How to Convert a Diesel Truck to Vegetable Oil
Vegetable and biodiesel fuels have gained popularity in the United States as fuel prices have increased and people have become more environmentally conscious. Converting a standard diesel truck to biodiesel is an in-depth process that retrofits the truck engine's fuel system, hoses, filters and pump to handle the dense vegetable oils. The system's upfront costs can be about $3,000, but the fuel savings can add up quickly if vegetable oil is readily available.
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Things You'll Need
- Installation kit
- Hole saw
- Phillips-head screwdriver
- Bucket
- 1/2-inch drill bit
Instructions
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Purchase an installation kit. Online stores such as Greasecar.com and Frypower.com offer do-it-yourself vegetable-oil kits that include all of the necessary hardware to install and run a diesel engine mainly off of vegetable oil. The kits include hoses, a heater, clamps, a fuel cell, other hardware and instructions.
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2
Install the fuel cell, or vegetable oil tank, by securing it to the bed of the truck. Trucks usually will have this cell located against the front wall of the bed. In this conversion, the truck engine will still run on some diesel fuel, so complete replacement of the diesel tank is not necessary.
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3
Install two hoses to run hot radiator fluid to the to the oil heater that is in the top of the oil fuel cell. Vegetable oil must be heated before it can be used as fuel because of its thickness when its cool. The hoses are clamped onto the intake tubes with hose clamps by tightening the screws with a Phillips-head screwdriver. Run these tubes to the bottom of the cars frame rail by inserting the hoses through gaskets in the metal trunk pan. Run the hoses along the frame and into the engine bay. Radiators have extra ports already drilled and plugged. Drain the radiator fluid into a clean bucket or tub, then remove one of the extra plugs from the radiator. Insert a "T" fitting from the installation kit into the hole and clamp the hoses from the vegetable oil tank onto the fitting. Secure the hoses with hose clamps, using the Phillips-head screwdriver.
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4
Install the new fuel gauge in the truck. The vegetable oil tank will have a sending unit built into it, and the new fuel gauge will have to be electrically connected to the tank. Find a secure location to install the fuel gauge. Connect a wire to the electrical outlet on the tank and secure the wire to the sending unit with the supplied nut. Run the wire along the frame rail with the radiator hoses and into the engine bay. Insert the wire through the firewall and into the backside of the gauge. Two additional wires need to be run. The first will run from the fuel gauge to a neutral metal source as a ground wire, and the second needs to go to the positive terminal on the battery. Secure the ground with a stainless-steel screw.
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5
Install a manual switch that will allow you to manually switch from diesel fuel to vegetable oil. The switch needs to be run from the dashboard to the solenoid that will switch off the fuel pump for the diesel and the pump for vegetable oil. Drill a hole that will fit the switch you choose to install into the dash. Most switch holes can be drilled with the 1/2-inch drill bit.
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6
Install the fuel-type solenoid into the engine bay and attach the electrical connectors. The solenoid will have four colored wires coming out of it. One of the wires will be attached to a relay box. These wires need to be connected to the fuel pump for the vegetable oil tank and the other to the fuel pump for the diesel tank. Connect the power wire to the positive terminal on the battery. The last wire needs to be connected to the back of the switch that was previously installed into the dashboard.
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7
Install the fuel filter in a secure location in the engine bay. Install the fuel line from the vegetable oil tank to the filter and into the injectors of the diesel truck. Installation of the fuel line with vary, depending on the make and model of the truck. The general step involves connecting the fuel line to the tank with a hose clamp and running it along the frame rail up into the engine bay. Then connect the fuel line to the filter with another clamp and run the additional hose to the injector port of the engine. A "T" fitting needs to be installed into the manifold, with the vegetable oil hose connected to one side and the diesel hose secured onto the other side.
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Check all of the clamps and electrical connections before trying to use the kit. Run the vehicle off of diesel fuel for at least 15 minutes before using vegetable oil as fuel. This will allow ample time for the oil to heat up before it is injected into the engine.
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