Anyone run their engine on veg oil?

[solent clown]

We run some of generatyors and vehicles on veg oil some of the time. I was wondering if any of you with old school FIP (non common rail) diesels have done so or not.
Specifically Yanmar 1gm10.
I ask because we have a good supply of the stuff that is very cheap.
Please real world experience, I do not need a "googlenaut" telling me the pitfalls in a cut and paste post.
If you have done it let me know.
I know how, I know all the pitfalls of doing so on land down to the last detail, it has been part of our job for many years. (we used to produce biodiesel as part of an experiment with students from Southampton university about 10 years ago)
I have zero experience of doing it on a boat. I imagine it is not a popular option, but any experienced people out there please shout out.

 

[DownWest]

Not heard much about people trying that. Possibly because most saily types don't use enough diesel to worry about the cost difference and the big powerboats seem to be happy to pay for the real stuff..
One thing comes to mind.. Since fuel tends to sit in tanks for a while, might 'bio' diesel be even more prone to bugs that the current stuff with a bit of bio in it?

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

if your diesel engine is pre 70's (no common rail) it will run on a variety of fuels and viscosity including vegetable oil and kerosene. Veg oil is fine if diluted with diesel or if treated but on its own it may cause problems with clogging; I am sure you are aware of this more than I.

 

[[70521]]

I know how, I know all the pitfalls of doing so on land down to the last detail, it has been part of our job for many years. (we used to produce biodiesel as part of an experiment with students from Southampton university about 10 years ago)

Then you will know why is it not used at sea.

If you were to use the stuff strongly advise that you join SeaStart and they will cover you for using the stuff.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Funny you should mention that!

My son runs his various vehicles on recovered chip fat with varying degrees of success. He is generally just under the legal annual limit for consumption. Peugeot, Audi and Citroen van are current. One Audi gave up the ghost for reasons unknown and the latest Peugeot turbo died probably due to lube oil starvation due, in turn, to residue in the sump.

Success depends on the correct fuel pump Bosch being favourite.

He rarely pays more than a couple of hundred pounds for vehicles.

His boat has a Cummins KTA19M engine which is under repair (gearbox).

I wonder of there any annual limits on usage for that.

My engine is a 1.5 litre BMC and I have 40 litres of veg oil ready to try.

 

[solent clown]

Then you will know why is it not used at sea.

If you were to use the stuff strongly advise that you join SeaStart and they will cover you for using the stuff.

We set up a production facility, and used it to run a fleet of land rovers. We did not use for marine purposes, or investigate doing so, hence the question. To clarify also, I am talking not about "proper" biodiesel, but veg oil

 

[pagoda]

Funny you should mention that!

My son runs his various vehicles on recovered chip fat with varying degrees of success. He is generally just under the legal annual limit for consumption. Peugeot, Audi and Citroen van are current. One Audi gave up the ghost for reasons unknown and the latest Peugeot turbo died probably due to lube oil starvation due, in turn, to residue in the sump.

Success depends on the correct fuel pump Bosch being favourite.

He rarely pays more than a couple of hundred pounds for vehicles.

His boat has a Cummins KTA19M engine which is under repair (gearbox).

I wonder of there any annual limits on usage for that.

My engine is a 1.5 litre BMC and I have 40 litres of veg oil ready to try.

My son ran a venerable Mercedes Sprinter 2.3 for some years, using a lot of vegetable oil. Worked OK. It is more a matter of the composition of any rubber parts there are in your fuel system. Most are safe with mineral oils, but some swell or crumble when exposed to vegetable oils. Hence all the warnings with current newish cars about not using veg oil (other than the 5% bio).
Many if not most marine diesels still have high pressure plunger fuel pumps - and simple injectors, so in principle with good filters might be OK? However, having Bio in a boat tank sounds a bad idea given that bugs like regular diesel anyway!

 

[solent clown]

Funny you should mention that!

My son runs his various vehicles on recovered chip fat with varying degrees of success. He is generally just under the legal annual limit for consumption. Peugeot, Audi and Citroen van are current. One Audi gave up the ghost for reasons unknown and the latest Peugeot turbo died probably due to lube oil starvation due, in turn, to residue in the sump.

Success depends on the correct fuel pump Bosch being favourite.

He rarely pays more than a couple of hundred pounds for vehicles.

His boat has a Cummins KTA19M engine which is under repair (gearbox).

I wonder of there any annual limits on usage for that.

My engine is a 1.5 litre BMC and I have 40 litres of veg oil ready to try.

Be careful of using it pure at this time of year, it is viscous cold, and can shear the FIP shaft. If you do not have a tank heater or twin tanks then mix it with a lot of diesel

 

[vptech]

just run it on red, don't risk damaging your engine.

 

[Momac]

I used to be involved with some 4x4 owners who had vehicles that smelled like a fish and chip shop. Good old fashioned mechanical diesel pumps just like many boat engines . The people were very hands on with spanners and relished the idea of stripping and rebuilding cylinder heads and the like. It was their hobby. They tended to use diesel in the winter.
However I would not risk a boat engine by using veg oil. If an engine fails in an old car you could just scrap the car and buy another. Would you do that with a boat?

 

[Normalfornorfolk]

I'm surprised that anyone would bother given the miniscule fuel consumption of a 1GM. Mine gets through a tankful per year (40l or so) on a fairly well used boat. Is it worth the effort/risk to save such a pittance?

 

[solent clown]

I used to be involved with some 4x4 owners who had vehicles that smelled like a fish and chip shop. Good old fashioned mechanical diesel pumps just like many boat engines . The people were very hands on with spanners and relished the idea of stripping and rebuilding cylinder heads and the like. It was their hobby. They tended to use diesel in the winter.
However I would not risk a boat engine by using veg oil. If an engine fails in an old car you could just scrap the car and buy another. Would you do that with a boat?

yes, that is why I was asking the question. The idea of running the engine for free only counts if it will not harm it. I have no experience of the durability of the FIP on a yanmar so not worth the risk without knowing it has been done. Over time it ruins the lubricating oil too, so changing engine oil more often is a requirement. I would like the boat at least to be low maintenance, I fiddle about with stuff every day at work as it is.