Biodiesel in a Disco 300 TDi

I am considering running my Disco on Biodiesel.
It's not much cheaper than regular diesel but is supposed to be better for
the engine.
Oh, and the Enviroment.

A local garage is selling B100 fuel but have suggested I run it 50/50 with
regular diesel.

Does anyone have other opinions?
Do the fuel pipes need replacing at all , I know the fuel filter needs to be
checked and replaced over the 1st few months.

Do may people use it in this forum?

"Chappers©" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am considering running my Disco on Biodiesel.
> It's not much cheaper than regular diesel but is supposed to be better for
> the engine.
> Oh, and the Enviroment.
>
> A local garage is selling B100 fuel but have suggested I run it 50/50
> with regular diesel.
>
> Does anyone have other opinions?
> Do the fuel pipes need replacing at all , I know the fuel filter needs to
> be checked and replaced over the 1st few months.
>
> Do may people use it in this forum?

get this months LRM (I think) - there is a good well written piece about bio
fuels in there

Si

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html

this is the best site for bio fuel info.
i use 50/50 svo in my 200tdi. no problems so far. no special changes are needed in the warm summer months. extra filter is a good idea. am fitting a heated filter for the winter.
be aware that long term effects are not known on tdi engines. my car is not worth a lot (1991 model) so im not that bothered. yours may be very different?

On Tue, 09 May 2006 21:07:56 +0100, Chappers© <[email protected]> wrote:


> Do may people use it in this forum?
>
Not many I think. There were a couple of threads about this, ooh, a month
ago. Here's what I wrote then...

I've been vaguely experimenting for the last two months. My land rover is
a 1997 300Tdi 110. I buy mine from a local
supllier and just stick it in the tank. I started using small ratios of
bio to regular diesel, and gradually increased
the mixture. Just before the really cold weather I reckon I was running
on 80% biodisel.

I added a cheap see-through fuel filter from Halfords just before the main
filter in the engine bay. This filter is easy
to change and cheaper than the main eingine filter. I've changed it twice
in about 2000 miles.

Performance-wise, it feels fine (and these remarks are based on quite a
short period of not very scientific testing!).
The engine is definitely smoother and less clattery on biodiesel, but
there's no loss of power once it's warmed up. When
the weather's cold, and when I was running on 80% biodiesel, it took more
cranking (5 or 6 seconds maybe) to start the
engine, was a bit smokier to start with, and for the first mile or so the
engine was reluctant to rev and was quite
sluggish. However, I'm prepared to put up with that for the sake of
cheaper and cleaner fuel.

What I don't know is
a) What ratio of bio/regular diesel I should be using at MoT time.
b) What, if any, the long-tem effects on the engine will be.

The down side for me is that it takes a bit more organisation to run on
bio (phone supplier, check that he's got some,
arrange time to pick it up) and for the last month I've been too busy, and
have ended up just filling up with regular
diesel. It's also messy - I get it in 25 litre containers, so I need to
decant it into small fuel cans and then into the
tank, or get a friend to hold the funnel whilst I pour the whole thing
into the tank. I always spill some, usually on my
shoes! I hope that one of these days it'll be on sale with proper
forecourts and pumps and the like!

hope some of that helps

Olly R

Hiya,

I ran a Disco 200tdi on modified vegetable oil for about 9 months. This is
where I used a thinner to modify vegetable oil over a month. Stick it in a 5
gallon drum and let is stew for a month then use it.

This was not bioDisel that was made with Sodium Methoxide though - that is a
totally different process. Biodiesel properly made will be fine for Disco's.
No damage will result. I recommend you change your fuel filter a little more
often and make sure you have new glow plugs. Your emissions will be lower
for the MOT.

Now on the modified vegetable oil with thinners:-

Starting was difficult at anything over 50% mix.
Glow plugs had to be brand new
The engine was quieter
You need to change the oil more often, about 3000 miles (went much thicker).
MPG was slightly improved, maybe an extra 5 mpg per tank.
More smoke on start up but then fine after that.
Emissions were very low for the MOT.

Now the real bad side - Turbo died. Seems there has been some research in
the US that this can be a side effect. I am not too sure of the reasons and
someone who knows about these things will tell us.

I would use pure Biodiesel made with Sodium Methoxide - stay away from any
ideas of thinners.

Yours

Andy

Disco 300TDI - errr seems to be reliable

Okay after nine moths i cma to some conclusions.
"Olly R" <[email protected]> wrote in message
newsp.s9a5hbnanzf0cm@oliver-861yfc71...
> On Tue, 09 May 2006 21:07:56 +0100, Chappers© <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>> Do may people use it in this forum?
>>
> Not many I think. There were a couple of threads about this, ooh, a month
> ago. Here's what I wrote then...
>
> I've been vaguely experimenting for the last two months. My land rover is
> a 1997 300Tdi 110. I buy mine from a local
> supllier and just stick it in the tank. I started using small ratios of
> bio to regular diesel, and gradually increased
> the mixture. Just before the really cold weather I reckon I was running
> on 80% biodisel.
>
> I added a cheap see-through fuel filter from Halfords just before the main
> filter in the engine bay. This filter is easy
> to change and cheaper than the main eingine filter. I've changed it twice
> in about 2000 miles.
>
> Performance-wise, it feels fine (and these remarks are based on quite a
> short period of not very scientific testing!).
> The engine is definitely smoother and less clattery on biodiesel, but
> there's no loss of power once it's warmed up. When
> the weather's cold, and when I was running on 80% biodiesel, it took more
> cranking (5 or 6 seconds maybe) to start the
> engine, was a bit smokier to start with, and for the first mile or so the
> engine was reluctant to rev and was quite
> sluggish. However, I'm prepared to put up with that for the sake of
> cheaper and cleaner fuel.
>
> What I don't know is
> a) What ratio of bio/regular diesel I should be using at MoT time.
> b) What, if any, the long-tem effects on the engine will be.
>
> The down side for me is that it takes a bit more organisation to run on
> bio (phone supplier, check that he's got some,
> arrange time to pick it up) and for the last month I've been too busy, and
> have ended up just filling up with regular
> diesel. It's also messy - I get it in 25 litre containers, so I need to
> decant it into small fuel cans and then into the
> tank, or get a friend to hold the funnel whilst I pour the whole thing
> into the tank. I always spill some, usually on my
> shoes! I hope that one of these days it'll be on sale with proper
> forecourts and pumps and the like!
>
> hope some of that helps
>
> Olly R

Andrew Renshaw wrote:

> Now the real bad side - Turbo died. Seems there has been some research in
> the US that this can be a side effect. I am not too sure of the reasons and
> someone who knows about these things will tell us.

OUCH ! Died how ? Bearing failure ?

>
> I would use pure Biodiesel made with Sodium Methoxide - stay away from any
> ideas of thinners.
>
....but unless all your O rings in the pump are Viton, then the residual
methanol can knacker them apparently.

Steve

Andrew Renshaw wrote:
> Hiya,
>
> I ran a Disco 200tdi on modified vegetable oil for about 9 months. This is
> where I used a thinner to modify vegetable oil over a month. Stick it in a 5
> gallon drum and let is stew for a month then use it.
>
<big snip>

I have a Defender 1990 110 2.5TD that I use on veggie diesel. (Reggie
the Veggie).

I buy mine from a guy in Bristol in 205 litre drums for 95p a litre.

http://www.bio-power.co.uk/

The only modification (so far) is a heat exchanger with the cabin
heater. I run with 5% ordinary diesel. Over the summer I plan to fit
a pre heater and a 3 port valve so that I can run on ordinary diesel to
start with then switch to veggie when the engine is warm. That should
mean that I can use veggie all year round.

I have noticed no problems in starting (except when the temperature is
very low) no difference in performance (even when towing) veggie is
supposed to be better that diesel as it provides more lubrication in
the bores. You get used to the "chip shop" smell. No problems at MOT
time, emissions were virtually non existent.

Note - this is veggie diesel not bio diesel. Veggie can cause problems
with some injector pumps (because of the increased viscocity)
bio-diesel (I understand) can rot some rubber seals.

Any more questions feel free to e-mail me off group.

Cheers

Peter

puffernutter wrote:

> Note - this is veggie diesel not bio diesel. Veggie can cause problems
> with some injector pumps (because of the increased viscocity)
> bio-diesel (I understand) can rot some rubber seals.
>
From what I've read only, Lucas pumps really don't like bio, Many Bosch
pumps are OK, but not all.

http://vegburner.co.uk/

Has useful information.

Steve

Yup bearing failure as far as I understand.

Andy


"Steve Taylor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Andrew Renshaw wrote:
>
>> Now the real bad side - Turbo died. Seems there has been some research in
>> the US that this can be a side effect. I am not too sure of the reasons
>> and someone who knows about these things will tell us.
>
> OUCH ! Died how ? Bearing failure ?
>
>>
>> I would use pure Biodiesel made with Sodium Methoxide - stay away from
>> any ideas of thinners.
>>
> ...but unless all your O rings in the pump are Viton, then the residual
> methanol can knacker them apparently.
>
> Steve

Andrew Renshaw wrote:
> Yup bearing failure as far as I understand.
That might be because SVO bypassing the rings and contaminating the sump
oil changes the properties of the sump oil and stops it getting into
the turbo properly. SVO can gel mineral oils AFAIR.

Steve