Greaser!

lomodyj

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Out in the Middle
Took several months...but it's all on and running. It was a pain in the ash and I just about tore it all out the other day when it didn't work...but I'm glad I tried one more thing!!

Pulled a 8000# (or more) trailer from Chapel Hill to Boone on Sunday and this is how the guage looked: First is leaving home, second is getting home 7 hours later.
 

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What I bought:
From ebay I got 12 feet of LavaLine and the Pollak 6 way valve from the Organic Mechanic, can't really recomend this guy on anything but product and price, both were good, but it took him 3 weeks to ship, and never sent me any conformation of shipping or answered any of my emails about when he would ship...

Got my Racor filter from contribuhelp, the filter showed up as promised, was what I considered a good price. It was missing one seal (more on that later).

Decided instead of adding wires to my current fuse box, I would just add a new junction box. Again from ebay, I ordered an ATC 12 fuse block (designed for boats) from Genuinedealz. Nice little box and showed up fast!

Got switches from 4x4 mods, these are slick little switches.

Put an inline fuel pump in at the tank to help push the grease. Using a Master E3450 from my local CarQuest.

There were a couple of relays from Radio Shack, some hose from my local CarQuest, and a bunch of fittings from HomeDepot and Lowes.

Fuse panel:
 

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Switches, I removed my cup holders that didn't hold cups very well and used a piece of plastic I had laying around and made the mount. As you can see, I added nice matching switches (and relays) for my back up lights and my fog lamps.
 

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What did it cost?

Racor filter (shipped): $225.00
LavaLine and Pollak 6 way valve (shipped): $130.00
Fuse Box (shipped): $43.00
Switches (shipped) (includes fog and reverse light switches): $33.00
Fuel pump (local): $68.00
Fuel line, box of fuses, hose fittings, clamps, reducers, enlargers, more clamps, screws, bolts, nuts, more fittings, tube, pipe, more fittings, 3 trips to sLowes, 2 trips to HomeDespot, 6 trips to CarQuest...~$120.00

Fortunately my truck had the 50 gallon aux tank in it when I bought it, so that saved my quite a bit.

Total on the system $619.00 and 3 days off of "work" to install, fix, adjust and fiddle with.
 
Gotchas

Some of the gotcha's:

The CTD's Do Not like air in the fuel system...I kept springing little tiny leaks...that would shut down the system, and leave me sitting 5 miles from home on the side of the road (there are a couple of dozen hose connections). My Racor showed up without the top seal that holds air out and grease in at the top of the filter...made it hard to pull grease through it...and when I set the pump up to push thruough it...I made a major mess in the bed of the truck.

The Pollak has 3 3/8ths connections and 3 5/16ths connections...they are not labeled, so you have to either guess (I guessed wrong the first time, and the second time) or test it (that gave me the answers) to figure out what lines go where. You have to use 5/16 line on the returns...if you just use 3/8ths and clamp it down real hard...they will leak and let air into the system...and/or dump fuel/grease all over your neighborhood and driveway...

Plan it all well in advance...I thought ordering everything off ebay 6 weeks before my Wisconson trip would give me plenty of time to get the stuff here and install it...I wasn't sure I was going to get the bugs worked out before the shakedown run on Sunday to Boone...That would have ment using the WI trip as the shakedown...would have been a pisser if I loaded 150 gallons of grease in the truck and have it not really work...

There are tax implications with using the system...NC and the feds all want their road use tax...I have not gotten all the paperwork all figured out...but I am keeping a log of what grease I do use.
 
Final thoughts

I've been able to score my grease free so far...It's already prefiltered and been sitting for a while. I figure the system saved me about $65 on my trip to and from Boone. I was figuring about $550 in dino for my run to and from Wisconson, so by the time I get back I will have saved in fuel what I spent on parts...A couple of trips to Callalante and URE will cover the 3 days of skipped 'work'. A few days driving around town will cover the $100 or so I have invested in storage tanks in the yard.

The truck does smell like a turkey fryer that was left on a little long. The mileage is down a little and I've got just a little bit less power, but I could see a 75 to 100 degree drop in exhaust temps on the mountain to Boone.

Hardest part of running it so far is remembering to switch back to dino before I back into my driveway...
 
Very Very nice... I HOPE TO HAVE MINE UP AND RUNNING VERY SOON...

If the Organic Mechanic would just ship my stuff :)
 
Very nice ,
Galen did you make a wiring diagram? I am starting mine on this next sunday.

Ken if you have nothing to do wanta help? I will return the favor.
 
I can barely write let alone draw...

I'm leaving for Wisconson on Friday to be a guide at Camp Jeep. But, I think both of you have my cell phone, feel free to call me and I can at least walk you through what I did on a part.

Wiring is pretty straight forward. Using the ATC for all new connections, you can see I used 6 ports.
1. fog lamps
2. reverse lights
3. CB and XM
4. power wire (for hot to switches)
5. aux fuel pump
6. racor heater

Ran 12v hot straight to switches (4) and to relays for 1, 2, 5 & 6. Wires to and from switches to relays, grounded everything local (relays are near the ATC so they went to it). Wires from relay to pump, relay to heater, relay to lights...Used #10 wire for all power (fuse to relay, relay to accessory, accessory to ground). #14 wire to and from relays. Heat shrunk all connections. I probably overkilled all of this, bigger wire than needed and separated out to more circuts than neccessary...

Routing fuel was a bigger PITA. 3/8 from tank to a bunch of fittings on the Racor (all I have local that carrys any kind of fitting is sLowes and HomeDespot and thier availability on special fittings is nill...So I ended up using several fittings and some flared copper pipe to go from a 3/8ths barb to a 3/4 compression fitting...there is likely a fitting just for that somewhere in the world....but not at the blue or orange boxes. See the setup in the pic). From the same fittings in reverse from the Racor to the Fuel pump, as I said in another post, this thing is loud. You will want to isolate well with rubber, and try to put it on the frame and not the body. From pump via 3/8 hose to the Pollak 6 way. This thing took some figuring, I can better discribe it's hook-up on the phone. I fortunately have an auxillary fuel filter installed so I have soft lines up by the motor I could tap into. From the Pollak you are now split from grease and from Dino, so you need to find your dino line and cut into it, putting the Pollak in the cut. Add grease line to other in port on Pollak. For the Return line you have to reduce the 3/8ths lines (no 5/16ths on my truck) to 5/16ths or the connection will leak (again, could not find a 3/8 barb to 5/16 barb reducer so it took a couple of fittings to get from one to the other). Into the Return on the Pollak from the motor, then split to dino tank, for the grease line Greasecar and Greasel both recomend just looping the grease return (after the Pollak) back to the line from the grease tank (before it hits the Pollak).

Make sure all your clamps are tight! Even the ones that don't leak fluid out will leak air in...Keith read on a board that the CTD hates air in the lines...Remember the fuel pump is a puller/sucker (not a pusher from the tank) so if there is any air getting into the system it will pull that faster than the fuel (think of trying to get that last little bit of drink out of the bottom of a glass using a straw...you get more air than drink). I kept having a 'run out of fuel' situation, didn't matter if I was on dino or grease...then it wouldn't start...
 
So on the CTD... you don't have to change injectors to run "pure" grease?

I was thinking BigWoody changed injectors, but that was on a 7.3PSD...

I believe the other "cost", again from Greg's machine is preplan on replacing...I think it was the fuel pump every 75,000 (est) miles due to less lubrication?

VERY VERY cool...I keep thinking about going the other route, several 55 gal drums and making my own biodiesel. With the EX, don't want tanks inside it/no "bed" Biggest downside is on my trip to Indy next week, only could feel up at home and have to use dino juice the rest of way unless I pull trailer behind me with biodiesel on it!

Thanks big time for the writeup!!!
Sam
 
No injector change needed. Have not heard any problems with the pumps on the 12 valve CTD's, but that don't mean they don't break. I saw a link on line the other day for a company that was making auxillary tanks to go under the bed of trucks and under the body of vehicles like your EX...I'll see if I can find it.
 
SHINTON said:
So on the CTD... you don't have to change injectors to run "pure" grease?

I was thinking BigWoody changed injectors, but that was on a 7.3PSD...




Sam
I changed injectors on my PSD because they were shot from water in diesel fuel. I had the greasel system on my 7.3IDI ford and changed the injectors and injection pump from not dewatering the grease well enough. If you run grease in ANY of the diesels without dewatering, it's only a matter of time before an injection pump and injectors are needed, CTDs are not exempt. We now just take a little more time in treating/dewatering the grease before we burn it.
 
Thx Greg (BigWoody for those that don't know), I remembered the activity but didn't know the reason!

Sam
 
lomodyj, is your CTD a 12V or 24V? I am wanting to get a tow rig, and have heard the 12V's are better. I evenentually want to convert it over to run on grease, but I know it won't be right away. I just found a 98 5spd, ext cab shortbed for sale, with the 24V, but I think he is wanting a little much for it, 177K miles and he is asking $16,600.

That is definetly more than I want to spend on a truck, but I would be willing to if I found one that was worth the extra money.
 
Mine is a 12v, 1996 version. There are 98's with the 12v, some with the 24v. There is something about the lifter pumps on the 24v that makes them not do as well with the grease. Everything I've read says they are marginal for dinodiesel, and way underpowered for grease.

16,6 is way high for that model year...especially since it won't meet your grease needs. I got real lucky when I bought mine off ebay last year. Keep looking, good 12v's from 96 to 98.5 come up in the sub 14k range with 150km miles or less in good shape. You just gotta be patient.

I posted up this thread when I brought mine home last year.
 
Actually, the '98 12v, ext. cab shortbed 4x4 5-speed is the holy grail of the "recreational use" Dodge CTD's. They command a healthy premium. Oh, nevermind, I thought you weren't sure if it was a 12 or 24.

But, for giggles, look up NADA's value on that truck.. retail is 16,225, with an average of 15,200.

Shit, even MY truck with 262k on it NADA's at 16,600 average, with a 17,625 high and 14,850 low. There are a few things that lower the value on mine, and a few other things that raise it...

But I digress...

Glad to see yours is up & running!

the 24v injection pump is what is nosogood for the WVO...
 
Rich said:
Actually, the '98 12v, ext. cab shortbed 4x4 5-speed is the holy grail of the "recreational use" Dodge CTD's. They command a healthy premium.
And, for the life of me...I can't think of one single reason to have a short bed...now having the 3rd door would be nice...

Rich said:
the 24v injection pump is what is nosogood for the WVO...

Injection pump, lifter pump...220...221, whatever it takes...:D
 
lomodyj said:
And, for the life of me...I can't think of one single reason to have a short bed...now having the 3rd door would be nice...

People that use them as big cars... :lol:

And yes, the 3rd (and 4th) doors are freaking GREAT.. along with the updated interior... :flipoff2:
 
Rich said:
People that use them as big cars... :lol:
And yes, the 3rd (and 4th) doors are freaking GREAT.. along with the updated interior... :flipoff2:

Yup...I hate you!:flipoff2: I've kinda grown fond of my interior...but it needs a bath and some soundproofing ah-la your's.
 
The problem with 24v's and grease is this, The injection pump is partially cooled by fuel, so running heated grease through it makes it crap out. You can convert a 24v to an earlier style pump with a front cover change. Then you'd pretty much have the shit and the stink.
 
you don't want the grease to sit in the lines, and one would perfer to start on diesel as opppossed to grease. so switch over before shutdown and switch back after start up once the grease gets nice and warm.





By the way nice set up, the fuel prices have pissed me off long enough and i am going to have to implement some sorta of plan.
 
R Q said:
Heated fuel or what, why?

The WVO can build up on the injectors if it's allowed to cool off... with injector holes only being around .010" anyway, it wouldn't take much...

That, and unless it's as warm as it is right now, you could have starting problems on cold WVO.
 
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