The Silver Bullet Dasher: Powered by Biodiesel and SVO/WVO

For more info on SVO along with excellent video clips check out: Withinsight Video Productions

Grease Works, is now offering SVO/WVO (we use these terms interchangeably) parts, heaters, and, converted cars, and full conversions at the Diesel Shop in South Corvallis. Heaters and parts are competitively priced, as are conversion costs which range from $1000-$3000 (depending on the vehicle and the number of bells and whistles) including parts and labor. Check out our Online Store for our latest time-tested products. For more info, please contact us via email here, or 541-754-1897. Heard of SVO or WVO before before but not sure what exactly it is or how it works? Here is a brief primer on the basic principles of this alternative fuel:

Diesel History:

Contrary to popular Grease Lore, the first "diesel" engine (dubbed the "Black Mistress") designed by Rudolf Diesel in 1893, ran on gasoline vapor, albeit rather disastrously (this prototype engine blew its test gauges sending shards of broken glass and brass throughout the workshop). In the years that followed Diesel refined and redesigned his engine and discovered in the process that this engine can run on nearly any hydrocarbon, including such unlikely suspects as shale oil, refinery tailings, coal dust and, get this: peanut oil.

Using Vegetable Oil as a fuel:

Modern day diesel injection systems, having been engineered for thin, low-viscosity diesel fuel, cannot handle high viscosity vegetable oils--unless, however, the viscosity is reduced. This can be accomplished two ways: chemically (transesterifying the oil into biodiesel); or thermally. By heating the oil to 160-180 F the viscosity is reduced to that of diesel fuel and, voila!, Sir Rudolf Diesel has his dream revisited.

Leaning on the ethos of Permaculture ("nothing in the system goes to waste"), heating vegetable oil in a vehicle is accomplished by tapping into the coolant system and employing a simple heat exchanger in an auxiliary SVO/WVO dedicated tank. Alternatively, 12-volt electric heaters may be used to heat the tank, as well as inline, to heat the oil before it reaches the injection pump.

This is an oversimplified rendition, but the principle is solid: Heat the oil with waste heat from the engine (or electricity) and you've got yourself a renewable, sustainable alternative-fuel.

Our SVO/WVO kits come in a variety of configurations depending on your specific vehicle/driving habits/climate, including: 12v in-line heater, in-line coolant heater, coolant/12v heated 5-micron fuel filter, 120v/12v stick-on heater pad (for tanks), 12v heated fuel lines, coolant heated fuel lines (HIH, HOH, etc), aluminum tank with or without fuel level sender, heavy-duty custom made stainless steel (w/Viton seals) 3-port fuel solenoid selector valve, lighted dash indicator, etc.

Our Pacific Northwest “Standard” (PNWS) system includes everything you need to run non-hydrogenated SVO/WVO in mild/temperate climates such as the maritime Pacific Northwest, and most of coastal California. How do we know that these systems work without a heated tank/lines? Because we test them winter after winter, and we have over 70 successful conversions out on the road today.

The PNWS includes:
• New 10-40 gallon Aluminum fuel tank—Unheated (used or heated tank also available)
• Biodiesel-resistant fuel hose (Viton or comparable)
• 12v VegTherm “Standard” inline heater (16 amp, fuse protected/relay controlled)
• Custom Aluminum inline coolant fuel heater (Artic Fox Midranger or Linehauler available as an upgrade)
• Heated SVO Filter (heated via either coolant or 12v, customer’s choice)
• Two heavy-duty stainless steel 3-port fuel selector solenoid w/Viton seals
• Dash mounted lighted switch
• Mounting hardware, nylon ties, hose clamps, etc.

For most passenger car applications this system costs between $650-$750 depending on the size/cost of the tank and the length of B100 resistant hose required.

Extras include:
• 12v/120v heated tank ($100-$250 for heater, installed)
• 12v heated fuel line ($250 and up, installed)
• HOH/HIH heated fuel line (~$50-$150 installed)
• SVO fuel level sender/gauge (~$100, installed)
• Temperature sensor/gauge (~$100, installed)
• Custom Aluminum or Stainless Steel tank ($200 and up)
• Dirty/clean dual SVO tanks for on-road heating/filtering ($500 and up, including, heated dirty tank, heated filter, 12v gear pump, hoses & suction stinger, switches, etc.)

Also available are our tried and true SVO heated filtration assemblies including:
• One open-topped 55-gallon barrel with a 1500 or 2000 watt 120v element mounted in the side
• One closed-top 55-gallon barrel for SVO/WVO collection
• One clean, closed-top 55-gallon barrel for storing filtered “finished” oil
• 12v or 120v (your choice) gear pump designed to handle viscous fluids
• A series of 2 filters in queue, including one 20-micron hydraulic filter, and one 10-micron water-block filter
• 30’ of ¾” I.D. BC fuel transfer hose
• A 4’ PVC “stinger” (pick up tube)
• Quick disconnect cam-lock fittings for all connections

These heater/filtration assemblies are very handy when trying to filter oil to fuel grade at home and will no doubt speed up your handling time significantly. We’ve tried a number of other options and so far nothing works better than this set up. $750 (no shipping)

We also offer a more compact SVO filtration assembly, consisting of a 120v gear pump and a 10-micron fuel filter, both mounted on one very durable (and very heavy-duty) housing. This set-up is great for those looking for slick and elegant, though it works much better as a stationary pump due to its weight/awkwardness. Expect ~30-50 gallons of relatively clean settled/heated oil per filter, more if you flush it after use with biodiesel. $400

Concerns:

Some have expressed concern regarding the injection system (namely the injection pump and injector nozzles) when using SVO. A good source to get a wealth of information from folks who have ample experience with SVO can be found here