ratwerks Grease Van Project

Well, we gave it up. The diesel Vanagon wanted more time than I had for it so I gave it away. I think I won't come back to this, too many problems with biodiesel sustainability.

aka FRYBABY

• 8 Oct 04 update: new plan is to swap the 85 for an 82 diesel from Scott Foss and run it on biodiesel.
• 15 Oct 04: Got the diesel vanagon. got 40 MPG on the trip back from OR.

old plan below this line, along with useful links

• We're going to put together a VW Vanagon that runs on both diesel fuel and used vegetable oil. We live in San Francisco, so warm up to SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil) temps should be a snap. Our primary motivation in building this is to have a car big enough for all six of us that runs on a clean burning alternative fuel. The idea of free fuel excites me, too.

Contact:

• http://ratwerks.com/mailman/listinfo/frybaby - the mailing list

The Plan:

• Drive our 85 Vanagon around until all 5 drivers are sure we like it.

• Have an Overland http://www.overlandparts.com/ diesel kit installed.

• Install Greasecar's http://www.greasecar.com/products.cfm?productID=1.

• Get a couple of 55 gallon drums and drive around San Francisco in search of grease.
• Do road trips off the interstate and use grease begging as an excuse to meet the locals and eat fried food.

Progress:

• 03 Aug 02 - We bought a 1985 VW Vanagon GL Weekender for $1850 ( http://frybaby.org/before/ )

• 07 Aug 02 - Applied for CA license plate FRYBABY
• 09 Aug 02 - Fred's Garage in RWC for CV joints, once over.
• 13 Aug 02 - America's Tire - 5 x 185R14 Yokohama 356s replace mixed set of passenger car tires.

• 16 Aug 02 - ordered a 50x84 Surco Safari Rack from http://www.urbanjunglesuv.com/

• 19 Aug 02 - registered frybaby.org, look for a new frybaby website soon.

The Diesel Question, California Style:

• I've heard from a bunch of people that getting a clean bill of health from the CA DMV can be a bit exasperating

when one converts from gas to diesel. Expert advice from all over the internet agrees, I won't be able to sneak a diesel engine (no matter how clean) through the smog inspection for a gasoline-titled car. Good news is some folks report that CARB is pretty favorable about what we're trying to do (see comments below.)

Smog:

• http://smogcheck.ca.gov/StdHome.asp

• http://www.dmv.ca.gov/

Diesel:

• http://www.overlandparts.com/conkitintro.htm - complete kits

• http://www.fastforward.ca/ - conversion kits, diesel motors

• http://www.vwdieselparts.com/nitems.htm - parts and rebuilt motors

• http://www.turbovans.com/ - Scott Foss

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/turbovans/ - and more Scott Foss

• http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw/

• http://volksweb.relitech.com/convert.htm - conversion info

• http://www.tdiclub.com/

Grease Werks:

• http://www.greasecar.com/

• http://greasemonkeyconversions.com/

• http://www.greasel.com/

• http://www.grease-works.com/

• http://www.veggievan.org/

Miscellany:

• http://www.babingtontechnology.com/ - diesel refrigerators!

• http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afv/incentives.html - tax breaks?

• http://www.dependabledrum.com/poly.htm

• http://www.mcontainer.com/drumsinfo.htm

Vanagon:

• http://www.vanagon.com/

• http://www.busdepot.com/

• http://www.tiico.com/

Cars and Parts:

• http://www.cars.com/

• http://www.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/search?areaID=1&subAreaID=0&catAbbreviation=mcy&cat=69&group=S&type_search=&query=vanagon&new_cat=empty&maxAsk=

Visitor Comments

• Sir, You should have no problem registering a gas to diesel conversion in California. CARB looks upon these conversions as a very positive step. We have done this with 3 of our own cars, and our customers are having no trouble either. Ben Zlotkin, Overland Parts Inc.

-- Thanks, Ben. That is good news and about what I had decided.

What happened? You gave up 2 years ago? -- Rev_Fry

-- Didn't quite give up. But you are right about the 2 year hiatus. Where we're at right now is I'm about to buy an '82 diesel

• with a 98 Jetta diesel in it. 16 Sep 04

• http://www.webconx.com/

• http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/how_to/relays/

• http://www.alldata.com/TSB/63/85630514.html

• http://www.dieselgeek.com/

• http://www.paintscratch.com

Frying Squad Chase Oil Cars

• A police unit has been dubbed the Frying Squad after launching a crackdown on drivers who use cooking oil to power their cars. Drivers in west Wales have been caught using used cooking oil from fish and chip shops instead of petrol.

• The oil, mixed with methanol to make it power an engine, is tax free and works out less than half the price of petrol. Dyfed-Powys police have stopped at least three drivers using oil in the past few days. Each was given a £500 on-the-spot fine and warned they may face jail. They were commiting an offence because all road users must pay fuel duty. One driver caught told The Times: "I have halved my motoring costs since I started running my Subaru on cooking oil. "The car runs just as well and even smells a lot better than diesel." Last Updated: 11:17 UK, Wednesday October 09, 2002

  from skynews article

Links from guests:

• be sure to look here as well =>http://www.biodiesel.org

• Press release that may help that issue in the USA http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/pressreleases/gen/20030801_senate_energy_bill.pdf