Quote
alkun
Plus don't you need to be at like 7000 psi to get veggie oil to esplode?

And what could their lawyers say when they get sued IF the veggie oil explodes because there's no Gary Busey fuel cell protector protector and its shown they weren't mandating best practices...

No chance is worth the risk....

besides the latent heat of veggie oil is much greater than mere gasoline so the inevitable explosion will be of far greater intensity so they better mandate a 3/8" 4130 CrMo hardened steel cover on all sides of the cell!

THINK of the children!!!!

Genuine photo of a former VW diesel rally car without fuel cell protector protector:

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

On fuel cell rules comments...



Nice welds, though! I wish my aluminum welds were that nice! Why can't you start on veggie? Or I guess, maybe the better question is how does it keep running on veggie, if it needs to start on diesel? It's just already warm enough/enough compression after it's started on diesel?

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Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

Of course it gets tiring to you since its been years and years that it isn't an important issue for you since you car is sitting rotting and rusting unfinished.

But to some people it is a current problem this unique and totally bizarre reading of the same old rule which has been around since the early 70s.

Maybe one day in 3 or 5 or 8 years hence when you need to get your car logbooked, then it will all make sense...

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

It's fine with RA. The flash point of veggie oil is about a bazillion degrees, give or take. Beautiful build btw!

I have clearence from Mike Hurst on the tank design, I'm basically doing the same thing as I did on my current car, it will include a fire box. Vegetable oil and diesel are not nearly as volitile as gasoline but I don't mind having an extra enclosure in case of roll over etc..

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www.DMackTyresUSA.com

Quote
heymagic
It's fine with RA. The flash point of veggie oil is about a bazillion degrees, give or take. Beautiful build btw!

Yeah but when it goes, it goes!
Ever fought a veggie oil fire?

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Does the veggie oil need a heater in the tank?

I have seen folks run a coolant line from the engine through a heat exchanger in the veggie oil tank. Startup with diesel, get it warm then swtich over, then switch back prior to shut down. Kind of a PITA.

Quote
SeanP
I have seen folks run a coolant line from the engine through a heat exchanger in the veggie oil tank. Startup with diesel, get it warm then swtich over, then switch back prior to shut down. Kind of a PITA.

Not much of a "PITA", just the push of a button.

The tank, fuel filter and lines are heated with engine coolant. The engine cold starts on the smaller diesel tank then off you go. When the engine is up to normal operating temp and the vegetable oil is warm, the system controller switches a pair of solenoids and you're running on vegetable oil. At the end of the day (or if you're shutting down for long enough that the engine will cool down, you press a button that flushes the injection system and puts you back to diesel (takes about 30 sec while your driving).

There's a general system diagram and more info HERE

And John's right, it takes a lot of heat to get a grease fire going but once it's burning it needs to be smothered. Still, not as dramatic as a gasoline or race fuel fire.

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www.DMackTyresUSA.com

Quote
Greasecar

Quote
SeanP
I have seen folks run a coolant line from the engine through a heat exchanger in the veggie oil tank. Startup with diesel, get it warm then swtich over, then switch back prior to shut down. Kind of a PITA.

Not much of a "PITA", just the push of a button.

The tank, fuel filter and lines are heated with engine coolant. The engine cold starts on the smaller diesel tank then off you go. When the engine is up to normal operating temp and the vegetable oil is warm, the system controller switches a pair of solenoids and you're running on vegetable oil. At the end of the day (or if you're shutting down for long enough that the engine will cool down, you press a button that flushes the injection system and puts you back to diesel (takes about 30 sec while your driving).

There's a general system diagram and more info HERE

And John's right, it takes a lot of heat to get a grease fire going but once it's burning it needs to be smothered. Still, not as dramatic as a gasoline or race fuel fire.

You should carry 10lbs of table salt to put any fires out with....

So how much 'fuel' do you carry and what does that thing get for mileage when driven in anger?

I guess I could throw a sack of baking powder in my spill kit.

The Rabbit is quite a bit lighter but is running the same engine only with a mechanical rather than electronic fuel injection system and gets 20-30mpg on stage. We also have a Class 5 Baja bug and it's getting around the same, so my guess is somewhere in that range.

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www.DMackTyresUSA.com

Well that sure beats my old RX7 which got about 5 mpg on stage....

Hey Gene, so the coolant heater system for the fuel tank is fine with RA? Do the lines have to run outside of the car? Just curious.

Love the car BTW.

Quote
phlat65
Hey Gene, so the coolant heater system for the fuel tank is fine with RA? Do the lines have to run outside of the car? Just curious.

Love the car BTW.

Oh
MY
GAWD!!!
Your right >Coolant is explosive! More ka-BOOM.

Here's a gen-u-whine photo of a car that had a coolant leak that lit off:


You can read all about horrible explosions here:
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Explosion

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2012 10:26PM by john vanlandingham.

Johnny..... rules state no engine fluids in the cabin, heater core excluded. I personally don't care, run oil in there if you want. I was just curious.

You know how things like this can open doors, why not a rear mounted radiator? Or an oil surge tank. You get the idea.