Intended for use in warm climates on older indirect injection Mercedes engines with Bosch inline injection pumps. It has been tested to just above freezing, using used Canola cooking oil of average quality. Can be used with the Mercedes cars up to 1999. The kit is especially easy to fit on the cars up to 1985 (the usual 240D, 300D); the laters ones will require additional bracket (not supplied) to mount the fllter.
The kit consists of the following (see component details elsewhere on the site)- VM2 coolant heated filter base and filter element; fittings included.; Vegtherm Standard electric inline fuel heater. Vegsensor; Hose clamps and hoses to replumb and bypass existing filter- Instructions - written, and photos of installations, sent via pdf/email.
For better performance at temperatures below freezing or with high gel point oils, additional modifications, accessories, or blends can be used. Contact us if you need further information on this, for our recommendations. This kit is upgradable to a full 2-tank kit. So, for those who wish to try a Single Tank conversion of an older Mercedes, and then move to a colder area, sell the car to someone in a colder area, wish to stop using a blend, wish to use heavier oil, wish to use the car year round, etc., this system allows those changes to be made if desired.
Note that for success using the Single Tank concept on these cars, the following should be the case:- Use liquid oil that flows nearly as well as new Canola oil.- Overnight temperatures will be +5C or above if attempting to use 100% vegoil, or a block heater or oil pan heater will be used if attempting to use below freezing. - Engine compression, battery, starter, alternator, glow plugs, timing, injection pump and injectors must all be in proper operating condition. Clean, easy starts are also a sign that you are achieving good combustion of the fuel at startup, and this minimizes emissions and preserves engine life. - Proper starting proceedure must be followed. Basically this means waiting a little longer than usual for the glow plugs, using the accelerator half or fully depressed, per the Mercedes manual for colder weather starting, warming up the engine slightly longer than you may be used to, before starting out, and driving a little more gently the first few blocks than you may be used to.- Synthetic or semi-synthetic lubricating oil recommended for colder weather, especially, it allows the engine to crank over easier, therefore faster, therefore better starts and combustion.
If anyone tells you differently, beware, they are likely overselling the concept, unless further changes are made to the injectors, glow plug circuit, fuel delivery system, etc. A simple low cost conversion can be done, and we are offering one, but be realistic about the expectations and know the limits. Incidentally, we do not use the small 12V electric fuel pumps to assist in moving fuel for two simple reasons: they are not needed, and they generally fail in relatively short order, they are designed for pumping gasoline or diesel fuel, not vegetable oil, which, even heated fully, is still thicker than diesel fuel, and it will not always be heated fully when these pumps are trying to move it. The factory lift pump (mechanical), if in good condition, is quite robust and can handle the fuel pumping if the other system elements are properly done for the users' set of conditions.
SO, AS FOR THE PERENNIAL QUESTION...."CAN YOU REALLY RUN AN OLD MERCEDES INDIRECT INJECTION ENGINE AS A "SINGLE TANK" CONVERSION, AND NOT RUIN IT?......READ ON.......
"To whom it may concern:I have run a Plantdrive (Neoterics) single tank system for several years on my 85 MB300TD. I have over 150,000 miles using this system and WVO."
Robert vanCreveld Edgewater NWPOB 130, Newport, OR 97365 541-563-4227
