Join REAP for the 8th annual Alaska Renewable Energy Fair on Saturday, August 11th from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on the Anchorage downtown parkstrip between I & E Street. Admission is FREE, and it’s guaranteed to be fun for the whole family! Enjoy the live music, a beer garden, great food, kids activities, informational booths, and renewable energy workshops.  Includes a 4pm Biodiesel workshop, SVO converted Volkswagen Westfalia, SVO converted school bus and more veggie goodness!

I’ve read that the flywheel is customized to mate a 1.6(1.9?) diesel or 1.8/2.0 gas engine to the standard gas VW Volkswagon Vanagon transmission with the 228mm clutch. (This one connected a 2.0 3A Audi bubble block to a VW syncro transmission.)

The Tiico transmission adapter plate mounts between the engine and the flywheel and allows the inline-4 engine to be mounted at a 50 degree angle to fit under the Vanagon T3 Transporter deck lid.

Flywheel: stamped 223674 on back, scratched 51 on the hub in the inside, no VW part numbers.

Transmission Adapter Plate: marked 996-100-001BX, but this seems to be a number for an entire remanufactured Remtec (TiiCo) 2.0l inline-4 Vanagon (Kombi/Transporter) engine.

More TiiCo info:
Vanagon TiiCo Dual Output Exhaust Manifold
Upgraded Vanagon TiiCo a3 Mk3 Intake Manifold
Vanagon TiiCo-Diesel Coolant Hoses

Only the bypass hose from the head to water pump (not shown) is different. Note that the bypass hose is not Vanagon-specific and therefore common and cheap for both gas and diesel engines.

For more details about the hoses and engine codes (note DH is 1.9l 83-85 gas) see an earlier Arctic Vegwerks post: Diesel VW Vanagon T3 Coolant Hoses Engine Compartment.

Van-Cafe has the Tiico Engine Conversion Hose Kit for $295 in standard rubber and Justin at Greaseworks sells the colorful upgraded Diesel Vanagon Silicone Hose Set w/clamps for $399. Notice Van-Cafe’s gas bypass hose is S-shaped, while Greaseworks’ diesel bypass hose is more L-shaped.

You can also see where the PO cut the ends of the hoses to remove them from the underbody coolant pipes.

(3) Lower 3-Way Hose (Return) From Radiator Pipe & Oil Cooler to Water Pump
late-CS+KY+TiiCo 068-121-073G

(6) Lower 3-Way Hose (Return) From Front Heater Core Hose to Water Pump & Expansion Tank
late-CS+KY+TiiCo+JX 068-121-081C

(17) Upper “Octopus Hose” 4-Way Hose Feed From Block to Radiator, Oil Cooler & Expansion Tank
late-CS+KY+TiiCo+JX 068-121-101H

Coolant Pressure Expansion Tank
late-CS+KY+TiiCo+DH 025-121-407

Coolant Pressure Expansion Tank Low Level Sender
late-CS+KY+TiiCo+DH 251-919-372

More TiiCo info:
Vanagon TiiCo Dual Output Exhaust Manifold
Upgraded Vanagon TiiCo a3 Mk3 Intake Manifold
Vanagon TiiCo Transmission Adapter Plate

More TiiCo info:
Vanagon TiiCo-Diesel Coolant Hoses
Upgraded Vanagon TiiCo a3 Mk3 Intake Manifold
Vanagon TiiCo Transmission Adapter Plate

Throttle Body (not a part of the kit, but shown in background) 1HS-133-064
Intake Manifold 037-133-223AM
MAP Pressure Sensor on Manifold 06B-906-051
Fuel Rail (Fuel Distributor) 037-133-317L
Fuel Pressure Regulator (3,0 bar) 280-160-235
Fuel Injectors 037-906-031AK
Injector Seals 037-133-555C

More TiiCo info:
Vanagon TiiCo-Diesel Coolant Hoses
Vanagon TiiCo Dual Output Exhaust Manifold
Vanagon TiiCo Transmission Adapter Plate

Fuel prices dropped this past year, and with it the biodiesel and SVO tirekickers dwindled to a mere trickle.  A few guys were once again trying to make a fortune brewing and selling biodiesel.  One in particular, Denali Biodiesel, got up and running with a few mid-scale plants, but as of this spring they’re relocating out-of-state.  Best of luck to them!

We at Arctic Vegwerks had ZERO conversions for 2010.  But, with Alaska’s Home Energy Rebate program we kept busy making our humble abode less dependent of fossil fuels, and took advantage of that nice $10k grant the state was offering.

Alaska Waste is plowing ahead with their biodiesel and composting efforts, and we applaud them.  We estimate they’re using about half of the grease in Anchorage in their private fleet of trash haulers.

This still leaves a quarter of a million gallons of grease out there.  With our remote market, obtaining enough SVO for personal vehicles is still a viable option.  We had it pretty cush when Alaska Mill and Feed was the grease processor: no contracts, and cheap grease for sale in bulk.  With Alaska Waste’s new 3-year contracts, many of the larger restaurant and institutions are taken, but there are plenty of little restaurants looking for someone to pick up grease for free.

Which leads to another dilemma: GREASE DISPOSAL.  Yep, SVO folks with too much grease on their hands are left to the Alaska Biodiesel Yahoogroup or Craigslist to cheaply dispose of oil.   Anchorage’s hazardous waste collection center at the landfill and transfer stations will take up to 40lbs of residential waste a day for free (one cubie), but charges $.25/lb for more ($4.00 a cube).  Businesses must to pay for all oil disposed.  Emerald Alaska is the city’s hazardous waste contractor, and their commercial rates are similar, but they do accept drums of oil.  Last time I checked, Alaska Waste was charging $2.50 a cube ($.50 a gallon) for oil disposal during business hours (call ahead), but will only take good clean oil – no sludge.

Bottom line: don’t stockpile more than you need.

Of course, we’ve got some friends heating their shop in Wasilla off SVO, with a modified Turk Burner setup.  Yellow Heat from Massachusetts has a neat Babington Ball heater.  Anyone else in Alaska doing SVO heat?  We’d love to hear from you.

Veg On!

September 8, 2010 6-8 p.m

Anchorage Museum auditorium, 625 C Street

Come hear how Alaska Waste and Alaska Green Waste Solutions’ large-scale biodiesel plant in Anchorage is turning recycled cooking oil into fuel for their fleet of garbage trucks. Opened in June, the plant is the first of its kind in Alaska. It is currently collecting about 4,000 gallons of used cooking oil each week from more than 200 restaurants, grocers and other businesses like the Peanut Farm, Lucky Wishbone and McDonalds.

Alaska Green Waste Solutions Manager Jeff Jessen will talk about the plant’s operation, plans for using the estimated 200,000 plus gallons a year of biodiesel and the benefits of biodiesel economically and environmentally.

More information at 929-7770 or s.nowers@REalaska.org.

The forum is free, but RSVPs are appreciated.

Backyard Biodiesel 1-2pm
Saturday August 28, 2010

Valley Recycling (VCRS) Booth
Purple Trail, Alaska State Fair, Palmer.

Learn all about biofuels from Will Taygan of Arctic Vegwerks. He will explain the difference between straight vegetable oil (SVO) and biodiesel, and answer questions about using them to fuel your vehicles.

August 7, 2010 from 11 AM – 9 PM • Anchorage Park Strip, Between I & L Streets

Don’t miss the fun! Held annually on the first Saturday in August, the Alaska Renewable Energy Fair is a FREE opportunity for people to come see for themselves how renewable energy and energy efficiency development is taking off across the state. Last year, more than 2,500 people came to the park strip to enjoy the live music, food, informational booths and and to listen to expert panels on a variety of topics. The fair also features a silent auction and a variety of children’s activities!

The Backyard Biodiesel seminar will be at 4 pm in tent 3!