Hi Camillo, Injection pump seals are easy enough to replace, usually without rebuilding the unit, but have you had any nasty complaints from users where bio has damaged pump seals? It's costly to take vehicles off the road for repairs. Another problem area can be diaphragm type lift pumps.
Have you also had problems where users say they won't take the fuel because their vehicle warranties are affected? We've been canvassing for customers for when we (hopefully) get into production. A bus fleet operator was really keen, but he's now backed out. He uses Merceded based vehicles and he's been told biodiesel would void his warranty. Dave --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Camillo Holecek" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > As a comercial producer I use to tell my clients: Any European car maker's > product after 1996 IS 100% BD proof, as countrys like France are allready > mixing 5% BD in their standard diesel fuel sold at the pump, and in Czeck > Republik it is 30% in the "Bio-Naphta" that is also sold to anyone at the > pump, and no one of those car makers wants to get a bad name that his brand > car failed in those important markets. > > And BTW, Nissan Austria just a few weeks ago aproofed it's Primera for 100% > BD, too. > > We did hear of a few medium aged trucks having the original injection pump > seals going to pieces, after growing bigger over several month due to BD > "attacking". > > Camillo Holecek > Biodiesel Raffinerie GmbH, Austria > > > > -----Ursprungliche Nachricht----- > Von: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Gesendet: Mittwoch, 20. Juni 2001 18:53 > An: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Betreff: [biofuels-biz] Re: which vehicles can run unmodified on > biodiesel? > > > Rubbers are definitely affected. Even the (supposedly) chemical > resistant silicone rubber goes hard in biodiesel. However, I believe > that injection pump shaft seals will never be made from rubber - it's > not got the mechanical properties and ages much faster than plastics. > Ancient VW diesel are running about happily on biodiesel. Yes they > have new fuel pipes, but that's about all. Even if they weren't so > old, VW would never warrant them for the fuel, but nobody told the > cars :) > > As Keith says, manufacturer warranty is however a problem for > commercial producers. I see our immediate market lying with > commercial vehicles and busses that are out of warranty. > > Most post 1995 VW's are OK and they already offer conversion kits for > the others. Eventually, the other vehicle makers will catch up. > > Dave > > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >Let me rephrase my question ....... which vehicles don't need > their fuel lines or pump seals changing? > > > > Hi Paddy and all > > > > Let me rephrase it one more - which vehicles DO need their fuel > lines and/or pump seals changes? > > > > Businesses producing or selling biodiesel and lobby groups like the > > NBB have to take possible liabilities and warranties into account, > > but DIYers only have themselves to worry about and are prolly more > > enterprising. Thousands of people all over the world are making and > > using their own biodiesel. So far I haven't heard of a single case > > of it actually happening. I have heard of old vehicles, which are > much > > more likely to have rubber parts, running for thousands of miles on > > biodiesel without problems. I've also heard of vehicles having > > problems from using unwashed biodiesel, but that's different. > > > > So, do we have any real evidence that it really happens? Are there > > any known cases? > > > > Apart from that, this might be useful - "Durability of Various > > Plastics: Alcohols vs. Gasoline", see Methanol: > > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me2.ht > ml#table > > > > Best > > > > Keith Addison > > Journey to Forever > > Handmade Projects > > Tokyo > > http://journeytoforever.org/ > > > Biofuels at Journey to Forever > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > Biofuel at WebConX > http://www.webconx.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://www.webconx.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
