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85 300D single tank SVO conversion

Submitted by rosenfe on 12 June 2008 - 7:10am.
im considering a very nice 85 300d,your prebuilt stc system looks so easy .i already have a 87sdl with 2 tanks and it works well.your system is very cost effective ,yet all my reading on various forums(frybird,greasecar and infopop)suggest that engine failure or damage will occur with prolonged start ups on cold oil.how many miles have you driven your own vehicles on single tank conversion?.i live in the san francisco bay area with temps not often going below 38 degrees. i know dual tank would alleviate my concerns ,but do you feel confident that stc is the way to go in my climate and still get good use out the car.your system seems so easy.
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Factors to consider

13 June 2008 - 7:15am
Kent Bergsma

What many fail to point out or understand is the pre-1994 Mercedes diesels are the ONLY diesel engine that should be operated on a single tank system. The other important factor is how the oil is boost heated. Our system is the only system that uses a rapid volume electric heater that allows you to pre-heat a quanity of oil (takes 60 to 90 seconds) before you actually start the engine. That does not heat the oil at the injector tips right at startup but does flush the pump and injectors with warm oil within a few seconds after the engine starts running. To compensate when temperatures drop into the 30's and below we recommend mixing diesel with the SVO.

We have been operating our own diesels on WVO for four years. There are trade-offs of course and I go into those in detail in my Intro and Advanced SVO manuals. Coking is an issue and is caused by many other factors that just what happens at startup. Dual tank systems are ideal in many ways, but if you are always driving short distances or are limited in space for a second tank then it is not so ideal.

As an alternative you can install what I call a 1 and 1/2 tank system... :-). It involves installing our STC system and then just adding a small 5 - 6 gallon diesel tank to be used only as a system backup and when the weather gets cold (sometimes unexpectanly!)

In the end, YOU should be comforable with the decision you make. Be careful not to believe everything you read on the forums.

 

thanks for your comments-i

13 June 2008 - 7:39am
rosenfe
thanks for your comments-i do like the use of a small donut tank-and am heartned that youve run them for 4 years

85 300D single tank SVO conversion

11 July 2008 - 8:41am
DieselDon
I have been running a single tank conversion in San Diego- weather has been fluctuating a lot down here - Freezing to over 100. I think the best advice I have read is from Kent- the colder it gets, add more diesel to your tank. I get easier starts and as the weather warms, I add more WVO. Very simple and no problems or extra "stuff" I adhear to KISS -- Keep it simple!--Don

I installed the STC

11 July 2008 - 1:32pm
Ventucky
I installed the STC conversion about a month ago and it is working beautifully! I live in Southern Calif but , I plan on adding more diesel this winter. The instruction books that come with the kit are very ,very good and are a must read.