anyone here running propane?

i've been toying with the idea for some time. the only catch is that i live in an area that uses emissions testing. the vehicle will be registered as being switched to propane (for any alt fuel discounts), but they still require the sniffer test every two years. i noticed propane kits such as gotpropane.com advertise that they are not street legal for emission tested areas. however, it is my understanding that propane burns very clean, hence the ability to run forklifts indoors. if it will still pass the sniffers test, i don't see why i couldn't run it.

anyone running 'pane have some emissions numbers?

Al

 

check your local laws. I dont see a problem in IMO.

 

Think your best bet is to talk to a Ref @ DEQ. Maybe a guy at Northwest Natural Gas might also be a help, they have a lot of their trucks running on LNG, granted it is different than propane, they might have some insite.

 

robb, you might be right. although the last few times i've been to DEQ (it was quite regular before the pickup passed) i haven't had very knowledgeable refs.... though the gals were very friendly.

i did just stumble upon this pdf, claiming 20% less NOx, and 60% less CO. but that might be a different system with more electronics in place, from modern vehicles.

Al

 

http://www.gotpropane.com/p4.html

check it out.

 

yes, i've seen gotpropane's kit. and frankly, that's way over priced. it should be no more than $600 for a kit. you can piece them together for under $300, and most of that cost is in the tank.

they call their kit 'offroad only', and don't offer any more information as to what benifits it has other than 'most people say there is more power'. empty promises, if you ask me. i need someone that runs it on their rig on the street. i know someone out there does....

Al

 

I think it gets to a manager position ref wise, someone beyond the guy with the sniffer at the booth. I will check with a hot rod guy @ church.

 

quote from their site:

"We usually use about 5 to 6 gallons if we run the truck non-stop all day. This is rock crawling/ trail running, about 8 good ones! A typical day of normal trail riding uses about 4 gallons. There is no loss in power with these kits, only power gains!! These are legal for road use depending as long as your local emissions laws allow it."

22re section, 2nd paragraph

i am also looking at doing this conversion, and there seems to be little info out there

 

The biggest issue will be id there is a visual inspection. In CA, at least, that is where propane conversions fail, unless there is a factory-available conversion available. That is where I ran into problems when CA dropped it's propane smog exemption back in the early '90s.

 

ouch. as if they don't already hit you guys hard enough with all those emission laws

 

I know there are lots of guys here in TN that run propane on their rigs on and off road but we dont have emissions so im no help to other than I know you can do it. I am like everyone else i dont know why you wouldnt be able to since it is a cleaner fuel.

 

champ- do you know what kind of gas mileage they get?

 

No not off hand. i will do some asking next time i catch up with one of them and try to find out.

 

any updates?

 

I am on the fence about the propane as well because of the cost and I like to take my Toyota way out in the middle of no where Texas and it can be a challenge to find gas let a lone propane. And as we see above it is hard to get and facts about gas mileage. I see the benefits of a cleaner fuel, less wear and tear, being able to remove so much junk under the hood etc. etc. but loosing valuable space in the bed and having to worry about fill ups is making this a tough decision for me also.

 

no real updates, i haven't had a chance to talk to the local DEQ refs.

dual fuel is an option if you are worried about propane stations. but you will loose power when running the propane because the timing will have to be retarded closer to stock. 'pane runs best with some heavy advance.

i can afford giving up some bed space because i have a long bed, and would plan 2 tanks so i can't run out without knowing. i'd pretty much keep one tank as a backup.

Al

 

I was just at DEQ this morning taking care of the grand am, totally forgot to check into this

 

hey, no worries. i'll try to swing by Saturday, it is after all just down the hill from me.

Al