Back in NOLA

I risked it on the old pump to drive back to New Orleans. I'm parked on the door step of New Orleans Bio Diesel Initiative until they've got time to reroute the fuel lines and add an additional filter an fuel selector switch. And, yeah, I'll have yet another editing project on my plate when I finally do get back to Austin, NOBI.

My 500 dollar Fuel Pump Doesn't Suck

... But it's suppose to. There in lies the rub.

Sorry about yesterdays vague cry for help.. I'm pretty much at my wits end with the bus, because it has cost me so much time and money in the last 2 months that it is now threatening to derail the project. I cannot handle another break down without breaking down myself as was demonstrated on Sunday when I thought everything was working great and headed off down the road to Austin... I got a whole 1/4 mile before slowing to a stop. When I tried to start it back up it wouldn't.. because I was freaking out so much that I'd left it in Drive instead of putting it in neutral. (it only starts in neutral).. Gordon came out with the Bio Liberty tractor to tow me off the road (that's when I realized it was still in drive).

The FASS pump installed made the bus top out at 25mph. Fuel starvation. This pump is built specifically for WVO, Bio Diesel and of course diesel yet they designed it to Push more than pull (suck) even though Most Veggie conversions are configured to suck the fuel through the filters instead of push it through. ANYway, since the crappy 100 dollar pumps I've blown up along the way were able to suck it through (for a limited time); the FASS pump was expected to suck at least as well only last considerably longer. That line of thinking was far too rational for reality. I replaced the fuel filters to solved the problem (wasted money). Then we thought it was the fuel lines being too weak to handle the pressure of this monster pump and replaced them (wasted money). I was about to put the damn thing up for sale and in my anger .. reconnected the (truly piece of shit) fuel pump that brought me to Slidell .. Guess what? Everything worked great. I was back up to my normal 57mph in 1 minute flat. But this one won't pull veggie and is 45psi too low even for diesel; which makes it too scary to leave Slidell on.

So what does this mean? I think it means we have to redo the FASS pump to push through the filters which means adding another 3 port valve and small screen filter prior to the pump.. mo money, mo time, mo uncertainty... At this point I think I would have been better off just paying for fucking diesel.

Thanks to those who called. I got a mechanic to "look" at it and gave me things to try which eliminated some of the variables leading to reconnecting the old pump just see if the bus was fucked or not. He'll help with remodeling the conversion later this week...

~~~
disclosure: the pump itself was not 500, the pump, the wasted filters and wasted hose was well over 500... another week of my life... priceless.

I Need a Fucking Diesel Machanic NOW!

seriously.

call me
310-430-4405

My New Cartoon Bus

Rain delays postponed painting until yesterday. The bus is painted now. It kinda looks like a cartoon with the paper and tape still on it. As with everything the paint job took twice as long... the untaping will take twice as long and the fuel pump installation is about a week behind and will hopefully happen today. ~full size photo

Game On!

Today I'm Thankful for for resin and a small window of rainless opportunity.

It's been raining for the last 2 days and is suppose to rain over the weekend as well; SO The Bus Will be Painted TODAY.

Still have to reHose the fuel pump and wire it up before I can leave Slidell.

Almost There...

The new fuel pump is getting a custom mounting welded for it cause it's HUGE & heavy. It should be getting installed tomorrow.

I sprayed the bumpers navy blue and we'll be painting the rest off white on Wednesday.

With any luck, I'll be giving Thanks while driving ... (call me crazy) ... back to Texas. I'll be gearing up for the New Hampshire primary from there and back in the NE before New Years.

Slow Progress

The fuel pump arrived today. I think I've got someone to install it on Friday. Buffing the bus & preliminary taping & priming are complete. I ran short on money to buy paint and rent the sprayer but that's OK because it might be getting donated now. The Bio Liberty biodiesel plant in now under construction and filming has begun for a video regarding the project.

I'm catching up on work and editing part 2 of the NOmadjik Journey.

Upgrades in Progress

Today I'm ordering the macDaddy of veggie specific fuel pumps. It turns out that the 2nd pump I blew was not high enough pressure capacity for the engine load even though it had the same part number... idunno... but that's probably why it busted wide open after about 6 hours on the road. Also, the NEW Beaumont fuel pump is also not strong enough; the mechanic said it was 30psi, I need 50-80psi. So it's a good thing I STOPPED driving in Slidell. When the new one comes in I'll leave the 30psi mounted so I can rehose the system and get off the road if the new one blows. But if the new one (about $500) blows I think I be retiring the vegetables for a while.
Gordon took some Bus scrubbing photos.

Here's the rest of'um

click the slide show to download stills
We're taping the trim today after we move his RV to the septic system of the house they recently tore down... then we can crap like civilized people again. :)

Buffing the Veggie Slayer

Slidell, LA ~ Scrubbing and buffing every inch of the bus is almost complete. Tomorrow I'll do the roof and begin taping up the windows and trim. Hopefully we'll be painting the bus on Friday. I've begun editing the post Burning Man bus experience video. I'm looking into a new heavy duty fuel pump (that won't break on veggie oil) and other veggie modifications necessary to travel in COLD climates. ie.. Iowa and New Hampshire in January.

Waiting for Godot

Gordon and I rode into the lower 9th ward where he's been clearing lots to save displaced residents from being fined a 100 bucks a day for not knocking down their weeds... We went there 2 bloack from where the leeve breached to watch a play... in the street.. performed by the Classic Theatre of Harlem.. they set up about 500 seats in bleachers. A thousand or more showed up for the FREE theatre and Gumbo probably 80% white and 50% yuppie. Much like the government relief, Godot never came. It was a culturally significant event, no doubt, but it was also quite possibly the call to arms for gentrifying the 'hood. Many joke about handin' them white folks a hammer when they walked in an puttin' em to work. For many it was their first visit to the lower 9.. it was dark, so they didn't have to see anything "bad", cops lined the streets so they felt safe and after all, it's Becket..