Parts List

All major components from PlantDrive... here's why. Prices are displayed in Canadian dollars.

Fuel switching valves
2 High-Flow 12V Solenoid valves, $135 CAN each: On previous conversions, I used a single 6-port valve. For this conversion, I want to be able to delay the return valve for a timed "purge" cycle. More on that later. Nice thing about this valve is the full 3/8" orifices. Should offer great flow even when the oil is a bit cold.

Coolant Heat Exchanger
16 Plate FPHE Flat Plate Heat Exchanger, $149 CAN: You can't beat coolant heat. It's easy, there's LOTS of it, and it's free. I've designed some pretty wacky heat exchangers over the years, but they always end up costing more, and performing less, than I'd planned. Dad's 300sd eventually got a FPHE, so did my father-in-law's Jetta. My samurai still has some crazy contraption, but that suits its style. For the Benz, I wanted good heat.

Electric Heater
Vegtherm Mega, $99 CAN: As stated above, coolant heat is great. However, up here in the Frozen Armpit of the North, a fellah can lose his favorite extremeties to frotbite waiting for an engine to heat up. Even then, if you dare let it idle for 5 minutes you can often watch the temp gauge drop. Both of these are remedied by electric heat.
I've used a Vegtherm for 4+ years, and I just love it. The Benz gets a Vegtherm Mega in consideration of its 28mpg. It will be thermostatically controlled to switch off once everything's toasty.

Controllers
Plant Drive has some great gadgets for controlling SVO/WVO components. I didn't need to go full bore with something like the VoControl, but I did want some added safeguards.

VegSensor, $15 CAN: This switches the Vegtherm off at 100*C. I've had my Jetta's Vegtherm get a bit too hot after idling for 5+ minutes. With a FPHE providing lots of heat and a looped return, I want to make sure I keep things at a reasonable temperature.

NADA Controller, $149 CAN: A couple neat features that I wanted:
- First, it has a early switchover preventer set to 50*C. So, I can pull out of the garage at -30*C and switch to vegetable oil right away, much to the horror of a couple ninnies at the mercedesshop.com forums (kidding, guys). Although I've selected vegetable oil, the switchover won't occur until I get 50*C coolant temperature.
- The NADA Controller also features a timed "purge" cycle, delaying the return valve's switchover. You adjust the timer as desired, and for that time the return valve will continue to send fuel back through the veggie system. This prevents sending vegetable oil into the diesel tank, and also backflushes the veggie system with a veggie/diesel mix. This means that when you first switch to veggie, you'll actually be starting on a (dieselicious) veggie/diesel mix.

Filtration
VegMax filter, $215 CAN: In the past, I've used an old-style, screw-on VW/Volvo diesel filter. Although it maye have been sufficient in my jetta, neither Ed or Craig thought a setup like that would work for a 28mpg e300d. The VegMax flows a lot of fuel (200gph) for a 5 micron filter. Its design makes for easy filter changes, and it's heated too.

Tank
The tank is going to be tricky. There's not a whole lot of room in the Benz's trunk, especially compared to the VW. In the Benz, the regular diesel tank is already between the rear wheen wells... right where I'd like to put the veggie tank. I really need ~100 liters, that will get me to Montreal without refilling. My plan is to do a cardboard mock-up, and then weld up my own tank. I bought a Lincoln 140C MIG welder in the fall, I'm practically an EXPERT welder now.

Gauges
Vacuum/pressure
Temperature