Alternative Fuels

7 posts · joined Jul 2006 · 30 Jul 2006, 6:48 pm

#516996

Ive been wondering recently what are some environmentaly friendly fuels that i could convert my 1979 type II kombi to run on? Also if i were to convert to gas does anyone know of the costs involved and how much better it is for the environment?
Peace,
Tom

tdegens Wolfsburg Wizard

425 posts · joined Apr 2004 · 30 Jul 2006, 7:51 pm

#517039

Gas conversions are for water cooled motors as the gas needs to go through radiator water or the pipe freezes.
Tom

sinecure Want another... :(

1,031 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 2 Aug 2006, 11:27 am

#518115

Diesel running on cooking oil maybe.

A POSSE AD ESSE.

I live in my own little world, but it's okay, they know me here.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 2 Aug 2006, 11:46 am

#518120

If there was some thing cheaper than Petrol...

We'd all be using it...

French fries cooking oil can be used in diesel engines with some small modifications....

Old cooking oil will be able to be sold soon if the demand keeps going up....

Lee

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Kimbo Officially Full-On Dubber

207 posts · joined Jan 2005 · 2 Aug 2006, 12:58 pm

#518135

Was looking at using enviro-diesel in my Patrol, apparently works real well, BUT: 1) requries fuel filters to be changed more frequently especially during the first few tanks as the Patrol has a plastic tank liner that gets "eaten" by the detergent in the fuel, which by all accounts doesn't cause any harm other than dumping sh*t in your fuel lines, and more importantly 2) immediately blows the Nissan warranty - don't know about other manufacturers warranties. Suffice to say I'm not yet willing to go down that path, yet.

http://www.myspace.com/ksadelaide

VWCOOL 23 Windows of Awesome

5,158 posts · joined Jun 2003 · 2 Aug 2006, 5:48 pm

#518192

Nice idea - but looking at the 'big picture', forget it. Make sure your car(s) is in good tune, catch the bus every now and then and make compost from your kitchen scraps :thumb

[ Edited on 2-8-2006 by VWCOOL ]

Pay your debts, CxxT

TomEichmann Learner Dubber

7 posts · joined Jul 2006 · 5 Aug 2006, 4:57 pm

#518996

thanks everyone, ill keep looking out though,
who knows mabey in the future people will realize
a way to power cars without damaging the environment
too much. I have heard rumors of a hemp powered car being
made! ill keep dreaming.......
Peace,
Tom

mpbriggs Learner Dubber

4 posts · joined Aug 2006 · 6 Aug 2006, 12:01 am

#519062

Here's your options, assuming you want "environmentally friendly", rather than "cheap running"

1. run it on ethanol. The same stuff that drag racers run on (someone back me up on this) probably expensive, but ethanol can be made from plant material.

2. convert to electricity. Do a Google search for Volkswagen EV. Many VW Beetles, and even a few Kombis running on electricity. *Very* expensive, but it'll pay for itself over a decade or so. 🙂

3. go to this link. The NSW government will plant trees to offset the amount of CO2 your car produces. Of *all* options, it is the cheapest, and you can even pay to have them offset *all* the carbon your car has *ever* produced.
http://www.carbonplanet.com/home/index.php

Hope this helps, and again, I'm assuming you're taking the "green" option for non-economical reasons 🙂

Oasis Going alone...

1,806 posts · joined Jul 2003 · 6 Aug 2006, 1:22 am

#519068

Bicycle 😀

"Tell him 'We've already got one'"

bus914 Custom Title Time!

1,230 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Aug 2006, 12:15 pm

#519101

Wait a decade for hydrogen fuel cell / electric technology to become widespread and efficient enough to be AIRCOOLED.😵‍💫

[img]https://i4.ytimg.com/vi/KOKlJpsfCyk/default.jpg[/img] Click the thumbnail for video👍

shiftyvw Wolfsburg Wizard

523 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 19 Aug 2006, 1:15 am

#524204

mpbriggs wrote:1. run it on ethanol. The same stuff that drag racers run on (someone back me up on this) probably expensive, but ethanol can be made from plant material.

Your getting mixed up with methanol, slightly different, not sure how, but there was a racer in the states sponsored by the ethanol producers who ran an Alcohol Funny Car on ethanol and also used a corn based oil for the engine as well! Was very succesful as well i think.

Didnt Brasilian VW's run some sort of alcohol fuel?

The people following you in traffic would not appreciate methanol fumes!:repuke

testing 1 2 3...

aggri1 Insano Dub Head

824 posts · joined Dec 2003 · 25 Aug 2006, 7:51 am

#526474

Oasis wrote:Bicycle 😀

That's surprisingly effective. I fill my Bay less than once a month would you believe!

In relation to hydrogen or electricity powered things... Where does the hydrogen come from? We have to make it, and that takes a lot of energy. So if we burn crusty brown coal to make it, we're not any better off. Same for electricity powered cars, if they're charged from the grid. Hydrogen is often referred to as an energy STORAGE mechanism.

Cheers, and peace out man, A. ;-)

bus914 Custom Title Time!

1,230 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 25 Aug 2006, 11:46 am

#526540

Energy for hydrogen production does not have to come from coal.

In the meantime, get a 13b rotary and Howard will give you some of your own money back to help with the cost of the conversion if you run it on gas.👍

http://autospeed.drive.com.au/cms/A_0406/article.html

BTW a Rotary will burn hydrogen too.

[ Edited on 25-8-2006 by bus914 ]

[img]https://i4.ytimg.com/vi/KOKlJpsfCyk/default.jpg[/img] Click the thumbnail for video👍

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 25 Aug 2006, 5:04 pm

#526645

tdegens wrote:Gas conversions are for water cooled motors as the gas needs to go through radiator water or the pipe freezes.
Tom

how about using an oil line off the engine to heat the LPG? You could put an external oil filter on at the same time.

BTW, i'm sure I have seen an LPG powered bay camper here in blacktown a few years back. Don't know what motor was in it though.

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

MickH Hairy Gutted Sloth

3,389 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 25 Aug 2006, 7:49 pm

#526698

tdegens wrote:Gas conversions are for water cooled motors as the gas needs to go through radiator water or the pipe freezes.
Tom

Kits are available for aircooled motors in the UK.The gas line can be run through the sump to limit freezing of the line.Looks like a neat conversion..."search" is your friend..

[ Edited on 25-8-06 by Mick H ]

tssnq.com.au

last celtic warrior Wolfsburg Wizard

402 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 26 Aug 2006, 4:10 pm

#526896

There are alternatives coming...

This is what I'm working on at the moment. It's not my invention, it's actually very old technology, but this one is my design (the fancy bits are inside).

1 attachment · Log in to view

camando Commited Dubber

52 posts · joined Jun 2006 · 30 Aug 2006, 10:07 pm

#528386

Is that a post war charcoal gas converter?

camando Commited Dubber

52 posts · joined Jun 2006 · 30 Aug 2006, 10:12 pm

#528390

How about a gas converter warmed using the heater boxes.
Or full flow oil cooler (might make the oil a bit thick)
Water cooled heads?
Put the converter in the doghouse so it pre cools the cooling air. Additional cooling for the engine....
Converter with electric preheat.

I've been thinking about a CNG conversion for a while.
Did you see the bloke on the 7:30 report the other night?

last celtic warrior Wolfsburg Wizard

402 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 2 Sep 2006, 12:12 am

#529232

Okay, just to clear things up, it is a "wood gasifier", or "wood gas producer". It burns wood chips in order to produce carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane gas. It produces almost the same temperatures as a wood fired forge (hot enough to melt steel). So, using it to cool your motor won't quite work...

It's flow and gas production are directly controlled by the intake of the motor, so it produces just the right amount of gas for the revs you are at. The tall bit is the gasifier, while the smaller bit on the left is the gas scrubber, which cools and cleans the gas. The car has run quite well at home on this unit using cypress chips, but I haven't completed the intake manifold yet, so I can't drive it around on wood gas just yet.

dusto81 Officially Full-On Dubber

229 posts · joined Feb 2005 · 20 Sep 2006, 3:35 pm

#536250

Very interesting looking conversion!
The best thing you can do for the cheapest price is go to www.greenfleet.com.au
For the meagre price of $40 a year they will plant trees that will offset the Co2 emissions from your car. This also restores a lot of previously logged land and helps with salinity, rainfall and is a genuine really good initiative. While it doesn't offset all your other emissions it's still a very good step and cheap. The whole 'carbon neautral' thing is starting to become more wide spread.
Definitley reccomend it!! I'll even buy you a beer for it!
Cheers,
Dustin