Any 6.9IDI/7.3IDI Navistar users out there on bio/wvo?

[Adamlee]

Hello there, boys and girls!

I am interested in knowing about experiences users have had with biodiesel and WVO-powered Fords. Specifically, I am looking into 6.9 and 7.3 IDI (pre-PowerStroke) IH/Navistar motors commonly propelling Ford F250/F350 trucks from '83-94.

My goal is to just learn what I can about user input on these setups with bio and WVO. I do subscribe to a number of other biod and diesel forums; such as Oilburners, Diesel Garage, the Diesel Stop, and so on. So I am already targeting Ford/Navistar specific info sources.

Just thought if anyone from this forum had some feedback on their experience with 6.9's or 7.3's, and bio/wvo...I'd love to hear about it..I'm all ears!

FYI, I owned and operated an '84 F350 Stakebody with 6.9 and 4-speed in the '90s in my landscape business, it was a great powerpack...but this was way before the idea of biodiesel and alternative fuels ever entered my thought process.

And, just to "stir things up", here's my dream ride for a Ford bio truck:

Crewcab '83-'90 F350, NON-dually rear, 4x4, longbed....would love one of these. either 4-5-speed, or AT-doesn't matter to me. this way, I'd have suburban-like crew capacity with the option of dropping a commo shelter in the bed for camping/utility.

Before I finish, anyone have a fixer-upper out there they'd like to sell or trade?

PS added a pic of my only oilburner at the moment; an LD-465-powered multifuel M35A2 deuce and a half. It's a '70 Kaiser Jeep with front airshift axle.

Adam Lee

 

[Agnem]

Welcome to the IDI forum! Yea, there is a good many guys here running alternative fuels, including waste motor oil. The IDI runs on all of them. The same problems you'd have with most other engines, keeping the stuff fluid, and not clogging anything.

 

[spencnaz]

Adamlee,

I have been making my own biodiesel and running in my truck for nearly 3 years now. True there have been challenges, but I would recommend it over running WVO or WMO in an IDI than any other 'alternatiive' fuel.

I'm on biodiesel.infopop.cc as Spencnaz as well. I can tell you many instances told to me or seen personally where improperly heated WVO caused input shafts on IDI injection pumps to snap due to the high effort required to pump out the WVO.

Biodiesel can be easily made using an Appleseed type processor. The one I have is on a simple trailer with veggie oil and chemical storage and it only takes me about 24 hours to make a 20 gallon batch of fuel. Actual time where I have to physically do work to make it takes up about 2 hours maximum.

There are some fuel line issues you'll need to address with biodiesel, but most of your industrial hose vendors in your area will already have biodiesel compatible fuel hose for sale. I use the Parker brand of fuel line, I purchased 20' (lots of extra line just in case) for $1.20 a foot.

If you can follow instructions and bake a cake, you can make biodiesel.

 

[genchowford]

22k mi on wvo so far so good. 92 7.3 idi nothing special on setup. a little preheat on 90/10 wvo/diesel summer and 80/20 wvo/gas winter with some additives.
Fred

 

[spencnaz]

40k on homebrew biodiesel and commercial biodiesel.

 

[f350flatbed]

Hello all,

I am building one of these Appleseed type reactors, hope to have it running soon. The subject of fuel lines was menitoned, specifically, which part of the fuel line needs to be replaced on an IDI?

Paul B

 

[Greenbeast6.9]

i have ran my 6.9l on WVO for 2 years now. It is a great way to save $$

 

[spencnaz]

There are rubber fuel lines going to and from the fuel/water separator and small sections of fuel line on the lift pump that resides on the passenger side of the block.

These lines are standard 3/8" size fuel line.

There are return lines that are on top of each injector. A replacement kit from one of the online stores will come with biodiesel compatible hose in them already.

 

[h2odrx]

using an 80/20 mix had some filter issues but have changed my filtering setup, only got 3k on my last fuel filter.. it could have been out of fuel too?

 

[Diesel JD]

I have been experimenting with biodiesel since 2004, and running basically homebrew B100 since spring 2005. The issues I have had have to do with poor filtration and fuel contamination rather than biodiesel. I contaminated the front tank experimenting with WVO/Diesel mixes in '04 and it took dropping the tank and cleaning it plus many inline filters to get the junk out of the system. Also I contaminated the system by trying to burn a batch of Bio-D D2 mix that had been in the tank for about 8 months and was contaminated with red-brown algae. As far as the biodiesel istelf, no issues at all, except perhaps a tiny bit harder starting when it is very cold, but that may have been due to return leaks and bad glow plugs more than the B80 or so that I was running. As Spencaz mentioned the fuel lines from the rail which goes to your mechanical lift pump if you have one or directly to the fuel filter if you have an e-pump are regular cheap rubber and should be replaced with biodiesel resistant hose or you'll find your self replacing it about once a year as it turns to goo. The hard plastic supply and return lines are Bio safe, as are the hard metal lines, and as Spencaz points out the return lines and orings if you order a new one or if it has been replaced with a real return kit in the past 4 years or so they will be fine. It is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, soot emissions, and cost to operate your rig all at once. The only downside is that it can be messy and there is some degree of a learning curve. An appleseed processor makes the process much neater and I am planning to build one soon cause I am sold on them....so simple, less exposure to fumes and not that high of a cost. But I digress, B100 is great fuel for 6.9/7.3 motors and some folks have had success with WVO but it has risks associated with it, including the total loss of the injection pump.

 

[Adamlee]

6.9's and 7.3's on bio

Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

This is what I need to know. Now, just gotta find that elusive "fixer-upper" 4x4 F-350 crewcab with 7.3, turbo, and 5-speed....

Adam Lee

 

[hahn_rossman]

WVO questions

I'm not a completely unbiased source ( see www.frybrid.com ). But I think that our trucks are a great platform for burning WVO. The main concerns are properly dewatering and filtering the oil, and then heating the oil before running it thru the injection system. The system that frybrid has developed is the best in the industry, and the most expensive! Funny how those things go together isn't it? I was a beta tester for a lot of the development and we did a couple of terrible things to my truck along the way. Most of them were my fault and not Christopher's (Note to self, spend the money now, rather that hoping the cheaper solution will work!).
Despite some exciting moments including cold starting my truck on 100% WVO at 27 F, because of gelled biodiesel, and other not recommended procedures the truck and the injection system survived and seems content to burn WVO forever. I had heard accounts of people shearing IP shafts and other horror stories, I assume these have to do with trying to pump oil at temperatures below 160F which is a bad idea
I think that properly done the injection system should last longer because of the way better lubricity of the WVO. Even if you have to replace the IP and Injectors sooner than the recommended interval of 100-150k miles, it doesn't take to many tankfuls of $3.00/gal diesel to buy a new injection system.
So in summary, I think WVO is great if you do it right, will save you $$$ in the long run, and is better for the environment, and you don't have to feel like you are personally funding terrorism every time you pull up to the pump and blow a major hole in your pocket. Good luck.

 

[Diesel JD]

What about all the FFA in WVO? That would be my bigger concern than anything I think.

 

[hahn_rossman]

FFA WVO

It's an interesting study to see what condition the oil is in, when you pick it up from the restaurant. I get my oil from my favorite japanese restaaurant, and they change it every two days at a minimum. It's the best oil that I've seen. I've also seen some really nasty stuff that other people have brought into the shop. I wouldn't worry about putting any oil in the truck, that you would be willing to have your food fried in. If the oil is black and super viscous you should probably leave it for some one making biodiesel and eat at other places! There is a lot of info over at biodiesel.infopop about how to evaluate the quality of oil. My main concerns are dewatering, filtering, and not letting it polymerize. It's pretty simple if you start with decent used oil. Like so many things in life a little effort on the front end can save you a ton of time in the long run.

 

[spencnaz]

If you are going to run WVO in your truck and are worried about free fatty acid content, I strongly recommend that you learn how to do a titration.

This will determine beyond any doubt the acidity of the oil. A pH meter will not work with oils.