Who's run a 2.1td on veg oil?

[markyp130]

After reading the info on lucas pumps hating veg oil and then reading the info on veg oil forums of people running veg oil in there 2.1td's with lucas pumps for years , and one chap in cornwall has done 50,000 miles on svo alone . I was wondering if anyone on here has run there 2.1 td on veg oil and how long the pump lasted. It seems that due to veg oil being thicker than diesel the pump drive shaft is not properly lubricated, but if the pump is worn the tolerances have increased between the shaft and bush and the veg oil can lubricate. At 135,000 miles mine is worn in, AA cover in place and the car cost me £550, So at 18,000 miles i could cover the cost if the engine went bang. I am after some advice from someone that has tried this....

[Gary406]

that chap has not done 50k miles on SVO with a lucas pump. not a chance...

you wouldnt do 50 miles let alone 50k miles ..

are you sure his car has a lucas pump and has not been converted to bosch

its a well known fact you cant run a 2.1 on veg oil unless its been converted to bosch fuel pump

[Gary406]

i have a 1.9 with a bosch which i run on veg oil , runs fine once the coolant system is hot and pre-heats the oil before it goes into the pump,

[markyp130]

Thanks for the reply gary, the thing is there is so much info on forums with differant veiws. so i was hoping that someone that has run veg oil and killed the pump or not could let me know. If the pump is damaged quickly after 50 miles what type of damage occured..

[GeordieBoy]

Lucas pumps can be damaged on 1 mile or 50,000 miles when ran on Veg, its a ticking time bomb can go at anytime.
Engine wont go bang, the pump will just stop pumping fuel to the engine. So you'll need to buy another pump.
Bosch pump from a 405 1.9 or an early 406 1.9TD that isn't ECU timed. You'll need the Bosch injectors and pipes to pump.

[markyp130]

Thanks for the info, so when the pump fails and stops pumping does it seize the drive shaft and break the cambelt, or is it a simple pump fails get towed home and fit a bosch pump etc ..

[Gary406]

simple pump fail and a tow home mate, it wont damage cambelt ....or the engine,

[Gary406]

its a bigger chance the lucas will fail after a very short while.. theres many sites that will tell you that,
the lucas pump is not a very good one,

heres a statement from diesel bob .... search google for diesel bob

POSSIBLY THE WORST DIESEL INJECTION PUMP EVER FITTED IN GREAT NUMBERS. VERY WEAK, VERY UNRELIABLE AND VERY COSTLY TO SERVICE. CANNOT BE MODIFIED. TRULY AWFUL!

[Gary406]

nobody i know online has run a 2.1 on veg. i dont think there silly enough to even try

[markyp130]

Thanks gary, I don't consider myself as silly. I am just trying the make an informed decision from another peoples experience. If the pump fails and does not damage the engine this helps , as the cost of repair will be lower.. ie bosch pump, lines,injectors and a new timing belt. So what damage is done to the pump internals..

[Gary406]

thats what gets damaged the pump internals.

the engine will be fine,