Subaru engine in fork-lift truck.

[Guest Tolerance02]

Today a engine overhaul shop called me to order a T-belt, a tensionner and a waterpump impeller set for a Subaru engine who was mounted in a fork-lift truck.

The original part number was visible on the T-belt so I checked it out on my PC. It is a two cylinder 600cc, carburated Subaru engine which is also used in a very small delivery van / mini bus we had here (Benelux) in the years around 1987.

This specimen is rebuild and runs on liquid propane gas.

 

Urban.

[Guest Hondasucks]

hmm. I 've also heard that they had a diesel version of the EA81, I would love to get my hands on one of those for my 4x4..

[Guest GeneralDisorder]

I've heard that too - the diesel that is. Would be an interesting thing to see, as it must be quite different. Would have to be running around 25:1 compression to do the diesel thing.

 

GD

[Guest Tolerance02]

We are waiting here (BeNeLux) for over 20 years for a diesel engine in Subaru cars. Bacause of the high gas prices it's really necessary to become a place in the market. Therefor real Subaru lovers who are driving long distances are using LPG.

I guess Subaru is the only make here who has no diesel engine.

 

Urban.

[n3glv]

I have an overhead cam fuel injected GL-10 wagon (EA-81?)

I am interested in information on running on LP gas.

I know from personal experience that to convert some other

brands/models (Dodge 3.9L in a van) all it takes is to feed

regulated gas (20psi) into the fuel line!

Could it be this easy? I know there's cold weather issues

but how about fuel econ? Gasoline is up around $1.70/usg

here now and I think I remember that LP is usually about

1lb=1gal of gas. I can get 20lb of LP for like $8 (40c gal

equiv!)

Thanks in advance for info.

[MilesFox]

can you run lp gas for a turbo?

[oddcomp]

i was under the impression that a lp-gas carb was required to do it correctly

[MorganM]

WOW a 2 cyl 600cc Subaru engine?? That sounds like minibike size!

 

[asavage]

It is. Something like an Impco CA100 or CA125 mixer (carburetor) for single-fuel use (ie not gasoline and LPG).

 

The major parts are:

• DOT Highway-approved tank -- this is NOT just a barbecue tank!
   
  
• High-pressure line. About $3/lf
   
  
• Lockoff unit. Impco combines both the lockoff and filter features in their VFF30 vacuum-operated unit, which can be had on eBay for about $20 + rebuild kit for $10, or you can buy it new for about USD$60. Electrically-operated lockoffs are also available, as are separate filter unit, but the VFF30 is cheap, ubiquitous, sturdy & reliable.
   
  
• Converter/Regulator. Impco Model E is the standard of the industry in the US. eBay prices run around $30-70 depending upon conditiion. Plumbs into the heater hose to use engine heat to vaporize the liquid fuel into a gas, and has a sensitive two-stage pressure regulator to feed the . . . .
   
  
• Miixer (carb). Many manifold and air filter adapters are available.
   
  
• For a "modern" closed-loop (feedback controlled) system, you'll want to use a std O2 sensor and TPS, and an electronic controller that modulates the Model E's output to control the fuel mixture more accurately. But a few million of these setups are running around without electronic controls, so it's not really necessary. Just a bit easier to tune. The whole electronics package can be had for under USD$200.
  

 

Trying to get good info in LPG conversions is like pulling teeth. I finally bought a bunch of old Impco catalogs.

[soobme]

Yes, they take a special carb, and I don't know about a turbo. Looking @ the sys. we run on our hysters I would think that it would need to be a "draw through" sys. for it to work. The propane sys. we use consists of 1) P. tank 2) Converter/Regulator valve 3) P. carb.

[Hondasucks]

Hmm, I should convert the 4x4 over to Propane.... I suppose with a different orofice in the mixer you could run CNG

[asavage]

Originally posted by Hondasucks

Hmm, I should convert the 4x4 over to Propane.... I suppose with a different orofice in the mixer you could run CNG

Off-road folks are snapping up a lot of the older LPG equipment, it seems to have really caught on (again).

 

CNG tanks are pretty expensive, but the rest of the equipment is pretty std stuff.

 

I bought an IMPCO Model E vapouriser/regulator by mistake, on eBay last summer, and I'd make you a heck of a deal on it if you want it. But unless you can get CNG filled really cheap where you are, I think you should consider LPG instead, which is generally easier to obtain.

 

For a Subaru, I'd think you'd need about a CA100 or CA125 mixer ("propane carb"), a Model E or Model J regulator, and a VFF30 filter/lockoff. About $200 or less for all three. Add some high pressure line ($3/lf) and a tank (the hard part) and the rest is just fine tuning.

 

Add an O2 sensor and another $200, and you can buy an electronics package that will auto-adjust the mixture on-the-fly.

 

For dual-fuel use (ie, running on propane or gasoline), expect about 10-15% less MPG, and about that much reduced power when running on propane: propane has less heat energy per unit volume than does gasoline or diesel.

 

However, if you went to a single-fuel design (run on propane only) and modify the engine (raise the compression to better utilize the higher octane of propane) and/or advance the ignition timing, you can almost achieve fuel economy and performance on par with gasoline.

 

Oh, and your oil lasts "forever". Doesn't get black.

 

Note that I have not actually done a conversion -- I've merely done a lot of haphazard research on the topic in the last year, and have bought a bunch of LPG conversion parts and pieces for the day when I will get around to doing one, probably on my next fullsize PU. I've got VFFs, Model Es, and a couple of 425s: everything except the electronics pkg and tank and fuel line, enough to do two conversions.

 

Oh, and I've got one CA300 mixer that I'll never use, if someone wants it cheap. Too big for a 4 cyl.