Propane conversion?

[bocco]

With the price of gas I started thinking about propane conversion on boats. We have a houseboat that I'm wondering if it would be worth the conversion. Propane is available at all marina's on the lake. I have plenty of room for tanks. Anybody done this?
Gary

[Floored]

had a propane Toronado with a 455 and it burned clean, started instantly, but was thirsty. Less BTU's per gallon, higher octane rating, burns hotter, much cleaner exhaust fumes but still the CO2 problem, maybe a little less. Shouldn't be a road tax on a lake? I believe mine was an Impco, were in Cerritos,ca.

[cdog]

I just paid 24 bucks to fill up 2 five gallon tanks for my BBQ. The stuff aint cheap. They only put in something like 4.2 gallons per tank.

[gnarley]

Maybe I should become a farmer and grow soybeans and make bio diesel and then install diesels in everything I own and my fuel would be free

[kojac]

Maybe I should become a farmer and grow soybeans and make bio diesel and then install diesels in everything I own and my fuel would be free
My son and I would buy it from you. Hell I'll install a biofuel pump station and start every body in Louisa using it.Slowly put stations north and south so it could grow. I would rather see american farmers getting rich than the arabs.
Kojac

[victorfb]

My son and I would buy it from you. Hell I'll install a biofuel pump station and start every body in Louisa using it.Slowly put stations north and south so it could grow. I would rather see american farmers getting rich than the arabs.
Kojac
Amen to that brother.

[ssanddemon]

I'm a forklift mechanic, so I deal with propane-powered stuff all the time. On the plus side, the emissions are very clean- you can basically breathe right off the tailpipe if it's set up right. Fuel is easy to store for long periods, it doesn't go bad from sitting around. And there are fewer parts to a propane system, they're real simple (excepting the very new stuff, it's starting to get complicated). On the minus side, fuel economy isn't great (since you lose about 1/3rd of the power, you gotta step down harder), and propane is kinda expensive. Even on a houseboat, you are gonna miss that power. Unless it's got a pumped-up motor already, it's gonna feel like a real dog.
Bio fuel is another thing I have dealt with, and it's one of those sticky problems manufacturers haven't dealt with yet: the seals in almost all diesel rigs cannot handle the alcohol that is present in bio diesel. The seals will swell, bind, or start to leak unless you replace with Viton seals. Been thru that one more than once, lemme tell ya, there's A LOT of seals and o-rings in a diesel fuel system!

[bocco]

Well it looks like propane may not be a solution. Looks like about $1200 for the conversion and since propane is no cheaper than gas I won't make back my investment. Maybe when gas hits 4 bucks it'll be more cost effective.

[Sleek26]

Maybe I should become a farmer and grow soybeans and make bio diesel and then install diesels in everything I own and my fuel would be free
How about growing corn and run on alcohol?? Then if the boats quits runnin it's party time?? OK maybe not.

[wsuwrhr]

Less BTU's per gallon, higher octane rating, burns hotter, much cleaner exhaust fumes but still the CO2 problem, maybe a little less.
Word.
Brian