text: Can any diesel run on WVO? - School Bus Conversion Resources
  Can any diesel run on WVO?
  06-02-2011, 02:08 AM #1
  Location: TheEvergreenState
  I am looking into getting a skoolie to live in. There is an old 66 Gillig that has been fully converted and a 92 bluebird that has not been converted. I am sure I will find many other buses out there as I look into this.
  My main concern is that I want to have a small of an eco impact as possible so I will be getting a diesel bus and converting it to WVO. Would that be possible with the really old engine in a bus from the 60's? Thanks for helping
  06-13-2011, 05:27 PM #2
  Re: Can any diesel run on WVO?
  Looks like the forum is running at idle! I'll venture a reply -- even though I am not an expert.
  When Rudolf Diesel invented the compression-ignition engine that now bears his name, he ran his prototype on peanut oil (or something similar). So odds are a 1960s engine could be run on WVO. But you might tell us what kind of engine that old Gillig has. Someone here should know if it is well suited or not. It might even be an engine you don't want to own.
  A 1992 Blue Bird quite possibly has a Cummins 5.9 with inline injection pump, and I read around here that this engine is well suited.
  06-14-2011, 12:43 PM #3
  Hey Elliot - I see your old bus is painted. Time to update your thread!
  Regarding WVO - some diesels like it better than others. You should seek out another forum dedicated to WVO issues, and I think you will get a better response. Certainly older engines are more suitable than newer ones. But there are various factors related to injection type (direct, indirect, common rail, etc.), and (manual vs electronic) and type of injection pump (inline vs. rotary), that will determine how compatible an engine is with WVO.
  06-16-2011, 02:40 AM #4
  Thanks for the replies. The bus I am hoping to get soon has a Engine is a 3208 Cat Diesel with Electric Cooling fans. Hopefully someone here has done a successful conversion on one of them. I think I want to get a frybrid conversion kit and their refuling/refilling kit for filtering on board. I am also concerned about space for tanks under the bus since I've read on the frybrid forum that school buses don't have as much room as coaches or rvs. I feel like I've learned a lot since I started this thread from reading online.