LPG

[howard18]

I'm just coming up for my second season.

My boat, a Sealine 36 is pwered by Mercruiser petrol engines. (Bravo 5.7litres).

It was planed to replace the petrol with diesel at the end of the 2004 season. This was reflected in the price I paid for the boat. It now seems that all my plans are about to be scuppered.

I understand that the "European directive" will only insist that our current diesel price (i.e. 5% tax and low duty) is secure from Gordon's interference until the end of December 2006. After that point it may well be that red diesel bears the same rate of tax as cars; i.e. some 80+ pence per litre. If anyone believes that there will not be a very, very high increase in diesel prices after that point - then I wish I could share their optimism.

With this in mind, I then decided to have my engines modified to take LPG . I was just on the point of commiting myself when I found out that Calor is removing its pumps from many Marinas in the U.k. because they are not viable. How short sighted can you be?

How many of you fancy filling up your diesel tanks at 90p per litre like I do with petrol.

As a point of interest, I would direct you to the Spring edition of the RYA magazine where they are trying to get some support for some sort of ring fencing.

LPG must be retained.

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[robind]

Hi Howard! see previous posts re red diesel and please use Andrew Fanners suggestion and write to your M.P.

Rob

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[Oldhand]

Wind power is very cheap, can't you modify your boat to rig a mast on which to hoist some rags?

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[jonT]

i to run petrol and was going to convert to LPG, when i rang the powers that be to get a quote he told me that marinas down south were getting rid so i havent bothered.

<hr width=100% size=1>24 beers in a case !!!! 24 hours in a day coincedence???????? i think not

 

[Dave_Snelson]

When it comes to Calor, Howard, I wish you well. They took no notice of any lobbying and if you do a search on LPG, there are loads of posts on the forum.

I was lucky in that Pwllheli Marina was one to be kept. The rest are on the south coast.

I would hate to advise you of any direction except sticking to your petrol engines, if they aren't knackered. "It really is rock and a hard place" right now.

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[pistonbroke]

As a quick "aside" to these talks about LPG, I discovered the other day that the chap in the 43 Hunton, a doctor who has been featured in numerous magazines praising the reliability of LPG conversion on his Volvo's, had to replace said motors because they were FUBAR'd. He now has a new pair of motors, and guess what, he ain't running gas on them!!!

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[Dave_Snelson]

Its a fact - not all engines will accept LPG as its a 114 Octane fuel. Those that do run miles better if adjusted to run on LPG rather than a compromise setting between LPG and petrol.

The two Volvo V6's I have are nothing more than GM 4.3L blocks (OK they have counter-balanced cranks) and they are advertised as being able to run on petrol LPG and CNG (compressed natural gas).

Dr Whatisnames Gazelle 43 had two Chevy big blocks installed when the 7.4L's packed in and I wouldn't know if these are compatible??

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[neale]

The Hunton has had new engines, but they are being converted to gas.

Neale

<hr width=100% size=1>When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading

 

[pistonbroke]

Dr Whatisnames Gazelle 43 had two Chevy big blocks installed when the 7.4L's packed in and I wouldn't know if these are compatible??

I think you will find that a 7.4L is a "chevy big block", as is the 502 cu in (8.2 litre)motors that he has now. As for your 4.3 litre motors, they are really just a 3/4 size 5.7 litre "smallblock", or as we in "the trade" like to refer to the GM petrol series motors, PIG IRON!!!!!

There really isn't anything sophisticated in your motors, just 1950's US technology.


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