Running on Bio

Hi folks.
I recently started making my own biodiesel, and I have no running issues so far, despite Td4's supposedly being a bit twitchy on it, and I've done about 2k miles on 100% bio so far. My question is does the timing or anything need adjusting for optimum performance, and is there any way of making the glow plug come in at a higher temp, as because the bio is a bit more viscous it takes a little more starting, but starts easily when the heater comes in.
Cheers for your help.
Andy.

PS If your interested in my bio processor you can have look here.
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blimey, thats some refinery you've got there bud!

i thought it was the fact that biodiesel ate away at all of the seals that was the main problem in the td4?

Hi Markyxs180.
Thanks for that.
I think the seal issue was only on early models maybe pre 2000.
Andy.

pre 2000 models were L series engines, td4 after that.

would be really interested in the long term effects, particularly as freelander manual says "Not no way never ever even if you're being eaten by flesh eating dogs use biodiesel in a td4"

Yes, Heard all the horror scare stories, but lots of TD4 owners run on bio with no ill effects whatsoever. And with dino diesel at nearing £1:50pl and we're making fuel for about 30ppl, it's a risk worth takeing. It's also great satisfaction to drive past the "TAX STATION" without stopping.

From what I can remember it was when costic was used as a thinning agent for the oil, this inturn would eat through the seals on the hp fuel pump causing it to fail, I don't know if it affected injectors the same.
Top gear ran a bmw 320 on it for a race and they had to change the fuel pump as it failed just before the start because of the bio diesel.
That said if you can change the pump yourself and it only costs you 30ppl then every 300 litres you use you've saved enough to by a recon pump.
The only other cost I know of with the costic stuff was you needed to change the engine oil every 5000 miles.

Keep an eye on your fuel filter as bio cleans the crud out of your tank. Less of a problem nowadays with plastic tanks but still worth checking - do an early filter change, open the old one up and have a look.

mjrimmer said:

From what I can remember it was when costic was used as a thinning agent for the oil, this inturn would eat through the seals on the hp fuel pump causing it to fail, I don't know if it affected injectors the same.
Top gear ran a bmw 320 on it for a race and they had to change the fuel pump as it failed just before the start because of the bio diesel.
That said if you can change the pump yourself and it only costs you 30ppl then every 300 litres you use you've saved enough to by a recon pump.
The only other cost I know of with the costic stuff was you needed to change the engine oil every 5000 miles.

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I remember the Top Gear car, it was a 330d, basically a larger 6 cylinder version of our engine with similar fuel systems. Like you say it's the caustic soda & also methanol etc. used in the processing which attacks the seals Interestingly all pump diesel contains around 5%-8% biodiesel anyway but I still wouldn't take the chance. Too lazy to mess about with fuel systems if I don't have to, but with diesel prices the way they're going I can see why people will go for it.

Looks like you know what you're doing. I heard it was the left over methanol that ate the seals, or was it killer whales?

I've got an L series and will stick to filtered WVO blend once I have fitted my inline and injector line heaters.

hi been running one of our td4 comercials on our farm now for 6years now over 50,000 miles done in it and no probs at all never tryed 100per cent bio we us 50 50 mix to many scaremongers when it comes to bio might even try it in wife rr sport

Great feedback chaps, but nobody's had a go at answering my original question.

we have never done anythink to ours at all even in the winter it started np

Yes, because the heater comes on.

there you go then u dont need any more answers

Andrew McIntyre said:

Great feedback chaps, but nobody's had a go at answering my original question.

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I've never seen any forum mention having to alter the timing on a diesel to get it to run on veg oil or bio, I used to run a 2l Zafira on SVO from Morrisons, varying the ration of veg to dino according to the time of year, and it was sometimes a bit reluctant to fire-up on a heavy mix of SVO if the temperature dropped, probably due to the fuel system struggling to cope with the thicker fuel.
Some people go for an in-tank heater or a twin-tank system using dino-oil to start and warm the engine (from a small tank) then switching to the main tank which is full of veg oil.
Now I'm going to look at your link to the brewery and realise that non of this applies.............

I have a 98 L series that has been running on 100% bio for the last 3 years (35K miles) with no problems.

When I first started I had to change the fuel filter after about 3-400 miles as the bio cleaned all the crap out of the tank and fuel lines. I now keep a couple of fuel filters on the shelf just in case.

I mix 50/50 with pump diesel in winter and have had no starting problems.

Currently 95p per litre duty paid.

The owner runs a BMW 3 series, TD4 and RR sport on the stuff as well as his vans.