[Vwdiesel] Biodiesel Questions

[mikitka]

Here in NC it doesn't get that cold for the most part. I do remember when I
was growing up. We purchased a new 79 rabbit diesel and loved it. Well
except for some reason we went through 3 head gaskets and one time a whole
new head was needed. We followed the maintenance required but still had head
gasket issues, but that is a different story. I lived back in the Mt. of Pa.
We lived in the valley and my grandparents lived up on a mountain about 45
minutes away. I can remember one winter that it was really cold out, can't
remember the temp but we barely got the rabbit started and the entire drive
up to my grandparents again about a 45 minute drive but only about 30 miles.
All back mountain roads, the rabbit never warmed up, no heat and the
windshield was hard to keep clear.  On the night return trip we put some
card board in front of the radiator which seemed to help.

Oh those were the days, young and care free.  My parents gave me the rabbit
in 1985 when they moved to Florida to help with my cost of travling to
visit. It lasted till it hit 138k and then just out of the blue driving
55mph on a four lane it threw #2 rod right through the front of the block.
Well the car front facing side. Turns out when I pulled the engine out and
pulled the oil pan the connecting rod nuts were laying in the oil pan. Some
how they backed off. Strange!!!!

Nick

-----Original Message-----
From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com] On
Behalf Of Val Christian
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 7:25 AM
To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Biodiesel Questions

I tend to run #1, not gasoline.  It has worked at -30 F temps for me.
At -40F you need about a 50/50 mix of #2 and #1.

I was never comfortable with the VW recommendation of gasoline, which
I believe was dropped about 1980.  Of course, some people put too
much gasoline in their tank, or didn't get it mixed well.  That 
caused other problems.

It would be interesting sharing cold weather stories, because 
my experience is that if you're driving 40 mph, and temps are 
below -20F, the engine will never even show temp on the gauge.
If one is driving 70 mph, then the temp will approach 80C or 
whatever the thermostat is.  Climbing hills is good, because 
one can actually get some heat. At 40 mph, there is just too
little waste heat.  My experience is a dozen Rabbits, and Jettas
with IDI engines, and a Jetta with an ALH TDI engine.


> 
>   Maybe I'm daft but how about a gallon of gasoline/tank?  That's 
> what I use for #2 diesel, it's listed in the Rabbit owner's manual 
> and I was one of the few cars running cross country one winter 
> when nighttime temperatures were near -30F!  I had a LOT of 
> people along that trip tell me I couldn't do that as they were 
> buying more Power Service and other additives as they were 
> gelled up on the side of the road.  I tend to wonder who is right 
> when I'm running and they're not!  I did pick up some PS to aid in 
> lubricity (assuming it helps with that).  I presume gas will thin 
> bio just as well as it does #2.  
>   If your #2 gells at 25F and your #1 gells at 5F then a 50/50 mix 
> is still only good to 15F.  In a 12 or so gallon tank, 2 gallons of 
> gas will get you to about -30F!
>   Just my thoughts...
>      Loren
> 
> 
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