Has anyone had a LPG conversion done to their 7.3 PSD - similar to what is being described at the following website?

http://www.dieselgas.com.au/

Since LPG is available to us downunder at only 50 c / litre compared to diesel at $1.30....I was thinking that a conversion to run both simultaneously might make a significant difference to expense of running the Ftruck?

We are self sifficient in LNG (liquefied natural gas) and many homes have it piped into their houses for winter heating and cooking, delivered at 35c/litre. I have heard of "enterprising individuals" who make up an 'autogas' LPG filler nozzle to suit their vehicle, adapted to fit the household LNG Heater Bayonet...and fill / run their cars on LNG for 25% the cost of petrol (Gasolene) by filling up with LNG in their garage at home from the reticulated household supply!!.

Does anyone know the upsides and potential downsides of all this shenannikins with running LPG or LNG mixed in with diesel?

Would the use of Bio Diesel based on vegetable oil - and LPG (or LNG) be a "cheaper" way to run these fuel thirsty F250 7.3 PSD's?

No problem brewing Bio D here as I have access to a good supply of vegetable oil for free.

Just trying to come up with a way where the consumption of the Ftruck isn't an issue for the household budget and don't mind investing a few $ to achieve it!

LPG conversion costs are running around the Aus $4000 -$5,000 mark for a F250, hovever because we are relatively self sufficient in LNG and LPG our Federal & State Govt's have initiated a grants scheme where $3000 of the conversion cost is available as a non refundable grant!

Our Govt collects Excise Tax on LPG and LNG so they will get their grant funds back over time with excise tax on increased sales of LPG and increasing prices as demand grows since the excise is a % age of the bowser price! (LPG Cost Increases = excise tax windfall for Govt!!).

All the same it seems a shame to pass it up if the Govt's offering to pay 2/3rds the conversion costs!

I would'nt want to go ahead if the LPG is going to cause any significant damage to the engine!

I'd be greatly interested in anyones first hand experiences with LPG and LNG injected into the air intake ahead of the turbo on a 7.3 PSD so it mixes with the diesel at injection!

Many thanks in advance & cheers!

 

http://www.dieselsite.com/index.asp?...S&Category=299

 

In the warm climate that you live in you can run your engine off of the straight veggie oil without any worries. Just make sure that you have a big fuel filter. No need to make bio-d. And you can't beat the price.

 

propane as sole fuel:
Up until last year Ford offered propane powered or natural gas powered and/or dual fuel vehicles (one at a time however) for fleet use. Wasn't much of a demand so they quit. You might be able to find factory ford parts, but I wouldn't know how to search.

Apparently the only downsides are lower specific BTU from the fuel so your mileage drops by about 10%. The bus company I worked for went from 3K oil changes to 7500 miles, changed the oil because the mechanics got nervous, was still clear and analysis said it was still good.

Couple of companies here stateside that make propane only kits for metro bus companies, but since I don't work there I don't have access to that information anymore

Fuel augmentation ingestion is typically used here to make more power or to minimize engine "knock", generally not for mileage increases.

 

I have been wondering if i can buy bulk wesson oil and burn in it straight in my truck. Its either hot or hotter where I live, and if I buy enough in bulk it comes out cheaper than diesel.

 

I've often wondered that too. The closest I came to checking prices is the 5 gallon container at Costco and for this area, diesel is still cheaper by a long shot.
I suppose if I set up a 10,000 gallon tank in the back yard that would be different, but I don't think I could get my wife to agree to that one.
And it gets pretty cold around here, I would have to have a dual system.

 

I have found it in bulk at $1.69 gallon. I just havent had time to research it much. My biodiesel brewers guide is still sitting on my desk as well.

 

I was once told by an anchient mariner - that the very large bulk carriers at sea - start their diesel engines on diesel, but once up to full operating rpm's they switchover to very heavey bunker oil, which is barely refined , thick and cheap!

It is also what we commonly see spilled in accidents at sea from say iron ore carriers that sink and thei r fuel tanks leaks or is ruptured & washes up on coastlines - it's not that much removed from straight crude! (which is what we saw with say Exon Valdeze) which was carrying crude.

So - if you happen to be stranded at sea - and wave down or shoot flares or radio a bulk carrier, to rescue you - they can take more than 20 miles to switch back to diesel fuel in order to slow down enough to turn around and come back for you - meaning when you first sight them, they might dissapear on the horizin the other side of you before they steam back to collect you!

I have no idea what 'wesson oil' is (what you lube your Smith & Wesson .44 cal with?)

Anyway - I even saw a number of posts here saying you shouldn't run waste mineral oil belnded with diesel fuel in a diesel engine and advising of all the sulphuric acid, metal particlas contaminants and troubles caused to fuel pumps & injectors, scored cylinder walls etc etc.

The poster ran his experiment at 50/50 waste mineral oil - to diesel fuel.

The highest blend % you should ever use is 5%!

If you run it at 10 times the recpommended blend ratio then post to tell everyone not to use waste mneral oil because your test proved you were an idot - how does that help anyone else?

I see a LOT of "bad" information posted here I guess, by folks who genuinely believe what they are posting, because they read it somewhere or heard it somewhere - and very little from folks with first hand reliable experience!

This thread was originally about LPG & (or LNG) blended with diesel.

Any other discussion (e.g. Run it on straight vegetable oil, or wesson oil etc etc) is just derailing / highjacking a thread IMHO!

It's as spurious as my little story about super tankers / bulk carriers & Bunker oil! (Regardless of how 'interesting' it may be!).

The question was LPG (and or LNG) if anyone has any first hand experience (good or bad) with running it as a blend with diesel.

Sorry to be pedantic...I was actually looking for an answer to my question....the other discussion is indeed interesting even to me.
Any "alternative fuels" discussion is interesting!

Sadly the govt won't pay $3000 toward the cost of my conversion to Wesson Oil or Straight vegetable oil (Or bunker oil or sharks liver oils or cod liver oil or castor oil any other weird n wonderful oils)! They will pay me to convert to LPG however! (Which is why I asked specifically about LPG)!

So - back on topic, anyone had a good experience with running LPG diesel blend in a 7.3 turbo PSD?

As for waste mineral oil...I believe if you recycle it first before you blend it at 5%, by cooking it off for moisture, settling it out - passing it thru a triple Frantz TP 3 micron filter under pressure and then thru a high rpm centrifuge filter and past strong Bizmuth or ceramic type magnetic filters, etc that you CAN use waste mineral oil in your diesel vehicle as fuel without great ill effects to the engine - the fuel pump or injectors etc.

At least thats my personal opinion having researched the subject somewhat!

Many thanks in advance!

Cheers!

 

"Wesson" oil is a brand of vegetable cooking oil.
Here in the states, there are no LPG kits available to be able to give you a comparison.
We have a few propane kits available and they are used for added power and fuel economy here as well.

 

Quote:

In Australia as in North America almost all the LPG used in domestic and recreational applications is 100% propane. However, LPG Autogas dispensed at service stations for vehicles, usually contains a mix of propane and butane.

Source:http://www.lpgaustralia.com.au/displaycommon.cfm?an=15

So - it would seem - tha no one actually uses the same Autogas (LPG/Butane) fuel mixed with diesel, the way some folks downunder do!

Interesting.

I am a little worried about all these "alternate fuels" - in that there always seem to be "drawbacks" to one or another sort - WVO needing to be hot, Bio D clogging filters and gelling in winter and so on!

I may just stick with plain ol diesel from the service station - fill er upand drive = no problems!

Cheers & Thanks!

 

I think it funny that the one who wrote this...
Started this thread off with this....
I needed a laugh tonight... thanks.

 

I have no doubt that, if I was of a mind too - I also could search all your posts , and selectively quote out of context, sufficient words, to make you look as thick as two short planks, for a laugh at your expense!

Then again - that wouldn't be contributing to the discussion at all - just as your post above hasn't contributed at all to this thread - but has managed to detract from it!

Thankfully, I consider myself above such non constructive behaviour.

The question was about anyone with first hand experience running auto gas (Propane / Butane mix) with diesel, or experience running autogas with bio diesel!

Obviously you have neither...hence nothing of real value to contribte to the subject - again derailing and hijacking the thread for your own ends! Thats considered just plain downright rude, where I come from!

I am not after advice about running my vehicle on straight waste vegetable oil, never was, never will be - pretty simple really!

While you have propane kits available, it appears so far that no one on this forum at least, has any reliable first hand experience, running same with any kind of diesel, mineral or bio!

That pretty much answers my question, I guess.

Cheers!

 

Hmm. What about all the crap the sepperates out of it when you make Bio-D? I hear all of the horror stories about parts counter guys rubbing their hands together when you just put pure SVO in?

 

They will run fine on the veggie oil as long as you start up and shut down on diesel. It requires a dual tank system and some substantial modification to your truck if you want to do it that way. I know of one person in my area that cold starts his diesel engine on veggie, but it's a old VW IDI engine. And when I change the oil for his car it comes out all stringy like shampoo. Starting up and shutting down on diesel eliminates that. Only run the veggie when the cylinders are hot and you'll do fine.
I don't know how far you have to drive to get your boat to the ramp. That needs to be considered.
I never did because I don't drive far enough within my home town to make a dual system practical, and when I do leave town I go far enough away to where I cannot make it back without refueling.
You might try the alternative fuels forum here on FTE. It's a lot more focused on what you want to know, lot's of talk about bio-diesel and propane, etc.

Here's a link.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum168/


..
.

 

I've actually brewed a few batches of bio-d, just too much work for me.. I only tow the boat once a year for maint (I keep her ready in the water). The primary appeal of SVO/WVO for me is that in the summer months, the commute to where I charter out of is around 80 miles each way, so that would make it worthwhile to me. If the longevity and cleaning aspects of Biod apply to SVO, maybe it would be worthwhile.

Summer months in Victoria (Vancouver Island) where I live average over 20 degrees C, so I don't know. Maybe invest in Veggiestroke or something I guess.