Thread: Propane

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OK, I did a search and probably got every thread where propane was ever mentioned but none titled. I am doing some research on building a 300-6 to run strictly on propane, none of that dual fuel trade off. It will be a vapor system and not injected liquid. Does anyone here have any real experience with building an engine to run it's best on propane? I have ordered Jay Storer's book.

they use the 300 fords on well pumps in tx. i did weld one up that the rod pop thru . but i did not build it .but i would say you want to run a hard ex seats in the head and very good valves other then that should be ok

I converted a 460 to propane many years ago... It ran good, but after all the work and expense sure didn't save much money using propane instead of gas..... Don't think I'd bother doing it again. I do recall that the condition and material used on the valve seats and the exhuast valves had to be A-1......

sbi .martin wells and others make seats and valves for this use

Hey Willowbilly, Why propane?
What are you up to?
I have been thinking about natural gas but havnt done any research, I keep hearing that its plentiful.

Well, I got interested when there was almost a $2 difference between propane and gasoline. That gap has closed up for now. I could put a hose on my 1500 gallon tank but that would be dis-legal to not pay tax.
Right now the biggest attraction is that, as I understand it, all propane comes from here. So it is kinda like giving opec the bird.

And besides all that I have a 92 F250 with a propane set up on it so I have most of the right stuff. I thought I could drive the 92 but I just can't stand to have that much plastic around me when i drive so I plan part it out, put the ZF onto a 300 in my 69. And maybe build a propane 300 out of a spare I have.

That sounds smart. I would like to hear more about the conversion process.

Are the basics the same (compression, camshaft, etc.)?
Is it just a matter of changing the fuel?

I have heard that with natural gas you need high compression and its better to break the motor in on gasoline then switch to natural gas. True?

Whats the difference between propane and natural gas?

Biggest difference between propane and natural gas is the pressures involved. NG is compressed to about 3000 PSI, where propane is only at about 20.
I ran a Dodge pickup on propane for a while, it went about 100K miles and the stock valves worked fine. The guides finally wore out though. I'll never have another propane vehicle, too hard to find a supplier 500 miles from home. Mileage sucked, too. Cold starts were no fun either.

Originally Posted by R Pope

Biggest difference between propane and natural gas is the pressures involved. NG is compressed to about 3000 PSI, where propane is only at about 20.
I ran a Dodge pickup on propane for a while, it went about 100K miles and the stock valves worked fine. The guides finally wore out though. I'll never have another propane vehicle, too hard to find a supplier 500 miles from home. Mileage sucked, too. Cold starts were no fun either.

Thanks for that.
So would your problems been any different on Natural Gas?

The problem with natural gas, or CNG as it's called, is the need for a compressor station. There aren't any! At least in Saskatchewan. My neighbor had a pilot plant set up in his yard with Gov't backing and ran everything on the stuff for a few years. It worked great, but he could never have footed the hundred grand or so that the pumping facility cost. And the tanks are bulky and heavy, and you're driving around with a 3000 PSI bomb just inches behind your delicate anatomy. No, thanks.

Originally Posted by R Pope

Biggest difference between propane and natural gas is the pressures involved. NG is compressed to about 3000 PSI, where propane is only at about 20.
I ran a Dodge pickup on propane for a while, it went about 100K miles and the stock valves worked fine. The guides finally wore out though. I'll never have another propane vehicle, too hard to find a supplier 500 miles from home. Mileage sucked, too. Cold starts were no fun either.

I hope to eliminate some of the issues' like mileage, by building the engine to run on propane. I agree that just throwing an aftermatket system on an engine designed to run on gasoline is going to be a compromise, one I hope to avoid.
I am hearing numbers like 11:1 compression. What I want to find out is optimum cam profiles and cylinder pressures,distributor curves, stuff like that.
Finding propane in the central states isn't hard, almost every town has at least one station that dispenses it. I think I might run a cheater hose too, so I could use 20# bottle(s) if I had to. You can get those at wal-mart in a pinch and many stations that don't dispense have the little trade out cage. Of course I rarely go far enough out to need filled on the road either.

I never had a problem fueling mine that was on propane, heck all you have to do is go to the Cenex station in town and fillerup.... Definitely not a problem in this area....