"Skip Gundlach" wrote in
ups.com:

Just out of curiosity, what is the breakeven point for you in the
conversion (how many gallons [it appears to be about 1k] - how many
miles - how long in calendar time)?

I'm burning about $300/month, mostly in the truck. So, to recover the
$2600 will take less than a year, if you don't count my time and a few
filter cartridges it's going to consume filtering out the tiny bits that
won't settle out in storage.

There's also got to be some value to that smirk I'll wear passing the
uninformed every time I drive it. That's hard to put a value on. It'll
still use 2-5 gallons per month of diesel in the purging process, I
figure.


And, if you were to do it on other vehicles, are the installations
unique - that is, could they be transferred, like a battery pulse
conditioner, e.g., to other vehicles, later?



The only part unique would be the custom made, oil-heating fuel tank that
will fit between the driveshaft and frame of the stepvan. I'm way under
gross weight, so am planning on 40-50 gallons for it. The tanks are all
custom made for the applications. The tank for a Mercedes sedan fits
inside the trunk up against the back seat wall, for instance. Of course,
none of the hoses would transfer. There's tons of room in front of the
engine under the hood behind the massive radiator in this van for the
heat exchanger, heated fuel filter and solenoid valves. This area is
also wide open to the bottom of the van where the heated oil lines will
fit up inside the huge frame members to keep them protected. We did a
little advanced planning when it was on the rack at the shop having its
broken motor mount replaced a few weeks ago....

I've wanted a stepvan for 30 years +. It's a handy toy even if you don't
run a business out of it like mine. Best $3500 I ever spent. I'll keep
it until I can't drive any more. If/when the GM engine/transmission
fails, there are many mount holes in the frame for DD, Cummins and other
diesel engines that are readily available. A plate behind the engine
cover in the cab removes to go to a floor shifter if you like. I had
also considered a smaller diesel like a 4-cyl Isuzu or Kubota, but
powering with veggie oil eliminates that need. I can keep the V-8 power
at almost no cost this way.

Just the idea of screwing the Jahbulons out of fueling this beast makes
me smile.....(c;....fitting payback for screwing us out of ELECTRIC CARS.