charlieaarons
Explorer
Sorry for the dumb question but why are you using a portable tank for the Webasto?
Mercedes-Benz 917 AF Renovation.
- Thread starter Joe917
- Start date
loonwheeler
Adventurer
Running kerosene perhaps for a cleaner burn? Just a guess...
Neil
Observer
I am not sure of Joe'srrasons for a portable tank, but wish I had a separate tank, maybe portable for my system.
The reason being is My main tanks are outside. My heater feeds from one of them. At Minus 25 in Bolivia at 5000m starting my vehicle without pre heating was impossible ( no glow plugs etc ) . The problem was that the diesel waxed and therefore couldn't use the pre heater.
I have to design a s way to feed the heater, which is outside, with warmer diesel in these circumstances.
May be a portable tank kept indoors could be a solution.
Neil
The reason being is My main tanks are outside. My heater feeds from one of them. At Minus 25 in Bolivia at 5000m starting my vehicle without pre heating was impossible ( no glow plugs etc ) . The problem was that the diesel waxed and therefore couldn't use the pre heater.
I have to design a s way to feed the heater, which is outside, with warmer diesel in these circumstances.
May be a portable tank kept indoors could be a solution.
Neil
DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
Biggest reason (that I can think of) for a separate tank for the heater fuel is to use kerosene for a cleaner burn, both at altitude and simply as maintenance.
As my Webasto is on all winter, I am fairly religious about a 30 minute full power burn every month. Also seems to help reduce temperature swings.
I am looking at ways to add a separate tank, if only to use periodically for a maintenance burn. In daily use it is awfully nice to simply fill the main tank and not worry about things.
To Neil's Bolivian chills, it has been my experience that the Webasto works best when turned on and left on. Keep it on cabin heat only when you don't need a lot of hot water. That will keep enough fuel going through the line.
As my Webasto is on all winter, I am fairly religious about a 30 minute full power burn every month. Also seems to help reduce temperature swings.
I am looking at ways to add a separate tank, if only to use periodically for a maintenance burn. In daily use it is awfully nice to simply fill the main tank and not worry about things.
To Neil's Bolivian chills, it has been my experience that the Webasto works best when turned on and left on. Keep it on cabin heat only when you don't need a lot of hot water. That will keep enough fuel going through the line.
Joe917
Explorer
When you buy a home in Ontario that has oil heat, the home comes with a full tank. We have 800 liters of heating oil and we intend to change away from the oil furnace, so burning it in Webasto will use some of it.
Winter diesel is treated to reduce the temperature diesel jells (wax forms), or you can get anti-jell diesel treatments. Especially useful for burning furnace oil or summer diesel in severe cold. Neil, I would suggest you try to find some. There is a typical anti-jell (pre-treatment)and also a fuel line anti freeze (fix frozen/blocked lines) that you add by removing the fuel filter and filling it with the treatment.
Winter diesel is treated to reduce the temperature diesel jells (wax forms), or you can get anti-jell diesel treatments. Especially useful for burning furnace oil or summer diesel in severe cold. Neil, I would suggest you try to find some. There is a typical anti-jell (pre-treatment)and also a fuel line anti freeze (fix frozen/blocked lines) that you add by removing the fuel filter and filling it with the treatment.
charlieaarons
Explorer
There’s a reputable set of products to do the above made by Power Service:
Diesel Fuel Supplement and Cetane Boost; and Diesel 911 respectively.
The former is the stuff in the white bottle NOT silver which is for summer only.
I recommend the products and the white bottle stuff definitely works when using summer fuel in the winter. I have no connection to the company.
charlieaarons
Explorer
In Alaska in the winter the fuel stations sell Jet A-50 with additives for Diesel engines like lubricity additive. I think.
Don’t know about Canada.
Don’t know about Canada.
Neil
Observer
I also have the information that I can add petrol to the diesel to stop it waxing. Not sure how the Eberspacher will like it. I c9ntacted Eberspacher once about adding anti Waxing agents the fuel and received the stock non informative answer " don't " without further explanation
I think this is their safe answer.
All of this is another reason to make be think that a dedicated heater fuel tank from within the warmer area 9f the vehicle could e a good choice.
Luckily I should not hit the tempreture you speak of of until the upper part of north America in a good few years
Once you get the engine running then your almost home and dry as the pump will return warm unused fuel to the tank
I think this is their safe answer.
All of this is another reason to make be think that a dedicated heater fuel tank from within the warmer area 9f the vehicle could e a good choice.
Luckily I should not hit the tempreture you speak of of until the upper part of north America in a good few years
Once you get the engine running then your almost home and dry as the pump will return warm unused fuel to the tank
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Wazak
Member
I used to work for a large National crane hire company all the mobile cranes that had Ebespacher's fitted were converted to run on Kerosene to reduce the chance of fuel waxing. Not that we encountered the extreme cold temperatures in the UK that are the norm in some countries.
