Has anyone experimented with propane?

[Oval_Overload]

I had a thought and I'm gonna throw it out to the EM dogs to see whats left when they chew it up

Has anyone here ever converted a two stroke gasoline engine to propane power? I've got a 1998 Yamaha Vmax two cylinder sled and gasoline and carburetors are a pain in the rear.

~Jimbo

[Burnt]

I spent 4 years living in mexico, I saw tons of pickups driving around with a propane tank in the back which they used to power the truck instead of gas; propane was cheaper

[thatguitarguy]

You may think gas is a pain, but in a sled, what if you get it stuck and run out of gas out in the boonies? Whose got a back up tank to give you enough to get back?

Propane might be OK for a road vehicle, but I wouldn't consider it for anything off-road. But that's just me...

Besides in a 2 stroke all your lubrication comes from oil mixed with the fuel. I don't think you're going to find 2 stroke propane oil.

[luvit]

dump oil in the cylinder! about 42% oil, and 42% propane, and 16% of whatever you want.. i choose kool aid.

[dwtaylorpdx]

I've also had propane tanks stop out-gassing in the northern Rockies of Montana because it got too cold out.... Had to heat the propane tank to get the furnace to run...
Used gas from the snowmobile to make the heat... :P

Dave

[Christ]

Originally Posted by thatguitarguy

You may think gas is a pain, but in a sled, what if you get it stuck and run out of gas out in the boonies? Whose got a back up tank to give you enough to get back?

Propane might be OK for a road vehicle, but I wouldn't consider it for anything off-road. But that's just me...

Besides in a 2 stroke all your lubrication comes from oil mixed with the fuel. I don't think you're going to find 2 stroke propane oil.

Some 2 stroke engines have their own oil supply, actually. I'll find one when I get back online to show you, but not all 2 strokes actually have mixed oil and fuel.

(I'm thinking that the ones that don't need to be mixed run on diesel fuel, though... not sure.)

[thatguitarguy]

Just because you don't premix the oil into the gas doesn't mean that it's not mixed with the fuel before it's injected into the engine. Snowmobiles don't have a wet sump crankcase. All the lubrication comes from the fuel charge injected into the bottom end, lubricating things there before being pumped into the combustion chamber.

[Christ]

I saw that after posting, when I looked at the motor I was thinking about.

I'm still thinking that there's a dry-sump 2 cycle out there somewhere that doesn't require fuel mixing at all, though.

[dremd]

I've never seen one, but I think the oiler from a Wankel could be used to inject oil in to the fuel/ air mix.

Totally not sure about that one.
Also remember that Propane is much higher octane and would benefit from higher compression.

[almightybmw]

older snowmachines used the vacuum in the carbs to draw the oil through the intake. Newer machines use direct electric injection. For a project, I would do it. But it will never be practical. I've never seen a propane tank the size of a gasoline tank eek out as many miles, it's always less.

the newest engine bombardier produces has averaged up to 19mpg at about 50-60mph (trail riding). My dad has driven one, along with several other buddies, all who are excellent riders and know how to use the throttle excessively. In deep powder trail-breaking conditions they still managed over 100mpt (miles/tank) on a 600cc, which is much better than the old take it mostly gentle and get 90mpt. I think over the course of a week he averaged 14mpg on that sled. His 800 mountain sled at home hasn't bested 11mpg.

Direct injection is a new thing for snowmachines, but in time it will prove useful gains. 40-50% better average FE is nothing to sneeze at in the offroad/onsnow world.