320touring Posted January 19, 2019 Author Share Posted January 19, 2019 It's on fresh sunflower and WVO of unknown type (though I suspect sunflower as it has not flopped up like the soya stuff did) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 I expect most any Derv engine built after 1978 would do better than it, especially if equipped with a turbo! These engines were state of the art diesel when introduced in the mid-80s, not quite as tough as it's predecessor OM617 but unlike them near silent at idle and with a refinement better than many a petrol six. I even preferred it to the rather antique-feeling equivalent Benz petrol motor; the 3.2 24v was an improvement. Nothing came close in the late 70s/early 80s - diesels were a bit slow and grim before the PSA XUD. The straight six VW van engine (78-95) which Volvo used made about the same power once a turbo was added and wasn't as extensively engineered, or reliable. These 'whispering diesels' are short stroke and revvy, tuned for the autobahn and so can feel a bit of a slug on clogged English roads, especially combined with a heavy and long travel right pedal. Add a tired autobox and performance can be abysmal. They come on cam around 3500rpm and pull hard for another 2000. Under 90 mine used to travel 34 miles on a gallon of veg/diesel, keep around 65-70 and this would go up to 41-42. A mate once had a coupe with the OM603 fitted, he bragged about 45-50mpg on motorway runs which I didn't believe until he leant it to me for a week - it was a manual and the fuel needle seemed to barely move, it was as economical at up to 90 as at lower speeds, something I'd found before with older German cars. My own manual box 250TD (S124) would return a regular 42 on veg (up to 50 on a steady run), yet would hum along at 190kph given a long enough straight. Emission regs and cost did for them, if nothing else I'll miss the steady flame out of the tailpipe for a mile or two when run at over 100 after weeks of restricted driving (on veg) - unburnt fuel presumably gathered in the silencers. Talbot, Dirk Diggler, Shirley Knott and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardmorris Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 LOL! Your 320 has too many valves With 110bhp (ISH) and 1600kg plus driver/associated shite being pulled via an autobox with 317k on it, I don't expect much. It is pretty poor!Remember this has a chain driven pump - there is no DFCO (deceleration fuel cut off) if the engine is spinning, fuel goes through.It's also basically 1960s tech, and heavily engineered. Our landlord at the unit spied the fuel and oil filters and was saying " that's the same setup as on our combine harvester"I expect most any Derv engine built after 1978 would do better than it, especially if equipped with a turbo!That said, it just plods along burning anything vaguely liquid (current tank was £32.70 for 431 miles)If it was solely diesel, the tank would have been £77.17.By my reckoning, thats 42.4% of the cost. The cost equivalent MPG is 74.13mpg (31.43mpg ÷ 0.424) (I think that's right?)Wouldn't mind a shot of a 320 petrol,bet they lift their skirts and fly:) In full on Oliver read and Richards Burton and Harris having a party( likes a drink, no loves it) mode it flies, but so does the fuel gauge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 20, 2019 Author Share Posted January 20, 2019 In full on Oliver read and Richards Burton and Harris having a party( likes a drink, no loves it) mode it flies, but so does the fuel gauge!It's only money! Get rid of it having fun:) Mine is more like a glacier at full pelt..smells like a chippy though;) chaseracer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Since the last fuelling ( the first with some WVO in it) she has been grumpy to start.. My thinking is filters (unknown how long they have been on) or the fuel mix isn't working - anyone any suggestions? Jim Bell, Fraz and Twiggy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacquer Peel Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Is it fine once it's warm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Is it fine once it's warm?Seems to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardmorris Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 The lights dim a lot with the starter turning- how is the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 The lights dim a lot with the starter turning- how is the battery?Battery is Ok - it's one I swapped in. And has been no issue until this tank (even during -3 100% veg starts) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I'd say yes filters and viscosity of the veg at low temp on the colder nights. You may want to try a heater under the engine on cold nights too if you can manage that safely. 320touring and chaseracer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacquer Peel Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 The battery might be the culprit, a big IDI diesel like this needs a lot of cold cranking amps in this weather, especially on veg.It seemed to start no bad though. 320touring and chaseracer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 I'd say yes filters and viscosity of the veg at low temp on the colder nights. You may want to try a heater under the engine on cold nights too if you can manage that safely. I have new filters in stock - will consider getting them swapped in at the weekend. The battery might be the culprit, a big IDI diesel like this needs a lot of cold cranking amps in this weather, especially on veg.It seemed to start no bad though.Aye, that's a possibility. It's not done any longish drives this week, mainly short hops, so potential the battery ain't at its fullest. I drove it a mile up the road, did what I was doing (90mins passed) and it started fine first heat when I came to go back down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 In other news, upon my return to the street, there was sufficient snaw to engender a loss of traction.. #wheelspinz Jim Bell, beko1987 and Split_Pin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 That starts just fine for a high-percentage veg in sub-zero temperatures. I'll put up a cold start of my S210 when I get the chance.. now *that* is grumpy. 320touring and chaseracer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 That starts just fine for a high-percentage veg in sub-zero temperatures. I'll put up a cold start of my S210 when I get the chance.. now *that* is grumpy.Excellent, we have a thread for that http://autoshite.com/topic/34151-frozen-shite-your-cold-start-vids/page-1 chaseracer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Dentressangle Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 That starts just fine for a high-percentage veg in sub-zero temperatures. I'll put up a cold start of my S210 when I get the chance.. now *that* is grumpy. Agreed. Seemed OK to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Agreed. Seemed OK to me.It started much cleaner previously. In similar temperatures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Since the last fuelling ( the first with some WVO in it) she has been grumpy to start..My thinking is filters (unknown how long they have been on) or the fuel mix isn't working - anyone any suggestions?https://youtu.be/eDzjZb5pMxEWhat's the oil you're using, and what's the mix? These lumps do need a hefty battery, veg or not. An air leak in a delivery valve seal, a knackered gp, poor injector spray and low compression can all cause a cylinder to not fire. If compression's bad, it may take half a minute to start firing. Lethal if running veg, unburnt fuel will trickle down the piston sides and gum the rings into a viscious circle. 320touring 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 The gp light will flicker on if one or more is iffy, poor injector spray, air ingress and low compression will all make starting less easy. And to repeat the point made above, the battery needs to be in good health and a big'un, there's a lot of effort needed to cold crank one of these. What's the temp been down to, what's the oil you're using and how much diesel and/or petrol?Temp been down to -3, WVO is sunflower I suspect (based on comparison of behaviour with new sunflower oil kept in same conditions) It has about 15% diesel in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Could be the sunflower oil, I tried it early on in my veg career and didn't like it for its starting bother it gave in winter. I think the gel point is 3C or so but there's more to it than that, engines always felt wooly and lacking on the stuff. If adding some rapeseed in something like 30% proportion improves things, I suspect it could be all or part of the problem, but 15% diesel with these engines usually makes starting easy even mixed with nasty stuff no matter what its temperature. Compare the battery voltage on your various cars when the starter is engaged, this will give you an idea if the Merc's is approaching end of life. 320touring 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Bang a bit more squashed-dino in, while it's pure baltic oot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 Bang a bit more squashed-dino in, while it's pure baltic oot?That wid be fiscally disadvantageous.. forddeliveryboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skizzer Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Aren’t you running* it on 20% utterly mahooted LHM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 Aren’t you running* it on 20% utterly mahooted LHM?Nup, that is safely stored in a can for filtering at somepoint.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted January 29, 2019 Author Share Posted January 29, 2019 Look at this! Aesthetically pleasing for a slab sided German Estate... oldcars, GrumpiusMaximus, Twiggy and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dome Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Look at this! Aesthetically pleasing because it is a slab sided German Estate... IMG_20190128_080332.jpg FTFY LightBulbFun and 320touring 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 In an exemplary display of "how not to use a car with a dodgy fuel gauge" I dun ran this out of fuel Despite it not making the 400miles I intended to fill up at. (Was on 385 when it conked out - about 25mpg!) I was on my way to Davehedgehog31's to stop up on vegetables. Luckily, young Mr hedge was able to bring a can, and diesel was procured. Thereafter another visit to the pumps mean she has only diesel (15L in her tank) I'll get her topped up in the morn, as better use the fuel I have to get the Burd from the station.. Cheers again Davehedgehog31! LightBulbFun, Scruffy Bodger, RobT and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Be interested to see how it starts from cold with just Derv in the tank. LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 Be interested to see how it starts from cold with just Derv in the tank.We shall see on the morrow.. (assuming it's cold) LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 Another tank in.. 67L sees it filled. 29odd to the gallon. I think it ran out as was climbing a long hill. Next up likely an autobox fluid change.. Jim Bell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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