What Exactly is a Biodiesel Conversion Kit?

Can You Install Your Own Biodiesel Conversion Kit?

Today converting an engine in order for it to take biodiesel fuel is something that appeals to many and as it is a process that only needs to be done once then the savings after it has been fitted are enormous. 

So if you are interested in having a biodiesel engine then you can buy packaged biodiesel engine conversion kits which will help you achieve this.  Such kits come with full instructions and all the necessary equipment you will need in order to modify any car with a diesel engine so that it can run on straight waste vegetable oil (SVO).  There are even kits available for more heavy duty diesel engines such as those in heavy duty trucks.

The benefit of a conversion kit is that once a standard diesel engine has been converted to a biodiesel engine you are still able to run it on regular petroleum based diesel.

Most of the conversion kits available will entail you installing what is basically a second fuel system in to your car.  In these kits you will be provided with a separate SVO tank and hoses, a heating system in side the tank or way that is on the way to the engine, a device which enables you to route radiator heat in the car to the new system and way in which you can switch between diesel and SVO.  Normally when the car starts up initially it will diesel (or biodiesel) from the original fuel tank then when the engine and the SVO have both been heated for a sufficient amount of time you can flip a switch and thus the fuel when the start to be delivered from the SVO tank rather than the fuel in the cars original tank.  It is important to remember that you need to reverse this process so that when the car comes to a stop there is diesel in the tank and the fuel lines, rather than the SVO which turns gooey once cooled.

However if you wish to use waste vegetable oil in a converted biodiesel engine then you must first filter it to prevent the fuel lines from becoming clogged.  The best way to do this is to filter it more than once through a succession of smaller mesh filters.  These filters are readily available in all different sizes at most auto supply stores.

Unfortunately there are those among us who know our mechanical limitations and would not want to risk messing with their car but there are plenty of companies around who will be able to assist you in fitting a biodiesel conversion kit to your vehicle.  Just do a search on the internet and you will soon find someone that can help you.