There is a huge difference between natural gas and propane. Natural gas
has several unattractive disadvantages, as I understand it. First it is
low pressure so you would have to leave it plugged in overnight for a
fill up. Second it has a lot less octane than propane. Propane had a
great octane rating, somewhere around 130.

Drive Safely & Good Luck
Ken Lewis    <Kernersville,NC>
86 VW crewcab;60 356B Coupe
--------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 7 Jun 2000 23:26:28 -0500 Marshall Ruskin <mruskin@PANGEA.CA>
writes:
>I asked the list about this a while back - except my interest was
>using
>propane - because in Canada there's a national supply infrastructure
>for it.
>
>It must be cheaper to run them - because all the taxicabs here are
>converted
>to it - and they wouldn't do it for any other reason. FWIW: Most
>taxi's here
>are very large American "Family" sedans.
>
>The few people who discussed the topic with me were generally not
>supportive
>of it. Some questioned the safety of the large propane tank, others
>mentioned power issues.
>
>The safety issue can, of course be dealt with, and IMHO, those that
>mentioned power problems were just mis-informed.
>
>Marshall Ruskin
>84 Westy "iron Igloo"
>
>
>>I wish there was a little more interest in this subject.  We men,
>usually
>if we
>>don't know something, will just keep quiet.  So it seems to me that
>there
>is not a
>>lot of knowledge spread around on this matter.   I could be terribly
>wrong
>of
>>course.
>>Zoltan
>>
>>John Rodgers wrote:
>>
>>> Irvin, you have raised a question that has been in my mind for some
>time
>now. I
>>> have seen this done, but not on a vanagon. The natural gas company
>there
>in
>>> Soldotna used to sell the setup to convert your car/truck to
>natural gas.
>It
>>> took a special carburetor as I recall or maybe it was a conversion
>kit.
>If you
>>> ran out of natural gas( called LNG in a lot of places)  a throw of
>the
>lever
>>> would put you back on gasoline. . They had most of their trucks
>converted
>to
>>> natural gas. Don't know if that is still true or not.
>>>
>>> Would be interesting to know if it could be done on a vanagon. One
>problem that
>>> arises is gas mileage or the lack thereof. Natural gas does not
>have the
>>> calories or btu's per gallon (or is it pound) that gasoline has. So
>you
>could
>>> find yourself using more gallons of natural gas for a given
>distance than
>you
>>> would with gasoline.
>>>
>>> Maybe the membership of the list has more knowlidge about this.
>>>
>>> John Rodgers
>>> "88 GL Driver with a leaky windsheild  <|:<(
>>>
>>> Christopher Irvin wrote:
>>>
>>> > Okay I know this may sound dumb, but has any one ever heard of a
>natural gas
>>> > conversion for a Vanagon?  My engine is toast, and I have to
>develop
>some
>>> > ideas on rebuild or replacment before my better half calls the
>junk
>yard and
>>> > has my baby towed off to a fate worse than death.  I'm not enven
>a
>shade
>>> > tree mechanic, butlearning little by little.  Anyone in Eagle
>River or
>>> > Anchorage Alaksa interested in a project might also consider
>contacting
>me
>>> > via P-mail if you have offers on a reasonably sound (other than
>the
>motor)
>>> > '84 weekender.
>>> >
>>> > Christopher Irvn
>>> > Eagle River, Alaska
>>

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