70. I have been doing this for 6 years with filtered waste oil with no problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffernutter Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I used a separate in-line filter prior to the "diesel" filter. Just make sure it's accessible. Cheers Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tetsu0san Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I've been using all sorts of veg oil in mine (Discovery 200Tdi in a 110), including crisp 'n dry and it's fine. Haven't had to change the fuel filter yet but it has only just had a new tank before I bought it. I ran it on about 33% veg oil and it actually runs better than on pure diesel. However the cost of veg oil is almost too expensive to start messing around with veg oil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I started by adding 20 litres and filling the rest with diesel in the spring. I increased this steadily as i got more confident it would be ok and have probably run up to 70% veg in the hotter months without any mods to the engine. I go back to diesel in the winter completely. I;ve done this for 4-5 years now without any issues whatsoever (this is on my 200tdi, not the TD5!!) Vulcan Bomber on here runs a higher concentration than i do and in the colder months as well and sees no detrimental effects with it other than slightly harder starting in the colder months. Key thing as above is to stick to Rapeseed or Sunflower oil in my opinion. I too notice better performance on Rapeseed as well vs sunflower and better performance with some veg in the tank vs straight diesel. Some say this will be the effect on older/more worn injection pumps as the veg is thicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Ralph, is the LR 5% recommendation not bio diesel rather than SVO? More to do with ethanol content than viscosity, the way I understood it. SVO doesn't have ethanol content, just high viscosity. I tried 25% SVO on a 300Tdi in the summer and it damaged the injection pump. It still ran, but the rpm hunted after that one trial and the pump had to be rebuilt. My 200 Tdi runs fine on rape seed oil, less powerful on sunflower, but that's with a heat exchanger to allow 100% SVO use (multi tank system). D not use palm or soya pil as they produce heavy deposits that will gum up the valves and rings. I thought the Palm Oil thing was more an ethical issue - i.e. that they are cutting down rainforests to produce the stuff?? Soya has a reputation for gumming as you say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 No, palm oil is just like soya for leaving black sludge all over the innards of the engine. Have a look around the Aussie SVO forums - they have been doing this for decades and are way ahead of us. Another thing I picked up from their forums was to be religious about frequent oil changes. You don't need special oil, but SVO getting past the rings, which is more common if you use SVO without heating it before injection on a cold engine or have gummed rings, polymerises the oil and turns it into an increasingly viscous jelly and ultimately a solid. I think they recommend 3-4000 mile replacement intervals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soakes94 Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 So I have ordered some fuel filters, I have 60L of veg oil and as soon as my filters arrive I will start messing around. Going to start at 30/70 mix and go up from there as it gets warmer. One question is should I drain the diesel tank before I start using my oil/diesel mix? Just so I dont get false idea, no point of me thinking it works great on 30/70 when its more like 20/80 because there was diesel in the tank? Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tetsu0san Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 So I have ordered some fuel filters, I have 60L of veg oil and as soon as my filters arrive I will start messing around. Going to start at 30/70 mix and go up from there as it gets warmer. One question is should I drain the diesel tank before I start using my oil/diesel mix? Just so I dont get false idea, no point of me thinking it works great on 30/70 when its more like 20/80 because there was diesel in the tank? Stephen Nah, just pour it in and try it. People run on 100% with no issues so I wouldn't be so worried* *I take no responsibility for the comment I just made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodumatau Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I have used veg oil a few times to get home, head out early in the morning on a long bush run and too excited to check fuel gauge (or too stupid), so knowing that my TD5 ALWAYS got exactly 83km out of the tank after the light went on (practiced a few times) I learned to stop at a little roadside shop and thrown in a few litres of veg oil before it got to 83km....., worst problem I had is that you get hungry each time you stop and the fried chips smell catches up with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 So I have ordered some fuel filters, I have 60L of veg oil and as soon as my filters arrive I will start messing around. Going to start at 30/70 mix and go up from there as it gets warmer. One question is should I drain the diesel tank before I start using my oil/diesel mix? Just so I dont get false idea, no point of me thinking it works great on 30/70 when its more like 20/80 because there was diesel in the tank? Stephen No. Its a rough 'science'. The car will tell you if you have put too much in as it will be harder to start (it will still start though). If you can arrange it such that you put the veg in then go fill up the rest with diesel, then this will mix the stuff well. I just chuck it in and drive now. Stuck 20 litres in the 110 just now on a quarter of a tank and its fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I started by adding 20 litres and filling the rest with diesel in the spring. I increased this steadily as i got more confident it would be ok and have probably run up to 70% veg in the hotter months without any mods to the engine. I go back to diesel in the winter completely. I;ve done this for 4-5 years now without any issues whatsoever (this is on my 200tdi, not the TD5!!) Vulcan Bomber on here runs a higher concentration than i do and in the colder months as well and sees no detrimental effects with it other than slightly harder starting in the colder months. Key thing as above is to stick to Rapeseed or Sunflower oil in my opinion. I too notice better performance on Rapeseed as well vs sunflower and better performance with some veg in the tank vs straight diesel. Some say this will be the effect on older/more worn injection pumps as the veg is thicker. Indeed I do run the 110 on pure veg in the summer months, that's a 200tdi, the disco has to be on no less than 25% diesel in the summer or it becomes a pig to start. The 110 will be fine on the same ratio during November,the disco won't. 300's generally seem to like veg less and I think it's down to the higher injection pressures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.