Poor mans propane setup, help needed

[44mag]

I have the same regulator he does,just didn't know if he had a way to regulate it pre turbo,or flowed 1.5 psi the regulater puts out.

[bkjeffrey]

Ive got a 1/2" NPT brass elbow that has a little flat head screw on one side to open and close flow through the elbow. Its mounted right where the regulated lpg enters the intake, you can kinda see it in the pics.

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04 QC/LWB 48RE 4x4: EJA, Arson CP3, BHAF, 4" TB stainless steel exhaust, 7" stack, Propane injection, Swanker intake manifold, GDP heater grid delete, BD 100 gal/hr pump, Big line kit, spin on fuel filter, Racor seperator, FS2500, mystery switch, 5 gallon on-board air system, Viair comp, Optima blue tops, 1875 Watt dvd stereo system, train horns. 6" lift w/35x12.50/20's

[bob4x4]

Originally Posted by patracy

Me personally...

17.5mpg on diesel
29mpg on diesel with propane

Regulator on mine is back at the tank. His is the round regulator in the second pic. That's what regulating the flow/pressure.

You might want to clear up that mileage figure.............You are not getting 29mpg?correct? you are talking about using 1 gallon of diesel per 29 miles plus x amount of propane in that distance as well.What does x equal?

Bob

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05 2500 4x4 Advanced dominator 3.0 suspension+long travel airbags by Carli Baja proven

[patracy]

Originally Posted by bob4x4

You might want to clear up that mileage figure.............You are not getting 29mpg?correct? you are talking about using 1 gallon of diesel per 29 miles plus x amount of propane in that distance as well.What does x equal?

Bob

29mpg on diesel. View the overhead pics as well back in the thread. It went up to 39 at one point. I got about 400 miles out of a tank of propane with mine at 4-5psi of propane.

This was all highway miles BTW. Speeds at 65-70mph. HEAVY stop and go for about 1.5hrs.

I think we have a scanner at work. I could do another round of testing and scan receipts, but I'm certain someone would still doubt me on it. All I know is that it dang well works for me! Course I'm not all that interested in it now since I'm doing WVO.

Not that it proves anything but here's a PM I had...

Originally Posted by mahdey

np, your propane thread is saving me 250 bucks a week now.

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1999 2500 4x4 Club Cab Sport. ADRENALINE/pulse BHAF, full set of gauges, FP light, Holley Blue pump, 1/2" big line kit, Draw straw, 3" glasspack, TC lockup switch, Stealth VP plate, Heated WVO setup, poor man's 'pane setup, BD TC, BD VB, Billet input, Derale pan.
Parts to come: 150hp sticks, turbo, and bigger exhaust.

[bob4x4]

I think you misunderstood my question

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05 2500 4x4 Advanced dominator 3.0 suspension+long travel airbags by Carli Baja proven

[patracy]

Originally Posted by bob4x4

I think you misunderstood my question

How so?

It took only 1 gallon of diesel to run 29 miles. 1 gallon of propane lasts about 100 miles.

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1999 2500 4x4 Club Cab Sport. ADRENALINE/pulse BHAF, full set of gauges, FP light, Holley Blue pump, 1/2" big line kit, Draw straw, 3" glasspack, TC lockup switch, Stealth VP plate, Heated WVO setup, poor man's 'pane setup, BD TC, BD VB, Billet input, Derale pan.
Parts to come: 150hp sticks, turbo, and bigger exhaust.

[mailman1175]

Originally Posted by patracy

It took only 1 gallon of diesel to run 29 miles. 1 gallon of propane lasts about 100 miles.

Which would make it 29.01 mpg, bob4x4. Or, to answer your question more specifically, x= 0.01 gallon propane/gallon diesel.

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'94 3500 DRW 4x4; auto; 4.10 gearing; 10' flat bed; BHAF/heatshield; FBD budget 5" TBE w/ cat delete

[bob4x4]

Your math is incorrect

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05 2500 4x4 Advanced dominator 3.0 suspension+long travel airbags by Carli Baja proven

[patracy]

Originally Posted by bob4x4

Your math is incorrect

I assume you're talking to me? What kind of math should I be using correctly?

I used my propane tank, and got about 400 miles out of the tank. That's 100 miles per gallon of propane. (BBQ Tanks are 4.1 gallons so it's slightly less. 97.56 miles per gallon if you want the exact number)

During the test I drove 156.6. I had to refill the diesel tank and it fit 5.4 gallons.

156.6/5.4 = 29

That's 29mpg on diesel.


Here's a repost of the results again...

Originally Posted by patracy

And the update you've all been waiting for!

I drove 156.6 miles today. Mainly interstate. But for 1.5hrs I was in stop and go traffic, I turned off the system for that due to surging. I'm running about 6psi of propane set to turn on at ~3psi. Fuel needed to fill up....

5.4 gallons!

For a diesel mileage of 29mpg!!!!!!

Here's some funny shots from the lie-o-meter on the way out downhill. I didn't know it could count that high!



And here's another pic of the distance to empty. It definitely can't count that high.


I'm very happy. Well worth the work and little money. I do know one thing I need to change though. On the way back my regulator froze. I'm going to wrap it with some electrical heating wire.

I know it's hard to believe. But even I was skeptical about the mileage. But I used the same pump to fill to the click, then refilled from the same pump.

Unless you're talking total fuel consumption where I roll the propane into the diesel for a total number. Which doesn't make all that much sense...

156.6 miles.

156.6 miles is 39.15% of the 400 mile range on propane. 39.15% of the 400 mile range is 1.6 gallons of propane.

5.4 (diesel) + 1.6 (propane) = 7 gallons total fuel consumed.

156.6 / 7 = 22.37 total fuel mileage per gallon. (propane and diesel)

22.37 mpg is still better than 17.5 mpg.

__________________
1999 2500 4x4 Club Cab Sport. ADRENALINE/pulse BHAF, full set of gauges, FP light, Holley Blue pump, 1/2" big line kit, Draw straw, 3" glasspack, TC lockup switch, Stealth VP plate, Heated WVO setup, poor man's 'pane setup, BD TC, BD VB, Billet input, Derale pan.
Parts to come: 150hp sticks, turbo, and bigger exhaust.

[bob4x4]

Originally Posted by patracy

I assume you're talking to me? What kind of math should I be using correctly?





Unless you're talking total fuel consumption where I roll the propane into the diesel for a total number. Which doesn't make all that much sense...


22.37 mpg is still better than 17.5 mpg.

MPG is total amount of fuel used per mile.Now you get it......22.37 is beleivable.

Bob

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05 2500 4x4 Advanced dominator 3.0 suspension+long travel airbags by Carli Baja proven

[patracy]

Originally Posted by bob4x4

MPG is total amount of fuel used per mile.Now you get it......22.37 is beleivable.

Bob

Well if it makes you happy then better to you. It's a very flaky number if you ask me. I view the propane as a power adder/additive. Do you factor your mpg on a tank of fuel with a quart extra of additive, or do you do it by total cost? Here's the breakdown.

Let's break down the numbers on traveling 400 miles. Basing 18mpg on diesel.

400 /18 = 22.222 gallons of diesel

22.222 at $4.75 a gallon = $105.56 to travel 400 miles.

We know it burns a tank of propane in 400 miles. So we've got a $16 cost to factor in. HOWEVER, we get 29mpg on diesel during that span. So our diesel consumption is reduced.

400 /29 = 13.8 gallons of diesel

13.8 at $4.75 a gallon = $65.55

$65.55 + $16 = $81.55

$105.56 - $81.55 = $24.01 saved.

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1999 2500 4x4 Club Cab Sport. ADRENALINE/pulse BHAF, full set of gauges, FP light, Holley Blue pump, 1/2" big line kit, Draw straw, 3" glasspack, TC lockup switch, Stealth VP plate, Heated WVO setup, poor man's 'pane setup, BD TC, BD VB, Billet input, Derale pan.
Parts to come: 150hp sticks, turbo, and bigger exhaust.

[Mopar1973Man]

Originally Posted by patracy

You do not have to tap the intake manifold. There's a port already on the side of the block. I used a close nipple and a tee to make two out's. One for my hobbs switch, the other for my boost gauge. Here's a pic (graciously stolen from mopar1973man ) of where that port is.

Figures you would snag pics from my web site...

But this has been a very interesting thread and I've considered adding propane a few times but always worried about doing damage to the engine...

As for propane it boils at about -40*F so there is no need to worry about it coming out liquid...

Propane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Michael Nelson - 2002 Dodge Cummins