[Vwdiesel] Re: Another leaky pump..... & alternate fuel

[Lee Hillsgrove]

  Well, I let the type F ATF sit in the pump for a day but the leak was just
as bad as before. In desperation, I grabbed a partial bottle of power
steering fluid which claimed to stop leaks and a full bottle of Gunk AT
sealer, probably the same stuff that Mr.. Bulley had, and ran them through
the pump. After almost 24 hours of sitting, the drip has slowed down but is
still there. I will get another bottle of the trans sealer and dose it up
again tomorrow after work. Hopefully this will slow it down even further so
we can use the car.

 What surprised me the most was how insensitive the engine was to what I was
running through it. The idle speed never changed unless it was sucking air
and the diesel clatter never seemed to sound any different. The exhaust even
seemed to smell mostly normal. I guess that speaks to the multifuel
capabilities of the VW diesel. I know now that were I ever to be stranded
away from a source of diesel fuel and I had a quantity of some type of
petroleum distillate that was oily, I'd pour it in the tank and get to the
next fuel station. I'd even run a gallon of vegetable oil to get me to where
I needed to go if I had to, and not really worry about it.

 I went to a sustainable living festival in VT this weekend to display my
TDI running on 100% biodiesel as an alternately fueled vehicle. One of the
other cars there was an '81 Rabbit with a straight vegetable oil system. It
starts on diesel and then switches over to used, filtered Fryalator oil from
a spare tire well tank. The fuel filter and tank are heated by engine
coolant to decrease the viscosity of the oil, and there are solenoid valves
to swap the fuel source. The owner said he switches over before he leaves
the driveway, then  switches back about a minute before arriving at his
destination to purge the vegetable oil from the pump and injectors. Cost of
used oil - $0.
 Neat.
 His car was the prototype for the system found here:

http://www.greasecar.com/

 With some work, you could come up with a similar system for not too much
money, I think.


  Lee
  Oo-v-oO
  PP-ASEL
  KB1GNI