given the price of diesel, im really concerned with the cost of the conversion verses benefit. im not sure about the bio diesel stuff ill research it some more but it seems the cng or propane is much better payoff in the long run. just my opinion. but on second though hmmm you got me thinking.
compressed natural gas
- Thread starter k9lestat
- Start date
given the price of diesel, im really concerned with the cost of the conversion verses benefit. im not sure about the bio diesel stuff ill research it some more but it seems the cng or propane is much better payoff in the long run. just my opinion. but on second though hmmm you got me thinking.
HillbillyfromAL
Explorer
The conversion shouldn't be bad with your truck. Old suburbans had those engines as an option. I converted my old 83 Hilux to propane and I would say get a duel fuel kit. There's nothing like trying to find a place in the middle of no where, in the middle of the night to fill up a propane tank. Luckily I had the adapter to use a regular 20# tank. Oh and check the prices of the CNG/LPG out here in CO when I was running the LPG the best was about 1.50 cheaper than regular, half the time it was around the same price, and in the winter it usually sat $1 or more higher than reg. Good luck either way you go
after the bio diesel comment i have been thinking about redefining what im looking for in a secondary / daddy's play toy / bug out vehicle. i think ill be looking at an older diesel burban so i can do both. i can see where it would be beneficial to use diesel, bio diesel or cng/propane. even if the cng/propane in low volume it still fuel to get you there charge batteries and such.
For those of you with natural gas service to your home for heating & hot water, don't forget you can install a home CNG compressor system that will fuel your vehicle. They have their limitations (0.5-1.0 gallon per hour rate being the main one), but are often subject to the same tax rebates as the CNG conversions themselves. The pumps themselves aren't cheap ($5,000+) but depending on your local tax situation there may be some upside. Here in OK, with a 50% state tax credit and a $2,500 rebate from the local natural gas supplier, the pumps are essentially free.
I've run the numbers, and based on my current home natural gas price and electrical rates (these compressors use 800+ watts for hours on end), I would pay the equivalent of $0.87 per gallon with a home CNG station. Note that you avoid paying road tax on CNG this way, which is where the majority of the savings are derived from
$0.87 per gallon for CNG with a home pump or $3.50 per gallon for gasoline at the station, not a hard decision :wings:
I've run the numbers, and based on my current home natural gas price and electrical rates (these compressors use 800+ watts for hours on end), I would pay the equivalent of $0.87 per gallon with a home CNG station. Note that you avoid paying road tax on CNG this way, which is where the majority of the savings are derived from
$0.87 per gallon for CNG with a home pump or $3.50 per gallon for gasoline at the station, not a hard decision :wings:
1stDeuce
Explorer
K9lestat: Be advised that the diesel kits are not capable of running on CNG or LPG entirely, rather they use it along with diesel to reduce diesel consumption. Normally, at idle, you're on diesel only, and as boost comes up, the system fogs in CNG/LPG, which is basically just adding more fuel to the mix, albeit a cheaper fuel. If you want to run entirely on CNG or LPG, you have to get a truck with a gas engine, and then you're truly dual fuel.
ddrkddl: Hmm. I hadn't thought about local rebates... I'll have to look into that. If I can get a CNG fueling station at home, then CNG becomes very viable for my commute to work, which would cut my fuel cost by 70% or so... Also, I wonder how long it'll be before they figure out some way make sure everyone is paying road tax... like the red dye in diesel fuel that indicates that it's not taxed...
ddrkddl: Hmm. I hadn't thought about local rebates... I'll have to look into that. If I can get a CNG fueling station at home, then CNG becomes very viable for my commute to work, which would cut my fuel cost by 70% or so... Also, I wonder how long it'll be before they figure out some way make sure everyone is paying road tax... like the red dye in diesel fuel that indicates that it's not taxed...
Don't take this the wrong way, because I'm not trying to nitpick. Just want to clear up a few of the definitions being used interchangeably in this thread.
Dual-fuel: Running 2 fuels simultaneously. Diesel/propane mix or diesel/CNG mix engines are considered dual-fuel.
Bi-fuel: A vehicle with the ability to run 100% on 2 separate fuels. Gasoline/propane or gasoline/CNG conversions are considered bi-fuel.
It's important to note the distinctions when speaking with a conversion kit installer, because they are two very different systems to the mechanics. I have no idea why they place so much importance on such closely related terms, but they do.