propane conversion
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
propane conversion
i would like to know how a 390 performs on propane. some people say that i am wasting my time doing it because the power wil drop 50% . i know the power will drop some but i doubt 50%. i plan on using a impco 425 mixer and impco fuel lockout and converter. the hard part i found is the line form the propane tank to the fuel lock out. i can't find one. is there a company that makes custom ones? i also am not sure what tank to use i am thinking of a forklift tank. what kind of threads would that have?
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,931
Likes: 12
From: SW Michigan
propane FE
well, yeah you'll lose power at first. Propane is just fine as a fuel, but getting enough of it into the engine can be difficult. Think of your imp425 as if it were a 350cfm 2barrel carb. Most propane setups don't have enough flow through what ever part of the propane system correlates with a gasoline engine's needle& seat. Can you get a bigger mixer, or can you run a C7ZX manifold and run two 425s ? You might also need twin regulators. Check out 'alternativefuelracing's' page on the net. He is a Chevy guy, but seems to have the fuel deleivery problems worked out. Some of his engines have four vapourizers and regulators on them, but he is running 10s. Keep us informed. DF, @ his Dad's house
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
right now i am running a 250 cfm 2 bbbl. lol. it has about the same down low torque the 4bbl had but loses some upper end hp. it should cost about 400.00 to do the conversion and with gas over 3.00 a gallon and diesel at 3.72 a gallon i am going to try this propane is only about 1.20 a gallon.
New User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
at the local yard there is a 73 with the complete propane conversion and a very strange looking carburator it has a swithch that allows you to switch back and forth from gas to propane and some kind of blender that makes the change gradually. Has a 90 gallon propane tank in the back and 2 gas tanks up front. I believe this is a canadian truck that was factory outfitted this way. too bad someone already bought the whole truck
