what does propane injection entail? Fuel injection modification, or how can i make my own system that is safe?? Thanks

 

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Looking at the pictures of the aftermarket systems...it doesn't seem all that complicated. All you should need is a tank, a regulator, and a couple of switches to arm/activate the system.

Not having run the stuff I don't know the specifics of how much and when.

 

oops im sorry...i didn't see this forum... thanks

 

Many folks have tried do it yourself propane systems.
Some have regretted it.
introducing propane into a diesel requires very tight regulation of the propane. Too much and your engine is toast.

There are two types of systems: Liquid Phase and Vapor Phase. The terms refer to the way propane is drawn from the tank and delivered to the point of injection.

In a Liquid Phase system liquid propane is taken from the bottom of the tank and delivered to an evaporation chamber, in the engine compartment, where it is becomes vaporized. It is then released thru a system of jets into the engines intake air duct, just before the turbo.
As demand, usually determined by measuring boost, increases the amount of propane is increased by opening additional jets. This is the simplest system to build it is also the most dangerous. The problem is that a malfunction can allow liquid propane to enter the intake duct. The result is a ruined engine

A Vapor Phase system draws propane vapor from the top of the tank and delivers to the engines intake air duct. As demand increases an electronically controlled constantly variable regulator releases more propane in a smooth ramped up increase, like turning the **** on a gas stove, rather than the stairstep incrementation of liquid phase systems. Since liquid propane never leaves the tank the chance of a catastrophic malfunction is practically eliminated. This system is much more difficult to build because of the electronics involved.

I choose a commercially available vapor phase system called Powershot 2000 it works very well. when properly tuned it can increase available rwhp by 80.

 

When I was in College a year ago I took a 12 week alt fuels class. We had a F350 SD with a 7.3. it got about 200 hp on the dyno with a exhaust and a chip. The propane injection system was just a tank, a regulator, a boost switch and a nozzle in the intake snorkle. The dyno measured around 440 RW Hp after we installed it.

 

Wow.....I would have to say those results are probably not typical of your average bolt on system. Generally, half that is considered an extreme system.

How long did that engine last with a 220 horse shot of 'pane? Or is it still on the road with that system?

 

well how this worked was we had to show the teacher we could add the system and prove that it was functional. We started with a stock truck (minus the chip and exhaust) and added the propane system following the directions in the kit. the teacher would switch the system off, run it on the dyno to see that it was in fact running 'stock' then make another run with the system on. In the final six weeks eight 2 man teams converted and de-converted the truck, and twice he actually took it down the road twice because the dyno got tied up with a CNG conversion thing on a F250 SD. They regularly use the truck to haul a trailer full of race cars on the weekends, and have no problems that I'm aware of.

 

Do you remember what "kit" was used?

 

Not a clue

 

The system you describe could be almost any commercially available system or a home made one because those are the essential parts.
How was the pane released into the air intake was it just a tube coming from the regulator or was there a jet in the end of the tube. Could you tell whether the pane was drawn from the top or bottem of the tank (thats not always easy to do).

 

the tube was an aluminum nozzle and had a diagonal cut. I pretty sure the propane was from the bottom of the tanks, all of the tanks we used were that way. The 2 tanks were mounted behind the rear axle. I'm trying to remember something that I did a year ago.

 

It's cool if you can't remember, I was just curious. No pressure.