Grape can be used to make ethanol, and wine is a good example of that, but its seeds provide some oil. I got to know that Italy even makes ethanol fuel out of pressed grape leftovers, so let's say, for a wine producer it would make sense to get all the fuel sourced locally, either turning both the ethanol and seed oil into biodiesel or using both directly either in the same engine or in different ones.

"bife de atum" and a possible calderetta

I like fish more than beef, and it's not breaking news for those who know me. Today for the lunch I ate what the Portuguese call "bife de atum", basically a tuna steak that even resembles a beef steak at a first sight, garnished with corn, carrot, chopped potato, black eyed peas, onion and some spices. Catched some random small fish today, a good amount of small fish that may end up in a calderetta. Not so much liver oil could be extracted today.

Talking to some fishermen about Evinrude outboards and that military version able to run on heavy fuels. I really cannot understand why it is not released into the civilian markets all around the world, because even enemies of America could work around other powerheads to use kerosene anyway. In Finland there was a version of an old Saab car adapted to use kerosene after the engine preheated with regular unleaded petrol.

yes, waste frying oils are a good fuel for old-school engines

Many ppl still don't trust veggie fuels at all, not even the ethanol as a possible replacement for petrol, and get even more unfavorable to the usage of veggie oils for old diesel engines. It does work properly, better in a mechanical indirect injection, because lower pressure and slower combustion process starting at the prechambers allow to a more complete combustion of glycerin, so there are fewer residues to stick to the cylinder walls or the piston rings. Few adaptations can be adviced, mostly to pre-heat the oil in order to decrease its viscosity for an improved flow but may not be required at all. Unlike direct injection engines that may not just experience the acumulation of glycerin residues and lubricator oil contamination, indirect injection actually can achieve fuel savings in a magnitude greater than 20%. In a Toyota Hilux from mid 80s with the L-type engine, pretty much underpowered to be fair, it could return some 5.9L/100KM (17KM/L) and was a bit better throttle-responsive too.

Just received an e-mail from sir Daniel Girald. He has sent me a picture of the current Brazilian version of the Ford F-350 Superduty.

What he said:
"Hey mate, look that. A few weeks ago I went to a Ford Trucks dealership and spotted this F-350, the first of the new Euro-5 version that I've ever seen. Now it's only available with the regular cab, but Ford certified a third-party company to perform crew-cab conversions retaining the factory warranty. The old Cummins B3.9 gave its way to the ISF2.8, and the ZF 5S-420 transmission was also replaced by an Eaton FSO 4505 D. The smaller and higher-revving engine sparked some controversy, mostly because in spite of the 25% increase in the power rating (from 120hp to 150hp) there was a roughly-calculated 14% decrease in the torque compared to the Euro-3 (from 420Nm to 360Nm), meanwhile Ford claims a 7% higher fuel-efficiency. As you may notice, the DEF tank is kinda small, attached to the right frame rail and the filling cap is easily accessible from the outside, while the American version has a bigger tank located under the cabin with a filler neck hidden under the bonnet. DEF consumption is about 6.5 to 7% of the fuel volume, almost overcoming the claimed savings..."

My opinion: bonnetted trucks have their "Wild Western" appeal that is what makes them so desired, and the cab is also alleggedly more comfortable for being lower and having a separated compartment for the engine, improving the thermal and acoustic insulation. Its estimated 12.5L/100km fuel consumption may actually not be so attractive compared to the V8 because the smaller engine needs to work a bit harder. All the controversy from the comparatively small engine serves to show clearly the cultural difference about the North American truck market and its European and Asian counterparts, more used to downsizing. The very same ISF2.8 engine is widely used in Chinese trucks that have a GVWR around 7-ton, and it is higher than the F-350 Superduty, and even in the Unites States there is a version of the Isuzu NPR with a downsized 3-litre 4JJ1-TC engine. I see no reason to blame the choice of the ISF2.8 at all. If the front clip was not so outdated it could even become a good option for countries where the 6.7 V8 turbodiesel used in the American F-350 is heavily taxed because of its greater displacement and number of cylinders.

It was kinda surprising to see a Ford F-250 SuperDuty repowered with a Toyota Hilux engine, more specificly the petrol 3.4V6 5VZ-FE. Got to think that it was kinda weird to see a small engine like that in a F-250 but hey, finding parts for that odd 4.2 inline-six MWM turbodiesel outside Brazil is anything but easy. What makes me think about it not being so much of a good idea is the fuel consumption not so advantageous over a V8, or over a diesel.

The smallest engine ever fitted to a Ford Superduty/Western

Ford Superduty trucks, also badged as Western in Malaysia, were reintroduced this year in Brazil where they had been phased out in late 2011 due to emission regulations.

Well, Ford managed that matter by changing the previous entirely mechanical Cummins B3.9 with turbocharger and aftercooler de-rated to 120hp and 450nm for a common-rail ISF2.8 rated at 150hp and 360nm in the F-350 and a regional version of the F-450 labelled F-4000, with SCR and DPF for aftertreatment but no EGR.

The older versions were enough surprising by using a 4 cylinder engine, but now it's not just 4 cylinder but also the first diesel below 3 litre to be fitted into a F-series Ford, smaller even than the Perkins 4-203 used in the F-100 and local derivatives of the F-250 in Argentina until early 90s.

Checked the info in Ford of Brazil trucks operation official webpage, and the engine is listed right there, always backed by a 5 speed manual transmission. There are not other cabin options but the regular, and 4WD is only available for the F-4000 It is still surprising that Ford sticked to this engine that is smaller than the 3.2 from the Ranger even in the F-4000 that has a GVW rating more than the double of the Ranger.
http://www.fordcaminhoes.com.br/serie-f/f-350
http://www.fordcaminhoes.com.br/serie-f/f-4000
http://www.fordcaminhoes.com.br/serie-f/f-4000-4x4

As a sidenote, their North American counterparts are only available with automatic transmission, and the 6.7 Powerstroke V8 that is heavily taxed in export markets because of its displacement is the only diesel option at a higher premium cost compared to the ISF2.8 used in the Brazilian version. It would not be so unrealistic to expect the trucks assembled in Brazil to be sold in such places instead.


These news were brought to me by a French Guyanese resident in Brazil. Merci beaucoup, monsieur Daniel Girald.

The old twin-cylinder Bolinder hot bulb still got the job done. In a crew of 8 we could keep it running for about 19 days and just shut it off about 3 or 4 times. Restarting required some pre heating with a kerosene lamp for about 15 to 30 minutes at each round. That was my first experience with a hot bulb engine, not sure if that is going to be the only one since they are getting quickly phased out. I knew there were some NGOs seeking to reintroduce them on the mainstream market for stationary operations in the so-called "developing world", but it doesn't sound so promising as it was supposed to be.

on a boat again

Time to go fishing. This time in a boat powered by a Swedish Bolinder hot bulb engine.

It's a pain in the neck to cold-start a late-80s Toyota Hilux without the glowplugs hooked up properly. WD-40 and a cigarette lighter did the trick.

The aftersales support for that batch of F250 bakkies imported in the early 2000s with that odd 6-cyl MWM engine doesn't really satisfy most of its owners. With the 2WD short-cab it's easier to drop it away and fit another engine inside and often also the gearbox for one matched to the newer engine. If it was in the Philippines it would be with an Isuzu 4JB1-TC, but in South Africa bigger engines are prefered. It's still kinda surprising when I see one with engine and gearbox of the Iveco Daily.

Travelling in a rusty Kia Pregio in South Africa always reminds me previous experiences. This one had the exhaust replaced after the manifold with beer cans tied together, front passenger door fell after a bump in a pothole because its hinge was totally worn out, crash marks all around, scratches, dents in the wheel wells, electrical failures, but the old J2 engine still runs like a champ.

Riding in a 2004 Ford Ranger (petrol) still fitted from factory with a carburettor gives me quite an odd feeling. Things that we only see in South Africa...

Petrol engines are not my favorite ones, but I like some 2-stroke outboard motors for small boats. The absence of valves makes it simpler and lighter. Testing fish liver oil as lube in one that was going to be scrapped anyways, so at least it's gonna worth something as a guinea pig for research.

It was about time for an oven-roasted fillet of fish with potatoes and steamed corn. Fish has the best organic matter to protein ratio among animal protein sources. Fish liver oil can also be used to make biodiesel, but it's better to be used in blends, not pure.

All I could get by cold-pressing some livers from fish captured yesterday were 10 litre of oil. Well, better than nothing, and already mixed in the fuel tank. That livers were chopped to be used as bait. Hmmm let's wait to see if I'm going to get lucky enought to catch a shark...

Going to board a small Yanmar-powered fishing boat soon. Taking a few days on the sea is a good part of the job.

The access to the engine bay in a Mercedes-Benz MB100 van (and its rebadged Korean versions Ssangyong Istana) is not that bad as some people complain, altough the engine position takes less space for another front seat. Anyway it's very good for a front-wheel driven van.

Electronic controls can provide some good performance with fuel-efficiency, but when something goes wrong it can get really expensive. I was even inquired about the viability of a 4JB1 repower into a Chrysler Town&Country originally powered by that Italian VM 428 DOHC. Seems doable, altough the gearbox settings are what can make it too expensive to justify.

If I would ever have a W115 Chedeng, even one fitted with the 55hp OM615 would be OK for me. Meanwhile in South Africa, seems like the W114 6-cylinder petrol variants were always the most sucessful ones, it's almost impossible to spot a 4-cylinder old Chedeng locally. Finding one repowered with the OM601 out of a Sprinter was quite a surprise.

During the Apartheid years South Africa had several economic sanctions imposed by the UN, but it didn't prevent local initiatives such as the now-defunct Atlantis Diesel Engines (ADE) which produced diesel-fired engines under license from Mercedes-Benz. Today I had the chance to see a 6-cylinder one in a bullnose Mercedes.

Feelings were kinda WTF when I saw that Volkswagen truck assembled from a Brazilian CKD kit. I already knew that model, but seeing one running on a 4BC2 is not something I was waiting for. It had originally that MWM engine and a Clark/Eaton gearbox.

Only in South Africa we can see an Isuzu TF bakkie with a Ford 302W V8 operated as a tow-truck. Anywhere else in the world it would probably have been converted to LPG. Actually a 4JB1 would be still the best answer to the job...

Another time, a petrol engine is gonna be the job. Old-school 5-cylinder Audi engine used in the Southern African versions of the iconic Volkswagen Bus van, rebored at least twice, now it's time to get the block resleeved. The owner of the van told me that he once considered to replace the entire engine using an old Isuzu 4LE2 out of a Thermo King semi-trailer refrigerator as the replacement, but this plan got on hold for awhile, not discarded at all...

Angola is an interesting place, has many natural beautiful spots but also still has a lot of povertry brought by the Soviet-oriented civil war after the decolonization. I considered a bit odd to see some Brazilian-assembled Mitsubishi pickups here, recognised by their distinctive round headlights. What caught my attention the most was a fiberglass replica of the Jeep Wrangler, known as Troller and fitted with the engine from a South-American version of the Ford Ranger.

After the ship got unloaded I'll get a meal before I go to Africa one more time. Today's menu has some breaded fillets of random small fish caught by me in the middle of the Atlantic, a cup of cassava flour seasoned with onion, parsley, pepper and then pan-fried with a bit of oil (that's a Brazilian side dish, they call it farofa there), a slice of fresh pineapple, 3 deep-fried sliced bananas, 2 cups of rice and a cup of corn, with orange juice. All the waste cooking vegetable oil and animal-sourced baking greases from the ship will be turned into biofuels.

On a sidenote, I had the chance to collect a good amount of orange skin oil, which has a good performance as a natural ignition improver to the usage of ethanol into compression-ignition engines.

Getting in with used cars and machinery, and out with refrigerated containers full of tropical fruits.

Petrol engines are definitely not my favourites, but I have been overhauling a handful of them since arrived in Suriname about 2 days ago. To the Opel C24 still available in the Isuzu D-Max we can use parts from Brazil where the engine is still made and available in their version of the Chevrolet Colorado, badged S10 instead for market reasons. What I really didn't expect to spot was a Toyota HiAce with the 2.7 VVT-i engine, a JDM second-hand import, not really so great to work as a diesel.

A bowl full of garlic-fried rice and fava beans with slices of steamed potato and chopped carrot, a pair of barbecued sardines and a bread roll with a cup of orange juice might not be the most luxurious dinner, but after some hours of labor that's a great meal to enjoy aboard of a ship. And today I got even a white Kit-Kat for dessert. Great.

Fishing is still one of the best activities to do while in a boat. At least some sort of animal protein is granted for the next meal, and it's fresh. Got sardines and a nicely-sized tuna.

electronics are a pain to overcome, but it's time to do some ECM reflashings

It's still not the most comfortable job for me to reflash those electronic modules into some Citroen and Peugeot HDi engines into used vehicles to be shipped from Singapore, but it's required to clear and prevent error codes from an EGR and DPF removal to ensure they're gonna still work properly after their arrival in Suriname alongside a bunch of Corollas and even a Prius. I'd rather replace everything with some all-mechanical injection systems for increased reliability, but altough electronics might still raise some concerns regarding their reliability under extreme environmental conditions and lower quality fuels it would be an even more complicated job to take all the secondary electric functions and controls to remain operational.

But what surprised me the most is a Citroen C5 Break converted from diesel to dedicated CNG, which looks kinda stupid from a technical standpoint and would require an extensive work to be a profitable deal.

Japan surplus Mazda RF turbocharged engine recently arrived, I tested it with pure biodiesel on the stand and it ran great. This is predicted to be adapted into a Chevrolet Venture, just need to figure out how to set the automatic transmission for it.