Although it's been a fun partnership, it may shortly be time for me to say goodbye to Kermit and allow him to move on to a new owner in that wonderful EBAY auction house in the sky. I have my sights set on something bigger and faster now that I have mastered the art of Diesel/Veg Oil conversion. It seems unfair to deprive a motorcycle licence holder of the chance to replace his ageing Reliant Robin with something much more modern and economical.
I quite fancy a Peugot 206 or 306, maybe a 205 or Reanult Clio or similar for my Veg Oil commuter. But ideally I'd like a pre 1972 diesel engined classic car - or one I can convert to a modern diesel - maybe a Morris Minor, converted using a Metro 100 diesel, then converted to run on Veg Oil. Just imagine - free road tax, free fuel and cheap classic insurance!
Any other suggestions welcome
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Problem Rectified
If a problem shared is a problem halved what is a problem rectified?
I don't really know, but I know about problem rectifiers. A rectifier, for those not in the know, and in car terms at least, is this small box about the size of a pack of cigarettes, made of aluminium and with fins for cooling, and inside which witchcraft happens. Somehow, and if I dug out my O level physics notes I could probably explain it much better, an AC electrical current goes in, and a DC current comes out. Clever stuff, if you have say an alternator or dynamo on a car engine and wish to charge a battery with which to start the engine again once it's stopped.
Well that's the theory anyhow.
Since Kermit's last little tantrum when he threw off his variator and "failed to proceed" his behaviour has been impecabble. (A failure to proceed is a Rolls Royce term, of course a Rolls never, ever breaks down. I have borrowed the term simply because I do not consider this a breakdown. A breakdown by defintion requires a breakdwon truck to recover the vehicle - as i rectified the fault at the roadside this was just a temporary failure to proceed)
Anyhow I digress. The point is that Kermit the small boxy plastic green coloured diesel engine Microcar was performing brilliantly, returning wonderful economy using free waste vegetable oil - oh yes, life was good. Even the stereo sounded good.
Then I noticed, or did I imagine, that the headlamps were getting a little dimmer? And was the car just a little more reluctant to start? And Bugger! had the battery gone flat and left me stranded at work? Well I got a jump off the boss (No smutty comments at the back please!) and got home okay, and put the battery on charge. I figured that maybe usage of the demister, headlamps heater et all along withthe veg oil heater for the first time this autumn might just have pot a strain on the battery, but then thinking back wasnt it a new battery in February? Check those receipts - why yes it was. Surely not a dying battery then. It recharged okay and holds 12.7 volts. With the battery rcharged the car started on it's own, but mysteriulsy the battery light now stayed on! Not charging then. I can only assume that before the battery was so flat it didn;t have enough charge to show it wasn't charging?????
Anyhow a check with the voltmeter showed the alternator kicking out a healthy 17 volts AC.
The Battery was receiving a very unhealthy 0 volts. Now this car has a wiring system that was obviously put together by blind pughs' colour blind apprentice. The colours of the wire may well mean something to the French, but more likely they were chosen for artistic reasons, or equally likely because that colour was nearest the car on the shelf. However I traced the wiring and found out eventually that all was (more or less) as it should be. The last check I made was of the voltage rectifier earth lead - low and behold therin lies the problem. Sorted with a quick rub with wet and dry, and a wonderful 17 volts now reaches the battery at full revs, with about 5 volts on tickover, so an average of about 12volts in daily useage which'll do for me thank you.
The above flat battery does not however constitute a breakdown merely another failure to procedd, so the Ambra remains 100% reliable to date - or not!
I don't really know, but I know about problem rectifiers. A rectifier, for those not in the know, and in car terms at least, is this small box about the size of a pack of cigarettes, made of aluminium and with fins for cooling, and inside which witchcraft happens. Somehow, and if I dug out my O level physics notes I could probably explain it much better, an AC electrical current goes in, and a DC current comes out. Clever stuff, if you have say an alternator or dynamo on a car engine and wish to charge a battery with which to start the engine again once it's stopped.
Well that's the theory anyhow.
Since Kermit's last little tantrum when he threw off his variator and "failed to proceed" his behaviour has been impecabble. (A failure to proceed is a Rolls Royce term, of course a Rolls never, ever breaks down. I have borrowed the term simply because I do not consider this a breakdown. A breakdown by defintion requires a breakdwon truck to recover the vehicle - as i rectified the fault at the roadside this was just a temporary failure to proceed)
Anyhow I digress. The point is that Kermit the small boxy plastic green coloured diesel engine Microcar was performing brilliantly, returning wonderful economy using free waste vegetable oil - oh yes, life was good. Even the stereo sounded good.
Then I noticed, or did I imagine, that the headlamps were getting a little dimmer? And was the car just a little more reluctant to start? And Bugger! had the battery gone flat and left me stranded at work? Well I got a jump off the boss (No smutty comments at the back please!) and got home okay, and put the battery on charge. I figured that maybe usage of the demister, headlamps heater et all along withthe veg oil heater for the first time this autumn might just have pot a strain on the battery, but then thinking back wasnt it a new battery in February? Check those receipts - why yes it was. Surely not a dying battery then. It recharged okay and holds 12.7 volts. With the battery rcharged the car started on it's own, but mysteriulsy the battery light now stayed on! Not charging then. I can only assume that before the battery was so flat it didn;t have enough charge to show it wasn't charging?????
Anyhow a check with the voltmeter showed the alternator kicking out a healthy 17 volts AC.
The Battery was receiving a very unhealthy 0 volts. Now this car has a wiring system that was obviously put together by blind pughs' colour blind apprentice. The colours of the wire may well mean something to the French, but more likely they were chosen for artistic reasons, or equally likely because that colour was nearest the car on the shelf. However I traced the wiring and found out eventually that all was (more or less) as it should be. The last check I made was of the voltage rectifier earth lead - low and behold therin lies the problem. Sorted with a quick rub with wet and dry, and a wonderful 17 volts now reaches the battery at full revs, with about 5 volts on tickover, so an average of about 12volts in daily useage which'll do for me thank you.
The above flat battery does not however constitute a breakdown merely another failure to procedd, so the Ambra remains 100% reliable to date - or not!
Saturday, 20 October 2007
Bang! A breakdown but only a small one.
I recently changed the drivebelt on the Ligier. This is the big rubber band that goes aorund the cones that sort of expand apart and pull together to give a continuously variabke transmission (CVT) gearbox, whereby the engine is always at constant revs and thereby at it;s most efficient whilst providing the best power transmission. As the belt wears it stretches, and also narrows, which leads to a "whiplash" effect as the drive is taken up and comes off again. It end sup like a learner driveris in control! An new bel tmakes all the difference, restoring a smoth power take up.
Well I replaced the belt and all was well for about 50 miles. Seems like I forgot to tighten the nut on the drive pulley tot he right torque. I pulled up at traffic lights, waited for the green then accelarated to start off again. What happened? A bloody big bnag that's what. And parts flying every where. The pulley, washer, nuts, cone end, three weights.......... The good news was nthing was damaged. Could you say the same of a conventional drivetrain? I doubt it.
Any how a young man who live neraby came tot he rescue. 10 minutes later, a 30 mm socket and the drive was re-established and I continued my journey.
See? Even repairs are free!
Well I replaced the belt and all was well for about 50 miles. Seems like I forgot to tighten the nut on the drive pulley tot he right torque. I pulled up at traffic lights, waited for the green then accelarated to start off again. What happened? A bloody big bnag that's what. And parts flying every where. The pulley, washer, nuts, cone end, three weights.......... The good news was nthing was damaged. Could you say the same of a conventional drivetrain? I doubt it.
Any how a young man who live neraby came tot he rescue. 10 minutes later, a 30 mm socket and the drive was re-established and I continued my journey.
See? Even repairs are free!
Another day in the life of......the GOG
Those of you who have viewed my website will know that for the last 10 months or so I have been running a very small plastic and aluminium car with a 505 cc diesel engine and automatic gearbox with CVT driven by a rubber band sort of system. This small two seater has been used to commute to and from work and for short local journeys such as taking my daughter into the next village for dance class etc.
It acheives 80 to 90 miles per gallon running on standard diesel. Of course I have a proper car, a people carriewr for when I have to take the whole family anywhere, but that wil only do an average of 40 mpg.
So the little Ligier is pressed into service whenever possible to keep running costs down.
Like all of us, I hate paying taxes to a Government which is only interested in shafting us and lining it;s own pockets. Don;t get me wrong, I'm not some sort of anarchist. Bit I'd really like to see some socialreform. like those of us who pay tax beneift from it for a change, and those who have never paid into the pot keep their sticky mits out. Why should I pay taxes for the idle and lazy to benefit from it? Example? The NHS. I pay stamp duty, income tax. VAT etc etc to support the NHS. Then when i want denatl treatment - guess what? I pay again! Doctors prescription? Yup! pay again! Idkle dole scroungers who didn;t pay in the first place? Oh. yeah you can have it for free.
So to reduce the amount of tax I pay I now run the Ligier on Vegetable oil. This is availabel (duty free and VAT free) from wholesalers from about 49 pence per litre. Compare that with diesel at about 98 pence per litre and that is half price motoring. (or if you prefer the cost equivalent of about 160 to 180 miles per gallon)
But wait it gets better!
A local Cafe throws away used vegetable oil, and will very soon have to PAY the local authority to take it away as commercial waste. Instead I take it away from them for free. Well actually for each 20 litres I take i give them £1 towards a charitabe casue, the Cafe owners grand daughter wasborn with the unbilcal cord around her throat and starved of oxygen so she sufferred some brain damage as a result of oxygen starvation. Any how I digress. £1 for 20 litres of fuel is 5pence per litre. This has to be filtered before use, so allowing fo the cost of a filter being maybe another 50 pence, that makes the fuel about 7.5 pence per litre. Or if you prefer a cost equivalent of about 950 miles per gallon.
Well it's not quite as siple as that. In the summer I could and did use pure Waste vegetablke Oil to run the car in with no ill effect. That was fine right up until last week when the temperature dropped to about 6 degrees and the fuel started to "wax." Veg oil is thivker than diesel and waxes so much sooner. Solution? Mix 25% diesel with 75% veg oil. This makes my running costs a whole £4 a month. That's about 300 niles for £4, and even cheaper once the weather warms up again. So stick that tax man!
It acheives 80 to 90 miles per gallon running on standard diesel. Of course I have a proper car, a people carriewr for when I have to take the whole family anywhere, but that wil only do an average of 40 mpg.
So the little Ligier is pressed into service whenever possible to keep running costs down.
Like all of us, I hate paying taxes to a Government which is only interested in shafting us and lining it;s own pockets. Don;t get me wrong, I'm not some sort of anarchist. Bit I'd really like to see some socialreform. like those of us who pay tax beneift from it for a change, and those who have never paid into the pot keep their sticky mits out. Why should I pay taxes for the idle and lazy to benefit from it? Example? The NHS. I pay stamp duty, income tax. VAT etc etc to support the NHS. Then when i want denatl treatment - guess what? I pay again! Doctors prescription? Yup! pay again! Idkle dole scroungers who didn;t pay in the first place? Oh. yeah you can have it for free.
So to reduce the amount of tax I pay I now run the Ligier on Vegetable oil. This is availabel (duty free and VAT free) from wholesalers from about 49 pence per litre. Compare that with diesel at about 98 pence per litre and that is half price motoring. (or if you prefer the cost equivalent of about 160 to 180 miles per gallon)
But wait it gets better!
A local Cafe throws away used vegetable oil, and will very soon have to PAY the local authority to take it away as commercial waste. Instead I take it away from them for free. Well actually for each 20 litres I take i give them £1 towards a charitabe casue, the Cafe owners grand daughter wasborn with the unbilcal cord around her throat and starved of oxygen so she sufferred some brain damage as a result of oxygen starvation. Any how I digress. £1 for 20 litres of fuel is 5pence per litre. This has to be filtered before use, so allowing fo the cost of a filter being maybe another 50 pence, that makes the fuel about 7.5 pence per litre. Or if you prefer a cost equivalent of about 950 miles per gallon.
Well it's not quite as siple as that. In the summer I could and did use pure Waste vegetablke Oil to run the car in with no ill effect. That was fine right up until last week when the temperature dropped to about 6 degrees and the fuel started to "wax." Veg oil is thivker than diesel and waxes so much sooner. Solution? Mix 25% diesel with 75% veg oil. This makes my running costs a whole £4 a month. That's about 300 niles for £4, and even cheaper once the weather warms up again. So stick that tax man!
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