residential weekend course

veg oil vehicle conversion

venue: Redfield Community, Bucks

This course will teach you how to convert your diesel or turbo-diesel vehicle to run on new or used straight vegetable oil.
We will need one participant to have their vehicle converted during the course. This will cost an extra £195 for materials, but you'll save on labour. Your engine will need to be in good condition.
To do this conversion, your vehicle needs to be indirect injection diesel - i.e. D or TD, not DI, TDI, HDI, SDI etc. (With indirect injection, you need to wait a few seconds for the glow plugs to get up to temperature when starting; with direct injection you don't.)
Your vehicle will also need a Bosch injector pump. If not, you can get a second-hand one for around £50 and install it yourself (cost at a garage for new pump and fitting: c. £800); or if you have a Lucas pump, you can continue to use it, and change it to a Bosch if and when it fails.
A basic understanding of car mechanics would be an advantage, but is not essential to attend this course.
The course is run by Sebastian Rasch, who has driven 125,000 miles on veg oil, and has converted 23 vehicles to date.

Let us know if you would like to purchase the conversion kit on the course, at a special price of £195 for course participants (usually £225), and we can make sure we have them in stock.

During the weekend you will learn about:

  • basic diesel engine technology and history
  • one- and two-tank systems
  • direct and indirect diesel engines
  • straight veg oil v biodiesel
  • how to find used veg oil; basic filtering techniques
  • injector pumps: Lucas v Bosch; fuel filters
  • dos and don'ts of veg oil conversion and running
  • Customs & Excise: how to pay your fuel duty and keep the Treasury happy
  • practical sessions: observe and assist in the actual conversion of a diesel or turbo-diesel car

more on veg oil motoring


how to book:
  

if you can't open the booking form, you need Acrobat Reader - it's free
arrive:
  
Friday evening at 6.30 for dinner at 7.30
depart:
  
Sunday after lunch (served at 1.00)
directions:
  
click here for directions by bicycle, public transport and car
what to bring:
  
pen and notebook; towel; work clothes or overalls; boots; money for possible trip to pub (meals and bedding are provided)
NO DOGS PLEASE, as we have sheep
let us know:
  
if you are vegan or have any food allergies
accommodation:
  
3-4 people sharing single-sex rooms
sat evening:
  
either a trip to the pub in Winslow, or (depending on the weather) a barbecue and bonfire. You'll be able to meet and chat with other Redfield members
prices:
  
£190 high-waged; £160 waged;
£130 student / unwaged
Refundable up to two weeks prior to course (minus £30 admin fee)
No refunds for cancellations within two weeks of course
discounts:
 
car sharing:
  
visit our car sharing forum to offer or request a lift
 

 

 

 


a slightly wider fuel line (because veg oil is more viscous than diesel) is installed between the fuel tank and a heat exchanger to pre-heat the oil

 


 

 

 

 

 

 


Sebastian seen with some of the conversion kit: high-temperature hose (black) for hot water from engine to heat exchanger; fuel hose (white) from tank to fuel filter; water-heated fuel filter with electric heater ring (centre); and vaccuum gauge - oh, and a 5-litre container of veg oil

 


 

 

 


 

 

 


this is what a Bosch fuel injector pump looks like (usually situated at the front left of the engine)