Category: Notebook

I stopped at O’Reilly auto parts today for advice on the diesel conversion.  There were several guys who had heard the concept or seen it on TV, but no one had good advice on how to make it happen.  I did get a recommendation for a specialty diesel shop in the area – Diesel injector service I think it was called.  I’ll see if they have any leads tomorrow.  I have some vacation coming up this month, and I’d like to use some of that time to locate a vehicle.

Until then my short term goals are pretty straight forward:

Figure out the mechanical modifications needed to make the car run on straight vegetable oil

Determine the most practical candidate auto for the experiment (a combination of economics and mechanics)

Locate a vehicle.  I’m officially looking for sponsors for the project, so feel free to contact me if you have a diesel you’re willing to donate!

 

Note: this is what I know up to this point.  I have a basic grasp of the diesel concept, but have never owned a vehicle with a non-gasoline engine.  For now, my opinions here are going to have to be based on simple observation and not life experience or concrete evidence.  Thanks for understanding.

My current truck has a regular gasoline motor.  I run it on 87 octane which as of today is $2.99 a gallon at the 7-11 on the corner of Main and Northwest Highway in Grapevine Texas (just outside of Fort Worth).  My wife’s car is a jeep with another gas engine.  The majority of the cars at work run on gas (as close as I can tell).  In fact, if you want to buy an automobile with a diesel engine, you severly limit the choices available to you.  Why is that?

From everything I’ve read about diesel engines – running on standard diesel fuel - they’re more reliable,  less prone to failure, and get good overall mileage.  Many diesel owners report that half a million miles on their engines is nothing unusual.  Of the four cars I’ve owned in my life, none of them have come anywhere close to that!  And I’ve always been proud of my car maintenance routine – regular oil changes, tune-ups on the older models, etc.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any downsides to having a diesel engine.  The list is short but logical:

Availability – gas stations that carry diesel oil are not as prevalent.  The 7-11 over there doesn’t carry it for example.

Selection – as mentioned above there’s some extra effort required to find a diesel powered auto that fits your tastes.

Complexity – fewer diesels on the road may also mean fewer mechanics and a reduction in the availability of parts.

Mystery – this one is most intriguing to me and I’m hoping will turn into one of the more interesting discoveries I’m going to make.

With the last point in mind, I wonder if people are looking at the ratio of gasoline:diesel cars on the road and decide on the former because everyone else has one, or if they’re actually weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the two.  I’ll hold my opinion on this until I do a little more research – I don’t want to stray too much further into conjecture-land right now.

So, with the exception of those who enjoy the inner workings of cars, most people who have a basic understanding of what makes a car go wouldn’t be able to you what makes a diesel engine different and the question remains: Why are the majority of automobile owners choosing gasoline engines over the diesel?

 I think it’s time for me to learn a little more about what makes a diesel engine work and how it’s going to affect my life.