DIESEL VS GAS ASD Logic input please

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Guidance with where to place my guilt because I am a fossil fuel addict.

Pollution? I have read somewhere that deisel creates more smog and Gas creates more
greenhouse emissions. If so or not, which is worse, short term/ long term?

Efficiency? Is there more than, run of the mill VW commercial sourced information that you are
aware of?

Availability? Why are there so few non commercial diesels available in north America?
Hows the supply in Europe?

Anyone using alternative fuel like Biodeisel, ethanol or electric hybrid?

Are the Hybrid diesel electric anywhere?

Several years ago I read an article essentially saying one's choice of fuel does not really make any big difference in the end. For example: An electric car does not give off any pollution, but pollution was produced during the activity required to make the pollution-free car and to later maintain it (repairs) and keep it moving (charged).

The batteries used in electric cars contain highly toxic chemicals. If you're looking for an environmentally friendly small or mid-size family car, buy a VW Golf or Škoda Octavia with a diesel engine.

Yes! Not in general use but it has existed for a while. The Rabbit, the Isusu, the Onan. The Chinese make some one cylinder boat engines, made a diesel model of the Chang Jieng, CJ, the BMW motorcycle copy, 750CC with a four speed and reverse. Some are made for forklifts, I think American, and Honda makes a line, 5-10 horse, electric start. The forklifts and warehouse trucks also use a small Allison Automatic transmission.

Some motorcycle builders are going diesel automatic, even putting the controls in the side car.

There is no money in it for car companies, building small low cost long lasting. A lot of the development I see is motorcycles for the disabled. One outfit makes a classic sidecar, that the back folds down for a wheel chair ramp, and the full controls are in the side car.

Fossil fuel guilt drops quickly with weight, and pushing 700 pounds around does not take a lot.

China is working up a 1,000 cc car, so am I. While most small stuff has been seen as a starter model, build cheap and not expected to last, it can just as well be built to last. It can still be cheap, and be built of the most standard parts, and designed for ease of service.

Some features that work are not used because the goal is to sell cars, not have them last. All large and expensive engines have centifugal oil filters, coolers, and reserve tanks, they might run twice the oil in the crankcase, which is always at the right level, clean, cool, and those engines last.

I have looked at electric, it all comes from somewhere, there is a lot of loss in transmission and in battery charging. Fuel cells work if you could find and store Hydrogen, and it is a bomb.

Brazil runs on White Lightning, an all purpose fuel. Being as one of the first acts of The Government of the United States was to mob up on booze production, 1792, the simple answer is forbidden. The only reason for Gasahol is so you can't drink it. We subsidise sugar, burn cane wastes, which fuels Brazil just from the waste bagass.

For the same reason you cannot make wiskey for your own use, so Ye Shall Not Make Tax Free Fuel! The Law Givers say so.

The same for Propane, which works great, easy conversion, clean burning, and keep a tank in the yard. Clean burning and forbidden for highway use, but used a lot out on the ranch.

Most of our energy problem is self inflicted by the Law Givers. They have stuck us with gas which is the worst choice of all. The reason is, oil is for oil, plastics, industrial chemicals, and the waste product of all that, is gas. Before the automobile the main means of disposing of it was burning off a constant flare at the refineries.

Kerosene was a cheap lamp oil, till it became expensive Jet Fuel. Before that it was a cheap insecticide sprayed on the fields.

All available things considered, diesel produces soot. It is the least explosive, and can be mixed with old french fry oil. Palm oil would make the tropics work, palm oil and cane. But you can't drill a hole in the ground and claim sole rights. Oil is consolodated power.

Diesel soot is Carbon Black, which settles and mixes with the soil.

If America switched to diesel cars, the oil companies would still have all that gas. Every place the differance shows, trains, ships, big trucks, all diesel.

Small diesel can work, better, and with real engine design, and there are some in production models to start from, with light bodies, Carbon Fiber is a waste product of oil, we could get personal transport down to a reasonable cost. It will kill the auto industry, but they are doing that themselves.

Light vehicles use smaller engines, less fuel, and the cost of pushing a few extra pounds over the life of a vehicle is very high, a pound is lots of fuel over 100,000 miles.

I am looking at 1100 pounds, that will carry 1100 pounds, a Metric ton in all. It will have better performance that the old VW bus. 1000 cc's of turbocharged diesel, it might get sporty.

As a mechanic, I hate designers! Yes, we need bolts, about two sizes. My bike engine is held in place by two rods that go through it and the frame, with nuts on the end. An engine swap should take an hour, and the old engine be reconditioned. Bent over, on your knees, under the vehicle, is no way to work on things. My company would pull the engine, stick in a tested working one, and send you on your way in an hour.

I will sell transportation and service, buy it with a service plan, and when it is paid for, then you can just pay for the service plan. The better they run, the longer they last, the more I make.

My bike is now a hot item for most of the parts were the same from 1955 to 1968. It kept availability up, prices down, and started a lot of after market supply. Interchangable parts reduces the cost of ownership. Someday there may be a great battery technology, a fuel cell without the problems, and my design can plug in a range of power supplies. Larger engine, beefy suspension, no problem, the frame is built to take it.

Electric vehicles are very efficient, even with the toxins to create the batteries and what is needed to charge them.. they still have a smaller environmental footprint and cost much less to operate then even the most fuel efficient vehicles.

In Salem there are two of the 1998 GM S10EV pickups still running. They have a range of about 100 miles, very few moving parts to break down. One owner I spoke with said he upgraded the batteries recently.. but the saving in fuel more than offset the cost of the new batteries.

Diesel is more effcient, because it's heavier and combusts more throughly.
As for Diesels in the States, check out trucks from Yank producers, Volkswagens or used Merecedes.

According to a recent Canadian study, when ALL effects are taken into account: manufacture, maintenance, repair, fuel, emissions, disposal, toxic materials; the most environmentally friendly vehicle by a wide margin is a Jeep Wrangler (TJ)!

Jeep is basically a metal tub with an old school engine, 2 axles, 4 wheels, tranny and transfer case, and a very basic interior. I love mine.

More Questions:

Two years ago I bought a Mercedes 240 D for my wife. She loves it to bits. Its awesome at the pump, but I wasn't sure about the environmental benefits of driving it, if I didn't convert it to SVO. (Straight Veg. Oil). The $1200 dollar quality veg kit is a good price but I haven't the heart to mess around with a nearly perfect car. Start slopping in the waste veg oil from my father in laws pizza joint and It'll be a french fry smelling lawn ornament, Instead of a nearly perfect sedan.

Should I Convert it to run on Filtered SWVO (Straight Waste Veg. Oil), or am I sticking TNT up its pipe doing so? (the Kit I like has coolant jacket around veg line and coolant core in tank, heated filter next to diesel pump and solenoid controlled veg bleed off.


THIS DILEMMA IS WHERE I NEED THE MOST HELP

I Drive highway almost exclusive, 100kms a day with short 10km coffee runs six times a week.
And I run the highway at 5 am with the Big Rigs.

My Vehicle is an extended cab Chevy half tonne with 305 cubic inch vortec motor (I mention vortec because the truck is easyer on gas than our winter car, a 3.0 Vulcan engined Mercury sable.)

I need a truck to feel safe on the highway... trucks have frames, cars don't.
I pull my own parts for my vehicles from the wrecking yard, it hurts to think about the death residue in some of those mashed scrap cars. (I don't feel like elaborating) But certain death, many times over. (I wish wrecking yards wouldn't bring in cars that people died in.)
I chose not to be another overlooked statistic. Or worse the survivor, when others die.
I wiped out this truck on the highway, at 80 km/h, on ice with two Rigs side by side, a quarter mile behind me, and wrote the truck into a rock cut.
I then bought my 460ci BIG BLOCK f250 with a standard trans. so I have neutral for wipe outs. and no ABS to muck with vehicle control when I need to really trick the truck to do a cat landing.
I shook a bit when I took the highway the first few times.
I rebuilt the Chev in the summer, and pulled the frame zeros, with a plus one degree to compensate for potential bend retraction. Shes straight with weight, put a cap on the back and fresh winter tires, because its WRONG TO RUN THE BIG BLOCK 460 cubic inch at all. But the sound of the motor revved is the sexiest thing I have ever heard. It makes me weepy. I'm conflicted.

So what do you think. My idea is to exchange My two Gas Trucks for a
85 Ford 6.9L diesel F350 dually 4 door. The trade is paperwork away. The BIG TRUCK will be the safest way to haul our Slide in Camper and has room to take the whole family, but it will also be my work truck, racking up highway miles.

I know little about the international 6.9 pre-chamber mechanical injection engine in these trucks and weather or not, it works well with waste vegetable oil.

Its a smaller power plant than the 7.5 litre in our 'back up truck' but 1400 cc larger than my daily drivers 5 litre...the F350 is also one HUGE vehicle.

Considering all the issues conflicting with each other i'm just taking the path of least resistance, insight from wp could change our lives so help if you can.

SORRY FOLKS FOR ME SAFETY COMES FIRST SO A PRIUS OR GOLF ARE OUT.

Do you think I can go on with what I'm about to do, or should I take a second look at what I have done and where to go from here.