175 mpg

[Richard 0303]

If anyone is interested, there is one of Charnwood's diesel Bullet conversions on eBay at the moment. I can't be bothered to get the item number, but search for DIESEL ENFIELD. It's an Enfield Bullet with a 350cc Hatz diesel. I;d be tempted if (a) I had any money and (b) I had any confidence in the Enfield side of the equation.

175 mpg, and run it on chip fat at 50p a litre ;-)

[Steve H]

175 mpg, and run it on chip fat at 50p a litre ;-)

Plus the tax you have to pay !

http://www.rodbowen.co.uk/daniel/legality.htm

[Richard 0003]

175 mpg, and run it on chip fat at 50p a litre ;-)

Plus the tax you have to pay !

http://www.rodbowen.co.uk/daniel/legality.htm

Do you know anyone who puts vegetable oil in a diesel vehicle and actually pays any duty? I don't ;-)

[andy230]

Can I run my ambulance on (filtered) used vegetable oil???

2.5 turbo Pugeuot engine.

Have heard the urban rumour that its possible, but can't be bothered flushing the whole system when it blocks up the injectors....!

Tightscottishcurrant!!

a

[Andy M]

I believe the trick with chip fat is to make sure it's hot enough and the timing is correct. With the Enfields I think a fuel feed pipe is simply coiled round the exhaust and heated from outside for cold starting. What you'd do on a larger set up I don't know. A small tank of pure non-bio diesel for starting and warm up, or an electric heater in the tank would seem to be a better bet for 4 or more wheels. There is a small industry springing up to make this fuel work, so much as it seems odd now I think it may become the norm as fuel prices go higher and the slight performance increase on pure diesel just isn't worth the price.

The truck we played with here worked just fine, but it did smell of chips on the warm up with the cab tipped and drive us mad with hunger!! That vehicle was clever enough to work out the mix of bio fuel to ordinary and switch the engine mapping, but if you can live with fewer HP, go the simple route.

Andy

[J Hop]

I like the idea of running a vehicle on vegetable oil (not a bike) but I would be dubious about running a turbo engine on it !

http://www.veggiepower.org.uk/qswhichcars.html

[Steve H]

I looked into this recently. Yes people do pay the tax, its much like red diesel if you get caught they will decide how much back tax you should pay.

Andy - I only looked at the possibility of using veg oil in my Citroen diesel (Peugeot engine) the determining factor is the make of the diesel pump, Bosch will work fine and it has it own lubrication system, Lucas is a no-no as it use the diesel as lubricant. Guess who has three Citroens all fitted with Lucas pumps. There are people who seem to be getting away with using Lucas pumps, but Ive no idea how long they last.

As for not running a turbo on veg oil, why not ?. Exactly the same combustion process only more fuel and oil.

I beleive used veg oil has different taxation, but dont quote me on that. There are load of sites.

[J Hop]

the determining factor is the make of the diesel pump, Bosch will work fine and it has it own lubrication system, Lucas is a no-no as it use the diesel as lubricant. Guess who has three Citroens all fitted with Lucas pumps. There are people who seem to be getting away with using Lucas pumps, but Ive no idea how long they last.

As for not running a turbo on veg oil, why not ?. Exactly the same combustion process only more fuel and oil.

You are correct about the turbo engine being no different, I was thinking about the lubrication needed for the high temp/fast spinning turbo. But of course that has nothing to do with the fuel.

The diesel also lubricates the injectors.

[guest7]

A bloke who bought a bike off me turned up in a Landy 110 running on (used) chip fat. He starts the vehicle on regular and switches over as soon as the temperature rises. He did explain his filtering sytem to me but I've forgotten most of it, something to do with two big drums in his backyard.

He paid tax because he lived in the countryside and spot checks are more frequent.

GC

[themoudie]

An acquaitance runs a Jap yute on the stuff. Straight from Tesco, rape seed oil. Don't bother with the re-cycle. Starts on diesel, when warm switches over to 100% veg, then returns to diesel 2miles before touch down. 3500 miles a month and after 6 months still going well. Two tanks and heater tape around the veggie feed, the same principal as used to prevent pipes freezing in the winter.

Diesel up here 89.6 pence a litre at present. Petrol 83.6 pence per litre. Who's into Maths?

My employer runs everything on Tax Paid, 25%veggie 75% mineral diesel. We have also have on trial, Berlingos running on 100% veggie, no problems. My Focus revs to the limiter in the first 4 gears if required no worries and returns ~450 miles to 50 litres.

Living aside the main road, we smell all and sundry passing with the CastrolR factor. Not good for the sphincter. Just remember WWI aircrew had the worst case of the trots due to castor fumes from the engines!

Paaarrp!

[richard]

It may interest some to know that the DVLA were up in my neck of the woods recently checking people for Veggie Oil and looking for tax receipts etc.

It must be very hard to tell which 50 litres they had paid tax on last year mind.......

We've got a Daihatsu Fourtrak with a 2.8 turbo (the thinking mans Landrover)  and a 2.5 Turbo Ford Transit.  I shall be looking at the pumps tomorrow sometime.

I did learn that there is a Euro ruling of some sort which goes on about bio-diesel needing to have a much lower rate of tax, and being ignored by the UK government.

Oh to be able to buy the army diesel 650 and run in on chip fat.

[GB500nz]

The old pushrod Honda 50s got 175mpg and were way faster than the diesel Enfield, as well as being more reliable and probably longer lived. I suspect that a CG125 ridden very gently could return the same economy.

[Andy M]

A few mods to the petrol feed, timing etc. would allow you to run the Honda on methanol mix as they do in Brazil. A green and cheap alternative to chip fat for sure, but not as cheap or as available right now.


Andy

[andy230]

I'm going to try it on the AmbuWagon.  Soon.  Winter project (once the racer's done!)

a

[guest29]

A mate of mine runs his van on a mixture of cooking oil, kerosene and diesel so it doesnt have the giveaway 'chipshop' smell following him about!