small LPG outboards

[Guest]

Is anyone aware of any such a thing? Wouldnt it be great, just screw on any size calor gas canister and off you go.Afterwards unscrew the canister, open a valve to release any gas in the system and sling it in the lazarat with no risk of explosive fumes etc! I suppose it would have to be 4 stroke.Solves the problem of finding a marina that sells petrol.

 

[Guest]

You are right it would have to 4 stroke. There is a lot of development work going on with 4 stroke outboards at the moment by Marine Gas Services. See March issue of MBM.

 

[Guest]

You are right it would have to be 4 stroke. There is a lot of development work going on with 4 stroke outboards at the moment by Marine Gas Services. See March issue of MBM.

 

[Guest]

Conversion would cost more than the engine!

 

[Guest]

would an out board built to run only on LPG cost more than the petrol equivalent?- probably yes at first to cover development costs, eventually probably not?

 

[Guest]

Im not an expert in LPG but when considering it for my boat the greatest part of the expense was for the tanks (usually custom fit) and the time taken for fitting these tanks. By using ready made LPG bottles i would think the cost of conversion would be quite low.

 

[Guest]

You certainly are not an expert! A single engine conversion will take about 3 days. Regulations do not allow for the conventional cylinder to be carried. The system must be self venting in the case of fire, this would not be possible if you were carrying a "few cylinders". I had my boat converted in December and had two tanks installed (one either side in the engine bay) which gives me a total of 38 gallons of LPG. My costs have dropped from about £1.80 a nm to about £0.75p. Conversions for outboards are on their way and they will be dual fuel as per inboards - but 4 stroke only.

 

[Guest]

Fair enough but why do a lot of commercial ski boats in the north of England run on standard propane cylinders.Gas lockers on BSS cert boats are self venting you could use the same arrangement. My point about cost was that by avoiding expensive tank arrangements clean cheap and enviromentally freindly fuel would be available to thousands of 4 stroke outboard users. The standard propane bottles have been used and abused aboard boats for many years for cooking and heating accidents involving these cylinders are very rare -whats the problem.

 

[Guest]

It seems that Mercury have already beaten everyone to it. Page 14 of the March edition of Motor boat and yachting. They have developed a 90hp, a 50hp and a 9.9hp 4 stroke to run on LPG.

 

[Guest]

I was really thinking about something up to 4-6hp in an open tender, so the gas cylinder would certainly be well vented!

 

[Guest]

Ed, I ma not aware that 4 stroke outboards are available in the size. LPG would only works on 4 stroke.

 

[Guest]

Yamaha,suzuki and honda all do 4 strokes of between 2 and 10hp, but i have to agree a gas bottle in an inflatable tender would not be the best idea in the world. But this has got me thinking, after many years of powerboating my dad has just retired and gone over to the dark side (sailing !!) LPG power for his Honda 4 stroke auxillery engine would work really well. At least he wouldnt have to carry petrol in the lazaret any more.

 

[Guest]

Some points on running engines on LPG. The gas is stored as a liquid and is drawn off as a liquid ( Hence the special tanks but forklift trucks use a special liquid withdrawal bottle )The liquid gas is evaporated in the gas unit using engine heat ( water cooled engine usually needed)The gas unit is basically a two stage regulator/evaporation unit. The gas vapour from the gas unit is then feed to an adaptor ring fitted to the top of the carburattor intake, the exsisting butterfly flap in the carb is used as the throttle control.the system is simple enough but the safty systems are more complicated ie automatic gas shut of on engine stall etc. two makers of these systems I used to know of where L Lipton carb company at woburn green london and the beam units as used on Hyster forklifts I also remember a small single cyl engine like a Briggs&Stratton fitted to a floor sweeper that worked well. An intresting point is a transit van used to do 90 miles on one forklift bottle.