Veggie oil

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

User avatar
Timmo
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 1346
Joined: 11 Jul 2011, 15:41
Location: Bottom Left!
My Cars: 58 partner teepee outdoor hdi.
58 C2 Code in black! Fun!
x 168
Contact:

Re: Veggie oil

Post by Timmo »

From what I remember, it is mainly if you run waste veg oil, pick out any particals that may have slipped through the filter process before it goes in,
Fuel filter is only secured by 4 4mm Allen bolts, undo then, lid off, filter out, visual check on the housing, filter in, lid on and bolted back down, pump primer bulb a couple of times and is good to go.
I only use straight veg but carry a spare filter just incase. I chucked 15 of Deisel in on top of the 40veg on the weekend and will tank it with veg later ahead of taking her home tomorrow, temps as they are running pure Veg wouldn't be an issue.
After All, I am the Cornish one!

'58 C2 Code
'58 partner teepee outdoor
ekjdm14
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 1810
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 17:42
Location: Congleton
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: '95 Xantia 1.9D automatic - 109k one of two remaining
'03 206 GTi180 - 97k in pieces being brought back up to snuff
'03 206 1.9TD - home-built veg-fuelled B-road bruiser
'99 306 SE 2.0i cabriolet - 92k awaiting service work ready for next summer
'97 306 XS 1.6i 3 door, Bianca White, from dead 12 years & seized solid to road legal in 7 days
x 212

Re: Veggie oil

Post by ekjdm14 »

Indeed, it's wise to carry filters even if on SVO since the veg has a cleaning effect on all the crap that's stuck in the system as I understand it, and this can lead to filters clogging up to twice a week during the initial switch from diesel to veg.

We've actually gone for 20 litres of Morrisons sunflower this week as things are a bit tight & it works out 30p/litre less than diesel, only effect of running *(with Bosch pump at least) 100% SVO is slightly iffy first start of the day (IMO it's a viscosity issue) and I feel like the Cetane rating of sunflower is a bit lower/timing sounds more advanced until fully warm. Oh, and the smell of the exhaust is nice too. Wouldn't run veg all the time though as the emissions hurt my eyes so I feel they're nastier than proper diesel & I just like the car to run on what it's designed to run on...
'95 Xantia LX 1.9D-auto, Black, 109k
'03 206 GTi180 94k in surgery
'03 206 1.1S XUD9TE/veg project :mrgreen:
'99 306 2.0SE cabriolet 95k summer toy
'97 306 XS 1.6i 99k sat 12 years, fixed in 7 days, 150mile maiden voyage :rofl2:
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25366
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Re: Veggie oil

Post by myglaren »

I vividly recall reading in a blog of the time of cars smelling like McDonalds in Swansea and cops chasing after them. Was quite fascinated but not running a diesel at the time to be able to experiment.

It was Telsa Gwynne, the wife of Alan Cox. She sounds Welsh but came from Newcastle. Lived near Swansea.

Her blog - or diary as it was at the time, was absolutely hilarious. It was actually a down to earth and 'warts 'n all" rewrite of Alan's Linux notes - Richard is one of Linus' in crowd.

Telsa stopped her diary when she began receiving lots of unpleasant comments on it. Why I can't imagine, she was very intelligent and extremely funny.
Nothing she wrote could upset any reasonably sane person.

I learned yesterday that she passed away in 2015. only 46 and seemed much younger.
I bitterly regret losing contact with her.

Apologies for the off-topicness.
MikeT
Posts: 4809
Joined: 11 Jun 2007, 16:17
Location: Christchurch, Dorset. UK
My Cars: 2005 C5restyle 1.6HDI 16v 110hp VTR Estate
2008 C5 X7 1.6HDI VTR+ Saloon
x 231

Re: Veggie oil

Post by MikeT »

myglaren wrote: 20 Jun 2017, 18:14 I vividly recall reading in a blog of the time of cars smelling like McDonalds in Swansea and cops chasing after them.


Really? Considering it wasn't illegal, I'd be interested to know what was their justification?
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25366
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Re: Veggie oil

Post by myglaren »

It may have been in the early days or they may just have been curious. Perhaps as there is a limit to the distance one can drive on veg per year.
Although all that is C&R remit.

She was amused at all the Mazola flying off the supermarket shelves.
User avatar
Paul-R
Donor 2023
Posts: 6916
Joined: 07 May 2009, 16:24
Location: Wirral, NW England; Vaucluse 84, France
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2015 1.6 Blue HDi 120 Peugeot 308 Active SW
2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone)
x 1369

Re: Veggie oil

Post by Paul-R »

There was (still is?) a limit of 2500 litres of excise free vegetable oil a year. That came in in 2007 so possibly before then?

Prior to that you were allowed to use vegetable oil but had to pay the excise duty separately ho-ho.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
MikeT
Posts: 4809
Joined: 11 Jun 2007, 16:17
Location: Christchurch, Dorset. UK
My Cars: 2005 C5restyle 1.6HDI 16v 110hp VTR Estate
2008 C5 X7 1.6HDI VTR+ Saloon
x 231

Re: Veggie oil

Post by MikeT »

No limits Steve, just a threshold where excise is due, as Paul says.
Even so, I still can't see the justification of police chasing them. Was hoping it was artistic license on behalf of the blogger rather than being accurate reporting of events.
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25366
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Re: Veggie oil

Post by myglaren »

She wasn't given to such innacuracies although I admit it would be quite likely otherwise.
elma
Posts: 3745
Joined: 13 May 2007, 02:17
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Undisclosed
x 287

Re: Veggie oil

Post by elma »

In this weather 100% veg will work but 50.50 seemed less problematic to me.
In winter 50.50 is probably about right, the engine will run poorly until warm though?
When running veg, even a mixture, the fuel filter can clog rapidly to the point where the engine cannot run.I'd always advise carrying a spare filter and 4mm Allen key if running veg.
Again I'm talking about my own experience with clean veg, I've never tried recycled veg.
User avatar
Michel
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 2207
Joined: 29 May 2017, 13:50
Location: Nothanks
My Cars: Some cars and a motorbike
x 659

Re: Veggie oil

Post by Michel »

On clean veg I ran my 1.9TD Xantia through winter on 100% veg back in 2008 through the snow. The only issue was a bit of hunting for the 1st mile or so of the journey. I ran my TDs on veg for nearly 4 years and over 100k and only ever changed fuel filters at scheduled services. I used to buy Tesco own brand 3L tubs of oil. Then later, the KTC stuff from Costco in 20L drums.
User avatar
van ordinaire
(Donor 2017)
Posts: 2537
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 14:45
Location: Live & work in London but weekend in Devon (or do I now live in Torbay & work in London?)
My Cars: Citroens:-
'81 2CV Club (quietly sleeping in a parallel universe)
'05 (yes, really) C15
'97 Xantia Exclusive estate
others:-
'96 Jeep Cherokee Limited - the "donor"
'99 Jeep Cherokee Orvis - the green one
'97 Jeep Cherokee Limited - the red one
'99 Cadillac Seville STS
'96 Cadillac Eldorado ETC
& numerous what might be described as abandoned projects!
x 405

Re: Veggie oil

Post by van ordinaire »

Imagine standing there emptying 15 bottles of oil into the tank - I really couldn't be bothered (& then there's the time it takes to wash them out before putting them out for re-cycling). The big, never mentioned, disadvantage of LPG is how long it takes to refuel - especially in winter: I used to joke I could die of exposure putting 120 litres in the green Cherokee. At least with 20 litre drums you could pump it in (& leave the eppties outside your localcurry shop, to be collected with theirs)

I remember, some years ago now, reading quite an in-depth article on making your own bio-diesel, which involved processing the (waste) vegetable oil & some modifications to the vehicle, which sort of seemed to make sense - if a group of you were running, e.g. Perkins engined Series LandRovers! Now I wonder what all the fuss was about.
Citroens:-
'81 2CV Club :cry:
'05 C15 :!:
'97 Xantia Exclusive estate [-o<
others:-
Jeep XJ Cherokees x 3 :?
'96 Cadillac Eldorado
'99 Cadillac STS :|
& the numerous "abandoned projects" #-o
User avatar
Michel
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 2207
Joined: 29 May 2017, 13:50
Location: Nothanks
My Cars: Some cars and a motorbike
x 659

Re: Veggie oil

Post by Michel »

van ordinaire wrote: 21 Jun 2017, 18:00 Imagine standing there emptying 15 bottles of oil into the tank


15? Ha. Imagine going into Tesco to buy enough to fill up an XM 2.1TD from empty, putting it all in the boot, then driving 100yds to the other side of the car park by the recycling bins and simply emptying bottle by bottle into the tank, then whizzing it in the recycling bin. It was pretty tedious, but necessary due to the financial exhaustion a divorce causes. It also worked out, at the time, at about 45p/litre including the taxman's cut so it was a considerable saving.
ekjdm14
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 1810
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 17:42
Location: Congleton
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: '95 Xantia 1.9D automatic - 109k one of two remaining
'03 206 GTi180 - 97k in pieces being brought back up to snuff
'03 206 1.9TD - home-built veg-fuelled B-road bruiser
'99 306 SE 2.0i cabriolet - 92k awaiting service work ready for next summer
'97 306 XS 1.6i 3 door, Bianca White, from dead 12 years & seized solid to road legal in 7 days
x 212

Re: Veggie oil

Post by ekjdm14 »

Well this is an interesting turn-up for the books, after no more than 50miles running on 20l of KTC veggie along with whatever the remains of diesel were in there, the dizzy head seal on Black has now started leaking quite profusely... Whether this is a problem caused in whole or in part by the veg I don't know. I would tend to think it's more down to the pump/engine sitting for X amount of years before being pressed back into regular use, strange how it seems to have made itself apparent after less than 50miles of veggie, and over 1500miles on diesel since fitting the engine...

Now, off to look whether it's possible to replace this seal in-car or whether i'll need to fit the original pump & rebuild this one on the bench.
'95 Xantia LX 1.9D-auto, Black, 109k
'03 206 GTi180 94k in surgery
'03 206 1.1S XUD9TE/veg project :mrgreen:
'99 306 2.0SE cabriolet 95k summer toy
'97 306 XS 1.6i 99k sat 12 years, fixed in 7 days, 150mile maiden voyage :rofl2:
elma
Posts: 3745
Joined: 13 May 2007, 02:17
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Undisclosed
x 287

Re: Veggie oil

Post by elma »

Unlucky Dan, I generally found when swapping to veg all the weak points would let go rather quickly. Keep an eye around the fuel filter housing as well. The white plastic bung that looks like a + is usually a weak point.
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Veggie oil

Post by CitroJim »

ekjdm14 wrote: 21 Jun 2017, 19:43 Well this is an interesting turn-up for the books, after no more than 50miles running on 20l of KTC veggie along with whatever the remains of diesel were in there, the dizzy head seal on Black has now started leaking quite profusely... Whether this is a problem caused in whole or in part by the veg I don't know.


Veg can attack seals made of a rubber that is not proof against it and that generally is the case for the original seals in my experience... The use of veg will very quickly seek out these seals and harden them to the point they leak.

These days seals are made of Viton and are totally proof against it...

I'd not risk doing the head seal in-situ. I'd say it would be impossible...

Instructions here: http://www.eastment.net/boschpump8.htm
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Post Reply