Another good reason to go to diesel - lowered risk of a fuel fire. If
you do have a diesel fire, a CO2 extinguisher works well because of the
lower vaporizing temp of diesel.

One might consider over a ten year period the degree risk of exposure to
a fuel fire - gasoline vs diesel - and factor that into the economy
equation.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Pensioner wrote:

>Musing over conversions, one of my many talents, brings me to consider the
>cost-benefit scenarios.  Let's postulate that we drive 10000 miles per year
>just to use easy numbers.  Discounting the normal maintenance for both a
>converted vanagon and a non-converted vanagon, the costs of conversion seem
>to range from ~$14000 (not a misprint) in my case to perhaps $3000 for an
>average of $5000 (high but we have to start somewhere).
>
>If fuel costs over time are the principal reason for going to diesel (not
>fuel availability, or the desire to side with Willie on the BioDiesel
>concert) then it makes sense to look at the fuel savings one would enjoy
>over that 10000 miles per year.  Diesel currently costs about %10 more than
>87 Octane and is likely to stay that way.  For $2.50/gallon 87 octane let's
>say and vanagon average fuel efficiency of 17 miles per gallon.  The gallons
>per year is easily found to be ~588 gallons times $2.50 gives $1470 per year
>fuel cost before conversion.   If you go with diesel the fuel consumption
>will probably be on the order of 25 miles per gallon.  For the same 10000
>miles per year you'll pay $1100 in fuel costs including the %10 higher price
>for diesel.  You will get additional range between fuel stops but you'll
>need it as not all fuel services feature diesel.
>
>In summary you'll save $370 per year in fuel costs for 10000 miles per year.
>How many years to break even on the installation is left as an excercise for
>the reader.
>
>Seems to be over ten years if your previously owned motor lasts that long.
>FTSOE let's say it does.  You will have saved $3700 towards the motor
>replacement.
>
>The above example is to be considered a conservative estimate process, your
>mileage, tolerance, costs, will no doubt be different.
>
>"If a man professes knowledge but cannot express that knowledge in numbers,
>then that knowledge is of a meagre and insufficient kind"  -- Lord Kelvin
>
>Numbers rule!
>
>
>
>