steps to cleaning your car..

[Bavarian M3's]

mothers products are good...Takes me about 3 to 4 hours as well...

[BMPOWR]

Originally Posted by Bavarian M3's

mothers products are good...Takes me about 3 to 4 hours as well...

Hey do you do yours with a buffer or by hand?

[M3.SA]

At that amount of time,it would be hand

[M109.Take II]

cant believe half you guys polish the car when you wash it. only need to polish a car once a year if that

[M3.SA]

Originally Posted by M109.Take II

cant believe half you guys polish the car when you wash it. only need to polish a car once a year if that

There is a few things that contribute to polishing the car more then once.
For example my car stand outside under a shed and not in a guarge,
it keeps on getting dirty, dust etc so i try an polish it atlest twice a year.

[prematon]

Thanks for the feedback. That is very useful.

[sudmulspa]

I watched someone use the an automatic car was in an old vert, not sure what car, looked from the 60's and it was a soft top, came out fine, I think... I wasn't really paying attention to it...

It should be alright, unless your car has leaks... Or the rag top is torn or in bad condition

[2totoo]

The VO conversion knowledge base and technology advances rapidly.
So each year I try to update the "10 steps" tutorial and add more helpful links to each step so "newbies" can find the specific info they are looking for more easily without having to search through 10 years of forum discussions.

It has grown large enough that this year it wil lno longer fit into a single post on this forum. Consequently it is split into two parts (1-6) and (7-10).

Unfortunately the url links from the actual tutorial page do not transfer to the Infopop forum format so if you want a version with active links go the the continually updated tutorial website HERE.

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If you are simply looking for information on where to buy a "conversion kit" this short review should save you hours of searching and help avoid major dissapointments.

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If you have basic questions please ask them IN THIS DISCUSSION And I will try to answer them or direct you to a discussion with the asnwers as quickly as possible. The questions and answers will then be archived and indexed so others with these same questions can find them easily.

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS THREAD CLOSED TO DISCUSSION SO NOT TO CLUTTER IT UP. If you want to discuss an item in this thread please go to the 10 steps "discussion" post HERE.
Happy "greasing"!
Dana
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Summary

Step 1.
Determine if VO fuel is an economically viable/wise option in your specific circumstance.
(e.g. will it at least pay for itself?)

Step 2.
Determine if you have a low cost supply of veg oil available and secure that source.

Step 3.
Determine if your engine is in good shape , what configuration is most appropriate for your vehicle, climate, and budget and which components will be required to convert it.

Step 4.
Decide if you want to assemble or fabricate your own components as well as install them...or buy the components as a "kit". If in doubt seriously reconsider your decision. Be realistic.

Step 5.
Make or purchase a prefilter/dewatering unit. There are many options depending on your budget and the quality of available wvo. Test the prefiltered/dewatered wvo fuel to make certain that you you can produce WVO fuel that is "dry enough" to not damage IPs and/or injectors.

Step 6.
Determine what components will be needed in your conversion to safely use the WVO fuel you will have available in the climate/application you plan to use it in.

Step 7.
Order your kit or gather your parts/components/materials to make you own.

Step 8.
Install your veg oil conversion.

Step 9.
Test your veg oil conversion.

Step 10.
Maintain your veg-oil conversion.

Each of the steps in the above summary is provided as a detailed tutorial HERE.
For even MORE detail follow the links provided at the end of each of those tutorials.

Note: If you have basic questions please ask them HERE and they will be answered as quickly as possible. The questions and answers will then be archived and indexed so others with these same questions can find them easily later.

Also:
Some acronyms and abbreviations whose meanings may not be readily apparent to "newbies" are commonly used in these tutorials. For a list with meanings and discussion of these go to Terms and Acronyms.

Finally:
If you have any comments or suggestions on this tutorial that may improve it please post them at this link: Suggestions for the "Ten Steps to converting to VO Fuel" tutorial

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Finding a diesel vehicle is part of step 3 for those that do not already have one.
Here is a discussion with links to help you.

Step 1.
Determine if VO fuel is an economically viable/wise option in your specific circumstance. (e.g. will it at least pay for itself?)

Not all diesel engines are adaptable to VO fuel. Nor are all applications where a diesel engine is used highly compatible with use of VO fuel. If you choose an engine that is highly adaptable to VO fuel conversion it is not only more likely to be simpler to successfully convert but also more likely to be easier to maintain AND less likely to experience serious problems before the investment in converting it is recouped. Similarly if you intend to use a VO converted diesel engine for an application that experience has shown is well suited to VO fuel use the odds swing more in your favor that the experience will be an economically positive one. Ignore these factors and the odds significantly rise that your short term fuel cost savings will be outweighed by longer term maintenance and repair costs.

Diesel engines are not well suited to short use periods even when operated on "petrodiesel" and tend to develope problems when used only for light loads or short trips. These problems are magnified when diesel engines are run on VO fuel. No diesel vehicle can be expected to run well for very long if mostly used for trips of less than 15 minutes especially if run on VO fuel. In addition constant duty uses such as generators and irrigation pumps require that some provision be made to vary the load, switch to diesel ,or fumigate the intake occasionally to help burn off carbon accretions before they grow and harden.


Links:
ROI or Calculating how long it will take to pay back the cost of VO conversion.

What are the best engines/vehicles to convert?


Step 2.
Determine if you have a low cost supply of veg oil available and secure that source.

****For a very detailed and well composed and illustrated tutorial on securing and collecting go HERE.****

Otherwise..read on...
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If you don't have a ready supply of VO or WVO available you probably do NOT want to convert to veg oil.

Usually the most "available" (read as inexpensive) veg oil is WVO (waste veg oil) so this is the option I recommend investigating first. You cannot simply TAKE WVO from the dumpsters sitting behind restaurants. It usually BELONGS to somebody else. In most cases WVO in a dumpster BELONGS to the rendering/grease disposal company that owns the dumpster. Removing WVO from these dumpsters is THEFT unless you have permission..and often the restaurant owner/manager may not have a clue that the contract with the grease disposal company takes full legal ownership of "grease" once it is poured into their "dumpster". Having "permission" from a restaurant that does not legally own the WVO will not be a defense if you are caught and prosecuted/sued by the grease hauler whose dumpster you are removing WVO from. And such prosecutions have already taken place.

Even if there are just drums or cubees of WVO sitting out back of a restaurant it may not be OK to simply take the WVO contained. It may belong to another person making bio diesel or collecting for their own veg oil converted diesel. Best to thoroughly reconnoiter the restaurants in your area to see if they all currently have grease disposal company owned dumpsters "out back". If so you will need to convince the restaurant to pour their fryer oil into a container you provide to legally collect it. Some are willing to pour the fryer grease back into the containers it comes in (Cubees) for you. It never hurts to ask. The benefit to them may be that they save money on grease disposal costs since most grease disposal companies charge for each time they pick up grease and an alternative way to dispose of the fryer oil may cut their bill by several hundred dollars a year.

I suggest starting with any oriental restaurants/buffets in your area. These usually have the easiest to process (filter and dewater) WVO. Burger places usually have the hardest to filter/dewater and use WVO..check these last. If possible look in the prospective sources existing WVO disposal container first. High quality WVO looks clear at temperatures above 50*F. It may be from golden colored to as dark as Coke...but if it appears creamy it should not be your first choice. In weather colder than 50*F you may have to take a small sample home and warm it to 50* to determine its quality. If you can find a source of high "Melt Point" WVO it will make your life much easier than if you only have a low MP WVO source available. So take your time..this step is important. It IS possible to use high fat or hydrogenated WVO in a conversion as long as that conversion is designed to deal with its tendency to turn to "pudding" at temps where diesel fuel is still quite free flowing. Many VO conversion kits are not designed with this capability ..but can be easily upgraded.

Once you find a possible WVO source or two it is time to approach the managers about the possibility of collecting some of their "waste fryer oil". Don't show up too well dressed..or at a time they are likely to be very busy. But don't show up greasy either. I have usually approached restaurants in this manner with good success:

At a time in the early afternoon when the restaurant is nearly empty I order a small meal and ask to speak to the manager "when he as a few minutes" as I order. Normally he/she will come to your table half expecting a "sales pitch" since restaurant supply salesmen use this approach too. So it may take a few minutes before they understand that you are asking to take a waste product off their hands (saving them money) rather than sell them something. Go slow at first and if you get a blank stare go slower. Expect them to look at you as if you are asking a very unusual question. You are..and this is good.

Explain that you have discovered a sizable group of individuals experimenting with using waste fryer oil as a fuel for their diesel cars and trucks with only small modifications to the fuel systems. You are planning to try this experimentally and are trying to find a restaurant that would be willing to let you take some of their waste fryer oil to see if it really does work as fuel. Eventually you might want all of their "fryer oil" but for now you're just interested in some for initial experiments. If they say NO ask if they have a policy against this..some chain restaurants do. If so..it is best to simply thank them for their time and forget this as a source of WVO. It isn't going to happen...and arguing won't change that. Managers do not risk their job questioning or breaking "corporate policy". Go on to your second choice. You may also find that they are being paid for their WVO...in which case ask if the manager would be interested in a competitive bid from you if you cannot find a source that will provide it at no cost.

If they look skeptical let them think about it while you eat your meal. Offer to provide a collection vessel if they will not pour it back into cubees. Ask if they foresee any problem that you may have to overcome or have any rule you may need to comply with. Be sincere and co-operative. If they say they need to think it over..or talk to the owner say that you will be here for lunch next week, thank them for their time, leave them your telephone number...and don't forget to tip the waitress after you finish your meal.

Don't try to tell them everything you know about veg oil fuel..unless they ask. It won't help. If they give you the same "I need to talk to the boss" line next week ask if it would be more convenient for you to contact them by phone rather than when you come for meals. Use you best judgment..but I prefer the "soft sell" and patience to being pushy when asking for WVO access. And if I have to come back a second time..I usually bring in a table full of friends when I do. It helps...

Remember!
Once you have secured a source of WVO try very hard to maintain a good relationship with the managers and cooks. Keep the grease disposal area clean and be unobtrusive. I rent a pressure washer each fall to clean the greasy back areas as a "perk" the grease haulers never provide. In a few case I have gone back to the restaurant that said they "were not interested" originally and ask if they would like me to pressure wash their grease disposal areas..for free. Except for the corporate policy restaurants this results in about 50% changing their minds about allowing me to pick up their WVO. You may not need this..but I use thousands of gallons of WVO fuel each year personally and am responsible for securing WVO sources for fleet clients that use several thousand gallons per week and it is always better to have a waiting list of restaurants that want you to pick up their WVO than not enough to meet your needs.

Never load grease when it might in any way create more work or trouble for the restaurant. Don't "gab" with the cooks..they may be busy. Just be friendly and efficient and as invisible as possible.

And finally...
If possible bring in "business" in the form of restaurant customers whenever you can...it will help secure the source of WVO more than anything else.

And leave decent tips.
Waitresses are paid lousy wages and tipping creates "good karma". Really!

Links:
Discussions about securing WVO sources.


Step 3.
Determine if your engine is in good shape , what configuration is most appropriate for your vehicle, climate, and budget and which components will be required to convert it.

Test your engine to see if it is in good shape before deciding on a configuration.
Many of those reporting engine failures within 20K miles after conversion appear to have converted already seriously worn out engines. Although diesel engines are usually capable of accumulating 2.5 to 4 hundred thousand miles before needing an overhaul... if they have not been properly maintained..or if they have been abused they may wear out much more quickly. And a diesel engine with badly worn rings will contaminate the crankcase (lubricating) oil quickly and require special maintenance to avoid rapidly accelerated engine wear/failure. It is best to only convert an engine that is up to acceptable operating specifications and to determine that it is best to have a compression and leak down test performed on it prior to conversion. It is best to also have the injectors tested since if they are not up to spec it is more likely that the engine will not last as long as it would if they were. If you plan to convert a "junker" and only have it last 20-30K miles the most appropriate conversion configuration may be very different ..and much less expensive.. than if you are converting an engine you hope to wring several hundred thousand miles out of.

Finding a diesel vehicle is part of step 3 for those that do not already have one.
Here is a discussion with links to help you.

Other Helpful Links:
Before you convert any engine
Two tank tutorial
The differences between "single tank and "two tank" VO conversions
Configuration schematics
"Return" fuel circuit options
Coolant circuit configurations.


Step 4.
Decide if you want to assemble or fabricate your own components as well as install them...or buy the components as a "kit". If in doubt seriously reconsider your decision. Be realistic...if you can't successfully make your own wvo processor you should probably not try to make your own conversion kit. (Here are my guidelines)


The earliest (most primitive) VO conversions simply tried to substitute highly liquid vo for diesel fuel. It soon became obvious that this dramatically shortened engine life. It also limited VO fuel use to warm climate ares and could not utilize most of the WVO available (since it was not highly liquid). Soon it was discovered that by adding heat to the VO using a heated filter and heated fuel lines conversions became slightly more reliable and capable of operating in slightly cooler climates. I refer to these as Stage 1 conversions. These are only capable of utilizing very low viscosity wvo or wvo/diesel blends in temperate climates but are normally used only on IDI diesel engines with in-line IPs. Don't expect to get decent engine longevity, be able to use the majority of wvo available, or reliably operate year round in most ares with a Stage 1 conversion. DI engines...especially high performance/high MPG engines tend to have very short lifespans if converted with a Stage 1 conversion.

Stage 2 conversions were developed mainly to allow year round operation in colder climates. These added fuel tank heaters, higher temperature filters, and in-line fuel heaters (either electric or coolant heated) to the heated fuel lines of the earlier ... more primitive... stage 1 VO conversion configurations. These were by and large "two tank" conversions...but some single tank stage 2 conversion configurations were attempted as well which worked passably well in warm climates for "long distance" drivers.

Stage 3 conversion configurations were developed as the correlation between final VO temp and engine longevity became more apparent to the "do it yourself" (DIY) VO conversion community and results of formal studies on VO combustion/conversion became more available. The widely accepted "pre-IP" VO temp range of 150F-160F was established by private research which indicated that VO hotter than this was actually cooled as it passed through the IP. Stage 3 conversions usually incorporate the now ubiquitous Flat Plate Heat Exchanger (FPHE) as it has proved to be the most compact and efficient component capable of reliably raising VO to that temperature range using only the waste heat present in engine coolant. Since the DIY VO conversion community had also discovered that the "Whole Tank Heaters" that some Stage 2 conversions used tended to promote rapid VO polymerization (which can clog filters) and were significantly less capable of thawing solid VO fuel fast than heated fuel pickups these were also incorporated in most Stage 3 conversion configurations.

Stage 4 conversion configurations developed in response to the ACREVO study which clearly showed that VO did not atomize as well as diesel fuel until pre-injector VO temps of nearly 300F are achieved. Since fuel efficiency is directly linked to how well the fuel is atomized by the injectors and this in turn is directly linked to increased exhaust emissions AND engine coking several efforts were made to attempt to develop "post IP" VO heating components. The efforts made in Europe aimed at heating the injectors resulted in an inductive injector heater which worked effectively but not efficiently. In the US several independent efforts were made to develop Injector Line Heaters (ILH) which proved to be a simpler and more efficient method of raising VO final injection temps beyond what is possible with only pre-IP VO heating components. Currently no conversion kit vendor offers post IP heating components but they are an easy option to install on most engines with injector lines. Another even simpler option that at least lowers the amount of heat lost from VO as it passes through is lightweight injector line insulation.
__________________
Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional
Devis mutuelle familiale des cheminots fr |Devis mutuelle familial vauban

[myroncarlin]

Originally Posted by ghost528i

wash car
dry car
wash wheels
dry wheels
shine tires
armoral trim
clean inside
vac inside
look at it
go for a spin some where
(depending on how i feel) take pics
about 1 1/2 hour long

Nice step..