Im an ex-navy engineer and my 2 other friends are both car engineers. I kind of have an idea of engines, but the other two guys are going to do the critical thinking part. We came to a halt when we realized we had no idea of how to convert a toyota corolla to run on vegetable oil. I researched, and most conversion package are only for diesel powered engines, but found none for unleaded fuels. so I need help, any suggestions would be appreciated.
2006-08-15 08:43:37 · 9 answers · asked by donovan d 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Oddly enough, I's just reading an article on this this morning, except it was an old Jetta. The key is that you have to start with a diesel engine. Not sure if Corollas even come in diesel. Said that you can order a kit and have your very handy friend or trained mechanic (sounds like that'd be you) install it. Once installed, You have to start the car with diesel fuel (to warm the veggie oil to proper running consistency), and after you're done driving, you need to let the engine run on diesel again to flush the engine of the cooking oil (I think that has something to do with the higher level of biodegradability of the vegetable oil). I'll try and find a link to the article for you.
2006-08-15 08:51:46 · answer #1 · answered by Woz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To burn Veg oil you will need to have a compression ignition engine also known as a diesel. The corolla uses a typical spark ignition engine. There will be no possible way to convert it. I would suggest using a VW or Mercedes with diesel engine. There are many people and resources found on line to support the the conversion. Corolla engine just won't work. Sorry.
2006-08-15 21:56:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hmm well i know that gas (petrol) cars have been run on kerosine which is very like diesel. So perhaps your vegetable oil could be done this way. You need to start on gas then flip over while driving.
You can make biodiesel out of vegetable using caustic. plenty of sites on this. There is also the poss of building a small cracker tower and stilling off a gas equiv from the veg oil. Dangerous process though.
Just guessing but perhaps if the veg oil is warmed and atomised (or more dangerously vapourised) then it could be fed into the carby throat using a LPG type aspirator. Most combustibles become flammable when lots of air around small particles or mixed with vapour.
Incedently your car will smell like a deep fryer or worse
2006-08-15 20:42:32 · answer #3 · answered by slatibartfast 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, you've hit the stumbling block. You need to run on a diesel engine to make that conversion work. While you could tinker around converting the gas engine to diesel, it would be easier to purchase a new diesel and drop it into your car if you want to run veggie oil power.
2006-08-15 18:06:55 · answer #4 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go NAVY!!! you can't convert a gas fired engine to oil (diesel type) the mechanics are out side the limits for the combustion ratio's Diesel engines run cooler then gas engines, you can convert to ethanol though but I'm not sure how.
2006-08-15 15:54:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to replace your gasoline engine with a diesel one for starters. After that, with minor refinements (though not necessarily inexpensive) to used veggie oil you're in business. There would be no point in using new veggie oil as you wouldn't get the benefit of 2 uses from 1 product...reduce, reuse, recycle.
2006-08-15 16:10:26 · answer #6 · answered by dzbuilder 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To answer your question your car runs on gas not a fuel oil like diesel so it wont run on corn oil however you can convert your car to run on alcohol note (there are less BTU's in alcohol than gas)your alcohol can be derived from corn (moonshine) is created from corn sour mash hope you have a big property.
2006-08-15 15:57:35 · answer #7 · answered by ssshoebox67 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just tried it in my 97' corolla and I'll be darned if the sucker didn't start right up!
Hey, wait a minute it's smoking, now sputtering, it just quit!! My engine is shot!!
You owe me a new car !!!
I'm sorry, I'm laughing my butt off right now, I know it was a serious question but I just had to write that response.
2006-08-15 16:57:05 · answer #8 · answered by BOB W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
do you realize vegetable oil costs more than gasoline per gallon? what would be the point of that?
2006-08-15 15:50:00 · answer #9 · answered by Nova J 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋