propane conversion?

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fleebell

fleebell

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Has anyone converted any of these little 4 strokes to propane? I have one of the hf 2.5 hp engines on my tadpole trike and I'm really getting tired of having water problems with the gasohol around here. Propane would solve that.

I've found a couple of places on the web that sell the kits but they all seem to be for 5hp engines and bigger. I don't know if this 2.5 would run correctly with one of those or what I would need to change.

Any suggestions?

Lee
packrat workshop index
 
GearNut

GearNut

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cannonball2

cannonball2

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You should be able to buy ethanol free fuel. We have it in the Atlanta metro area. and I bought it all through S.C. while on a M/C ride. I have been told marinas have it. Might check around your area. Costs a few pennies more but on an MB who cares. Certainally cheaper than developing an alternate system.
 
andrewflores17

andrewflores17

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propane would be nice lasts longer in storage to

i go to pueblo every now and then its maybe a 45 mile drive and when im their i get my bio diesel and pure gas their its the closest place for me i know thieris a few webistes that narrow down the hunt for it .


i know propane is affected by cold would that matter to you .
 
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fleebell

fleebell

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cannonball2 said:
You should be able to buy ethanol free fuel. We have it in the Atlanta metro area. and I bought it all through S.C. while on a M/C ride. I have been told marinas have it. Might check around your area. Costs a few pennies more but on an MB who cares. Certainally cheaper than developing an alternate system.
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I could but the only place I have found it in town is on the opposite side and about 10 miles from here. I'm disabled and don't drive a car. I have 4 propane dealers less than 2 miles away. They are much easier for me to get to. :)

Lee
 
fleebell

fleebell

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GearNut said:
It is a good idea and has been brought up before:
http://motorbicycling.com/f51/propane-anyone-32406.html

Unfortunately the currently available conversion kits are not cheap enough to make it worth while.
Just as an example, a dual fuel conversion from ebay is $350.00.
Propane Conversion Kit Gas Engine 4cycle Dual Fuel System. Easy to install kit | eBay

You could have whole 'nother engine kit for that price.
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I've found a couple of kits for about $150. It would cost me slightly more than that to convert the trike back to electric. I prefer the increased range of the gas or propane over the batteries any day. I can't afford the lipo types so I'm pretty much stuck with the lead acid bricks in that scenario. I don't really go anywhere on it but about once a week and the propane would save me a lot of hassle. I won't have to deal with old gas then either. One gallon lasted me most of the summer.

If it's so cold out there I would have problems with the propane the odds are I would be using the bus then anyway. We don't get but about 2 months of cold weather here in Wilmington NC. This year is looks like we are only going to get 1 month.
Lee
 
cannonball2

cannonball2

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You can remove the ethanol from the gas with water, but I dont know about the octane rating once its removed. We did this for our R/C gas engines when the ethanol was first introduced. Seemed to run no differently. Ethanol played he!! with the original rubber based pump diaphragms.
 
fleebell

fleebell

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cannonball2 said:
You can remove the ethanol from the gas with water, but I dont know about the octane rating once its removed. We did this for our R/C gas engines when the ethanol was first introduced. Seemed to run no differently. Ethanol played he!! with the original rubber based pump diaphragms.
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It's not the ethanol I'm having problems with it's the water it causes the gas to absorb just setting in the gas tank of my trike. I end up draining about 1/3 cup of water from the filter and the carb bowl every time I want to ride it.
It's getting really annoying. I've tried letting the gas just sit in a large glass pickle jar until it settles so I could see the separation point and just siphon the gas off the top but it accumulates more water again within a couple of days of setting in the trikes gas tank. It's really frustrating.

I originally had a pocket bike engine on the trike and I know all about the rubber problems you mentioned. I was replacing carbs every three months or so due to impossible to clean clogged up ports in them. That's the reason I went to this hf 2.5 hp engine. I hoped having a different type of carb would solve the problem and it does to some extant. The alcohol doesn't eat this one, but this one collects water!
 
cannonball2

cannonball2

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Since you are in a humid area water will be an issue. Ethanol worsens the situation because its hydroscopic. Back when I was an aircraft owner in Fla, it was standard procedure to keep the tanks topped off. The heating and cooling cycles will draw water into partially filled tanks. It wasnt uncommon to get a quart or better out of the tanks of a plane that had sat a while with less than full tanks. If the trike is going to sit make sure it is topped off.
 
killercanuck

killercanuck

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Whoa, a quart?! That's nuts... :O Maybe even having the tank topped off, then cellophane under the cap too?

I've been looking into US Carburation's kits, and their "C" dual system(petrol or propane) uses a plate behind the intake with a jet. They still use a vacuum actuated regulator, but I'm not sure how adjustable it is, or whether changing the jet in the plate would do anything. They say its for "under 5hp", so who knows... :p

Here's their site btw:
A and C Propane Natural Gas Conversion Kits
 
fleebell

fleebell

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Wilmington NC
cannonball2 said:
Since you are in a humid area water will be an issue. Ethanol worsens the situation because its hydroscopic. Back when I was an aircraft owner in Fla, it was standard procedure to keep the tanks topped off. The heating and cooling cycles will draw water into partially filled tanks. It wasnt uncommon to get a quart or better out of the tanks of a plane that had sat a while with less than full tanks. If the trike is going to sit make sure it is topped off.
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Very good point! I hadn't really thought about that. I will try it. It certainly can't make the problem any worse if there is no place for the water to accumulate. Maybe I should seal the little tiny vent hole too when it's just setting.
Thanks!
Lee
 
fleebell

fleebell

Member
Nov 5, 2009
72
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Wilmington NC
killercanuck said:
Whoa, a quart?! That's nuts... :O Maybe even having the tank topped off, then cellophane under the cap too?

I've been looking into US Carburation's kits, and their "C" dual system(petrol or propane) uses a plate behind the intake with a jet. They still use a vacuum actuated regulator, but I'm not sure how adjustable it is, or whether changing the jet in the plate would do anything. They say its for "under 5hp", so who knows... :p

Here's their site btw:
A and C Propane Natural Gas Conversion Kits
Click to expand...
That was one of the links I was looking at but thanks anyway. I don't care if I have to drill the carb or not. I have a couple of spare carbs anyway for it.
Lee
 
MEASURE TWICE

MEASURE TWICE

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andrewflores17 said:
in the mean time i dont see why a small dose of STABIL would hurthttp://http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/default.aspx

to help remove some of the ethanol i know its not the solution u r looking for at the moment but something to consider

wander what the aproximate MPG would be on propane
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From: Measure Twice
Thanks for that link….

The web address was halted by my Norton Internet Protection by the fact it thought it to be malicious, but it was just acting on the twice “http” showing up.

This was what I went to and worked:


Seems even when I post there seems to be something that does not like putting the link in right

www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/

if not works then this

http://www.goldeagle.com/ manually then click brands and then click stabil


Looking at bottom of page this, also quite interesting to look at was this pdf….. I used the search within it for the word water….
I came to the conclusion that motor bikes at quite a cost I suppose could have flex fuel engines that go over 10% ethanol. I saw a very good price at one station near me, like 50 cents less. I supposed I’m brain washed though as a kid I saw 15 cents a gallon and now I hear $5 gallon to be by the summer. Dang!

http://www.goldeagle.com/UserFiles/file/STA-BIL files/White_Paper_Ethanol_ Blended_Gasline.pdf

Measure Twice
 
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S

svejkovat

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May 25, 2009
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michigan
Just came here from a google news entry on T. Boone Picken's "one dollar a gallon" Honda Civic which makes use of some method of tapping into his home's natural gas supply and storing it for the Civic's use.

A little 4stroke weed trimmer motor, a tap on your home's natural gas... damn close to free transportation. Better yet a multi fuel 35cc four stroke... gas, propane, or natural gas.
 
DIANY

DIANY

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DONT BUY MAVERICK GAS!!! its cheapest because it has the most water content allowable by law...i stick to chevron with techron...or jacksons =) its funny, i noticed at stop lights that the car in front of me after sitting at the light a minute idling would spit out a lot of a liquid substance when the light turned green and they take off...i assume this is WATER. do u know how bad water is for steel? LOL
 
andrewflores17

andrewflores17

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Jul 12, 2010
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colorado springs, CO
i get shell which is always just out of the way but their gas and their diesel seem to always be a lot better . never get gas on a military post its cheapo gas to i gladly spend the extra 2 cents a gallon for shell
 
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