Thinking about running propane

[Shopguy]

I have a yamaha 150F and have also been certified to install multi port injection propane systems. Anyone running propane on their boats or know of the pros and cons of it? I could mount all the hardware under the back sundeck and put two forklift tanks under the front between the toons or under the front seats. Could also throw on a grill and heaters for winter time.
Last summer I was putting propane in my wife and daughters trucks for 1.29.

If I get it to work I'd put "PRO-PAIN" all down the side of my boat.

[fergusmj]

Have no idea, but anxious to see and read responses. how does efficiency of propane compare to gasoline?

Just turn the toons into big propane tanks

[Shopguy]

Propane is down on BTU's from gasoline which is why you don't get the MPG's of gasoline but.... at the average price in the summer for propane it's still more than half the price. I've installed the MPI systems on about 15 vehicles and we're getting about 1 to 1.5 MPG less than gasoline. Also have three systems on diesel trucks. The manufacturer claims 20-25% increase in MPG with the propane displacing diesel fuel and increasing HP. I have two semi's running on it now and the drivers don't like when they run out of propane. I put one of the semi's on a chassis dyno last week and it gained roughly 100hp, plus while I had my lap top connected, increased the engines available rating up to the max hp for another 40hp. That took the engine ( a Detroit 60 series) from 453hp to 590hp. It was impressive on the dyno. We had to tighten the truck up twice to keep the tires from spinning on the rollers. Not bad.
Propane is like Nitrous on a diesel.

I just want cheap fuel on my boat. and a grill would be nice too.

[HandymanHerb]

I need to try that on my diesel, what the best way to do it on a Cummins

[Bamaman]

Propane is too expensive right now to use in any boat. The tanks are too heavy and a gallon doesn't last long enough for marine use. Prices have gone sky high, and there's a serious supply problem in many places in the U.S.

Our local chicken farmers cannot get enough to keep their chicks warm right now.

[tuned]

Pro-pain
Seeing as I am about 2 weeks from test firing my MPI conversion (F.A.S.T), this concept caught my eye. Doubt that I would or even could do it myself, but out of curiosity I would like to ask for a few more details on what is involved in terms of different gear etc...

[r&s20]

on a four stoke may work,but weight would be a major concern.it is a cleaner burning fuel. but out boards turn much higher rpm consistently than your average auto motor thereby mpg much lower.and diesels turn at even lower rpm.thereby gas much cheaper to run.2-stokes no way burns to dry(no lubrication).mpg drops over higher rpms.

[Bamby]

It would be interesting to see done and hopefully you'll share your progress should you pursue it. The 200 hp Yamaha would have a built in advantage in this conversion due to it having a closer to ideal compression ratio for propane at 10.3 to 1. But the 150's 9.0 to 1 should work but at some loss of efficiency.

[lakerunner]

Read today it will be over $5.00 next week

[Shopguy]

Yep the price is high right now because of the whole demand thing and KC and Houston are the biggest hubs around these parts, they are having to haul in from further away.
It'll go back down when they get caught up, but it may take a few weeks in order to do so.

Herb, the kit I install is pretty much plug and play except for power, ground and a couple other wires. the processor ramps up injector time according to turbo pressure. Pretty simple to tune on the laptop.

Propane weighs 4.4lbs per gallon and with an average working pressure of around 150-200 psi and relief valves are set at 312psi. I don't think 25 gallons of fuel in an aluminum cylinder will be a problem.

Propane is rated roughly at 110 octane. So, yeah, increased compression ratios are welcome and more efficient.
The proplem I'd have is getting hold of a scanner to see the fuel trims on the OEM side. I need to have that to set it up properly. Maybe my local guys would find it interesting enough to help out.
I did get on a dyno with a semi for half price.

Until last week, propane was from 1.30 in the summer to 1.85.

Okla offers a 50% tax rebate on the total cost of the install. so it's basically half price. Oh and if you have a tax number like our company, we get .50 off every gallon from the Feds.

Not sure of the details and deals made so don't ask.

It's not for the guy that could actually walk to work but more for the guy that's burning fuel everyday. that speeds up the process in paying for itself.

the kit's run around 2500. I recommend finding a used but not rusty inside tank and put new valves in it. The new 46 gal tanks are around a grand. And Installation is around a grand as well, which is all included in the 50% tax rebate in OKLA.

Herb the Diesel system is about the same cost and blessed with HP and increases MPG. You can't go wrong on the diesel systems in my opinion.

I am not a dealer, just a liscensed installer telling you what I know. I'm not insured or bonded to install for the public, I only install for the company I work for. All details and transactions have to be handled by my local propane distributor that sells the kits.

We have a division of our company in Tarboro NC that can not use this kit on road because it is not EPA certified. Here in OKla they don't give a crap. The EPA kits are pricey.

I guarantee you, If the price of propane goes back down, Like it always has in the past by spring, and the parts are available to me at a reasonable price, I'll be boating all summer for half the price of last year. After the system pays for itself of course. That may take a while, but hey, once past the initial cost, it sure feels good to pay half price.

I have three systems of my own at home on a 2010 chevy 5.3, a 99 Z71 5.3, and my 15 year old is putting an old throttle body system on his 64 chevy short wide with a 350 and overdrive.