LPG or CNG conversions?

[mishalah]

Has anyone here done an LPG or CNG conversion on their Suburban? What have the results been, and where did you get the kit? I'm tired of the 12mpg and rising gas prices making travel decisions for me.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by mishalah

Has anyone here done an LPG or CNG conversion on their Suburban? What have the results been, and where did you get the kit? I'm tired of the 12mpg and rising gas prices making travel decisions for me.

Best not to change over a older high mileage engine.

Buy the time you pay road tax and other taxes on LPG/CNG you will not gain much on fuel cost.
And mileage does not improve some times goes down a little.
You would be better off taking the money and trading up for one that gets better mileage.

What year and mileage and engine and sub size do you have?

LPG companys should be able to point you in the right direction on where to get a it and instalation problems.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mishalah

Has anyone here done an LPG or CNG conversion on their Suburban? What have the results been, and where did you get the kit? I'm tired of the 12mpg and rising gas prices making travel decisions for me.

they have the propane in vehicles down under [australia]...

CNG is a good idea here in the USA..nat gas is cheaper than gasoline/diesel fuel..burns cleaner..

I want to get into this business but you need higher fuel prices to justify the install costs ...also you need a nat gas compressor to recharge your vehicle ..this takes about 6 hrs with what available now..2 miles from my house is a CNG station ..

On MPG I never got a report on how you would calulate that...

probably miles per dollar.....nat gas is half or little more than the cost of gasoline..

5 dollars per gallon is when I figure it will be a go with this fuel.

[MagicRat]

I drove 2 LPG vehicles extensively, one a 6 cyl Chevy pick up, and the other was a 305-powered Chevy van.

They both ran flawlessly on propane, even in winter. True, they need a block heater if you expect them to start in sub-25 deg F weather, but are great once going.

Propane is extremely clean-burning. Engine oil stays much cleaner, for longer.

Propane has about one-third fewer BTU's than gasoline, so power is somewhat dinimished. But you can boost the compression ratio for greater thermodynamic efficiency. Propane is more resistant to pre-ignition than gasoline.

Propane fuel economy is somewhat lower, again, by about one-third, so it only makes sense of the local price of propane is significantly less than gasoline.

Propane fuel tanks are bulkier and heavier than gasoline. Space considerations usually means a reduction in range.
My pick up had a 15 gallon propane tank so it did not go too far on one fill up.

But my propane van had a massive 300 liter fuel tank which could carry 220 liters(59 gallons) of liquid propane (the rest was necessary vapor space.) My range was 700 miles or so....

My big concern is the flammability of propane in a serious collision. If I had crashed and the propane ignited, they would never have found my body.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mishalah

Has anyone here done an LPG or CNG conversion on their Suburban? What have the results been, and where did you get the kit? I'm tired of the 12mpg and rising gas prices making travel decisions for me.

I found this info. 500lbs for the tank weight. 8,ooo.oo install cost.

vehicle type must be qualified for legal conversion .

cost of cng is said to be about a dollar a gallon of gasoline.. that is very cheap.. we will be over 4.oo this summer..for gasoline. so thats 4 to 1 ratio.. how long to recover the 8 thousand on install???


<LI class=step sizcache="0" sizset="39" itxtNodeId="8" itxtHarvested="1">Learn which vehicles qualify for legal conversion. There are strict EPA rules regarding CNG conversion and only certain models qualify to be converted. These models include the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ford Crown Victoria, Ford Grand Marquis, Ford Taurus, LIncoln Town Car, FordF150, F250, E-350, E-450 and others. For a complete list see this site: http://www.ngvamerica.org/pdfs/marke...ses.NGVs-a.pdf


<LI class=step itxtNodeId="7" itxtHarvested="1">2 Find out if there is a CNG filling station near you. If there is not it may not be worth the cost of the conversion, which is around $8000. This may seem like a lot but the equivalent cost of CNG is less than one dollar per gallon in many parts of the US. For a list of CNG filling stations see the following site: http://www.cngprices.com/


<LI class=step sizcache="9" sizset="2" itxtNodeId="6" itxtHarvested="1">3 CNG tank installed in trunk. Realize the limitations of a CNG conversion. CNG converted vehicles can run on both gasoline or CNG so you can still use your car in areas where there is no CNG station. There may be federal or state rebates for conversions at any given time so check with your accountant. The benefits of CNG conversion include cheaper fuel, less pollution and less wear on engine parts because CNG burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline. Natural gas is an abundant natural resource that is very plentiful in North America.


<LI class=step itxtNodeId="5" itxtHarvested="1">4 Ask yourself how much trunk or bed space you are willing to give up for CNG tanks. You will always have to give up some room in your car's trunk or pickup bed for the tanks. Usually two tanks are used. These tanks are very safe. They are almost impossible to rupture, but if that occurs compressed natural gas is lighter than air and evaporates upward, causing no harm.
CNG conversion are performed by a number of companies across the United States. For a complete list of companies doing CNG conversions see the resources below




Read more: How to Convert Your Vehicle To Run On CNG or Compressed Natural Gas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4699722_conv...#ixzz1IIGEDbAl

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mishalah

Has anyone here done an LPG or CNG conversion on their Suburban? What have the results been, and where did you get the kit? I'm tired of the 12mpg and rising gas prices making travel decisions for me.

I found this info. 500lbs for the tank weight. 8,ooo.oo install cost.

vehicle type must be qualified for legal conversion .

cost of cng is said to be about a dollar a gallon of gasoline.. that is very cheap.. we will be over 4.oo this summer..for gasoline. so thats 4 to 1 ratio.. how long to recover the 8 thousand on install???


Learn which vehicles qualify for legal conversion. There are strict EPA rules regarding CNG conversion and only certain models qualify to be converted. These models include the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ford Crown Victoria, Ford Grand Marquis, Ford Taurus, LIncoln Town Car, FordF150, F250, E-350, E-450 and others. For a complete list see this site: http://www.ngvamerica.org/pdfs/marke...ses.NGVs-a.pdf

Find out if there is a CNG filling station near you. If there is not it may not be worth the cost of the conversion, which is around $8000. This may seem like a lot but the equivalent cost of CNG is less than one dollar per gallon in many parts of the US. For a list of CNG filling stations see the following site: http://www.cngprices.com/


CNG tank installed in trunk. Realize the limitations of a CNG conversion. CNG converted vehicles can run on both gasoline or CNG so you can still use your car in areas where there is no CNG station. There may be federal or state rebates for conversions at any given time so check with your accountant. The benefits of CNG conversion include cheaper fuel, less pollution and less wear on engine parts because CNG burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline. Natural gas is an abundant natural resource that is very plentiful in North America.


Ask yourself how much trunk or bed space you are willing to give up for CNG tanks. You will always have to give up some room in your car's trunk or pickup bed for the tanks. Usually two tanks are used. These tanks are very safe. They are almost impossible to rupture, but if that occurs compressed natural gas is lighter than air and evaporates upward, causing no harm.
CNG conversion are performed by a number of companies across the United States. For a complete list of companies doing CNG conversions see the resources below




Read more: How to Convert Your Vehicle To Run On CNG or Compressed Natural Gas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4699722_conv...#ixzz1IIGEDbAl

[mishalah]

In the mid-1960's I worked a summer job for the local propane company doing tank maintenance (a great summer job while in high school), and all the trucks were propane powered. The one I used the most was a 1953 Chevy with the stock 6 cylinder, but also a big 1948 2-1/2 ton with a crane for moving tanks. Both were just carburetor conversions, and both seemed to have normal horsepower from what I could tell.

I can't remember much about efficiency because they'd get filled at the big tank station when they needed it. I do remember the filling operation was very dangerous because you could freeze your hands if the connections weren't made properly. I also remember that the engines in those trucks were spotless inside and required almost no maintenance compared to gas powered vehicles. BUT...I had a 25 gallon tank in each truck that was about 24" in diameter and 4' long. The tanks I see available today are a fraction of that capacity (10 gallons max). 10 gallons would only be good for around town driving. And, the cost of the tanks are ridiculous! Yeah, thousands of dollars if you want any useful capacity. That I do not understand at all. Those tanks should be a few hundred dollars at most.

So, it looks like another clean burning alternative is shot down by the government and greed.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mishalah

In the mid-1960's I worked a summer job for the local propane company doing tank maintenance (a great summer job while in high school), and all the trucks were propane powered. The one I used the most was a 1953 Chevy with the stock 6 cylinder, but also a big 1948 2-1/2 ton with a crane for moving tanks. Both were just carburetor conversions, and both seemed to have normal horsepower from what I could tell.

I can't remember much about efficiency because they'd get filled at the big tank station when they needed it. I do remember the filling operation was very dangerous because you could freeze your hands if the connections weren't made properly. I also remember that the engines in those trucks were spotless inside and required almost no maintenance compared to gas powered vehicles. BUT...I had a 25 gallon tank in each truck that was about 24" in diameter and 4' long. The tanks I see available today are a fraction of that capacity (10 gallons max). 10 gallons would only be good for around town driving. And, the cost of the tanks are ridiculous! Yeah, thousands of dollars if you want any useful capacity. That I do not understand at all. Those tanks should be a few hundred dollars at most.

So, it looks like another clean burning alternative is shot down by the government and greed.

The tanks when filled with CNG have pressure of 3,ooo psi. also need to be inspected every 3yrs. the engines last 3 yrs longer. plugs engine oil stay clean. no carbon on the valves/intake etc. basicly no emissions to worry about. the exhaust would last forever ...

in your area there are several CNG stations . charge 2.49 for a unit of gas.. you will loose 10 % of the HP ..compared to gasoline.

the cost will come down soon ...the 2.50 a gallon gasoline prices killed the alternative fuels..for now....5.oo / gallon the owners of vehicles will have to do something...If the oil producing countries continue to have unrest they say cost may be not a factor ...no gasoline will be had ..like back in the early 70's...then this will take hold ........

[gremlin96]

if you jump in and do it, one thing to remember, if your high mileage truck takes a dump. you still can get a new motor cheep, or a truck cheep with high gas prices. our local propane company used propane for fuel. at work our fork lift is dual fuel.

on a funny note. one city near me is using bio diesel in there buses made from used cooking oil. there fuel suppler is needing to go the distance to get the used cooking oil. used cooking oil has become a good seller. the more its needed the higher the price and the harder it is to find.

[ricnor]

My 1997 K2500 454 4x4 Vortec motor has been running on LPG all the time I have had it but there again at over $9 a gallon it's the only way to go.
I have had a few LPG cars now and apart from the time taken to fill up, about twice as long as filling with petrol, I have noticed no disernable difference in performance or economy.
Basically the larger the engine the less you notice the difference but over here we count on 10% reduction in power (if noticed at all) and 10% less economy, that worked out at 1 mile per gallon for me so buying it at nearly half price in comparison to petrol it was always the way to go, however now the difference is only about 30% cheaper but still worth it to me.
The tanks are made from a lot thicker gauge steel than your petrol tanks and in the event of a crash you should be ok, if it's a fire then you would probably need to get away as quickly as you could. I had two tanks under the car one large on on the drivers side and a smaller one on the passenger side, this gave me about 18 gallons of fuel and I still had the petrol tank if I couldn't get LPG anywhere.
All my cars start on petrol and then when you blip the throttle to 2000rpm it automatically switches over to LPG. None of my cars had multi point injection LPG systems (they are better on economy and power) but just the basic systems and they all have fail safe circuits in that if the sensor doesn't get a signal from the engine to say there is a spark then the gas is cut off, stops them from going bang.

[snoopy0282]

i didnt read all the other posts so some of this might have been said before
i went to a local shop that does cng conversions and for me after hearing all the pros and cons i decided its not worth it
i was hoping to get the tank(s) mounted externally but under local laws i was limited where i could mount them and i was told normally on this type of vehicle they are mounted inside but i did not want to loose cargo space. so as far as mounting tank(s) externally the best size tank he could fit was equivalent to 20L of gas and still be getting the same fuel economy, also keeping in mind this would be dual fuel but for only 20L and about half the cost of gas it did not justify the cost to me
now if i didnt care about loosing cargo space and install a huge tank in the back, that might be a different story

[j cAT]

in the USA the DOT has a list of vehicles that can be converted to CNG. the cost for a 2000 silverado would be about 6,ooo . the tanks are mounted under the bed.

in my area the gas company has several charging stations. the state of massachusetts uses these for the fleet they have.

talking to owners here they do save on costs because it is slightly more than half the cost of gasoline.

the other benefit is the engines are reported to last much longer also less oil changes. the burn is 100% with no deposits left behind.

if this was done when the vehicle is new then it would be a good investment.

down side is range is reduced. so you need two tanks.

also the tanks need to be inspected periodicly.

[SouthernCA]

Anyone in Southern CA done a CNG conversion or know someone who does.

Looking to convert my Toyota Highlander then a few of our work trucks.

I'm interested in paying someone of there time and expertise to show me how and what to give a heads up about especially when it comes to programing the computer and the best conversion kit to use...etc..

drop me a line.

thanks

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by SouthernCA

Anyone in Southern CA done a CNG conversion or know someone who does.

Looking to convert my Toyota Highlander then a few of our work trucks.

I'm interested in paying someone of there time and expertise to show me how and what to give a heads up about especially when it comes to programing the computer and the best conversion kit to use...etc..

drop me a line.

thanks

Welcome to the AF forums.

You may get better response by starting a new thread on this subject, in the appropriate sub forum