Truck propane modification possible? - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Metal_Rex · 07-14-2018, 12:55 PM

Hello,

I'm from germany and want to buy a Ford F150, Dodge Ram or Chevrolet Silverado. Because gas is expensive (and there are mostly V8 here) I want to modify it with propane (lpg) but I can't find any infos about the engines and if they have hardened valve seats. Moreover it seems to be uncommon in the US to drive with propane because gas is to cheap.

I find so many threads about problems and cars got broken after 40000 miles that I'm now scared about changing. Do you know something?

Besides if you had to choose between those 3 what would you take? Dodge Rams are the most common here and it sounds good that the 2007- have Multi Displacement System. But regarding to fueleconomy.gov all three seems to have the same fuel consumption?

freebeard · 07-14-2018, 05:53 PM

Is you intention to convert to purely propane or add propane injection to the fuel system?

https://www.dieselperformanceproducts.com

Hersbird · 07-14-2018, 08:12 PM

I believe everything has had hardened seats since we took the lead out of gasoline. I had a 1996 Chevy Silverado that could run on propane or gasoline. It was factory fuel injection but somebody added the propane system and a switch to go from one to the other. I don't think the kit would have been EPA certified, but it is certainly possible to do, just maybe not legal everywhere. That motor was a 7.4 vortec and it did have a problem with a flat lobe on the cam but propane has nothing to do with it and that year had a problem with cams. We dropped a cam out of a 7.4 Mercruiser in it and were good to go again with a little more power.

It was a wiring nightmare, It looked like a bird's nest under the hood. If somebody made a kit that would be ideal.

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 07-15-2018, 02:15 AM

If I were looking for an engine to convert to a gaseous fuel, my first option would most likely be a Chevrolet. Well, the direct injection featured in newer versions of the Silverado 1500 would become quite troublesome for a CNG conversion, but it works out OK with propane since it can be injected in the liquid phase through the stock fuel rail.

teoman · 07-15-2018, 05:12 AM

We have a lot of lpg converted cars here in Turkey.

The best one seems to be Prins brand.

Second hand auto advertisement specifically state that it is Prins brand.

They als state recently installed

There are also lubrication kits to prevent engine wear but dont know much about them.

Metal_Rex · 07-15-2018, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I believe everything has had hardened seats since we took the lead out of gasoline.

Thats what I read too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebeard

Is you intention to convert to purely propane or add propane injection to the fuel system?

Add propane to the fuel system. I never read about propane only and it's the only option here to have both.

Hersbird · 07-15-2018, 11:22 AM

One thing on my other propane gas motor, a 1975 motorhome with a carbed 454, I always started and ran until warm on the gasoline and then switched to propane. The propane was heated with coolant and it seemed to run much better on the propane when warmed. The 1996 was better but still I had the habit of starting on gasoline, going to propane, then switching back to gas before shutting down. For awhile here an RV dealer advertised $1/gallon propane all summer, that was when gas was over $4. They said for house tanks only in the fine print but whoever was running the pump didn't care and as a cost per mile basis at the time that 454 only getting 10 mpg on propane was like a car getting 40 mpg. The motorhome got more like 5 mpg on the propane but still, like 20 gas or even 22 diesel. Only if you filled up at that one place.

I sold the motorhome and the guy that bought it burned it to the ground hooking up the engine tank to the house loads bypassing the regulator. He wasn't moving it, using it as a stationary ranch house out on a big spread, and wanted the extra 50 gallon tank for the heater and what not. I could see where that would be good but without a regulator the 18,000 btu furnace becomes much more powerful.

freebeard · 07-15-2018, 02:43 PM

Pressurized fuel needs some respect. The guy that buys all my [best] Volkswagens restored a motor home and when it was almost done the propane tank exited the vehicle like a torpedo. It might even have been indoors.

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 07-15-2018, 02:57 PM

Germans usually take safety very seriously when it comes to vehicle modifications. Not like the backyard-engineering we see here in Brazil where folks just drop a LPG home bottle under the hood in an old Jeep or Chevy C10.

teoman · 07-15-2018, 03:01 PM

They do have their own ecu nowadays and you can tune the temp at which the propane comes on.

My ml350 had propane. And for daily driving it did consume quite a bit before warmup. For long distance you could go 1 tank gasoline to 20 tanks lpg. In the city 1 tank gasoline to 5 tanks lpg.

I kept records if you are interested.