I was handed a brochure yesterday at the local Diesel parts store. The topic was a propane aspiration system for diesels. Now as I understand the normal alternative fuel system a diesel will run off either diesel fuel, propane, or CNG, but not at the same time. This system (Bully Dog Tech) injected the propane in through the air intakes while still using diesel. The system works with the computer to determine the amount of porpane to be injected (like NO2). It can also been swithced on or off and supposedly is for continous driving. I was wondering if anyone out there has any expierence with this or can give me a good reason to choose one system over the other.

Jlower

 

I've got propane injection on my truck, and though I looked at the Bully Dog system, I went with the Powershot 2000. In principle, both do the same thing: they introduce propane vapor into the airstream entering the engine during times of boost.
The Bully Dog system is staged, meaning that a preset amount of vapor is vented into the intake when the boost level reaches a preset point, for example 5psi. Another orifice will vent additional propane at another preset level, for example 10psi. You can opt for multiple stages, and control the boost levels that the propane is activated.
The Powershot 2000 system is proportional, meaning that the propane vapor is introduced at a preset level, for example 5psi, but the amount of propane is increased as the boost rises. The two adjustments on the Powershot system are to determine the level at which the propane comes on, and the flow rate you desire.
To me, having a proportional system makes more sense. At 5psi, both systems come on in this scenario, but the propane doesn't increase on the Bully Dog system until you've reached the 10psi threshold. The Powershot will increase the flow of propane proportionate to boost, so I'm flowing more propane at 6psi, more at 7psi, etc.
The increase in power through the use of propane is substantial, considerably more than a chip, and once you've determined the adjustments that you prefer on your truck, it's a simple on/off decision when you drive. I can activate my propane system through a rocker switch mounted on the dash. I can drive indefinitely without activating the propane, and it's still a very strong truck. With the propane, it's awesome.
I hope I've answered some of your questions.

 

Quadzilla,

I do like the idea behind powershot better. I do intend to chip the truck in about 4 months. Would the propane system interfer or enhance the performance with the chip?

 

You might look into getting a custom burned chip that is designed to work with the propane. Talk with the folks at Motorhaven and see if you can get a custom burned chip for use with propane. Even if you get the chip before propane, you can re-burn the chip and get it set for use with propane.

Terry

 

Like basstardo said- the best setup would be to have a chip that is burned specifically for a truck running propane. I had my chip first, and once I added the propane, I had it reburned for propane. I have a Diablo Delta chip, so the programs in my chip are stock, TDE0 tow (propane), and TDE0 extreme (propane). For me, that's a great combination. Ken at Motorhaven is a great source for chips/information.

 

I wouldn't risk running propane on an '03. You have pm rods that have been known to fail when using a chip and propane.......even if you have a propane specific program that retards the timing. Even a guy with a chip, bb turbo, and mini me injectors , intake, exhaust, blew a rod.
If you had an earlier motor with the forged connecting rods they can handle more power.
I think they changed over to the pm rods in late '00 or somewhere around there.

Just my $.02

 

Thanks for the help guys. I'm sold on Quadzillas's system but this thread makes me a little leary of combining it with a chip. So I guess I need to choose between the chip or the propane then try to bring the other one in later.

 

If you plan on ultimately doing both, then the decision as to which you do first would probably depend on whether or not you like the engine management characteristics of your current program. On my '95, I didn't like the shift characteristics of the stock code, so the chip not only enhanced the performance of the truck, it also gave me the shift characteristics and torque convertor lockup of the TDE0 program, which is a '96/97 program.
If I were going to do it again, I'd still get the chip first, and add the propane later. If you don't necessarily want to change the computer code of your truck, and merely want more power, then adding the propane first would possibly be the way to go.
Either way, I would be sure to have good gauges, a tranny cooler, and a few tranny mods in place first.

 

my transmission. Biggest problem we've had is the transmission, have had to do some work to it, with all the extra torque we were having all kinds of problems. The chip of course needs to be reburned for propane if you get it first, which is what I had to do...but they work together well...no problems besides the transmission

 

Just as a gee whiz question I was mulling over the possibility of:

Having the engine converter to use CNG or Propane full time until empty then switching to diesel (normal). And having the option of also running diesel then being able to switch on the aspirated propane system, all pulling from the propane tank. (definantly not normal)

Or am I getting too big for my britches? I wonder if a chip could ever handle those options.

 

For the tranny look into a BTS


You have a '99 with forged connecting rods.......they can handle propane a lot better than the pm rods that they started using.....

 

could you run the powershot 2000 with say a microtuner?

 

I don't know much about the Microtuner, but I'd give you a qualified "Yes" answer to your question. Most chip burns increase the power output of your engine by advancing the fuel delivery, similar in concept to advancing the timing on a gasser. You don't want the fuel timing advanced on a propane program, since the propane has to get into the cylinder, and start to pre-burn before the fuel is delivered. That is basically the difference in the propane/non-propane programs. If you've got the ability to adjust fuel timing with the programmer, the answer would definitely be "Yes".

 

Jlower, are you talking about running your engine on pure propane, with no diesel at all? If so I have bad news for you. The heat of compression in a diesel engine doesn't get high enough to ignite a pure propane/air mixture -- it needs an external ignition source, such as the small amount of diesel injected at idle.

 

I would have to say the powershot2000 is the way to go I have it and love it I did go to a custom flip chip programmer to work with my other mod's I am putting nitrous on next and tuning it to work with my propane I have the truck running high 13's in the quarter mile and hope to get into the 12's with the nitrous.I am planning on entering some truck pulls with it next.