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  • From: KAKerby AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] tractor question
  • Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:38:30 -0400 (EDT)

Thanks, MAsteveINE.  I'm drawing most of my confidence from a nicely detailed article I saw a number of years ago about an ingenious method someone came up with, to not only create the natural gas (the relatively easy part) but also how to safely store it in airtight methods, in climate controlled conditions.  that had been our stumbling block.  No desire to blow anything up.  When I read the article, I remember thinking "now, when we get 'round to doing this, THIS is how we'll do it....."  Without trying to remember stuff off the top of my head, I'll try to find that article again, if not a copy online then at least a magazine/volume/issue so that you can go read it if you like. 
 
Thanks for all the additional info; I'll look through it and start to sort out what we'd need to do.  I was reminded again yesterday at our regional fair how fortunate we are, that we have no fewer than seven major draft horse facilities within a 2hr drive, and two nationally recognized teamsters giving clinics throughout the year also within a 2 hr drive.  I'm fairly handy with machinery but I'm much happier with living breathing creatures, yet even then I know it's going to be quite the workload to go from the training that I and our horses have to the training/experience I/they'll need to do the work.  Good thing I don't like being bored.
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA
Ruminations - essays on the farming life at frogchorusfarm.com/weblog.html
 
In a message dated 9/20/2011 7:08:21 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, MAsteveINE AT 207me.com writes:

 

 

" But, we can generate natural gas here on the farm, "

Sure would like to see you expand on this!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The war on natural gas as motor fuel is just beginning, I wonder if Boon Pickens knew how

many folk are going to end up in hate with him. Or have the "Nat Gas Act" commercials not arrived

in your area?

 

Tractors that shoveled potatoes in storage were LP here 50 years ago, as were many makes of farm tractors

in parts of the country where they ran on what was then the waste oil refining. The pump system for filling the

tanks would be the expensive part if you want fill them at the farm, which is what we did at the potato storage

as LP was the heating fuel and was bought at bulk price, and we also needed the ability to refuel on all days

and all hours of the day.

I remain in awe of the folk with the talent and personality to maintain and use draft horses, I am not one of those

and knew it well 65 years ago when my Dad came home from the war and hitched the first implement to his

Jeep, which was all the farm power for the next 6 years.

Here is a bit from Mother on conversion.

MAsteveINE

You'll need five major pieces of equipment to convert your car to LP. All are available from most any LP dealer (with a little help from a hardware store on fittings), although you might want to try getting a used tank from one of the large forklift users or any of the businesses listed under "Gas, Liquified Petroleum, Bulk". If necessary, write to National LP Gas Association, for help in locating equipment dealers near you. OK. Here's what you'll need:

1. A FUEL TANK. Use only a regulation motor vehicle LP tank made to ASME, ICC or DOT specifications. Such a container has all the safety features required by law and common sense, comes with a gauge, has terrific rupture resistance and is built to last forever.

2. A CONVERTOR, or "demand regulator" that changes the liquid propane to a gas (using engine heat to prevent freezing) and supplies just as much of the fuel as the power plant demands through its carburetor vacuum. There are a number of good, time-tested convertors on the market (Century, Beam, Impco, etc.). I've been satisfied with the Century in my bus but I've just done a conversion with an Impco that seems even better.

3. A SPUD-IN JET for your engine's carburetor (two if there are two carburetors).

4. TWO HOSES. One (A) to take liquid propane from the fuel tank to the convertor and another (B) to carry vaporized fuel from the convertor to the carburetor. Hose A must be super-duper aircraft quality and you'll probably have to order it to length and diameter specifications (in which case it'll come with fittings on either end). Hose B can be the ordinary rubber variety since it'll contain very little pressure. About 8' of A and 2' of B should do it.

5. FITTINGS AND HARDWARE. This will sound complex but don't panic. To conduct engine heat into and out of your convertor you'll need a foot or so of heater hose and two Y fittings for a water-cooled engine . . . or some 3/8" O.D. (outside diameter) copper tubing and a flare adapter nipple for a VW. A fitting to adapt hose A to the convertor's LP-in port. A brass reducer to step the convertor's vapor output down to standard 5/16" O.D. fuel line size. A standard on-off valve (with suitable fittings) to insert in the gas line. Enough single-strand electrical wire (bell wire) to run from the convertor to the car's dash. A doorbell-type switch for the primer. Water-hose clamps and compression fittings, miscellaneous nuts and bolts and—if desired or needed—plastic fasteners for attaching the hoses to the car and steel braces for mounting the LP tank.

Costs - Roughly (1972)

Standard retail convertor costs average about $55 (the Century G85A) for a VW, $45 (Impco JO) for other engines under 150 HP and $70 (Impco EO) for larger power plants.

Hoses (hose A is expensive, but it doesn't pay to cut corners here) are about $16 and a jet will set you back $1.00, fittings and hardware $6.00 and shipping (if necessary) $3.00.

A new 14-gallon pressure tank costs around $70 but I got mine used for $35 at the first place I asked. Figuring that as average for a do-it-yourself installation, the grand total for a VW conversion comes to $116, other engines under 150 HP add up to $106 and larger power plants tally out to $131.



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