Best host engine for alternative fuels

[MISWFL]

I'm looking to have multiple vehicles with different fuel systems to keep my options open for cheap fuel when possible. Mostly gas powered. I'd probably have at least one dumb Diesel, if I find that I can get enough free waste oil to store up. That might be an older Mercedes because I believe the piston injection pumps are the best for running non factory Diesel fuel.

From my limited knowledge, older lower compression engines with thick rings are probably the best for running alternative fuel, except E85. I'd like to have one of each:

Diesel: which will probably be a 1980s 4 or 5 cylinder all cast iron Mercedes. I hate that 5 speed manual transmissions are hard to find for them. RWD, so an easy swap into a mini truck.

E85: Probably a beater 2003 Escape AWD I might get cheap. Needs head gaskets, has the 3.0 24 valve V6. I'd probably swap over everything from a flex fuel Ford of some sort. Would make a good winter beater car.

Electric: probably a Nissan Leaf as a donor or one of my CRXs.

Gasification: Unknown other than a pickup with either a 6 or 8 low compression engine. Probably a last resort end of the world vehicle. Yes I know that you can't legally run gasification on public roads, even though a few people get away with it.

Propane: Pretty easy to add to any older carbureted vehicle. Maybe a Road Warrior inspired 1st gen CRX with the propane cylinder sticking out the back hatch. I'm sure the cops would love that, especially with antique or historical registration.

Steam: I haven't thought much about this, but it shouldn't be too hard, besides building a safe wood fueled broiler. Not sure how you'd make it deliver smooth power to the wheels so it would work on the street with tires. I'll have to rewatch the video of the guy with a steam powered tricycle.

Any ideas would be great.

Possible host vehicles:

1994 E150 conversion van with a good 302 and some unknown problem I will sort it out this winter.

1995? F150 2WD extra cab with a 302 that's been carbureted with a C6 swapped. Supposedly a good engine and transmission. If I keep it, I'll swap it to a manual transmission.

1990 XLT 4WD 2.9

Datsun 620 King Cab 2WD

Multiple Honda CRXs

Possible: 2003 Escape AWD V6

Possible: Escape hybrid if the guy gets a title for it. Has an electrical problem.

 

[franklin2]

Don't start with the legalities debate. Any fuel you run on the road is supposed to have the road tax added to it. So technically a lot of alternative fuels are not legal for the road. That is all I have to say about that.

I have a old idi diesel f250 pickup. Many guys on another forum I am on run waste oil in some form or fashion in those trucks. Many of them mix it with regular diesel fuel, different percentages depending on the weather. They run it though, knowing that it eventually ruins their injection pump. You just can't filter and clean the oil good enough not to cause wear to the pump. I get into little debates about it once in awhile, and once I tell them if they can filter the oil good enough not to cause wear in the injection pump, which is a precise close tolerance piece of machinery, then the oil should be good enough to go back into the engine crankcase. That is when the debate ends, since no one is going to put filtered used oil back into the engine crankcase.

I do not see the Mercedes injection pump being any different. Rebuilding the pumps is expensive, around $1500 give or take, but they are saving so much on fuel they do not care, they still come out ahead. But a warning came out a couple of years ago from one of the rebuilders they were using, he was running out of good cores. If they run the waste oil long enough in the pump, there are parts of the pump that are not replaceable and a new core has to be found. With everyone running waste oil, they were using the cores up pretty quickly.