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This is my veggie car, a 1987 Mercedes 300SDL.  It is a well built, solid  ride, with more legroom than the predecessor 300sd and a Straight 6 diesel engine.   I have a single tank "conversion".

My veggie mods are:

1.  FPHE

2.  Raw Power Fuel Pump

3.  Injection Line Heaters

4.  Monark Injector tips

I live in Northern California, where the ambient temps rarely go below 30 and I use well processed/cleaned veggie oil, so that really opens up the possibilities of conversion configurations.  I don't need a heated tank, heated lines, etc.   Also, I only use non-hydrogenated oil.

Most of the time I don't even know I'm running on veggie.  I get the occasional whiff, but it's as if I'm driving

I took my car to Brakemasters in a pinch.  I needed new front pads and rotors and figured they could handle the job.    The installed the new rotors and pads OK, but they quickly warped as I was initially sold sub-par parts, especially for the heavy, 3800lb Mercedes 300sdl.   I was able to get a complimentary upgrade to premium pads and rotors.  They also said they would replace any bad "hardware" for free.   That went well.   There was a night and day difference in my braking with the upgraded pads and rotors.

The next week I was finally getting my suspension worked on by local Mercedes Diesel expert Garrett.    As he was removing the wheels and caliper for some suspension work, he noticed the following nominal errors:

-Wheels not spinning freely as locking nut was overtorqued

-ABS sensors covered in grease

And the mistake that put him and I over the top was they used the wrong bolts to hold the caliper on the spin

Diesel is cheaper, Diesel is cheaper!  Well it is, however I'm not hearing this chanted in the streets. I get more of a sense that folks are just waiting for the price to go up again, rather than enjoying the recent relief in prices.   It's like we are experiencing eye of a hurricane.   Drivers have been tormented by high prices over the course of the last 16 months, and they know it's coming again.   Diesel prices are down $.50 from the recent peak in on April 2, 2012.

Still using veggie?  Yes sir.  Lots of us are still using veggie.  It's not only about saving money, it's Energy Independence.   Many of us are immune to the emotional and financial battering of unstable and ever-increasing fuel prices.

He

This is not the Pit of Sarlacc(Jabba the Hut reference).  It's a galvanized steel fitting that had veggie oil sitting in it for the last 6 months. If you run vegetable oil, you have seen polymerization of vegetable oil on your tools, fittings, tanks or engine externals. If you make your popcorn the old fashion way(in a pan with veggie oil), then you may have also noticed that forming on your cookware. It's gooey, greasy nasty stuff. Polymerization is a reaction that requires oxygen. The goo forms more rapidly with the presence of heat, light, and certain types of metal like copper and galvanized steel. You can learn all about it by re

Today, I was speaking to a customer who adds Diesel Kleen to his Veggie Oil and Diesel in his truck.  He swears by it and noticed less smoke and more power.  My mechanic also suggested to use it with WVO because of the anti-gelling properties.

It is traditionally thought that WVO has less cetane value than diesel.   Diesel Kleen is said to boost the fuels cetane by 4 numbers.

From the manufacture's Information sheet:

•  50 percent less visible exhaust emissions(HC, PM) and up to 28 percent less NOx and CO emissions
• Decreased fuel consumption up to 8 percent — fuel savings exceed cost of additive
•  Reduced piston and combustion chamber deposits — less soot blow-by and engine oil thickening
•  Increased power and reduced need for downshifting

I think I will try some out.  I would love to hear others experience with this.

-Jason Jelonek

I often peruse Craigslist, looking for the occasional post for WVO.  The other day, I caught a post from a place nearby that had 14 cubies of non-hydrogenated oil needing pickup.    I called up right away and was excited that the oil was still available.  "Will it fit in your car?...I'll make it fit!!"  He wanted .50/gallon which is fair for quality oil in the cubie.    The restaurant produces about 4 cubies a week, plenty for me.  I showed up on time, handed him a card and told him I wanted to be a regular pickup.  He said I could do that, or I will be the first person he calls.   I left feeling a bit, insecure about my new source.  It is a 40 minute drive from my house, so I will feel out the need/want to lock it down over the next few weeks.  I haven't done a contract before, but this source may be worth locking down...that is if the restaurant owner is willing.   See a sample contract here.

Mcmaster-Carr is the mechanical parts superstore.  The have an amazing catalog system and website and dazzling fulfillment.  We had an order delivered within Atlanta the same day it was ordered.   It boggles my mind how the can do that for a few small parts.   Also, I recently had a customer in Alaska state that they even have a distribution center way up there.   Check them out, or better yet, wait until you need a  part then search their catalog.

Here are some other helpful part resources:

JME http://www.jmesales.com/

US Plastic Corp. http://www.usplastic.com/

Jc Whitney http://www.jcwhitney.com/

Northern Tool 

Nothing like having a small window of time to improve my WVO Mercedes performance.  Father's day provided me that window.  I ran a Diesel Purge through the system.  Then, I changed both fuel filters along with the Air filter.   Each time I do this, I can't help but thinking this is going to dramatically improve my car's performance.  What happens though is little or marginal improvements.  However, Iget peace of mind that I'm taking care of my maintenance. When running WVO, it's important to have good air flow for  proper combustion.  Make sure you have a clean air filter!

-Jason Jelonek

My, that's awfully dark diesel...

Mike gives us a glimpse into his #6 crude oil cleaning operation.   He bought the centrifuge to remove asphaltenes and other gunk from the crude oil so that he can use it in his 83 and 85 300d Mercedes.  He mixes the crude oil with kerosene and then runs it through the Raw Power Centrifuge.  Results have been extraordinary.   Take a look.  Email Mike with questions mmeeks1022@gmail.com

-Jason Jelonek

By accident, I discovered that WVO is an excellent weed/grass killer.  I had a spill on my lawn one day, and a week later I noticed a bare spot where the ever-difficult-to-kill bermuda grass had fallen dead, roots and all.    So much for using this as a fertilizer, but it can be used as a non-toxic, biodegradable weed killer.  Studies have shown that the chemical stuff can deform amphibians, so the replacement with WVO is exciting(especially for frogs, lizards and snakes).    So I mix 50% WVO and 50% water and shake it up in a spray container, then coat some tough weeds with the watery WVO mix.  It works.