[ajohansson]

I have had my Golden Fuel system on mt Excursion for 2 months now and have ogged approximately 3000 miles on WVO. Today I had my first hicup. I was driving down the freeway at 70 mph with the cruise control on and started to lose power. I checked all of my guages and found nothing out of wack. I then clicked back to my diesel tank and regained power. I flipped back to veggie oil and had no problems till I got back off of the freeway some 10 miles down the road. The truck would drive fine until I hit like 40 mph and especially was dogging it on the hills. The car never died but had significant loss of power. It almost felt like my tranny wa slipping. Everytime I switched back to diesel it ran perfectly fine. My vacuum gauge is registering at 1 and I have only put in filtered WVO or SVO into the system. I checked the racor filter underneath the truck and drained out some oil from the water seperator and it looked great. Ther was no sludge or particulates. I suspect I have a clogged filter but with the vacuum gauge reading at 1 and the intermitent power loss I am a bit confused. Anyone else experiencing this problem. Thanks...AJ

 

[Spencnaz]

Have you considered running your system on biodiesel to clear out any deposits on the injectors?

 

[Halitosis]

I am not too familiar with your fuel system... but I am familiar with the X.

I have had issues like this before. Usually it points to a clogged filter, or something else that is causing some fuel starvation in my WVO system.

I know that you said that you 'drained some oil' out of your Racor filter setup... but was the filter itself actually clogged? (I get about 3000-4000 miles out of my Wix fuel filter before it clogs up... so that's my first guess).

Forgive me since I have no idea how the Racor fuel filter system works.

The other scenario that I run through is that the fuel line is sooooo long to the back of my X that I have to make sure that I don't have any clogs/fatty deposits in the system... because the fuel pump sometimes doesn't have the 'ooomph' to pull the fuel system fast enough (with that much length) at the rate I am burning it. Normally during the summer months this isn't an issue... but if the temp drops down low enough (like winter) than it can be a problem.

If you are fine when running on diesel, but sluggish when running on WVO... my gut tells me your injectors are fine and that you are dealing with some sort of loss of fuel pressure on the WVO side under power/load.


Hope that helps.

Halitosis

 

[DR435rider]

I agree with the fuel starvation suggestion. The obvious thing is to check the filter. Hang on to the old filter just in case it isn't clogged. The next thing to look at is a possible kink in a fuel line. Does your system use the Pollak 6-port fuel selector? I've never heard of one of those 'partially' failing. It either works or it doesn't.

Good luck on your diagnostics and keep us posted on your findings.

Todd

 

[Murphy2000]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you considered running your system on biodiesel to clear out any deposits on the injectors?

[/ QUOTE ]

Now there's a statement with a lot of meaning.

You go Spencnaz.....

 

[ajohansson]

Thanks for all of your guys help. The golden fuel system converted my stock tank of 44 gallons to my veggie tank and I have a 24 gallon diesel tank. I do agree with you all on the filter being possibly clogged but I am stumped that my vacuum gauge is reading only at 1. The installer said that I should change my filter out at 15. I have only ran either SVO or WVO filtered to 2 microns. I looked at the majority of my fuel lines yesterday and saw no kinks. What kind of mileage should I be getting out of my on board 2 micorn filters if I prefilter my oil at 2 microns. I have heard that the SVO/WVO acts like a cleaner and alot of deposits in my former diesel now veggie tank will initially cause a filter to be clogged but will remedy over time but that still does not answer the vaccum guage problem. Anybody else heard of this.

 

[RatherBNtheWoods]

Does VO go through the OEM filter on your system? That sounds like the one that is clogged, not the Racor. The 15" vac reading would be when to change the Racor, not he OEM.

Please don't be offended, but if you like your truck, junk the Greasel(now thought of as Golden Fuel Systems) and get a good system. It is believed that the Golden system doesn't get the VO hot enough and may clog filters and destroy the engine. Search the interweb for such and you will see what I mean.
Yes, there is some personal experience with Charles and his system speaking here.

 

[Murphy2000]

[ QUOTE ]
I have heard that the SVO/WVO acts like a cleaner and alot of deposits in my former diesel now veggie tank will initially cause a filter to be clogged but will remedy over time but that still does not answer the vaccum guage problem. Anybody else heard of this.

[/ QUOTE ]

You heard wrong.

While straight vegetable oil may not leave much behind, WVO certainly will.. Just check out any long term waste oil tank and see all the crude on the walls.

Biodiesel however, will clean up your system.

Hope this helps,

 

[ajohansson]

I went with Golden because of their excursion set up. I always wait till my car is at 160 degrees before I switch over and I have a heated pickup tube and external heater on the Racor. I understand their are nicer systems and I may upgrade. As far as the filters are concerned, Yes both the Vegie and diesel run through the stock oem fuel filter. It was just changed about 1000 miles ago just as preventative and it was super clean. Why would switching back to diesel solve the power issue if the stock fuel filter was getting clogged? I would think if the oem filter was clogged I would have the same performance on diesel or WVO. Your thoughts.

 

[Spencnaz]

Thanks Murph,

Praise from 'caesar'.

 

[RatherBNtheWoods]

Diesel will flow through a partially plugged filter ALOT better than VO. Even hot VO. Plus you don't need as high of fuel pressure with diesel to fill the injectors effectively,(PSD engines use HUEI type injectors instead of an IP pushing fuel through the old traditional injectors. Fuel enters the injectors near the bottom of the injector and it takes a certain amount of time at a certain pressure for a particular viscosity fluid to fill the injector reservoir between injection pulses. Thinner diesel fills the injectors faster/easier than the thicker VO) so if a plugging filter is slowing the diesel down a little also(but not as much as it does the VO) the performance loss isn't as great/noticeable.

 

[bigblockbill]

Any chance you have some air in the lines. I just installed a Veggie system a few weeks ago and noticed today that I was only building 13-15 psi of boost where I used to be able to get 25 before the conversion. I have a loop return and it does not allow any trapped air in the veg lines out until you flip the switch to diesel and then it only returns the veg to the tank for 30 seconds or so. I had to do this several time going down the road today and it must have purged some air out of it and now am up to 23 psi. Guess I still have some air left. It even idles with out a miss once again.

Is your system running a loop return? You will have to pinch that line off or close the valve before looking at your inline vacuum gauge.

 

[fordnut74]

[ QUOTE ]
Diesel will flow through a partially plugged filter ALOT better than VO. Even hot VO. Plus you don't need as high of fuel pressure with diesel to fill the injectors effectively,(PSD engines use HUEI type injectors instead of an IP pushing fuel through the old traditional injectors. Fuel enters the injectors near the bottom of the injector and it takes a certain amount of time at a certain pressure for a particular viscosity fluid to fill the injector reservoir between injection pulses. Thinner diesel fills the injectors faster/easier than the thicker VO) so if a plugging filter is slowing the diesel down a little also(but not as much as it does the VO) the performance loss isn't as great/noticeable.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely correct. I would bet my first born on this being a fuel pressure issue. And as mentioned, thinner diesel will flow through partially plugged filters better. I am not failiar with your system, but does it use the OEM pump? is there an additional lift pump? The best troubleshooting tool you can have is a fuel pressure gage that monitors your fuel rail pressure. Does your power recover instanly when switching back to diesel, or gradually?

 

[ajohansson]

Well it is nice to hear from the master. I did not originally go with your kit because the expense and well I liked the overall tank set up for the excursion that Golden fuel system had. I plan in the future to put on a vegistroke system using my golden tank set up. I am using the stock pump with no additional help and I get power instantly when switching back to diesel. I do not have a fuel pressure guage installed but I have room for another set of guages under my fuel economy computer so that is coi9mg soon. Why would my vacuum guage still read relatively no restriction on my 2 micron racor filter but my OEM fuel filter be clogged. I am not a mechanical genious so please forgive me if I am missing something obvious.

 

[hheynow]

[ QUOTE ]
Why would my vacuum guage still read relatively no restriction on my 2 micron racor filter but my OEM fuel filter be clogged.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good question. My system on veg runs through the Racor and OEM filter. When my dash fuel restriction light comes on it could be either filter, but when I flip to the rear tank and full power is restored, I know it's the veg filter. I too have a veg filter vacuum gauge, but it's attached to the Vormax filter and is under the truck. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif I plan on installing an electrical fuel pressure gauge in my fuel line after the Pollock so I can monitor the restriction while driving. Why don't you try a 10 micron Racor? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif That's what I use.

 

[frashdog]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes both the Vegie and diesel run through the stock oem fuel filter. It was just changed about 1000 miles ago just as preventative and it was super clean. Why would switching back to diesel solve the power issue if the stock fuel filter was getting clogged? I would think if the oem filter was clogged I would have the same performance on diesel or WVO. Your thoughts.


[/ QUOTE ] Forgive me if I missed something. One, Can you monitor real time the vacume guage, idle does not do much vacume? If you are sure it is not the pick up side I would put my money on the stock filter for sure. There is a sizable volume there and no heat. I could imagine it getting "gummed" up with the vo snot, not actual particulates and the diesel cuts it right up when you switch back.

Fordnut74 know's
[ QUOTE ]
The best troubleshooting tool you can have is a fuel pressure gage that monitors your fuel rail pressure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Besides your temps. you should monitor your fuel pressure in the rails for sure. If you do not want to spend for a nice one. go get a $20 oil psi guage. I have a few test ports here and there in my system so I could tap a guage in to test, a tee to add a guage sender is not a big deal.

Your trouble, is a case for having vo dedicated fuel system, not sharing anything except the fuel rails. Makes trouble shooting so much easier. Good luck.

 

[ajohansson]

Thanks for the input. The vacuum gauge on my racor veggie filter is mounted in the cab. It is supposed to tell me how much restriction I have. It is meauring about 1. Installer told me that I should change filter at about 15. I will pull the stock filter tonight and check on the "vo snot". Thanks

 

[ajohansson]

Just got off the phone with Golden. Suspect faulty gauge. They agreed I should see pressure and restriction on guage and I have never seen any. It just sits at 1. I am going to change my racor filter tonight. I let you know what I find.

 

[fordnut74]

[ QUOTE ]
I am using the stock pump with no additional help and I get power instantly when switching back to diesel

[/ QUOTE ]

Just from that line I can tell you your problem is a restriction between the pump and the oil pickup. Could be the filter, could be the pickup, could even be the pollack valve itself. If there was a delay in the power picking back up, then it would likely be either the pump, or something past the pump toward the motor as the Diesel gradually makes its way back into the system.

 

[ajohansson]

Thanks. Golden sent me a plumbing diagram and that helped alot since I did not install this myself. I do have an accessory fuel pump for my VO just after my filter. As far as the gauge goes they are sending me a new one to see if that is the reason I am not showing restriction. I sure hope it is just the filter and the gauge and not the pollak valve. AS always thanks for your help.