How can you convert a diesel engine to run off vegetable oil instead of diesel fuel?

Question

NPR just broadcast a story about a guy who did this, pretty cheaply too (~$500)

Answer 1

This site gives the modifications required to run straight vegetable oil

http://www.oilpress.com/drive_your_diese...

Alternatively you can make your veggie oil into bio diesel. which means you do not need to modify the car. (maybe an extra fuel filter)

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mi...

Answer 2

It's actually an easy conversion.  There's lot of info on this on the Internet (do a google search).  But, it's just not practical.  Virgin vegetable oil is much more expensive than diesel.  And, there are so many people competing for used vegetable oil that the price is climbing.  Finally, burning vegetable oil generates as much greenhouse gases as burning diesel or gasoline.

Answer 3

A diesel will run on almost any thing but not gasoline or the lighter fuels as they explode too hard. A diesel will run on lube oil the air is compressed  and it is so hot it will burn it. The main hold back is to filter it very fine to remove all particles and moisture.

Answer 4

There's a vegan site out of NYC!  They are hard to deal with but they can do it.  If you can convince them to do it they don't take cash!

Answer 5

As someone mentioned... it's mostly changing the gaskets and filters.  Cheaper over the long run is converting the used-veggie oil to Bio-diesel.

My brother lives in rural California and bought a Ford Diesel back in 2001, converted it to run on used-oil (gathered free from two local eateries) for $600 (including a tank heater since it snows in winter).  In 2003 he got the equipment to covert the oil to bio-diesel for about $1500... it has since paid for itself.

Answer 6

he must have had to change the vegetables oil's property's to make it work

Answer 7

The main issue is that the vegetable oil likes to congeal in the fuel tank.  So you have to add stuff to the oil to prevent it from getting too thick to go through the fuel lines. (and so it will spray through the injectors properly)

You can filter used french fry grease from McDonald's and put it directly into a normal diesel engine and the engine will run.... as long as the oil is hot enough to go through the fuel system.

Answer 8

I don´t now, but i´ll check the answers.