Belt driven fuel pump discussion

[Cant Write]

Now that it is getting cold out, do you just operate on diesel until the circulating oil is up to engine temp, then switch to WVO?

Any concerns of the WVO getting into your crankcase over time? Or wreaking any havoc on components just as it did to the needle bearings you used diesel on to free up? I did read you have a spare engine.

Great project and I hope you have much success running WVO. Especially with your line of work. Please keep us updated through winter.

 

[chickenpot]

Now that it is getting cold out, do you just operate on diesel until the circulating oil is up to engine temp, then switch to WVO?

Already have had a few below freezing mornings, and yes I'm driving about 10 mins on straight diesel through the factory fuel system to warm the oil up. Like i said with this pump setup and heat exchanger it heats the whole tank up pretty fast. My whole idea with the high flow pump and return/regulator was to have 90% of the oil just go pump-FPHE-return to tank. So far, i've played it pretty safe with my switch times to oil, and it's been smooth.

Any concerns of the WVO getting into your crankcase over time? Or wreaking any havoc on components just as it did to the needle bearings you used diesel on to free up? I did read you have a spare engine.

No more concerned am i about the wvo in the crankcase than I am about diesel fuel. In fact the way it's set up, the only connection between the wvo and the engine is through the injection pump, so it would have to be past the piston rings to make it into the case. The factory fuel system does not deadhead as part of my design, the filter head outlet simply loops back to the diesel tank when switched to veg oil. so there theoretically shouldn't be any more pressure/risk of rupture on the mechanical lift pump diaphragm.

As far as bearings and parts gumming up, what I've seen so far is the wvo has to sit exposed to oxygen for a while for it to start to gum up. fresh and circulating I don't necessarily find it a concern at the moment for the pumps but i have thought about it. Biggest thing is i like to make aure the IP is completely purged and flushed with diesel

I do have 2 spare engines now, and possibly a third one i just have to go pick up. I'm into hoarding parts especially when they are obsolete.. So the engine in this truck is going to run until it cant anymore and hopefully doesn't have a catastrophic failure but if so no big deal. I plan on pulling one of the engines into the shop this winter and tearing down/inspecting/ resealing, to have a known good sealed engine sitting on reserve, vs just a known good running engine. ya know

 

[Cant Write]

There is a post on TDI club where he has over 280k documented miles on ALH TDI, 150k-ish on a ‘99 6.5 cheb and 110k-ish on a ‘06 mega cab.

He had no related problems and cites meticulous cleaning and de-watering to his success. And long commutes.

I’m excited for you and what you mention regarding gumming and crank case makes perfect sense. All the best!!

 

[Saoldric]

Great stuff, fun read . A question about what type of valve solinoids did you get?

I'm looking for one, to wire one up with a delay on the fuel return line so I can wait for the system to purge and keep my diesel pure-ish.

 

[chickenpot]

Great stuff, fun read . A question about what type of valve solinoids did you get?

I'm looking for one, to wire one up with a delay on the fuel return line so I can wait for the system to purge and keep my diesel pure-ish.

Im using greasecar.com 3 port valve bodies which use Hydraforce sv98-t39s 12v spool valves.

On the switch to wvo, i hit the supply and the return at the same time. When purging, i hit the supply back to diesel then wait a mile or so then flip the return back to the diesel tank.

If you're not too worried about introducing chinese electronics on your rig, a few lines of code running on an arduino uno and a 5v trigger relay would work well for timing your return switch

 

[chickenpot]

6k+ miles oil update:
Pump from seal started leaking decent amount so i pulled it apart and inspected it. everything looked great no wear on the pump gears or shafts/bearings. For longevity I replaced the front bearing, which i found at mcmaster. 11/16 OD 1/2 ID needle bearing. I also replaced the seal from mcmaster, basic 1"OD 1/2" ID oil seal. there was enough room in there to double up the seals, which I did. It's nice and tight now and didnt leak for the 800 miles or so until today, when my chinsy homemade pulley lost the V belt part. I heard the rather faint noise going down the highway, got nervous but everything kept running. the belt must have stayed running on the 1/4 or so of the v part left. Didnt know something was wrong until i tried switching to oil on my way home, when the engine pretty quickly sucked the IP dry and killed it. Was able to re prime and roll start it by switching back to diesel and dropping into 4th. Had just started slowing down on the shoulder when she caught again and took me home. Bad moment, need to make my stuff more sturdy this time.
it was a trimmed down stamped v pulley from the farm store, and actually expected it to fail at some point. I purchased a much heavier steel v belt idler this evening and tomorrow I will try on the lathe to graft it onto the alternator pulley.

Mcmaster oil pressure relief has proven to be reliable, frantz TP filters are still working great, heat exchanger is working great in cold weather, and have still been playing it safe with purge times. I did have to cold start (35f or so) on oil the other day cause i was out of diesel and didnt realize it, truck was on an incline too. IP wasnt super happy with that but it got me rolling to the pump to grab some more diesel fuel.

 

[chickenpot]

Pulley Pt. II, been on there a week or so, working ok so far

 

[chickenpot]

It's been about a year since the last update on the system, happy to report everything is still going strong and at this point have close if not more than 20k miles on straight wvo. The second combination v-serp pulley iteration has proven sturdy. Pump is still tight and the double front seal still holding, have not torn it apart to inspect the shafts but it feels just fine spinning with no belt. Still using same filters and heat exchanger.

I have added standalone fused relays for the supply and return 3-way solenoids, that way the only power at the cab switch is pilot duty.

Since finishing my centrifuge build in feb 2024, I have only had to change the frantz toilet paper filter 2 or 3 times in many miles. still puts out a consistent 4-6 psi to the pump. What a wonder what heat and g forces do to clean oil.

For the factory diesel system, I kept having problems with the mechanical lift pump, despite it having a return loop to the tank when the wvo system was energized. After going through 3 or so, I blocked off the mech pump and installed a Walbro frb-13 on the frame rail, this is for diesel tank duty only. It was kind of spendy, but should outlast the truck. It is self regulating at 7-8 psi so when it hits a deadhead it stops pumping, allowing me to remove the 3rd solenoid that looped the factory filter head back to the tank when the system was on. Now no worries about deadheading the factory filter head, and makes purging with diesel an absolute breeze.

 

[Cant Write]

Thank you for the update!! Is your engine oil a lot cleaner as well?

With the centrifuge I assume you are getting used wvo. Which I assume is easy to acquire in your line of work if still doing a similar job.

One thing I missed, are you still on the original IP to the engine when you started this project?

Do you have a temp gauge on your oil tank or do you use the Engine coolant gauge as a guide?

Besides filter longevity did you notice that the engine runs better on centrifuged oil?

 

[chickenpot]

Thank you for the update!! Is your engine oil a lot cleaner as well?

With the centrifuge I assume you are getting used wvo. Which I assume is easy to acquire in your line of work if still doing a similar job.

One thing I missed, are you still on the original IP to the engine when you started this project?

Do you have a temp gauge on your oil tank or do you use the Engine coolant gauge as a guide?

Besides filter longevity did you notice that the engine runs better on centrifuged oil?

Engine oil should theoretically cleaner cause ive been running a bypass filter for the last year. Yes wvo is still plentiful for me for now. hopefully doesnt dry up or ill have to switch to the dark side.

Yes, it's still the IP that was on the truck when i got it (non running). I disassembled, degunked, and reassembled. Seems fine still, knock on wood. Advance servo external actuator pin is still leaking, and I'm still ignoring it, cause its not dripping on the ground and it runs fine otherwise. I figure this leak is keeping water out of my pump by leaking slow at the very lowest point I have 3 fresh (2 I rebuilt/resealed myself, one NOS) pumps on the shelf (and another ebay core on the way just for fun ) and a know good runner in the parts truck but ill leave that one whole. not to mention ive been stashing and have a slew of injector nozzle tips and shims and cores for when i want a fresh set i can just reman them myself and swap them.

I dont have a real temp guage. Due to the air cooled nature of the steel fuel tank it stays around 140/150(IR gun) and closer to engine temp going through the filter and into IP. heat exchanger is under the hood of course.

Id say it does run better at least my confidence is better running fuged oil. I dont worry about switching over and having any issues (happened a few times last year in the cold, The TP filter does an amazing job sucking water out of the oil and would clog relatively quickly. I dont worry about that anymore