Converting Honda generator to propane

^AmeriGas claims that they fill theirs to 17 pounds.

Even so, underfilling exchange tanks is a bum deal - particularly since there's not a lot of energy capacity in a 20 pound tank to begin with.

Dusty R wrote:
Some places that swap 20# LP tanks, don't fill them to 20#.

Agreed. All of the places that I know of sell you 15# of propane. Read the label on the propane bottle. It will say.

I generally use ethanol-free gasoline in my small engines - which entails finding a gas station that sells it.

Nowadays, propane exchanges are just about everywhere. Even Walgreens and 7-11 have them.

Basically, just about any place you can buy a bag of ice, you can also exchange a tank of propane.

valhalla360 wrote:

pianotuna wrote:

Diesel and gasoline are not always avaible at the same "delivery point". Stop for gasoline, move RV to get propane, move again to get diesel.

And yes, I've been at stations that have gasoline and propane but no diesel.

I've never been to a gas station that has diesel and not gasoline...easy enough to walk a 5 gal jug to the gas pump if they aren't at the same location (which they usually are unless you go to a truck stop).

Lots of gas stations don't have propane and vast majority do not have the ability to fill a tank (only swap, so you are limited to 20# BBQ tanks).

Yes, some gas stations don't have diesel...if you have a diesel truck, you probably aren't stopping there in the first place unless it's purely to get fuel for the generator.

And if, like me, you have a fixed tank propane becomes just that much harder.

Some places that swap 20# LP tanks, don't fill them to 20#.

pianotuna wrote:

Diesel and gasoline are not always avaible at the same "delivery point". Stop for gasoline, move RV to get propane, move again to get diesel.

And yes, I've been at stations that have gasoline and propane but no diesel.

I've never been to a gas station that has diesel and not gasoline...easy enough to walk a 5 gal jug to the gas pump if they aren't at the same location (which they usually are unless you go to a truck stop).

Lots of gas stations don't have propane and vast majority do not have the ability to fill a tank (only swap, so you are limited to 20# BBQ tanks).

Yes, some gas stations don't have diesel...if you have a diesel truck, you probably aren't stopping there in the first place unless it's purely to get fuel for the generator.

I converted and serviced dozens of LPG gensets. The larger ones were Wisconsin V4 37.5 horsepower air cooled.

Intermittent selective loading is the big advantage of LPG fueled generators

Start engine use microwave, shut down.

Start engine charge flooded batteries for 3 hours then shut down.
Nkcase pse
Keep in mind changing over an air cooled generator makes it operate at a significantly higher temperature. This is where I met Pabst ventilation fans.

The engines also gain crankcase pressure meaning oil leaks are increased.

When I ran a one ton pickup exclusively on LPG I built a special engine with 12.t to 1 compression, large valves and special camshaft. The rest was about as much power as stock engine and recovered about half the lost economy. That was several decades ago when scarce Mexican premium gasoline wasn't equal to cheapie USA regular gasoline and butane was ? the price of regular gas.

When switching away from gasoline the benefits should be weighed against the minuses. That pickup had a stake bed on it with a vertically stacked pair of 83 gallon motor fuel tanks.

I guess for some of us the other pro is transporting and storing gas vice propane. Propane is just easier for us. To each his own.

The ONE guy that actually answered your question with a pro/con list is correct, and another added that propane does have a cleaner burn and cleaner exhaust.

He also forgot that propane can store a very very long time, but gas has a shelf life.

That's about it for pros unless you are parked on your land with a big underground propane tank or would be using natural gas from the grid. The varnish build up from gas is a minimal one as that can be negated. Worried about replacing spark plugs? Stop, you can't afford propane to begin with.

The big con is the availability of getting propane quick and easy. Gas is easy and everywhere and unless I drive into the big rig section at the back of the travel center gas station there is always a gas hose just inches away. Doing a BBQ tank swap at the gas station or store is not a quick transaction either. The things people come up with just to make a comment...

An e way....

^An oil sample analysis from Blackstone Labs or similar will tell you if you need to change it more often.

Then again, the analysis is 20 bucks - and a pint of full synthetic oil is only 2 bucks...