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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Lp gas generators called dry fuel?

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David McDan

02-03-2007 07:18:41




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Was looking at stand alone whole house generators and read that nat gas and Lp gas fired generators were called "dry-fuel" generators due to the non lubricating properties of the fuel. They said that the engine life of these was less than the engine life of a diesel or gas unit??? How is that when I've heard that LP gas tractors have longer engine life when compared to gas engine tractors?




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buickanddeere

02-03-2007 17:45:35




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
Other than for price, LP or natural gas is the very best fuel you can burn in a piston or turbine engine. In fact to obtain longer engine life, lower operating costs and lower emissions. For "peaking power" utilities will take diesel gen sets and add a LP or natural gas carb on the intake and a govenor. The injection pump delievers a tiny squirt of diesel, just enough to make a flame. This is calle dpilot injection which lights the LP or natural gas. Go ahead and purchase that 16KW Generac knowing it's the best bang for the buck by far. Get the grey Service Transfer Switch instead of the yellow 12 circuit mickey mouse emergency power panel.

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iowa_tire_guy

02-03-2007 16:19:40




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
My Dad ran a LP combine on the harvest run and then around home for many years. No telling how many hours were on that engine. It is true that the LP is a dryer fuel that will cause some extra wear but the only show of it was the valves wore out and sucked into the head seats. That was on a combine that worked hard for at least 20 years before it happened though. The plus side is that the LP was such a clean burning fuel that when we changed oil it looked as clean as when we put it in. You don't see that on diesel of gasoline.

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Jon Hagen

02-03-2007 13:02:00




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
Propane or natural gas is no "dryer" than lead free gasoline. In fact gasoline or diesel will cause much more cylinder wall wear in a cold engine, because the oil is washed off the cylinder walls by raw liquid fuel.
Propane/natural gas, being a dry gas will not wash oil off the cylinder walls or get into the crankcase and contaminate the engine oil.



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Coloken

02-03-2007 10:38:32




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
BIL ran LP tractors all his life. He all ways installed that device on the intake that sucked fumes from the crankcase breather. That seened to provide enough lubrication.



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Coloken

02-03-2007 10:38:26




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
BIL ran LP tractors all his life. He all ways installed that device on the intake that sucked fumes from the crankcase breather. That seened to provide enough lubrication.



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the Unforgiven

02-03-2007 10:21:47




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
Definitly salesman BS.



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Glen in TX

02-03-2007 09:42:11




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
Sounds like advertising BS to just sell you a diesel. A diesel run on dirty fuel with moisture condensing in a storage tank sitting unused for long periods of time won't last long and could be less dependable than the propane or natural gas fuel. The propane isn't going to really ever go bad sitting there in a good tank and as long as no leaks or moisture in natural gas line it is a dry vapor fuel and you do want a screen filter on the line by the regulator.Like Howard said engines for irrigation have been run in this area for years on natural gas or propane. Some said use a low ash oil only in them but we ran a good oil with the diesel ratings and changed it often and that seemed to be more important in engines ran 24/7 for how many ever days or months it took to irrigate. About the only thing we did to some of those engines to make them run even longer was put better valves and hard seats in the heads during a overhaul but your generator engine isn't going to run that long for days and months on end is it? Only thing I can see on a small air cooled engine running less time on LPG is if maybe the crankcase isn't vented properly as Coloken mentions. Most engines already have that built in so shouldn't be a real problem but engine manufacturer says their engine isn't compatible with LPG for long periods I'd just look at something else that is.

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Howard H.

02-03-2007 08:44:44




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  

Hi -

What exactly were you reading that said that??

Stationary engines that run on natural gas as common as dirt around here - for oil & gas field applications as well as irrigation.

Dirty oil or dirty air is what will ruin a motor quicker than anything. I've never heard of or seen "dry fuel" or "wet fuel" having anything to do with engine life.

Over the years, we've run many types of natural gas engines - 800 Molines, 534 Fords, 413 Chryslers, 454 Chevy's, etc - several old LP tractors - the lubricity of the fuel was never an issue... We generally even converted the pickups to run on propane since it was cheaper and also lessened the chance of hired hands making off with gasoline...

Howard

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Coloken

02-03-2007 07:47:29




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 Re: Lp gas generators called dry fuel? in reply to David McDan, 02-03-2007 07:18:41  
BIL ran LP tractors all his life. He all ways installed that device on the intake that sucked fumes from the crankcase breather. That seened to provide enough lubrication.



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