Self build custom fuel tank

Not sure of the volume yet, I'll need to take my shoes and socks off later and try to work it out
I'm hoping for a minimum of 60L, as the previous tank gave me around 500 or so (I think?) miles on a mix of short/long journeys, stops and starts, etc.

Saltlick said:

Not sure of the volume yet, I'll need to take my shoes and socks off later and try to work it out
I'm hoping for a minimum of 60L, as the previous tank gave me around 500 or so (I think?) miles on a mix of short/long journeys, stops and starts, etc.

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so 300 x 200 x 1070 then.

behind the seats, i would make it the same height as the wheel arches so it was all flush Then a couple of brackets on the top to bolt it to the bulkhead.

Assuming this is a defender? (sorry ive slept and i cant remember what its going in)

no its a disco 1, so an awkward shape with probably some cutouts for the dicky seats so that it can be bigger.

aahhh right. Sorry my bad.

Oh ive got some nice MSS storage cubbys for sale on ebay that would fit that

Yeah... no, the dog struggle to get in the back as it is with the +2" lift and 265/75's! Adding those would probably send him the edge!

replace the dog

That'll be happening at some point in the near future - the Hoond is nearing the end of his useful life, so will be recycled/upgraded as needed...

poor fella.

I had fun with the range rover this morning, the last of the crud from the tank blocked up the fuel filter, couldnt go over 1/3 throttle or it was spluttering and dying. put 50 ltrs of diesel in it to thin the mix a bit, which helped a teeny bit but its going to be a crap drive home tonight.

Hopefully thats the last of the rubbish out of the fuel system though

Bugger

WVO/SVO does have a way of clearing all the ****e through to the fuel filter! I always carry a spare for each filter housing, but it usually happens when either first putting veg oil into the main tank, or when it gets empty in your case.
Last time I did a roadside filter change was when I thought my WVO filter had suddenly clogged on a long journey, only to find that the new filter was also clogged - what it actually turned out to be was the rear seat foot squashing the WVO feed pipe after I put the seats back down the day before!! Dammit!
But bugger me it did act just like a clogged filter!

haha, we do put up with some annoyances to save a few quid !

Indeed! Although this month it's the only thing that has meant we can afford to run the car this week - end of the month and all that has been very tight!
I often get asked if it's worth it and I always say that it's the only way I can afford to run a land rover, but actually it means it's almost free. I think I spend about £20 - 30 a month on diesel just for starting/stopping.
When I look at the all the WVO I collect and even rounding down the value to £1/ltr I think to myself I've got about £1.5k in (free) fuel sat in my shed - why the hell wouldn't you convert a car to oil?!!

i need to start collecting wvo.

I buy mine from ebay - (like i buy everything)

It would be nice if I could get some for free but I have no idea how to start off. Does one just go in the local restuarant and say "ay up... got any cooking oil like?"

Pretty much!
Make sure you can give them a waste transfer note - be it per collection, or a yearly ticket which is what i do. Then make sure you've got a rat/mouse proof way to store it, because the environmental health/EA/Whoever else, will want to inspect where all this dangerous waste is going etc.

Saltlick said:

Pretty much!
Make sure you can give them a waste transfer note - be it per collection, or a yearly ticket which is what i do. Then make sure you've got a rat/mouse proof way to store it, because the environmental health/EA/Whoever else, will want to inspect where all this dangerous waste is going etc.

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i find it difficult to start up that kind of conversation lol

Well it's a fairly easy in really - just ask if they use much oil and if they have to pay to get it removed, if so you can save them some money, if not you can probably buy for a similar price that they get from their supplier/remover and still get a good price. Just make sure you can get rid of the sludge and fat whites that you will inevitably collect...

Saltlick, do you run 100% wvo in the veg tank through the winter, or do you mix diesel or petrol to help it through the pipes before it gets heated?
Reason I ask is I've just got a bio tuning twin tank kit up and running and was wondering about the practicalities of running through the winter.
Was planning to put 5% petrol in with the wvo when we start to get frosty mornings to stop it freezing. Just wondered what you do as this is my first try at veg oil motoring.

I do usually run 100% wvo through winter, but I use the stuff that has settled longest and is already winterised to an extent - the longer you leave the clean oil to settle in the cold, the more of the cloudy clag that drops out and the less chance of waxing in your system.

This winter just gone I became lazy - since finding a garage that gives me all their mixed misfuel for free I've just been chucking a load of of it into my prefilter oil stock - it speeds up filtering and helps to settle even more when cleaned, as well as thinning the final product.
In fact this week I ran out of money and needed a bit of derv for starting, so mixed up 20L of misfuel, wvo and 2stroke oil to start the car on, and it's done an ok job even though it's been chilly in the mornings here.

Use a bit of 2stroke in your tank if you don't already - it makes a big difference to wvo running!

+1 on the 2 stroke

I cant believe the difference it makes!

Even more so when you consider how the engine runs without the TSO - imagine the damage that plain SVO/WVO is doing to your injection pump and injectors because of the lack of lubrication.
Just make sure it's mineral based, not the semi synthetic, @bigstuey...

Thanks for that, a bottle of mineral based 2 stroke to get on the way home then. I think I'm still pulling a lot of crap through from the tank at the moment, as I've used the main tank for the wvo, first filter died after 400 miles. I know its not the wvo because its filtered to 1 micron.
Do you wait for the engine to get up to full temp before switching over? I've been switching over as soon as the needle starts to lift, got the wrong temp gauge in at the moment though so its just trial and error.