Thanks so much for your help George. I did get it running and made it home. Not exactly when planned, but I did get back.
I recognize that I did start running WVO in a very nonchalant way. I really should have known better for all the reading I've done about it. I just got a filtration set-up from a local guy and he said he'd been running it blended with 15% gasoline for 5+ years and I got excited to try it. For the record all the WVO was filtered to 5 microns, and when it was running it didn't really run any differently. I will be installing a proper two tank system here shortly. Anyway, on to how it eventually got fixed.
I started with opening the tank to see if there was a blockage or if anything odd was going on with the in-tank pump. Nothing blocked, pickup screen seemed fine. So I thought I would backflush the in-tank pump just to be sure. Pumping it forward it seemed weak, and when I reversed the polarity I couldn't get it to pump backwards at all, even with fuel in it. It seemed as though I found the problem, so I reversed the lines going to the tank. Now the pickup was the return and the return was the pickup. I also disconnected the fuel pump, both the fuel line in the tank (so fuel could return without needing to push through the pump) and the power to it.
I then changed the fuel filter and topped off with good ol' diesel #2. Then I had to purge the fuel feed line. I'm sure there are all sorts of tricks, but with my limited amount of tools and supplies I oped for this method: Open your fuel line in the front, and attach a funnel to the fuel line in the back. Fill the funnel with fuel and raise it as high was you can. Fuel runs though the line, then you can attach both ends again. Alright everything is closed up and should be ready to go.
I knew the battery can't be doing the greatest because of stopping and starting every fine minutes last time the car was driven, and I knew it would take some cranking to purge the last bit of air out of the system. I had no idea how dead the battery actually was. I had even hooked up my friends car with jumper leads to get it started initially, but it had nothing. Alright battery needs charged. Evidently that's a 'no can do' on the Cape at 6pm on a Friday. We checked everywhere and asked everyone. All the shops were closed already and no one seemed to know anyone with a charger. Too many tourists (such as myself), and not enough locals. We asked all sorts of people, even went down to the docks in search of some rough necks who know how to get stuff done. We couldn't even buy a battery charger.
The next day we had to drive my friend into the Providence train station because he had to be home that night(I was suppose to be his ride). We picked up a battery charger there, got back, put the battery on the charger and spend the next day and a half realizing the battery was finished. We even got the car running and drove it around in that time. The battery just wouldn't hold a charge after starting the car. We sourced a new battery on the way home, barely got the car started for the last time. Swapped the battery on the way back, drove through torrential rain in CT, and made it back to PA at 4am. Once you got the car running it did great.
Once I found out how dead by original battery actually was, I suspected I may have misdiagnosed the in-tank fuel pump. That it just may not have had enough power. But now I am thinking that that was the problem. Maybe killed by WVO? I haven't tested anything since I got back, hopefully further diagnostics will tell.
Man, this was a long story.
Thank again for your support and input George!
I did have a great time up there.
-Eli
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