Lucas diesel fuel pumps use diesel as a lubricant. This is fine if you use diesel but when you vegetable oil which is less viscous then diesel (until it is hot) issues can occur.
Basically from what i understand the veg oil doesnt provide enough lubrication when cold. This causes the shaft and rotor head inside the pump to shear off due to the lack of lubrication.
There is no point using an inline electric fuel heater as hot fuel entering a cold fuel pump with become cold very quickly. Install an fuel heater by all means but one that uses the coolant to heat the oil.
But if it is a lucas pump get a second tank fitted. Start and stop on diesel and once its hot run on veg oil. But like SSRAY said go to http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/index.php and have a look around lots of info there.
SSRAY the 2.1td does 44mpg at 90pmh you say? An interesting fact for continental driving off course that i didnt know and something i will bear in mind when i next have to purchase something.
New car required- 306-406 xantia?
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caveman_si
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It cruises very easily at that speed as well now ive had the correct hieght set at the front end and is very smooth and still has plenty of pull in it as well 
Ill have a look on the site but i may just see how adding 20litres per tankfull is as it should dilute it failry well if im using the ultimate diesel stuff and the initial extra cost of that fuel is easily overcome by the SVO going in.
I suppose the only real way to protect against the bearing wear issue would be to have some kind of heater element fitted to the fuel pump, ie welded or liquid metal'd to the exposed faces, sealed in and tapped into the glow plug loom so when they warm up they warm the pump up as once that metal is warm it wont cool down that quick really.
Got me thinking about fitting some form of thermal jacket to mine now to keep heat in it instead now as it rarely gets to 0'c where i am
I suppose the other option is some form of intank heater matrix like ive heard is used in much colder climates in some diesels..
Also just realised this, but the fuel flows thru the fuel filter which itself is heated from sitting ontop of the thermostat housing and near enough right next to the head
Ill have a look on the site but i may just see how adding 20litres per tankfull is as it should dilute it failry well if im using the ultimate diesel stuff and the initial extra cost of that fuel is easily overcome by the SVO going in.
I suppose the only real way to protect against the bearing wear issue would be to have some kind of heater element fitted to the fuel pump, ie welded or liquid metal'd to the exposed faces, sealed in and tapped into the glow plug loom so when they warm up they warm the pump up as once that metal is warm it wont cool down that quick really.
Got me thinking about fitting some form of thermal jacket to mine now to keep heat in it instead now as it rarely gets to 0'c where i am
I suppose the other option is some form of intank heater matrix like ive heard is used in much colder climates in some diesels..
Also just realised this, but the fuel flows thru the fuel filter which itself is heated from sitting ontop of the thermostat housing and near enough right next to the head
This is the setup I've got. The heat exchanger is tapped in to the oil cooler pipe. I've got to try and find a better way of connecting the coolant heater. Really it needs to be connected into the heater curcuit but there is no space to work at the back of the engine.KP wrote:How do you mean cold veg oil??
At the moment no heat exchanger or such like. Do you have any pics or a write up on your setup as would be interesting considering i get veg in at about 40p/litre
Like i said i think the startup is rough but beyond that after a miunute or so she is fine.
Note the inline fuel filter, very handy when using biofuel/biodiesel as crap from within the tank can get dragged through the fuel system.
Regards
Howie
2006 Fiat Idea Dynamic 1.3 Multijet
2010 Renault Laguna Dynamique tom tom 2.0 DCI 130
C5 VTR 2l 8v HDI Estate 112000 miles gone
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2006 Fiat Idea Dynamic 1.3 Multijet
2010 Renault Laguna Dynamique tom tom 2.0 DCI 130
C5 VTR 2l 8v HDI Estate 112000 miles gone
Kia Rio 2007 1.5 CRDI 62,000 miles gone
2001 Dodge Durango 4.7 V8 170,000 miles gone
1999 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6 V8 151,000 miles gone
Cool stuff there
As an idea you may be able to locate it near the battery pack ontop of the gearbox as there was some space there near the airfilter box
Ive been asking on the vegie oil website and they say on my 2.1 the lucas pump will prob die a horrible death
One thing i thought of that may be usefull for you is a small heater element in the heat exchanger connected upto the glowpug circuit that heats up that section for a short while and should give a decent cold start
As an idea you may be able to locate it near the battery pack ontop of the gearbox as there was some space there near the airfilter box
Ive been asking on the vegie oil website and they say on my 2.1 the lucas pump will prob die a horrible death
One thing i thought of that may be usefull for you is a small heater element in the heat exchanger connected upto the glowpug circuit that heats up that section for a short while and should give a decent cold start
cavman-si according to http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/threads.htm?f=4 thats where i got the 44mpg at 90mph,go to car to car breakdown.