I have a 19 CCSB Lariat ordered. 6.2. I'm considering converting to dual fuel so I can run gas or propane. I sell propane at our store and can purchase around $1.00 per gallon right now. Anybody do this? Pros/cons? I can get a $4000 rebate to help offset cost. Opinions? Thanks

 

 

It varies week to week. Sometimes 85 cents and other times 1.25 or even higher. I would be doing an under bed tank. Not interested in tank in bed of truck either.

 

Hopefully you made sure to order the prep package, or warranty is a very grey area. Ford is very sensitive to CNG/Propane conversions without the prep package. Depending on the state the emissions compliance sticker is also different. With that said the 6.2 works very well on propane and we see around 6mpg in our 350 service trucks. On gas the same trucks get 8-9mpg.

 

 

The tax part I'm still working on. There is a "tax credit" per gallon that looks like it might offset the gas/road tax. That has been one of my questions. I have a dispenser so I'm at an advantage that I don't have to pay retail. We don't pay any road tax on the fuel we sell. 99% of our fills are Propane tanks and some RV's. It's been a long time since we filled a vehicle. Many years actually and the guy bounced the check and left town. Go figure, lol. I'm wondering if we do fill a vehicle if we need to charge and send in a special tax. Should have that answer next week.

I did order the prep package. It was $300 and consists of hardened valves.

Just looked at our invoices. For the last couple of months it's been around $1.10 to $1.14 per gallon on average.

 

 

Most what I've read mentions little or no loss of power.
The beauty is I can flip the switch and run gas at any time. It's seamless.
I figure after rebates, it will pay for itself in as little as 2 years.
Cost will be around $4,000. If I save $1.00 per gallon, it's about 40,000 miles at 10 miles per gallon. If I save $2.00 per gallon, it's only 20,000 miles. I think gas is more likely to be $3.00 per gallon than $2.00 per gallon.
And if we get into huge gas price increases again (which I doubt), it will pay faster.
I'm going to go to a shop that does it. Ford approved and will not void warranty. Should be able to get a test drive to test power and response. That's the plan anyway.

 

There will be a loss of power. It is easy math. BTU content.... Been around these vehicles all of my life. Now the hard part---DEPENDS on how your conversion works and how efficient it is. There is a lot to this.

Kind of like using E85 vs normal gasoline if you will.

 

Propane is lower BTU content but higher octane.
How much power loss do you think there is? Seems like everyone is saying negligible. I'm hoping to drive a similar vehicle so I can see/feel the difference.
Power loss might be a good thing for me.....make me slow down, lol

 

BTU and Octane are not related at all. BTU or British Thermal Units is : "Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water (at or near 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by one degree Fahrenheit in practical terms, the amount of heat generated by one lighted stick of match. One Btu is equal to about 252 small calories or 0.252 kilocalories, 778.17 foot pounds, or 1055.06 joules. One pound of air-dried wood generates about 7,000 Btu, a gallon of liquid propane (a hydrocarbon) about 92,000 Btu, a gallon of fuel-oil about 140,000 Btu, one barrel of gasoline about 5.25 million Btus, an average ton of coal about 20 million Btu, and one kilowatt-hour of electricity about 3,400 Btu."

For 20 years used (EPA killed all of that) to have propane injection added to my oil burner trucks! The propane acted as a catalyst and contained energy in and of itself and would turn normal trucks along with a few other modifications into fire breathing monsters. FWIW diesel has more BTU's than gasoline...

We are also oil and gas producers and natural gas is tested and assigned a BTU "factor" and is priced accordingly on the open market just for an example of how BTU's are utilized.

Octane is rather complicated as well BUT in short, allows for higher compression to occur before detonation which if con carefully controlled either chemically or electronically in a gasoline internal combustion engine for example can be disastrous.

 

 

I understand all that. I was trying to find explanation as to why the power loss was less now than with the older technology. I don't know if it was the Mileage or the power that was affected by the higher octane rating of the propane. I'll run into it again and try to post what they were saying.
The system I'm looking at has both gas and propane. If I need the most power, then switch to gas. For me, 90% of this truck is a daily driver in the winter. I use it for deliveries and need the 3/4 ton for snowplowing my lot. Other times are out hunting. The Mustang doesn't do a good job of getting through the mud out hunting...

The reason I would stay with Propane is I have a dispenser at my store. I don't have to pay retail for propane. That alone gives me an advantage making this pay for itself quicker.

 

Here in VA where I live there is a road tax for burning propane in vehicles. If you dispense it yourself then you are required to pay the road tax. If another filling station fills it then they include it in the price.

 

Well said sir, thank you for the education too,