Hi Lou,
For now there is no way around it. I have tried a series of tests on different filters and some did show a mileage improvement however the end results are still the same. If your truck has an aluminum intake please post pictures. I would like to see it so I can comment better does it look like this ? BBB Sean
Yeah, that looks like the big ol’ honker that sits on my engine.
I’m off for Argos, so it will be a couple of days before I get back with you on this. Thanks for the discussion on the subject, I’m without experience or training on these matters and it helps a lot.
Hey TimG.
I’ll put up something searchable about using woodgas in propane and methane mixers based on experience.
Do not waste your time. Sean is correct woodgas needs to have it’s own dedicated purpose built mixer.
Why? Why? And Why?
Propane and methane as we use them are highly refined, purified, de-watered, acid neutralized concentrated medium chain hydrogen and carbon molecules deliver at a standardized positive pressure and temperature to their 70+ years in development dedicated mixers.
Woodgas is wet, warm, mildly acidic and has to be in the majority of applications sucked into the engine through the mixer for overall system safety reasons.
Woodgas will acid eat up any die cast zinc casting quickly. Corrodes Coppers just as bad. Cast iron and carbon steel rust corrodes quickly too. SS, brass and bronze are OK. Most plastics and some aluminums are OK too. Just have to try, to find out. Destroying good IMPCO’s and Centuries mixers learning this get’s expensive.
The woodgas fuel componets are simple chain HC molocules; easily cleanly combusted but with low energy density. Only ever 30-40% of the total wood fuel gasses flow. The rest inert passed through air nitrogen, unconverted carbon dioxide, and acidic water vapor.
The internal fuel gas passage ways in a propane and methane mixer have to be enlarged by ~10x and 8X respectively. NOT possible within the castings. And the flow demanded pressure fed fuel metering converted to a hard suction/flow metered system for the woodgas fuel. Even if possible, why take the hard road?? Usually you are then fighting an unneeded venturi restriction choke point too.
So only thing usable M-A-Y-B-E (if acid resistant aluminum) is the mixer base with the original throttle plate.
Why bother when you can get this as varying size machined manufactured throttled bodies off off 30 years worth of FI vehicle at any wrecking yard now for cheap?
Look at these pictures of 2-6 hour corrosion. Note this is only occurring on the woodgas fuel side - not the air side.
Even when made of resistant materials woodgas carbon and soot build up requires an easily disassemble quickly cleaned without cleaner damaging it mixer.
The carbon and soot is another story. MAJORTY NOT gas pass through but fuel gas carbon monoxide to carbon diaoxide conversion dropped out carbon formed by rough fuel gas handling in the mixer!! (IMHO) See 2nd picture. This is after ~8 hours running time.
Regards
Steve Unruh
Thanks for the explanation Steve. Guess the best route is trial and error with compatible materials. I was just thinking of ways to make it more user friendly, more of a turn key operation with more constant and repeatable results
Now that I have seen several builds and talked to those who have experience, I have a few ideas I hope will help make my F150 build go better and be less trouble if not trouble free.
I was thinking of building a plenum to go between the throttle body and the intake to cut down on the soot build-up in the throttle body. I also think an easily removable top plate to the plenum might make soot burn out of the intake much less of a pain. Any thoughts on this?
Doing a woodgas build on a Ford truck with an OBD II doesn’t seem to give Terry Grzyb much of a problem, perhaps it won’t me either. Anyone out there with any experience here have any insight or suggestions?
Hi Lou,
Glad you had a good trip and could see woodgas in person. Sounds like your up to the challenge my only concern was.
- The type of intake you had on your truck now we know is metal that’s not an issue anymore. I have ordered the same intake for my truck even though its a 97 it seems there is no difference between intake bolt patterns so it should bolt up to my f-150. I will let you know how that goes.
- If you had emissions laws in your state this could raise problems. We addresses this you don’t live in an area that has testing.
- The engine blocks are aluminum verses steel not sure if this is a concern yet or not. I had to tear down my dad’s ranger after 50’000 miles
to replace a worn timing chain the truck had 4,500 wood burning miles on it at the time. I inspected the engine and all moving parts no signs of wear or anything out of the ordinary. I would like to say there is no difference between steel or aluminum time will tell over 7,000 miles now on both trucks still running strong.
I hope your build goes off without a hitch I am here if you need help. Regards Sean
