propane conversion
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ghiaclan
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:11 pm
propane conversion
Does anyone have any info about converting a VW engine to run on propane? Hot vw's ran an article many yrs ago? maybe a parts list of whats needed any help would be great thanks
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hotbug1776
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 8:27 pm
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MNAirHead
- Posts: 9570
- Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:12 am
Howdy.
A few years back I went to Kawasaki Tech school for industrial propane.
After "getting" what was going on ... I was ticking off the class.
WHY?
It turned from "how to fix a burnisher" to how to convert a bug.
In short... you pull all the guts out of the carb... tap a hole in the bowl bottom... pyut in something called a "spud"... throw on a regulator... and start timing.
The biggest issue is that proapne needs to be warmed (like dieslel)... .. plus then you have to have spare tanks to swap out.
If you have a stock 34pict3 the only VW part you trash is the carb... it's a great use for the Brazillian Carbs you pick up at a swap meet.
I really liked the idea of mounting a BBQ on the back of our sand rail....
A smarter guy can coach you through heating the propane... I'm sure it's much like the GeieselDiesel Conversion.
We did not use it long-term... back to an aluminum tank.
T.
A few years back I went to Kawasaki Tech school for industrial propane.
After "getting" what was going on ... I was ticking off the class.
WHY?
It turned from "how to fix a burnisher" to how to convert a bug.
In short... you pull all the guts out of the carb... tap a hole in the bowl bottom... pyut in something called a "spud"... throw on a regulator... and start timing.
The biggest issue is that proapne needs to be warmed (like dieslel)... .. plus then you have to have spare tanks to swap out.
If you have a stock 34pict3 the only VW part you trash is the carb... it's a great use for the Brazillian Carbs you pick up at a swap meet.
I really liked the idea of mounting a BBQ on the back of our sand rail....
A smarter guy can coach you through heating the propane... I'm sure it's much like the GeieselDiesel Conversion.
We did not use it long-term... back to an aluminum tank.
T.
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MNAirHead
- Posts: 9570
- Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:12 am
Focus on the preheat... not the plumbing.
It's a simple and viable option for warmer climates... a smarter guy can comment on the technical reasons why preheat matters.
Simple to convert... tough to get enough supply and velocity... along with enough heat.
TYPE 4???? You may need to do a bit of research... our 1200 T1 was starving.... I didn't do a ton of work on it... just couldn't believe it was that easy.
T.
It's a simple and viable option for warmer climates... a smarter guy can comment on the technical reasons why preheat matters.
Simple to convert... tough to get enough supply and velocity... along with enough heat.
TYPE 4???? You may need to do a bit of research... our 1200 T1 was starving.... I didn't do a ton of work on it... just couldn't believe it was that easy.
T.
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MNAirHead
- Posts: 9570
- Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:12 am
The conversion wasn't tough... basically taking the float out of the carb... I popped in the "spud" just to prove I could do it....
It worked... just as the Kawasaki engineer said it would.
I didn't spend any time on fuel delivery, regulators or compression....
Still would have been a good show stopper to have the hot dogs BarBQ on a fixture permanently welded to the sandrail...
Fun bragging rights...
T.
It worked... just as the Kawasaki engineer said it would.
I didn't spend any time on fuel delivery, regulators or compression....
Still would have been a good show stopper to have the hot dogs BarBQ on a fixture permanently welded to the sandrail...
Fun bragging rights...
T.
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Daniel G
- Moderator
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 8:38 pm
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MNAirHead - Guest
It wasn't the carb that was our issue... it was fuel delivery and regulator.... ALL you need for the carb is a "SPUD"
We used just a 34pict3 with a hole drilled through the bowl... remove the float and go to town (can't remember if it's jets too) REMEMBER the propane fuel does not need to be atomized -- it already is.
I'm cleaning out our parts in a few weeks -- if we have the carb, it's yours..
Cool conversion -- I didn't have time for it.
We used just a 34pict3 with a hole drilled through the bowl... remove the float and go to town (can't remember if it's jets too) REMEMBER the propane fuel does not need to be atomized -- it already is.
I'm cleaning out our parts in a few weeks -- if we have the carb, it's yours..
Cool conversion -- I didn't have time for it.
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ghiaclan
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:11 pm
conversion
would love to see the inside of that carb was thinking it should be that complicated I want to be able to switch over and run gas too.Any links would be greatly appr.
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geddes66
- Posts: 114
- Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 12:23 pm
OK, as ong someone ELSE started this thread laet me tweek it to a new tangent. Considering the very high octane rating of popane...
Has anyone used it for the gasoline side of a nitrous setup?
It would provide a good detonation resistant fuel and would not need a fuel pump. It would be delivered directly to the nozzle as a liquid and vaporize with the N2O. Admittedly you would have to use 2 different horse power jets due to the propanes increased pressure but that would not be hard to fix and extra rich wouldn't hurt.
My first idea was to use Isobutane as it has an even greater resistance to detonation and smells much better I used to haul it 9600 gallons at a time to the Los Angeles. However, finding a supplier where you can buy it in quntities like 5 gal at a tine is hard.
Has anyone used it for the gasoline side of a nitrous setup?
It would provide a good detonation resistant fuel and would not need a fuel pump. It would be delivered directly to the nozzle as a liquid and vaporize with the N2O. Admittedly you would have to use 2 different horse power jets due to the propanes increased pressure but that would not be hard to fix and extra rich wouldn't hurt.
My first idea was to use Isobutane as it has an even greater resistance to detonation and smells much better I used to haul it 9600 gallons at a time to the Los Angeles. However, finding a supplier where you can buy it in quntities like 5 gal at a tine is hard.
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Pablo
- Posts: 1162
- Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2002 12:01 am
Absolutely. I've seen a very nice ORIGINAL '57 Porsche speedster with the nitrous/propane set-up. One advantage is no cylinder washdown when injecting extra fuel to accomodate the nitrous.geddes66 wrote:
Has anyone used it for the gasoline side of a nitrous setup?
During the gas shortage of the mid-'70s, my neighbor converted his Bug to propane. The only thing he really had to source was the regulator, which came off a forklift or something. He merely drilled a hole directly into the 28 PICT (there's a boss there that almost seems like it was made for the purpose), and stuck a copper delivery tube in. He was able to switch back to petrol for going up any long hills.
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LostWater
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 10:35 am
A couple of links
Here are some links from my Subaru message board where this has been discussed recently:
http://www.usmb.net
http://www.gotpropane.com
http://www.propanecarbs.com/impco/425pr ... aptor.html
http://www.autogas-india.com/index.html
If I could find a way to covert a weber on a Subaru EA-81, this is exactly what I would do with my 78 westy project.
Mark
http://www.usmb.net
http://www.gotpropane.com
http://www.propanecarbs.com/impco/425pr ... aptor.html
http://www.autogas-india.com/index.html
If I could find a way to covert a weber on a Subaru EA-81, this is exactly what I would do with my 78 westy project.
Mark
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LostWater
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 10:35 am