| Author | Message | ||
| Phil Pellowski (Viater) (164.58.86.161)
Rating: N/A |
I'm interested in converting my Onan 5KW generator from Gasoline to Propane. I've looked at some stuff on the web but I haven't nailed down a "kit" that has everything I need. Mostly just pieces. Here's a link that seems pretty bare bones but functional: http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_propane_convert.html Anybody have any ideas on this? Phil GM PD4106-1726 | ||
| Bill 05 (66.119.34.39)
Rating: N/A |
Try this page kits and all, Bill 05 http://www.uscarburetion.com/ | ||
| Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: |
Phil, I did mine with the "Otherpower" kit and it works perfectly. I looked at the US carb kits and they are good too but much higher priced than necessary if you have any handyman talents at all. Though the otherpower kit comes with an external venturi that simply bolts on ot the carb between it and the air cleaner, I modified my carb myself, drilled out the main jet passageway and machined up the parts necessary to inject the propane in where the main jet used to be. There are some advantages to doing it that way... the choke still functions and starting is easier and a lot more "automatic". If you have a drill, a soldering torch and a pipe tap it's completely simple.. basically you take the carb out, remove the float bowl and main jet, and fix it up so a tube made of hobby-shop brass tubing goes all the way up and into the venturi. This other end of the tube has a hose fitting that gets hooked via hose to the garretson regulator, and you're done. It only takes an hour or so. I simply drilled out the main jet, tapped it's bottom to accept a 1/8NPT pipe fitting, soldered a 5/16 ID brass tube into a brass pipe fitting with an elbow, and screwed the assembly up into the carb. I made it so that my float bowl went back on purely for cosmetics... it's not necesary to have it any longer. That was it. Here's a photo and a drawing of what goes on inside and out: http://www.heartmagic.com/zzOnanCarbMod3.JPG From there you stick silicone in all the other holes of the carb to plug everything up that used to be for gasoilne (gas inlet, idle jet, etc) and you're pretty much done. The garretson regulator has a main adjustable outlet valve that takes care of running mixture. Simply turn the gene on, load it (electrically) to full capacity, close the valve 'till it stutters and back it off 1/4 to 1/2 turn, and lock it down. When buying the Otherpower kit, you will need to also buy their auxiliary 12 volt propane shuttoff valve. It hooks (electrically) to the same wire that goes to the choke heater (also the same circuit the old electric fuel pump was hooked to), so it automatically energizes when you start/run the onan. When you turn the gene off, it cuts the gas. This is a legally required part on an RV, even though it will work without it The Garretson regulator that Otherpower provides also has a built in "primer" solenoid that will not be necessary to hook up if you do the install my way (modifying the carb). But If you use their venturi adapter, because it's installed on the wrong side of the choke, the choke is rendered useless and there is no way to get vacuum to the regulator upon starting the engine. So you'll have to hook up an electrical "prime" button to engage that solenoid manually for a few seconds, before you try to start it. This squirts some propane into the engine for it to "catch" with when starting. I did my last genset this way and it was OK but I like the modified carb approach much better than the external venturi. Keep in mind this kit is for low pressure propane vapor. If you are contemplating running the rig from direct tank pressure, you'd be better off to call US carb and get a specific kit from them. I personally wouldn't do that... a broken hose or fitting fed by the low pressure system is going to let a whole lot less gas out than a broken hose or fitting hooked to full tank pressure. I have my low pressure regulator mounted right at the tank (the same one that feeds my heaters, hot water heater, stove, etc), running 3/4" iron pipe from there "almost" to the gene, and corrugated stainless flex hose for the last two feet to the garretson, which is mounted to my bus frame. My gene is 7.5KW and fully loaded, there's no problem with propane delivery with that pipe size. The rubber hose provided by Otherpower goes from the Garretson to the onan and serves to isolate vibrations... When you're all done, you can recap a lot of your expense by selling the now-un-needed electric fuel pump and the Otherworld venturi on that **nasty-to-mention** EEEEE-BAY. I actually got $45 for my fuel pump and $22 for the venturi!!! That helped the conversion expense a LOT ! If you need any other help, feel free to email me gareee at heartmagic dot com |
