Does anyone run propane in their F 150 4.6? I have a Technocarb EFS600 fuel management system on my 04. Runs great it starts on gasoline and switches to propane. I would like to get more power with like an Edge Evoulution or something similar. Is anyone running a programmer with propane?......gofastpilot

 

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I've heard of vegetable oil in diesels, but I didn't even know it was possible to run propane in an F-150. Hows it run? Fuel economy? Reliability? Sorry, but I don't know about running a programmer with propane, but maybe you could contact the programmer makers?

Matthew

 

I have been watching this board to see if anyone else is using propane on their F-150. I have a propane vapor injection system on my 05 screw with the 5.4 3v. It works great. I just recently put it on and am very happy with it. My wife just took it on a trip an it looks like the fuel mileage is going to be around 12-13. I havent had a chance to drive it much since the conversion, I can usually get 3 or more MPG than my lead foot wife.

I shoehorned a 82 gallon tank in it and painted it to match. So I have a pretty good range on LP.

I have a diablo tuner and have it set for the 91 octane tune. The truck could handle the higher octane tune( Propane likes timing, propane is 100+ octane). Problem is my system starts on gasoline too and will switch to gas if there is a problem with the LP system. So I didnt want it pinging when it was running on gasoline. If you have the edge tuner in yours I noticed they have a pod for it that will mount over the headlight switch area. You could use it to give more timing and if for some reason you have to run on gasoline you could retune it for the lower octane.

Something else to keep in mind is your system can backfire. Keep your plug gaps a little smaller and that should help.

John

 

How much did you pay for the conversion system and the install? Is it easy to use? How long did it take for it to be installed? What brand do you have? Sorry for all the questions, but I am very interested this possibility.

Matthew

(How much is propane per gallon in your area?)

 

The conversions are around $2000.00, I had the tank already from an older truck. The kit has the injectors, computer, wiring harness, basically all you need under the hood. I installed it myself and it took me about 18 hours, lots of wire soldering and figuring out where to mount stuff. Not much room under the hood of the new Fords. All in all I think anyone that is mechanically inclined could do it.

The propane system starts on gasoline and switches over to propane. Switching between the two fuels is seamless. I dont even notice unless I am watching the little guage when it happens. Switching is done by pressing a button, it will beep telling what fuel it is running on. There is also a guage built into the switch telling you how much propane you have in your tank. The system works really well, I have even seen dyno sheets on some Chevrolets that made more power on propane than gas.

The brand of propane kit that I used is called Prins VSI. Prins is big in Europe, they are out of Holland. The dealer for the US is Jasper engines. The guy to talk to is Calvin. Jasper has a website I believe its jasperengines.com they have pics of the components on the site. They also have a pic of a supercharged mustang running the prins system. The mustang is out of Canada and has a really cool tank that replaces the spare tire. The guy that has the mustang works for Prins.



When my wife gets back from her trip I will take some pictures. If someone could tell me how to post them I will if anyone wants to see them.

Hope this answered your questions

John

I almost forgot, Roush is working on a liquid propane injection truck that looks to be very promising.

 

Yep That answered all my questions, but I have one more... How much are you paying per gallon of propane? When I read this post it got me interested, so I called my local propane dealer and they said it was $18-$20 for 5 gallons. Thats about $3.50-$4.00 per gallon. That seems like it would not make sense to make this conversion in order to pay more per gallon for fuel. Is it cheaper in your area or am I missing something?

Matthew

 

I have a propane company so I get it a little cheaper than everyone else. Almost every vehicle I own runs on propane.

In my area propane goes from $1.70 ish to almost $3.00. When you talked to the propane dealer did you let them know it was for a vehicle? Most dealers will give a little break for motor fuel. Most of the places that fill tanks, ( gas stations and such) are geared mostly for bbq tanks so they tend to be a bit higher. It also depends on where you are in the country. Seems like the east coast is higher than everywhere for propane.

John