Propane??
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge/Dallas VA/TX
Propane??
I was thinking about changing my corvette over to PROPANE.
Has anyone done this I remember my father telling me when I was a boy that he use to have a truck that ran on PROPANE and he was making great MPG on the highway and in town. SO what I'm getting at is has anyone done this to there corvettes and maintained the same horse power and toque and was able to travel long distance's??
Has anyone done this I remember my father telling me when I was a boy that he use to have a truck that ran on PROPANE and he was making great MPG on the highway and in town. SO what I'm getting at is has anyone done this to there corvettes and maintained the same horse power and toque and was able to travel long distance's??
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Trondheim, Norway
Quite a few people do it over here (Norway) with big trucks and such, but I have never heard of anyone doing it with a Vette...
Converting a gasoline burner to run on CNG/LNG is ... well ... not straight forward unless you can find a conversion kit you can use.
Googling for "CNG conversion Corvette" will bring up some more or less interesting stuff - also some posts from these forums.
Might also want to shoot an e-mail to these guys (or a local dealer) to see if they can offer any help or insight: http://www.parkwaychevrolet.com/part...cng-conversion
Converting a gasoline burner to run on CNG/LNG is ... well ... not straight forward unless you can find a conversion kit you can use.
Googling for "CNG conversion Corvette" will bring up some more or less interesting stuff - also some posts from these forums.
Might also want to shoot an e-mail to these guys (or a local dealer) to see if they can offer any help or insight: http://www.parkwaychevrolet.com/part...cng-conversion
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 140
From: Western New York
Where would you put your propane tank? Certainly not in the passenger or engine compartment!!!! I think it might look a little tacky mounted on the outside behind the rear window. Someone might mistake you for a fancy tow motor or forklift. 
Duane
Duane
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 45
From: Cameron Park CA
This site gives some information about propane including that has about 86% of the energy as gasoline. It therefore requires more storage volume to drive an equalivant distance as gasoline. My '69 Corvette has a 20 gallon tank, pretty squared off top to bottom and front to back. You'd have to find a cylindrical tank that you could get into the fuel tank space in the car which I think would give you even less volume. Filling up every hundred miles or so would be a major PITA, especially considering propane filling stations aren't on every street corner.
LINK
Good idea perhaps on a truck, but I think the downside on a Corvette makes it impractical. Give it your best shot.
LINK
Good idea perhaps on a truck, but I think the downside on a Corvette makes it impractical. Give it your best shot.
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Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Running on propane will reduce fuel costs by only around 30%. It will take decades to offset the conversion costs.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Conversion amounts to swapping the fuel tank for some pressure tanks, installing a regulator and electrically operated shut off valve, and modifying the carburetor. Probably more than $131, but it wouldn't have to be expensive.
Hey, when you get done, the weight distribution on the car will be better! And your car can smell like a fork truck...
Hey, when you get done, the weight distribution on the car will be better! And your car can smell like a fork truck...
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
My 1ton was propane for a number of years and for my use it was a PITA. In Florida you must buy a road tax sticker to allow legal fillups.
Lots of advantages for high mileage/usage engines. After 5000 miles oil still looks brand new, engines last 2 or 3 times longer, much cleaner emissions etc.
County fleets here have lpg or cng on their vehicles.
Almost all the conversions are dual fuel, so space can be a problem.
Sold my setup on eBay less tank for 150 bucks.
Still use propane on forklift.
Lots of advantages for high mileage/usage engines. After 5000 miles oil still looks brand new, engines last 2 or 3 times longer, much cleaner emissions etc.
County fleets here have lpg or cng on their vehicles.
Almost all the conversions are dual fuel, so space can be a problem.
Sold my setup on eBay less tank for 150 bucks.
Still use propane on forklift.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,116
Likes: 5
From: Livonia MI
I recall a couple articles years ago on guys with really high hp car drive line build up's in California, converting to LP to pass the emissions sniffer tests. Wont work today though, as also includes a visual inpection, to make sure all the stock emissions equipment is there.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,338
Likes: 786
From: Redondo Beach, California
Propane also works really good as an airconditioning refrigerant. I remember seeing a picture of a Porche pretty much burnt down to the ground where the propane refrigerant leaked and caught fire.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 36
From: Cedar,BC
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,655
Likes: 19
Advantage, propane is around 110 octane, so you can run high compression. It has a little less energy (btu) compared to gas.
It may be even cheaper than you think. There's a tax credit or deduction up to $4000 to offset conversion costs.
It may be even cheaper than you think. There's a tax credit or deduction up to $4000 to offset conversion costs.
