HopCar
Guru
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- Aug 20, 2011
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- Ellis 28
What do you think guys? Is there a market for small outboards fueled by propane? Let me hear your thoughts on the idea.
*Not really...but most 4 stroke (not sure about 2 stroke with oil injection)carbed engines are easily modified to run on propane.HopCar wrote:
What do you think guys? Is there a market for small outboards fueled by propane? Let me hear your thoughts on the idea.
*HopCar wrote:
What do you think guys? Is there a market for small outboards fueled by propane? Let me hear your thoughts on the idea.
Free enterprise being what it is, I think that if there were a market for propane fueled outboards, someone would already be making them.
I wouldn't expect to go very far on the small disposable canisters and lugging a 20lb propane tank around on a dinghy doesn't seem very practical either.* Propane is every bit as dangerous as gasoline if not handled and stored properly.
*HopCar wrote:
I don't have a propane stove on my boat so I haven't paid attention, do many marinas sell propane?
No, marinas do not normally sell propane.* Many home centers and even grocery stores now have cylinder exchange programs for the common 20 lb tanks folks use for home grills though.
You DO NOT want to store propane in enclosed areas on boats.* It's just like gasoline in that respect.
Unlike a gasoline powered outboard, you can't "top off the tank" with propane.* You use what's in the tank and then replace it or take it to be refilled.* I have a propane stove on my boat and a spare tank.* When the active tank is empty, it's a small inconvenience to replace it with the spare.* You wouldn't want to carry a spare 20 lb propane tank on your dinghy.
The best reason for the conversion by far.* *HopCar wrote:*
*In my case the small outboard may sit unused for months at a time and I wouldn't have to worry about the carb getting gummed up. I converted my gasoline emergency generator to propane for that reason. It can sit a year or more and fires right up.
Here's my take on it...HopCar wrote:
I wonder how long you could run say a 2 hp dinghy motor on a pound of propane? Any body know how to calculate that?
*markpierce wrote:
Don't most of us have propane stoves and diesel engines?* If your outboards ran on propane,*you wouldn't need to carry a third fuel (gasoline).* Smallish propane cylinders sound a lot more*handy than*spillable gasoline containers.
I don't believe we (as consumers) can legally refill the small cylinders so we would still have to carry two different sizes. And we would have to carry at least one spare on the dinghy.* It's hard to tell how much propane is left in the tank but with gasoline you can just unscrew the top and look.
I can top off my dinghy motor from a one gallon gas jug, put the jug in the dinghy with me, and go for many hours.* If, by some chance I ran out of gasoline, I could even call TowBoatUS and have them bring me more (that's part of the membership deal).* I could buy gasoline at most marinas if I was getting low.
Powered by propane, once I run out, I'm out of luck.* Row or get towed back to the mother ship.
I don't think propane (or electric for that matter) are quite ready for prime time for boat propulsion.
*Not so with the new fiberglass tanks.* They are transparent like a plastic water or holding tank is.**I think*they only come in one configuration @*5, 10 and 20 lbs**at present but if the demand for a*different size or shape would arise then I'm sure they would become available.rwidman wrote:* It's hard to tell how much propane is left in the tank but with gasoline you can just unscrew the top and look.*
*Not so with the new fiberglass tanks.* They are transparent like a plastic water or holding tank is.**I think*they only come in one configuration @*5, 10 and 20 lbs**at present but if the demand for a*different size or shape would arise then I'm sure they would become available..JD wrote:rwidman wrote:* It's hard to tell how much propane is left in the tank but with gasoline you can just unscrew the top and look.*
*I hear Doug and Baker have deeper pockets than they had a few weeks ago.** :idea:2bucks wrote:
...*Now if I could just find someone with a little start-up money..........
*Sounds like not enough Gumbo was offered to the correct person.Steve wrote:The state inspector told me there have been cases of the fiberglass (composite) tank top and bottom halves separating and exploding, I think that may be BS, but they were sticking to it.
http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-bottle-refill-kit-45989.htmlHopCar wrote:
The problem is that you need to vent gas from them as liquid propane goes in or you won't get a good fill. To vent them you need to pull on the stem in the little safety valve while the liquid is going in. The valve was not designed for this and it's not easy to do. If somebody thought there was a market for it and could get liability insurance, they could design a system for refilling small tanks at home.
There's a thought, what if the engine could be run on either propane or gasoline? Any advantage to that?
*I read that line from FF and it's been sitting in the back of my mind for a few days now. Because I spend 7 months a year in my RV,*I am part of a number of RV forums and almost never hear people talk about their propane generators. Not about how good they are, not about how bad they are, just don't talk about them.FF wrote:
For these reasons , as well as the non poisonous exhaust many RV's prefer propane noisemakers.