Converting
a gas engine to natural gas or LP
this page is to document a very interesting setup my father in law
Donald has fabricated to convert small gasoline engines to run on
natural gas or LP.
To convert 1-5 HP gas
engines to natural gas or LP he modifies a poppet regulator (Maxitrol
RV48 works well) by removing the pressure regulating spring and cap.
disassembling and replacing the diaphragm with a piece of a latex
surgical glove to get the regulator to fully close but still open under
vacuum . (see image 1) That way if the regulator is oriented up side
down so that gravity helps hold the diaphragm valve closed no gas will
flow until vacuum created by the engine sucking air through the venturi
draws the gas through the regulator. for use with LP gas he puts a gas
grill type regulator between the tank and the modified poppet valve.
Next he constructs a venturi using copper water pipe brass shim stock
and 3/16” O.D. thin wall brass tubing.
he selects the size of copper pipe that best fits over the air inlet of
the carburetor on the engine and cut a piece 2” long. (¾” rigid
copper water pipe seems to work well for most small engines.)
then he rolls 2 pieces of shim stock into cone shapes about 1” long
with the large ends being the same size as the I.D. of the copper pipe
and the small ends being between 5/16” and 3/8” larger
for larger engines smaller for smaller engines but 5/16 to 3/8 seems to
work well for most small engines. he Solders the 2 cones inside the 2”
piece of water pipe so that the small ends meet in the middle then
drills a 3/16” hole though the side of the water pipe and though the
shim stock just to side of were the 2 cones meet so that the side of
the hole cuts the edge of one piece of shim stock .
Then he cuts the end of the 3/16 O.D. brass tubing at a 45 degree
angle. And inserts it into hole in side of water pipe aligning it so
that the angle cut lines up with the angle of the shim stock as best he
can and solders in place. (see images 2-4 below)
next he fabricates a flow valve to go between the poppet regulator and
the venturi by drilling and taping a hole for a small machine screw
into one side of a piece of tubing so that when the machine screw is
screwed all the way in till it touches the other side of the tube it
pretty much blocks the entire tube. that way he can adjust the fuel air
mix by turning the screw in or out.
then he plumbs it all together with assorted tubing and hose in this
order, gas grill regulator (only needed for LP), modified poppet
regulator, flow valve, venturi. and then mounts the venturi on the air
intake of the carburetor of the engine being sure to get a relatively
air tight seal between the venturi and the carburetor.
image 1
image 2
image 3
image 4
