please help troubleshoot!

[after oil]

try removing that electric pump and see what it does.

like i said, i ran a hose from a jerry can to the HE, bypassing pump and tanks, with no change

[BCDelica]

How about running a strong WVO to diesel mix, when the diesel system is low. Carry around a jerry can of diesel to get it running right, if there is problems. This would run the motor without any WVO components and the WVO fuel lines, as you can temporarily bypass the heat exchanger and switch valve also.

If it still has issues and smoke, than the problem is occurring from IP to injectors whitest running on WVO.

Does the CCAuto tune include timing of injection pump?

[PlantDrive]

ok well, white smoke can also indicate incomplete combustion, of a proper amount of fuel (as opposed to black smoke..too much fuel)

- check compression
- replace or rebuild injectors
- ensure the glow plugs are all good, and new enough the tips are not eroded, and that the 6V post-glow function that operates for about a minute after startup is working.

[after oil]

lately we have been working on this system. still having problems. we removed the filter and the pump. we discovered that the heat exchanger is not heating correctly. the coolant seems to be not circulating. its very hot in some places (200f) and cool in others (110F) and not sufficiently heating the fuel

[shampoomotor]

Hi,
Ya i removed the pump and it ran better but didn't solve the problem of surging and stalling. pretty sure the problem is oil temp. The heat exchanger only achieves about 110f. And the coolant leaving the exchanger is hotter! than the coolant going in?!?!?

[PlantDrive]

RE: coolant leaving exchanger hotter than going in.
First, are you positive you have the flow direction correct? How do you know?
--
If it really is doing that, then maybe the glow plug is adding heat to the coolant better than to the fuel.
This could happen if the fuel is moving nicely and at high volume, round and round and being returned to tank, and hardly picking up any heat, but the coolant is hardly moving at all.
If the coolant loop has air in it, it will not circulate well, or at all.
It might be pushing through an air pocket at the high point of the loop when you rev the engine up (water pump spinning faster) but not circulating well.
Then when some does move, it's been made hotter than it's incoming temperature because a certain amount has been sitting in and around your heat exchanger, the type you have, the one with the glow plug in the fuel stream+coolant running through block of aluminum.

Check the coolant loop for an air pocket. How? disconnect one end of coolant loop, Pull COOL coolant through loop with a small pump and when you have a nice good stream coming into the bucket quickly stop, plug end of hose with thumb, and quickly reconnect.

[after oil]

First, are you positive you have the flow direction correct? How do you know?

good question, how DO we know?

this happens even w/o glow plug. we'll check better for air in the coolant

[PlantDrive]

Start cold engine.
Hold one hand on one side of the heat exchanger, on the heater hose, and other hand on other hose.
Wait.
First one that gets warm is the "from engine"
If other one does not get warm right away after, almost as fast, you have a flow issue through the high point, which I believe in this case is the heat exchanger - if it's mounted at the top of the engine bay, it's likely the high point in the system.

[shampoomotor]

I've gotten all the air out of the coolant. I'll start it cold to find out what heats first. When there were air bubbles in the line I saw them travel from the cold side at the bottom of the HE to the hot high side. high and low being a difference of inches.