Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2000 12:20:03 -0600
Reply-To: Gary <glee@ultralink.com>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gary <glee@ultralink.com>
Subject: Re: [Syncro] duel fuel, gas or LPG/propane
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: [Syncro] duel fuel, gas or LPG/propane
>I finally got around to installing a propane fuel system on my 1987 syncro
>westy. Its a duel fuel system so the original digifant is still in place
>and functional. You just flip an electrical switch on the dash to change
>over, even while driving.
>Propane in Canada is a lot cheaper than gas or diesel, less tax. In
Alberta
>its almost half the price of gas.
>Range has almost doubled also. To bad I don't have 11:1 CR to take
>advantage of the 115 octane though.
>Overall cost per mile is same or a little less than the 1.6 TD westy I had,
>but there is a LOT more power.
>Around here it seems there are more places to buy propane than diesel, so
it
>is a practical motor fuel (where I live that is).
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------->
> >Wow, that sounds pretty cool. Who, where, and how much? ;-)
>
> >I already have an 8 gallon propane tank on my van, and I'm going to be
> >replacing the engine so now is the perfect time to install that extra
> >hardware... The problem is that it's not as easy to find propane as
> >petrol, but with dual fule it's not such a problem...
>
> >Sean
> --
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I did the instalation myself. It costs about $2000 CDN to get it done with
new parts, so its generally not worth it on a 13 year old vehicle. The
break even time comes around 120,000 kms. There are no "bolt on" kits
available for the vanagon so you have to make some parts yourself, not to
dificult though. I did it over a long weekend. You will need a lathe and
mig welder. No internal engine modifications are needed, and only very
little changed on the air intake tract. Nothing permenant is done.
The engine runs smoother and is noticably quiter on the highway.
The end result is a rare combination of a spacious multipurpose 4wd camping
vehicle which is also economical to drive. The downside is that the vehicle
is still underpowered by todays standards. Weekend ski traffic on the
highways around here seem to move at 75 mph.
My first choice of powerplants would be the TDI, but that is too much money
and work for me at this time.
Gary Lee
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