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| Who knows what about natural gas power? https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66545 |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Fri Apr 15, 2022 3:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Who knows what about natural gas power? |
Just sitting here visiting my wife in the hospital, and my mind is wandering. Just got "pinged" from my email, my new torque converter is sitting on my porch. I just remembered I have some of what I'd need to possibly put a propane conversion on my truck. I need to find out a source for tanks and figure out mounting. I Don't want to waste bed space for them, would like to put them underneath but still have a regular gas tank even if it meant I had to run a smaller regular gas tank than stock to do so. I bought the propane carburetor and lines back when I had my 85 d 250 As I thought about using it there 1st. That was a 318. How would I go about finding a tank/tanks? Do they need recertification every so often like my torch tanks do? Also some of you may remember how I built the engine for this truck, I wonder how well this /6 would work, as built? I do know that you can run higher compression on propane vs regular gas does that mean that at with all else being the same between 2 engines besides fuel choice, if on propane that engine would allow itself to run more timing advance on propane? Don't know if I'll ever get to try this, somehow sitting here where I'm at my mind just wandered there, sounded like a good thing to wonder about at the moment. |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Sat Apr 16, 2022 5:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
Propane and natural gas aren't the same deal. Sounds like you're asking about propane, yes? |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Sat Apr 16, 2022 6:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
yeah. propane. |
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| Author: | slantzilla [ Sat Apr 16, 2022 8:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
The big thing about propane systems was LP was cheaper than gas. Not sure if it's still that way or not. LP can be made to run cleaner than a gas carb, but fuel injection probably negated that. LP will give considerably less mileage than gas. When I worked at the Marathon in Onarga in the early 80s we had a couple customers who ran LP. One was a 2wd Suburban that had a long tank mounted under the driver's side. It was outside the frame and had maybe 4" of ground clearance. It was a pita to get the lift set under it. I never understood how he never ruptured it hitting a pothole or road debris. Not sure how easy it is anymore to find a filling station. Love's maybe? |
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| Author: | DadTruck [ Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
I may have mentioned this before, the last engine launch project that I was a player in prior to retirement was a Propane Engine Program. The engine was an 8.8L motor that used a propertiary propane FI system that is similar to a gas-diesel common rail FI system in that there were injectors that accepted liquid propane and fed that fuel directly into the combustion chamber, unlike the common practice of vaporizing liquid propane in a device similar to a carburetor. The propane powered engine was targeted at school bus operations and was very successful. School busses have a very predictable route milage wise, so it was easy to match the fuel capacity to the route requirements. School districts buying propane powered busses get local and federal grants-discounts for using very low emission vehicles. The propane engines offered durability similar to a diesel engine with reduced maintenance. The company that did the development is PSI. I liked working with them. They were lead by a couple of head strong entrepreneurs that hired a lot of local talent, bright engineers, and did the block and head CNC machining and engine assembly in Wooddale IL, West of Chicago. https://imt-technologie.de/file/2016/03 ... STRIAL.pdf |
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| Author: | Charrlie_S [ Mon Apr 18, 2022 3:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
Many years (about 40) ago, I had planned on doing a turbo slant on propane. At that time propane was about half the price per gallon as gasoline. Never got around to doing it. Still have the Rajay turbo and Impco propane system on the shelf. Don't have the fuel tank. |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:37 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
Yeah the tank I think would be the biggest hurdle besides having places I could fill it/them, I don't know where I'd even get such a tank. I don't know if I could get a used one form a yard or where I'd get a suitable one new. I know I couldn't just take the ones off my pop up, and run with those. |
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| Author: | Charrlie_S [ Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
On a drag race car, or one for only local driving, I had planned on using the kind/size that are mounted on the back of a fork truck. |
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| Author: | volaredon [ Mon Apr 18, 2022 2:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
I'd be looking mostly local, hopefully be able to go to work and back at least a few days without running out. I know that Dodge vans had a propane option after the magnum engine came out, never seen one in person but always have the engine VIN ID digit come up when looking for parts Have no idea what they would have used for propane storage |
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| Author: | Michael Sargeant [ Sat Jul 09, 2022 7:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
In the 80's, before diesel pickups became popular, I used to build turbo/propane small and big block Mopars for towing. I really liked that set up and they performed well. There were single turbo exhaust manifolds available, mostly used for motorhomes. I used Manchester propane tanks and Impco carburetors. Up to 15 lb. boost. with water injection starting at 4 psi. 0-30 miles per hour: OK 30-100: hang on. I ate Corvettes for lunch. Stopping: way not safe. Traveled all over the United States with this set up. And as a side note, you should avoid running out of fuel, it's tough getting a coffee can of propane at a farmhouse. Manchester Propane Tanks has a wide selection of new tanks on their website. Your local propane supplier should be able to hook you up. Impco carbs are quite simple, one screw, rich/lean adjustment. For turbo application we used hard valves and seats with an 80 thou. seat width for better heat transfer. Yes, propane likes high compression or turbocharging. A lot of guys used to do the dual fuel deal switching from propane to gas. Being set up for gas, this left the motor running poorly on propane. I have a '72 W200 with a turbo propane slant 6, waiting on a rewire. I can't wait to see how it will perform. Any one know how much boost a well built slant will handle reliably ? |
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| Author: | hank2 [ Sun Jul 10, 2022 4:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
Just for giggles there were also the Chrysler Corp. vans with compressed natural gas set ups. 1980's sometime. I don't recall if there were any other vehicles so equipped. The tanks were quite heavy and thick walled. Range was pretty short. A long gone Mopar dealer near me had 2 or 3 sitting on the lot for some time. I think there was something like 3 or 4 CNG refueling stations in the state. The Canadian federal gov't ran a sizable fleet of them. There was a tale related that engine inspection of some of those vans revealed essentially no engine wear on high mileage. |
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| Author: | Reed [ Sun Aug 07, 2022 4:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who knows what about natural gas power? |
Frank Raso. Slant six enthusiast and expert in alternative fuels like propane, LNG. https://rasoenterprises.com |
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