propane conversions

[Tuckerfan]

There's a couple of companies out there selling kits for cars. You might do a search for them and see if they've got any advice, or would be willing to do most of the hard work for you.

[halac]

I have a Generac 3.6kW generator in my Slide-in truck camper. Works like a charm. Oil stays clean and I don't have to worry about a carb gumming up with rotten gasoline. It runs off of vapor rather than liquid. I've also planning to covert a '70's vintage Onan to propane also. A friend of mine gave me the regulator and the LP carb. Now I just got to find the time to convert it over. Maybe I'll get it done by next hurricane season.

Hal C.

[darryl]

Anyone ever do a propane conversion on a motorcycle?

[wierdscience]

No,but all you need is a reg and vaporiser,oh you need hot water too.

But,uhhh... why do you want sissy fuel?

[Jaymo]

Higher octane. You can run more compression/timing advance/both.
Your motor oil stays a LOT cleaner.

[Jaymo]

You'll need a regulator(vaporizer), a filter, a fuel lockoff(part of the filter, if you use an Impco model J regulator and filter), and a carburetor. You'll need to run engine coolant to the regulator(to facilitate better vaporization).
I highly recommend the Impco model J reg/filter, and Impco CA55 carb. Stone reliable, durable, and simple to adjust.

[wierdscience]

Jaymo,yes,the model J are excellent,and the motor will stay clean,but one more question,where will he fit the tank?

Surely the thing will require a 10lb cylinder if there are many cc's involved.

[Jaymo]

Dammit, Wierdscience, now you're making me think. I don't like to do that at night. haha!
See, this is the danger of free advice, especially when the advisor is really tired.

I didn't think about the tank.
Run it off a couple of 1 pound Coleman tanks.
haha! Should get at least a couple of miles before it dies.
Honestly, I wouldn't want to ride a motorcycle with a 20+ pound bomb strapped to it.
The things are 2 wheeled deathtraps as it is. (although they are beautiful machines)
Strap a pressure vessel full of explosive petroleum distillate to it and it could be a really exciting crash. For a fraction of a second, anyway.
At least he'd go quickly, and not end up in Shephard Spinal Clinic.

[speedy]

I was fitting LPG conversions to cars a couple of decades ago, mostly Impco as they were highly tunable and in my opinion miles better than Renzo Landi or any other brands of the time. It never crossed our minds to fit LPG while on a motorcycle, we found it easier to do it the conventional way . We fitted CNG also, we would add all that extra weight to vehicles so they couild "save" money and gain"efficiency", it was a large joke at the publics` expense, a total waste of money and effort.Imagine that, 3000lb pressure tank sitting just inches from your back.
If your looking for more bang for your buck then use Avgas 100+ octain and do some basic flowing/ tuning mods.
cheers. Ken

[darryl]

Just wondering. I had a chat with someone today who wanted to get away from the rotting gas syndrome when parking it for months at a time. There's always fuel conditioner, but he said he would prefer propane. I've never seen it done on a bike. Probably have to have a noise maker on the bike so it still sounds like a bike. I think it would be hard for anyone who has ridden to accept the weaker performance.
As far as the tank, I think someone could paint a cool scene on the side of a propane tank just as easily as a regular gas tank. Heck, mount it in place of the gas tank. If something goes wrong, you stand a pretty good chance of being thrown clear. Clear across town, that is, in bits and pieces.