Natural Gas conversion

[vacca rabite]

Has anyone done a natural gas conversion?

I really like the idea behind Propane, but the ability to fill CNG from home makes it even more tempting. Also, there are one or two CNG filling stations between home and where I work.

Zach

[kevin]

I would be interested in this also.
I have been doing some math on this and saving a couple bucks a gallon for fuel is sure tempting when your getting 7mpg towing.
Kevin

[supafreak88cj]

I too am interested in this paying for gas is killing me! Cali kind of sucks!!

[k8icu]

I know that the local trasnit authority is running many of their vehicles on CNG....about 95% of the them...just there older busses are on diesel. We have two gas companies here and both of them run their vehicles on it also...go figure...so the info has to be out on the web I would think and I would think it isn't much harder than converting to propane. The initial cost for the equipement to convert might be the big turn off.

[Barrman]

Kieth, one of our former members from here in TX used to run a shop that converted busses over to cng. He said for a fleet, the decrease in maintenance required during rebuilds made up for the loss in milage. Of course, this was back when diesel was $1.50 per gallon at the most.

[vacca rabite]

I guess no one has actually done a CNG conversion? I am sure it is simialr to propane. I have natural gas at home though, so I'd be able to tap off my home line to fill up.

If I went this route, I'd probaby also get a CNG powered Honda Civic as well for my daily commute.

Zach

[randyscycle]

I guess no one has actually done a CNG conversion? I am sure it is simialr to propane. I have natural gas at home though, so I'd be able to tap off my home line to fill up.

Zach

CNG requires a different carburetor and plumbing system than propane. It also requires a different tank and regulator because the operating pressures are different as well.

Tapping your home line isn't going to work unless you have a gas compressor to fill the tank on the vehicle. You can't just connect and turn on the line to the tank to fill it, because after the regulator at your house, the pressure is too low to fill the tank, and before the regulator/meter, you'd have to have the gas company install a tap, which they won't do, due to liability on their part.

[Doug]

Last I knew, a home use gas compressor that met industry standards ran in the area of $10,000-$15,000.

Major stepping stone to overcome in terms of feasibility.

[Duane]

In the Port Authority (of NY and NJ) we ran CNG vehicles in the 90's, the early ones were conversions, the later were dedicated and Bi fuel, there are some advantages, and many disadvantages ( IMHO)

it costs less to run CNG over gas
it has more octane than gas

they are really the only advantages

It costs alot for a conversion, the tanks alone are over 400.00 a piece and I think thats way too low nowadays

after 15 years the tanks need to be replaced, you cant hydro them

The CNG has no lubrication, so you use ALOT of oil through valve guides, we had Brand new dodge vans that would use more than a qt everythousand miles sometimes 2

You need a really really big tank to go a short distance, 3 tanks that were 4 feet long and almost 3 feet around couldnt go 200 miles

you need to pick your trip to be able to fill when you run out of gas, there are not alot of filling stations, and your home fill is over night because it has to boost the pressure to 3000 lbs to fill the tank.

that is a short list of disadvantages.

we stopped using them around 2000 and swapped over to hybrids, got a couple left and will scrap them when the tanks need to be replaced.

just my opinion

[vacca rabite]

Wow.

There is a home filling station on the market now, but it is the overnight variety.

Does propane lube the engine or will that also lead to advanced oil consumption?

Does CNG run out more quickly then Propane, given the same size tank?

Zach