Mechanic claims to have developed engine that can run on castor oil

An Indian mechanic announced that he has developed low-cost engine technology which uses plant-derived oil instead of diesel fuel. According to Sheik Mastan Vali, he was able to modify the fuel injection system of Tata Motors Ltd.’s Tata Indica diesel engine so that it would be able to run on castor oil. He said while a Tata Indica engine was able to reach a mileage of 18 kilometers (km) per liter of diesel fuel, castor oil could improve the mileage to 50 km per liter, due to the natural lubricating properties of the oil. It would cost Rs600 (US$12.56) to convert a conventional engine into a castor oil engine, he said. (May 31, 2009)