What did you do to your rig today?

[Shirley]

Thanks Chris, I did look up where they are located, intend giving them a ring.

[native pepper]

Finally finished the fuel system pumps on the bus, this is about the 4th attempt to get it all to work properly. Because we run on pure veggie oil, we have to start on either biodiesel or diesel, which we call a 2 tank system and need pumps to push the veggie through the lines in winter when it is thicker. Once it gets to the heat exchanger, it thins down a lot and flows easily.

It consists of the main tank (200lt) which carries veggie oil and the starter tank (85lt), situated under the front of the bus. Even though the veggie goes through a centrifuge for filtering, it still can produce crap from condensation, we use in line throw away filters before getting to the main engine filter and carry about 20 filters with us. The bus carries up to 1000lt of oil so we can go a long way without refueling.

fuel system battery.JPG

bus fuel system.JPG

After trying a number of facet and other 24v pumps, everyone failed because of the distance from the controls to the pump and 24v fuel pumps are very expensive compared to 12v. So am using the same 12v pumps I use on our cars, boat and machinery which are only $15 each. To do this, got a 7amp deep cycle battery and put it a rescued metal box, connected it to the 12v gel batteries via a 20amp dc- dc charger which is attached to the lid of the box. There are disconnect switches on the box and front of the gel battery compartment (charged from the bus alternator), so when shutting down the bus can switch of the pump charger. The battery powers the 2 fuel pumps, which can be individually controlled by switches on the box and if we have fuel starvation, the pumps will push the fuel through to the iP so no bleeding or using the hand pump.

Have to add some protection for the dc charger from water off the road and that will be a light aluminium cover over it.

[T1 Terry]

We had a similar problem with 24v pumps, so we put 2 x 12v pumps in series electrically, one pumps into the other pump if we have a long run or both pumps side by side if we need big volume. Do you heat the oil in the storage tank to boil off the condensation and thin the cooking oil? Read a blog where a family travelled from WA right up through the territory and back home on used cooking oil. Started off the day on biodiesel till the engine warmed up and the water was hot enough to heat the cooking oil, then switched over to cooking oil for the rest of the day.

[Greynomad]

Yeah, c'mon Pete, let us enjoy your misfortune.

George

George,
Schadenfreud does not become you!

Still, Peter, we'd like to see your body mods...

[native pepper]

We had a similar problem with 24v pumps, so we put 2 x 12v pumps in series electrically, one pumps into the other pump if we have a long run or both pumps side by side if we need big volume. Do you heat the oil in the storage tank to boil off the condensation and thin the cooking oil? Read a blog where a family travelled from WA right up through the territory and back home on used cooking oil. Started off the day on biodiesel till the engine warmed up and the water was hot enough to heat the cooking oil, then switched over to cooking oil for the rest of the day.

The centrifuge takes out all the water, used to boil the oil but with the centrifuge there's not need although it may help. We only heat the oil just before it gets to the engine, we also remove the return line to the tank and redirect it back into the system after the heat exchanger. Decades of experience has shown using a tank return line creates problems when the hot oil hits the cold oil in the tank and reacts with the cold tank metal as well.

Been round Aus a couple of times on veggie and never had a real problem except for blocked in line fuel filters, but as they cost me $1.50 each and normally last between 500-2000klms, it's pretty cheap disposables.

[Mrcoolabah1au]

Finally for that new drill I have been looking for

[BruceS]

No goods Wayne! How do you put a bit in it? It's only for slipping the hex bits in.
How much was it?
I like the Makita one I've got... keyless chuck & can put anything in it.

[Mrcoolabah1au]

Cheap cheap

[pet-els]

It does say cordless SCREWDRIVER.

PeterH

[BernieQ2]

I changed some cupboard doors . I/WE didn't like what I first put up they started to warp , so the new ones are solid timber (Oak) . So for the last few days I.ve been doing this out side in the mid 30dg heat . They have been shortened and biscuit jointed together Bought them for $7 each there are also three on the other side as well .
Bernie .
A few pics one showing the old and 2 showing the new .

Gary Isuzu pics 081 (Custom).jpg

DSCF2434 (Custom).JPG

DSCF2435 (Custom).JPG