Propane that's the question.

[hardcorewill]

Does anybody have experience with converting a dirty burning gasoline engine, to a much more natural and more environmentally friendly source of propane. Your friend Hank Hill.

 

[Denny]

I’ve thought about it. But the loss of power from lower btu’s from the propane concerns me.

 

[hardcorewill]

I’ve thought about it. But the loss of power from lower btu’s from the propane concerns me.

 

[hardcorewill]

Propane is 80% is efficient as gasoline so that means you just burn more? Correct?

 

[hardcorewill]

Propane is 80% is efficient as gasoline so that means you just burn more? Correct?

The thought is the smell of gasoline versus propane??

 

[Master Hack]

Depends, propane is better than gasoline for BBQ'n.

 

[Kartorbust]

I've thought about it. Unless you get an engine that's already set up for Propane, conversion kits are a pain to find. To help alleviate some possible power loss, with propane having around on average 110 octane, so you can run a higher compression ratio.

 

[Master Hack]

Them cans of propane are a hassle. Fuel consumption is up. I didn't like the overall PITA, but the engine ran nice. The problem of flooding goes away in real rough, off camber terrain, heck it can run upside down.

 

[Kartorbust]

Also no need to change jetting for elevation changes, just the initial change for it. However it can cause carb bowls to stick because there no gas to help keep it semi lubricated.

 

[Denny]

There are advantages like keeps the oil cleaner therefore the engine too. Less wear from particulate matter. But one down side is you just can’t pull off a trail and gas up. Not everywhere carries propane. Plus knowing how much is left in the tank exactly can be problematic.

 

[Master Hack]

But one down side is you just can’t pull off a trail and gas up. Not everywhere carries propane. Plus knowing how much is left in the tank exactly can be problematic.

The only accurate fuel gauge is a scale.
unless ya have a scource close by, refueling is a problem, not very convenient.

 

[pearl111]

Like this,

 

[Kartorbust]

Sure full size vehicle with a forklift propane bottle works (they are DOT approved). The gauges for those are hit or miss, but if a dual fuel engine is a possibility, you can run it on either gas or LP gas and switch over if one is low.

 

[Scout]

I’ve thought about it. But the loss of power from lower btu’s from the propane concerns me.

You can run higher compression and get that power back. Propane is something like 110 octane.

 

[Denny]

But you will never get it all back. I played with a 13:1 350 Chevy not worth it. However using it on a diesel as a power adder seems to up the power quite a bit. Like 15% more power!