Links fixed. Note that those “More” pages are from the “Learn to Drive” series.
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Thank you all for the advice - sorry I’ve been away for a while - working other & related projects. I’m about to make the Dakota mods, but I do have a “plumbing” question. The ID of the pipe from the gasifier to the air intake assembly - can it be only 1"? Does it REALLY need to be bigger than that? (in light of flow rate governed by smallest diameter) Since my gasifier “exhaust” port is only 1" ID
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Hello phrang
On my trucks the pipes running from the gasifier to the motor air intake are two 2 inch pipes .
I think with only one 1 inch pipe the motor would have a hard time of running more than an idle.
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Thanks Wayne!
What material works best for pipes that won’t deteriorate from woodgas? ABS? PVC? CPVC?
Also, is it fair to say, inline duct fans in the pipe should be “brushless” to reduce/eliminate potential for sparks?
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Yes , I think that would be a fair statement.
I use PVC wherever the temps are not too hot .
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Greeting Waye… it’s been a while - still plugging away at the Dakota. In the process of modifying the air cleaner assembly to handle the 4 intake ports as per your book. Why 2 woodgas ports & 2 additional air ports (vs stock air intake)? I take it those 4 ports are welded, then connected with reinforced rubber couplers & clamps. Does the required air/woodgas volume necessitate those 4 intake ports? Other than additional gauges, it seems the only other mod is distributor timing adjuster. Is this correct? I would like my truck to be dual-fuel. Once done, I would like to proceed with a “static” test, so I can document the fuel/air volume needed at higher RPMs to I can work out the optimal diameter for the “plumbing” as well as in-line blower speeds. BTW happy new year all…
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You made need a load on the engine to check at higher flow. Someone with more knowledge than me will comment, I hope.
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Hello Phrang and a happy new year to you also.
The tubing or piping coming from the gasifier to the motor needs to be as big as piratical to reduce any friction that may occur with the woodgas flow . The required vacuum pull on the gasifier is already putting a burden on the motor and reducing the horse power .
By having 2 woodgas inlets and 2 fresh air inlets in the air breather housing helps to better mix the woodgas and fresh air before interring the carb . With just 1 woodgas and 1 fresh air inlet to the air breather it could cause one barrel of the two barrel carb to receive rich gas and the other to receive lean gas .thus affecting the corresponding cylinders.
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Many thanks Wayne… so are your woodgas/air inlets fabricated/welded or bolt-on? Given the height of the air cleaner assembly, I take it you made the inlets elliptical to achieve the same area as a 2" circle?
As an added downstream wrinkle i am also attempting to use a “biogas bag” as a woodgas “holding tank” in the bed of the truck. Reason being I live in a REALLY rural area & can’t imagine a gasifier unit being able to operate under those conditions. Anyone with gasifier experience in rough terrain? In the past (1915) UK had gasified buses with gas bags on the roof.
Also, has anyone tested the mileage achieved using a known qty of wood? For example, I plan to burn a 1 cubic foot of oak & note how far I can go with that (hence the need to be dual fuel).
Regarding motor burden, is that why the air filter is removed from the assembly? Thanks in advance for any & all help on this. I’m determined to get this bad boy operational this year, so please bear with me 
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Good morning Phrang .
Regarding the air control dampers you can find very detailed pictures and video by going to the premium library , construction video number 31 .
On the woodgas bag in the bed of the truck is not a good idea. Very dangerous and would only last for a couple or 3 miles depending on size .
On the millage test you can search Auburn test in the library . Very detailed analysis of fuels and gas . ( just as a side note, it cost $5k to have these tests done at a lab ) 
( not including the test track )
With my very elementary test I find it takes 16 pounds of wood to do the job of one gallon of gasoline . With my Dakota truck on the open road I get about 1.3 miles from a pound of wood .
I remove the air filter from the air filter housing because the gas and air has already been filtered and the gas is damp and the paper filter doesn’t handle that well and will clog after some extended time .
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Thanks Wayne, et al - really glad this place exists. I enjoy MacGyver’g, so this is just a Proof Of Concept. I have 2 biogas bags to test: 18cu.ft and 180cu.ft. I would love to find out how far I can get with either full. I live 30min from town, so if I can go there & back, that would be cool. Failing that, I will have to build a “ruggedized” gasifier into the truck bed. At least I will be able to use the “plumbing” I’m about to install. Rest assured I have no plans to intentionally go off-roading with it…
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One benifit of a gassifier on your ruff terrain… you should have no trouble with bridging.
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Thx Chris - will have to research that…
Hopefully it’s OK to continue posting in this thread as a go through the truck mod. Happy to post in another thread, if that is more appropriate. BTW the vids are an excellent complement to the book. Thx Wayne… curious why the original air intake is blocked off & 2 new air inlets installed. Perhaps 2 circular dampers are easier than a single rectangular one?
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Hello Phrang.
I use 2 two inch pipes from the gasifier filter to the motor compartment . I find it works best for me to plug and bypass the original air inlet and make two smaller inlets .
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Thanks Wayne! Not sure if we’re dealing with excessive vapor pressure, so Sch 40 OK? Or maybe even Sch 20?
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I’d stick with sch40, sch20 might burst if you have a backfire event.
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That makes sense - thanks Cody.
BTW are backfire events common with ICE gasifiers?
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Backfiring is usually only caused by an air leak, it’s not common on a well functioning system. If you floor the pedal, I have experienced a little puffback but that was more on the gasifier end than the intake manifold end.
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Thanks again Cody…
So Wayne, the air cleaner assembly inlets… is their alignment/spacing significant for performance? ie. optimal air/fuel mixing? I am trying to emulate your pattern - just curious if there’s a rhyme/reason to it.
PS - I just want to thank you & everyone here for all their advice & willingness to share their experiences. It means a lot to me to be to be able to respectfully “stand on the shoulders of giants” - thank you all
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Hello Phrang
No real rhyme or reason but trying to route the plumbing lines in the path of least resistance . There is not enough room to plumb into the air filter from the bottom or the lid so the sides remain for the plumbing connections . The sides of the air breather housing are just over 2 inches and the pipe or tubing that is welded to the housing has to be 2 inches or less in order to get a good weld. So in short I use the largest tube that can be attached easily.
By using 2 inch pipes , PVC and rubber couplings they all make good tight connections that can be disassembled easily .
There may be some merit to proper spacing of the inlet to aid with better gas and air mixing but I can’t prove it 
…
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