WVO - Water Pump Concerns
 

I've been seriously considering running WVO in my 2000 PSD. During my long, sleepless nights thinking about it, it occurred to me that by using the coolant to heat the WVO that your adding at least 20' to your heater hose, and a couple gallons of coolant. What type of additional stress does this put your water pump under?

There is, what, 20' of hose in your entire coolant system? Now you're doubling it, and it is all small diameter hose running very long lengths...

How drastic is the temperature change on the coolant when it returns to the original line? There is a lot of heat getting sucked into the WVO I'd imagine it is significant up to a certain degree... does that also play a role on the remainder of your coolant system?

It is doubtfull that such a system would stress your cooling system because it would not increase pressure in the system thus on the pump. Volume is not a factor.

Remember that the most critical time for problems from WVO is start up so be sure to shut down on #2 and wait until the coolant is up to operating temp before switching over.

Pressure would increase when you add length to the system, as well as all of the additional heat exchangers right?

Just a concern.

My next concern is getting it installed, I really don't want to screw this up, the wife would be pissed.

The water pump isn't restricted or pumping against a pressure head. It's just an impeller to create flow. The only pressure in the system comes from the temperature change in the coolant, and that won't change by a measurable amount by adding 20 more feet of heater hose.

I guess I'll take your word for it :)

Cookie has it right.

So... do I drive it to Black River NY to get it installed or make my own?

I made my own, took a big tank out from under a reefer trailer, cut the top out, put a radiator out of a small toyota car over in it, ran the coolant to it, put a top on it hinged with a good snapping latch and rubber gasket so I can open it back if I have a problem, and there, perfect Grease Truck.

I don't know where you are... but you're missing all of the stuff that frightens me.
The electronics. I can run coolant hose all day... but as far as purging... and controlling the fuel pumps and such, I'm so lost.

Adding 20 ft of hose will slow the flow of the coolant.

Are you using the hose from the in-cab heater? or the main 2" hose?

If you are concerned, heres some vague instructions.

Make a 3"long copper pipe, with flanged ends that will fit into rubber coolant hose.
Make 2 holes in pipe. Add 2 nipples for small hose.
Splice this unit into your coolant hose, and use hose clamps.
This small hose, add a small 12v water pump, and use it to run hose to your wvo heater.
You dont need a huge line for heating the wvo, a 2-4 gpm pump should work awesome.
If you added a heater in there somewhere, you could heat the wvo before even starting the truck.

When you read "solenoid valve", what is meant, is a valve, that instead of turning on/off by hand, is controlled by electricity. Usually 2 wires, and it either stays closed or stays open with a spring, and then acts the other way when you give er 12v.

Purging is stopping the wvo, and going back to diesel, tu burn the wvo out of the heads and injectors for an easy start.
I.E. CLOSING the wvo valve, OPENING the diesel valve, and STARTING the diesel pump, SHUTTING OFF the wvo pump.

You want to wire in a switch, looking like a front/rear fuel tank switch.

position 1 will be say diesel, and it will energise the stock diesel pump. It will also energise the DIESEL fuel solenoid, opening it.

position 2 will be wvo, and it will energise the wvo pump, and wvo solenoid.
Keep in mind that the solenoids close as soon as you take away the power, (or some stay open unless you energise them in which case your wiring to the switch would be backwards)

I'm not 100% sure which wires to the fuel pump you use for turning on/off, but i'm sure someone here does...

Once you install this switch, you will leave it on "diesel" for starting , and shutting down, and once the motor is running, and the wvo is hot enough, you switch it to wvo.

"T" the power wire from the existing fuel pump to power your wvo pump, that way the truck can turn it off in an emergency.....or it it overheats it will blow the fuse instead of frying the pump....

DONT USE COPPER IN CONTACT WITH WVO
it reacts.

If you get a decent plastic tank, or transform an old slip-tank, that should work good. By transform, of course i mean add the fuel supply, heat exchanger(s) and you also should put a thermometer probe near the fuel pump inlet, to monitor the oil temp.

If it gets cold where you are, i'd put extruded polystyrene around the whole thing, to keep it hot better.

This morning it was like 20*F out... think Buffalo NY. I'm 20 minutes from there.

Thanks for the tips on the copper... didn't know it was reactive.

So I'm not actually purging WVO back into the tank I'm just shutting it off? What about the WVO that is just before the switch... wouldn't that gel and never heat up? OR is the heater after the switch, thus always heating whatever goes to the heads?

Thanks for the answers thus far, and thank you in advance for what you're about to tell me :)

Every wvo hose, from the tank to where you splice it in under the hood, needs to be heated.

The WVO pump needs to be heated.

WVO filter needs to be heated.

Youre solenoid valves should be under the hood, close to the motor as possible (smaller purge times.)

The reason you need to purge, is because the HPOP, injectors, and even heads hold some fuel that needs to be burned off.

Best bet is to heat your wvo tank, put filter + pump in tank, and then heat your wvo fuel line all the way to the engine. Also heat the solenoid valve somehow.

Dont forget to heat the remainder of the fuel lines, or if theyre too small, at least wrap insulation over them.

If this wvo gells up somewhere, youll be sorry.

If you rig this up right, itll work like a charm.

I did this to a 1990 7.3 idi with a buddy, and it worked awesome, thinking of doing my 2002.

Put a thermostat on the tank near the pump and outlet, and hook it to a green LED indicator, so you know when the wvo is at a decent temp.

Even if it's hot where you live, its not hot enough to be having un-heated wvo being run, pumped, or anything without being heated up.

good luck!

K.

One more for ya...

I was thinking about 2 tanks. A big ass tank in the back of the truck... fill this from the outside. Then I have another tank under the truck that gets heated. No reason in heating 90 gallons right? The smaller tank could hold 30-40 gal and the larger tank would fill the smaller one. This way I'm not wasting time and energy in heating an amount of oil that I do not need. Heating 30 gal is much quicker and efficient than heating 90 gal right?

true, but heat is cheap from an internal combustion engine.

your call.

Look Here
 

Jack ... not to offend you, but you really need more information on how these systems work. Please take a few minutes and check out these sites.
Frybrid Vegetable Oil Fuel Systems look at the forum while you are there.
Dino Fuel Alternatives: Vegetable Oil Fuel Systems
Good Luck .... Ken Gardner