[thecapedcrusader]

so it will run with no adverse effects with cooking oil eh
sounds good to me any little tricks i need to know before going down that road ie filters etc
ive got a friend in the know who deals in cooking oil so should be readily available
it wont damage the pump will it?

[Coxy]

thecapedcrusader, on 15 March 2010 - 06:03 PM, said:

so it will run with no adverse effects with cooking oil eh
sounds good to me any little tricks i need to know before going down that road ie filters etc
ive got a friend in the know who deals in cooking oil so should be readily available
it wont damage the pump will it?

Mechanically no, but there have been reports that veg rots the O-ring seals after a while.

[Father Ted]

Coxy, on 15 March 2010 - 09:02 PM, said:

Mechanically no, but there have been reports that veg rots the O-ring seals after a while.

Not so much "rots" from what I've heard. Apparently, diesel causes them to swell. Using veg causes them to shrink back, so they leak. If that happens, just add a bit more diesel to the mix and they can swell back up again. Also, as veg is thicker, it generates more pressure in the pump. So, if your seals are a bit dodgy, the extra pressure finds it out.

[Sir Henry]

As I said before: The addition of 10% unleaded is, if not essential, then at least a 'good idea' even in Summer as it thins the veggy considerably whether its SVO or WVO. It can also serve to lubricate any seals it comes into contact with. Adding it a week or two in advance in drums does an even better job.

Ps. The corollary of Sod's First Law of Thermicdynamos is: If it can't go wrong it probably already has and you just didn't notice! (The conductor of the orchestra of the Titanic is a case in point)

[Coxy]

Father Ted, on 15 March 2010 - 09:24 PM, said:

Not so much "rots" from what I've heard. Apparently, diesel causes them to swell. Using veg causes them to shrink back, so they leak. If that happens, just add a bit more diesel to the mix and they can swell back up again. Also, as veg is thicker, it generates more pressure in the pump. So, if your seals are a bit dodgy, the extra pressure finds it out.

Thanks for the correction FT. I only chimed in because no-one else had done at that stage and I felt it was reasonable to flag the issue, but I was surprised that non of the pro-veg brigade hadn't responded befoe I did.

[Sir Henry]

Although 'rotting' may not be the correct term, some 'rubbers' are weakened by veggy oil. Pure latex is the worst for this. If you regularly wear latex gloves while working on your cars you would find that they will soon fall apart if they get contaminated with veggy. Although car seals aren't made from pure latex, some include it (or a similar compound) in their makeup.
The best material for seals exposed to veggy oils is neoprene - the same stuff most wet suits are made from.

[Coxy]

Sir Henry, on 15 March 2010 - 11:28 PM, said:

Although 'rotting' may not be the correct term, some 'rubbers' are weakened by veggy oil. Pure latex is the worst for this. If you regularly wear latex gloves while working on your cars you would find that they will soon fall apart if they get contaminated with veggy. Although car seals aren't made from pure latex, some include it (or a similar compound) in their makeup.
The best material for seals exposed to veggy oils is neoprene - the same stuff most wet suits are made from.

You may be correct in recommending neoprene, SH, though I would have expected that Viton would have have been more resistant and are only pennies more expensive. Does anyone happen to know for certain which material is less susceptible to attack?