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Thread: Propane

  1. #11
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    First off Oz - Welcome to Bulltear!!

    Interesting info and I'm still doing the math Litres and US gallons are not a problem. Figuring out if they are $AUD or $US for the cost convertions? Assuming Austrailian dollars (AUD), today that is: 1 US Dollar = 1.36101 Australian Dollar, I think the differences are about double.
    As the FSJ is a thirsty beast and petrol cost us about 99.9c per Litre the LPG conversion is worthwhile. LPG is expensive right now at .39.5 cpl.
    $.999 AUD per litre is about $3.75 per gallon.

    As for petrol being cheaper here - well it used to be more so. Our national average now is around $1.90 (US) per gal or $.50 (US) per liter - or $.36 (AUD) per liter.

    What kind of economy are you getting from your LPG vehicles? You said the savings was about $700 between Victoria and Queensland and back. THAT sounds quite impressive!!!

    Thanks!! Pat

    p.s. And this is part of world economics I never could understand:
    when you realize we sell the stuff to Japan for .4c a litre (and import it from Europe for .16c per litre, then you realize just how cheap it is - well, in Australia anyhow..
    " 的t is said that men go mad in herds, and only come to their senses slowly, and one by one.." -Charles MacKay
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  2. #12

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    Because of the difference in octane rating, you lose about 10% in horsepower. With the 360 it's realy not noticiable but I do notice the difference when towing something with the ZJ. Most times there - if it's short distance - I switch back to petrol.

    Yep - you got the figures about right. LPG for us is about 1/3 the price of petrol and that's taxed to the max as well! There is no real advantage in converting to LPG if petrol (gas) is similar in price. You have to travel many miles to re-coup the cost of the conversion in fuel price.
    Otherwise its an exercise in not having the car starve/stall on steep climbs or decents. LPG is magic for that!

    We have squillions of litres of LPG sitting under the ocean off-shore in Victoria but in New South Wales they import it! And to keep things "fair" the price at the pump is based on that import price. Why they don't import it from Victoria is beyond me - weird!

    The $700 difference is running on LPG compared to running on petrol. Trip is about 3000km round trip.

    I'm looking at doing a Cape York trip in a few months. Meeting up with some other clubies from up that way. It's a two week round trip and thats after the 4 day drive to meet them in Cairns. With those sorts of drive times, you can see why I like to keep fuel prices down....

  3. #13
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    Oz -
    The $700 difference is running on LPG compared to running on petrol. Trip is about 3000km round trip.
    That is a significant savings - and 3000km (1333 mi) would get me from Norfolk to Moab -one way so twice that with an estimated 30% savings (petrol//LPG is really significant!!! (petrol @ 1.90 gal, LPG? lets see, $13 for 8.9Kilos or 20 LBS???)

    Still a thought. Thanks for the input and insight!! Wonder if I could run my Hemi on it

    Pat
    " 的t is said that men go mad in herds, and only come to their senses slowly, and one by one.." -Charles MacKay
    "'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' "
    -Ronald Reagan

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  4. #14
    One of the other advantages of propane is that you can remove all the pollution control equipment if you're not running dual fuel. Since propane is pressurized and enters your manifold as a cold gas it gives you alot of the advantages and I'm told it eliminates the need for 4 barrel manifold (stock one is fine). I run strictly propane and am in the process of doing a rebuilt to maximize my motor for propane to recover the power loss due to being designed for gasoline use. Propane ideally should have stainless valves and hardened valve seats. Propane engines can run alot higher compression without engine detonation easily 10.5:1 (due to octane rating of approx. 105). Open an engine that runs strictly propane after 100k miles and it looks new. Oil stays almost perfectly clean (still needs to be changed though). Also you really simplify your vehicle by removing gas tank, catalytic converter, no fuel pump, air pump, air injection on exhaust manifold, pollution control devices, charcoal canister, no need for EGR valve, etc.
    87' Grand Wagoneer - Work in Progress
    LPG fuel convertion
    HEI Ignition
    Power Sun-roof

  5. #15
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    I'd be interested in reading and watching your rebuild for this. Feel like doing a story on it? The only issue I see is the availability of LPG service stations.

    The only place I know of near me is U-Haul and they have to weight the tank as they fill it?!

    Thanks

    Mudrat
    " 的t is said that men go mad in herds, and only come to their senses slowly, and one by one.." -Charles MacKay
    "'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' "
    -Ronald Reagan

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  6. #16
    I will definitely take pictures as I go but we might have to wait awhile. I am considering using Edelbrock's new aluminum heads but they will not be available until June. Depends on how the cost vs. benefit ratio works out. I want to increase my compression ratio but forged pistons seem to be the only way (without milling my head down). Edelbrock claims that their new heads increase stock compression to 9.5:1 by a reduced camber size using the stock pistons. They also come complete with stainless valves, hardened seats, rocker studs and guide plates (I want to use roller rockers anyway). I assume the weight reduction of the heads will add a couple of ponies to the engine as well. I will let you know when I am ready to go.

    Dalan
    87' Grand Wagoneer - Work in Progress
    LPG fuel convertion
    HEI Ignition
    Power Sun-roof

  7. #17
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    gas just went to $1.99 here i may have to think about this, i have a propane tank at home i should see if i could set up to fill off of that.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrtazwrench
    gas just went to $1.99 here i may have to think about this, i have a propane tank at home i should see if i could set up to fill off of that.
    Now Thats a thought??!? Wonder if there are restictions with home propane vs road fuel like there is between farm diesel and road diesel? I don't think the red dye would make a difference in a gas
    But then we get to on-raod refills - like from here to Moab??

    Mudrat
    " 的t is said that men go mad in herds, and only come to their senses slowly, and one by one.." -Charles MacKay
    "'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' "
    -Ronald Reagan

    VOTE

  9. #19
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    i'm not sure on that either, but i think farmers around here are on a different program for it than home owners are. i'm thinking of doing it to my daily driver, it aready gets around 35mpg, wonder what it would do on propane.

  10. #20
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    35 MPG?!?!?!?! Whaddaya got a Ricer??

    Quote Originally Posted by mrtazwrench
    i'm not sure on that either, but i think farmers around here are on a different program for it than home owners are. i'm thinking of doing it to my daily driver, it aready gets around 35mpg, wonder what it would do on propane.
    " 的t is said that men go mad in herds, and only come to their senses slowly, and one by one.." -Charles MacKay
    "'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' "
    -Ronald Reagan

    VOTE

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