Propane Conversion: How to Make LPG Cars

Image Gallery Liquid propane is a tried and tested low-emission fuel. MOTHER EARTH NEWS EDITORS

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It works. New York, Maine, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Utah, California . . . I've traveled miles and miles and miles in a VW bus converted to run on LP (liquid propane) and the easy-to-install system really does result in lower operating and maintenance costs, much longer engine life AND 70% less air pollution.\

(Note from the editors: This conversion is for non-fuel injected vehicles.)

Unlike gasoline, LP (and from here on, whenever I say LP you can take it to mean liquid propane, homemade methane or natural gas . . . the system will work on any of these) enters your engine as a completely vaporized fuel that's free from lead, carbon, gum, sulfur and most pollutants. LP won't foul your car's plugs, ruin its valves, contaminate its oil, wash down its cylinder walls and rings, burn out its muffler . . . OR destroy the air we all breathe. And while mileage and performance are about the same as with gasoline, cost per gallon of LP generally runs about 15% less than you've probably been paying for fuel.

So what are the disadvantages of this low-polluting system? First, it'll cost you something over $100 (including everything) to do your conversion . . . a bit of money even when you consider that the equipment will transfer readily to your next vehicle. Second, filling up an LP tank simply isn't as convenient as stopping at a gasoline station. However, only a few times in 15,000 miles have I found LP so inaccessible that I was forced to use the other half of my dual system and switch over to gasoline for a while.

There's absolutely nothing new about LP conversion. Excellent equipment of the kind I'm using has been around for over 40 years and more than 250,000 vehicles-mostly trucks, cabs and forklifts—are currently operating on LP. The hardware is well proven.

Equipment

You'll need five major pieces of equipment to convert your car to LP. All are available from most any LP dealer (with a little help from a hardware store on fittings), although you might want to try getting a used tank from one of the large forklift users or any of the businesses listed under "Gas, Liquified Petroleum, Bulk". If necessary, write to National LP Gas Association, for help in locating equipment dealers near you. OK. Here's what you'll need:

1. A FUEL TANK. Use only a regulation motor vehicle LP tank made to ASME, ICC or DOT specifications. Such a container has all the safety features required by law and common sense, comes with a gauge, has terrific rupture resistance and is built to last forever.

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