is vegistroke overkill for an OBS 7.3?

[biggus]

so I recently purchased a very clean one owner 97 f350 crewcab longbed with a 7.3 for the purpose of converting it to run on wvo and being able to do all of the truck functions that I obviously require. The Though of the conversion has been a pipe dream of mine for quite a few years and is now becoming a reality. I have done lots and lots of research, located quality oil and the last step for me is to do the actual conversion on the truck. I read somewhere in this forum that the vegistroke system is overkill for the OBS fords, is that true? Don't get me wrong, I like overkill (hell I bough a one ton truck) but I don't need to be throwing money away either. I was originally going to go witht the greasecar kit (Nice price) and then read about the vegistroke (pricey) and how people on here rave about it, I was sold. Then I read that it is overkill for my motor and uneccessary. Now I would like some input from you who maybe have more experience with the OBS conversions. what do you reccommend?

[bbboomer]

I can think of no reason why it could be considered overkill.
The Vegiestroke is the best conversion available for the Powerstroke, OBS or NBS.
There are some differences when used on the OBS. Sorry but I don't know exactly what all they are but I think it is mainly the fuel pump and some wiring.
Will others work? Probably, but most are inclined to give problems.
The bottom line is the Vegiestroke is proven and reliable.
Overkill? Only if you don't care about your engine! JMHO
Check with the folks on the BFT forum, they can tell you exactly what the differences are.

[erbilabuc]

Definitely not over kill if your wallet can handle it.

[ridiculously_necessary]

i have an obs and am doing a DIY, should finish up this weekend. its runnign dual electric pump, 105 gal tank, HIH, and is check valve switched. ill post more when im done and organize everything, but i think the entire conversion has run me somewhere around 800-1k. ill know more accuratley when i consolidate everything later.

the fuel bowl and mechanical fuel pump will be no more.

[STROKED_NY_023]

Well i am yet to convert my OBS, but I am going to be taking the same route as Ridiculously_Necessary... Honestly why spend the cash on a VeggieStroke kit when you can do it yourself??? Here are a couple of good reads for you before you go for it...

http://www.biodveggie.com/tiny-voconvert.pdf

Another DIY WVO Build

On another note, most guys on here that are running VeggieStroke kits have also modified them in some way to fit their needs. Again why spend the $$$ on it if you have to mod it to get it to work correctly.

Just sayin.....

[davidschaffer]

I've got a V3 in my obs. If you can afford it, why not. If things go wrong its all right there and easy to fix. The auto feature is nice too if others will be driving your truck. The only difference between the obs and the 99+ is on the obs you have to remove your mechanical fuel pump ( not a bad idea either way ), add a electric d2 and make the system basically a dead head. Just like the 99+ all ready are. If you have mech skills and not much flow, there are good plans you can follow on this forum. What I like most about the V3, is that when I retire my 96 for a 02, It will transfer over no problem.

[biggus]

Thanks for all of the input! I will have to do some more research into the DIY systems. I am mechanical and like to make my own stuff, but I was thinking that the Vegistroke would be a quicker, cleaner install. This is my daily driver now, so I didn't want it out of commission for too long as it gets converted. I just can't justify spending the $ on the Vegistroke. Ridiculously Necessary, Where did you get your 105 gal. tank? I'd like to find a large tank for the bed, I don't want to fill it very often. about how much did it run? I do like the toolbox tank on vegistrokes website, but it is only 60 gal and $1200.!!

[ridiculously_necessary]

i got my tank from craigslist. it took months to find, as most aluminum tanks are expenisve, that size new is about $900, and used people want about $700. steel are a dime a dozen, but you dont want steel. i found mine for $250, it had a hole. to my surprise it was a very tiny hole. JBWeld fixed that. either way, if you look for a used one then search often and be the first to jump, as they go quickly.

you ar correct, a turnkey system would probably be faster and cleaner. mine looks ugly right now, because i got myself in a rush. ill fix it when its warmer.

[Snake]

Advantages of a DIY system are that it's usually less expensive and you'll be intimately familiar with every part that's installed. But piecing together the system can be a huge pain in the azz and if you run into problems (either with the install or with it working properly), you'll probably have to rely on yourself and your own mechanical ability to fix it. Or find someone who used exactly the same components on their install and ask them for assistance.

The Vegistroke will probably be more expensive, but there's a lot of people out there who have installed and understand the kit and how it works. Because it's standardized, your support network is considerably larger. And you won't have to spend a lot of time locating parts and piecing together your system.

Would I say it's overkill? Absolutely not. It works like it's supposed to, which isn't the case with some of the other kits out there.

In regards to modifying the kit......that's up to each person and their particular wants / needs. The only thing I've done to mine was add an auxillary coolant pump to compensate for a weak factory water pump on my 6.0. Other than that, the system is pretty much the same as the day it was installed and I've logged 50k greasy miles so far.

[biggus]

Thanks for the input snake. I like the idea of saving the money, but convenience and tech support are also worth their weight in gold (or in this case greenbacks). The vegistroke is a clean system and I figure I could install it quicker. Vegistroke also claims that you won't need any additional parts to install their system. I read "minimal additional parts runs will be neccessary". But for me that is still a big selling point as my time installing and gathering parts is truly money I'm not making somewhere else. One of the diy links in this thread above also is very comprehensive, but when he breaks down his costs, it is MORE than the vegistroke!