Ok, if you were looking for a pickup to run on wood that could give you good service and had the ability to do work around the farm. What would you choose? Why?
Blessings,
Chris
I choose and f 250 just because thats what i had… but i like the idea of a small truck with a big motor… i.e. the dakota with a 318 looks like a great rig…
John
Dakota would work for smaller jobs but wouldn’t handle my gooseneck trailer hauling hay, etc. Also is there a year model range we would need to stop at.
Hello Chris F,
I like the multiport fuel injection trucks. With the Dakotas they start at 1992. I am not sure with the other brands and models. Also I have no experience with the OBD2 systems which start at 1996 in most brands .
Bruce from Florida says the OBD2 works well. I plan on getting a newer truck as soon as I finish the one I am working on so I can test.
One other thought, the Dakota is not a work truck. It is a small car with a pickup bed on it.
BBB
Wayne
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Im not sure it really matters what truck to choose? as long as it has a powerful enough motor . remember that wood gas is not like gasoline you don’t have the same power that you would have with gasoline. so choosing vehicle with a larger motor would be what i would do… but thats me … i was surprised how easily the wood gas system i made worked with the existing carburetor of my fords 351 v-8 by leaving the original carb i can go back to gasoline quite easily! but a large engine uses a lot of gas wether its gasoline or wood gas. of course i have no experience with hauling with wood gas and such and only have 70 miles on my rig… if you already have a truck that you don’t mind experimenting with … use that one… thats my suggestion.
John
Chris,
Wayne does lots of farm work with his Dodge Ram V10 and his F250 460 V8 Ford. Both can haul long flatbed trailers loaded with hay. Check out his Farming videos where he’s using trucks for heavy work.
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I’m just finishing my heavy reading stages, but I plan to use my 1993 GMC Sierra with a 1990 454tbi. I’m super excited about this site. I’ve been watching Wayne and Sean’s video’s on the tube for some time. After reading the yahoogroup and watching the video’s its obvious that Wayne’s done the research to make it work and well. Can’t wait for the details on the next build.
Thanks for the site Chris. Your video of Waynes V10 answered more of my engineering questions than you can imagine. Excellent stuff.
Hi Wayne,
I just pre-ordered the book and wondered if there is anything on the site where I can go ahead an begin building the system? Also, do you have any idea when the book will be ready?
Thanks,
Walter Sprague
Hello Mr. Sprague,
Chris S. will be back on the web site in just a little while and open it up for you.
It is going to be a while on the book. We are trying to get everything right before we put it in print and I am sure it will be late in the year.
The web site will be the best place to learn as we will be updating it on the daily basis. We already have enough on the site to keep one busy for several weeks. When we get it completed it should be like you looking over my shoulder for two months building, installing and driving the trucks. I have about 300 short videos now in the pipe line that Chris will be putting up shortly and I made about 20 more over the weekend.
Thanks
Wayne
WOW. I’ve looked at every one and can only say, how blessed are we to have such great teachers, AND visual aids! I’m taking my beginning list to the junk yard tomorrow.
Thanks to all,
Carl
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This site has answered a lot of my questions and I still have mounds to wade through but I do have a few questions. First, I should define my requirements. I need a truck that is 4x4 and can get me to and from town (13 mi) in all weather. Possibly as far 30 for deliveries, It could also be needed to tow a trailer. I currently have a 1988 Ford Bronco with a 351 (ironically in the same color scheme as the 460 build in another post) a 2002 Ford F250 with a 5.4 and the opportunity to get a hold of a 1995 Dodge Ram V10 which could be the twin of Waynes truck. Another question would be if you had a gassifier on a truck bed could you also have a sub assembly or valve that could be re directed to run a generator or gas saw mill at home or a work site? I have Amish neighbors who are very interested in not using petroleum and have an ample supply of scrap wood. I am also interested in harnessing the heat to heat large quantities of water. I look forward to the availability of the book and the possibility of freeing myself from volatile petroleum prices.
Hi JeffD
Almost able to say slam dunk use the 95 Dodge V-10. Almost. Until your last requirement.
Your full sized Bronco 351 is great. I have more thousands of hours of comfortable rough mountain forest road deer and elk hunting in these than anything else. They works great unmodified with the factory front 4xIFS and a manual transmission and plus 1 over tires. But Not so great a chassis to gasifier modify. Rear bumper or front bumper modifying for 350-500 pounds of added system wieght and 3-4 feet of over the axle length added, WITH limited in hopper fuel capacity and IS going to change your useability of the vehicle. Pull the back fiberglass top off. Make up a sealed fire wall and mid ship gasifier system mount will really change the vehicle usage capabilities you are accustomed to now. No more Kids and dogs. Now only mini pickup limited amounts of rain and snow exposed gear and groceries.
2002 Ford 5.4 “modular” engines as my nephew has painfully $$$ learned now with chain driven single over head camshafts (some with variable camshaft drive mechanism’s) and ignition coil over the spark plugs are an expensive PITA to work on. NOT an engine you want to break learning gasification operating on. Be religious with your oil changes on these!
The Dodge V-10 would be able to do all you want except probably the hours of low gas drawn generator service.
Use the search function here at upper LH and search out “generator gasifing” for the different view points been express on this concern.
Regards
Steve Unruh
My conversion choice is a '92 F150 4x4. 5.0, OHC, 8 ft. bed. pros and cons?
Dean that would be my truck except mine is a 94. umm don’t think they didn’t made an ohc 5.0 for those trucks that would be the 4.6 out of a crown vic its a dohc. mines also a 5 speed.
only real problems ive found with these trucks is fuel pumps like to go (has not happened to me) the distributor module goes (has happened to me) and the tanks like to rot out but can be replaced with plastic ones for the same money as steel. thought right now mine is having some kind of part throttle chugging thing going. hoping it just needs plugs
Hi EricS
Roger that on your Ford pickup comments. Probably not a spark plug problem. But he, if over 30,000 on them, replace them out anyhow. Use Autolite or NKG SINGLE standard electrode type or SINGLE platinums as an ungrade. This system will not reliably support exotic plugs. One reason the DIS modules burn out.
Learn to run the Ford self tests and flash out codes here:
http://oldfuelinjection.com
Follow and repair coded problems in this order: KOEF hard codes first, THEN KOER soft codes second . . . record memory code before clearing and losing them. If memory codes reoccur best to ignore them if at all possible until they firm up into an active KOEO and KOER code.
Physically streach and check the moulded rubber air hose from the air cleaner mounted Mass Air Flow Sensor to the dual inlet throttle body. Cracks and rips here bleeding in unmeasured false air will not code out and give you performance fits on any MAF dependent system.
Regards
Steve Unruh
HI Dean my truck has a 5.0L F250 out of a 95 van I put a carb on it but knowing what I know now I would have left it fuel injected and computerized it does have a msd ignition with a timing advance knob in the cab.
It runs really good and has enough power to go down the road but like Waynes 318 Dakota not too good pulling a trailer. If I were going to pull a trailer a lot with a load i would definitely go BIG and you wont be sorry.
My 1st choice is the Dodge V10 I never was super fond of the Dodge but this has the displacement you nee to get out into traffic and go with a load
The load in the picture is about all this can pull but it isnt computer timing advanced.
Hi Chris
I’m new to this site and saw your post
I was trying to find a v10 like waynes but they are super high here in WVa
Then i got to thinking i have a mini kenworth 1 ton in my field i built in 95 from a truck i used to drive
It has a 903 cu in v8 diesel in it i’m thinking pilot injection or i have adapters to put spark plugs in it
I wonderif anyone has tried a big heavy duty engine?
below are some pics
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That thing looks AWESOME man!!!
sweet i need one of those to go back and forth to work. law of gross vehicle weight always wins.
thanks Steve my truck doesn’t have a MAF sensor it does have a TPS which is my thought going to back probe it and see voltage hopefully this weekend at least its not my daily driver. that or maybe the MAP sensor since its happening at part throttle but only in gear. biggest problem is this truck sat for more than a year before i bought it. this truck will get up and move if you put it to the floor and pulls any hill in 4th doing 65 which is the speed limit BTW. love that 5speed, once i get it running smooth its gettin the (wood)gas put to it. ha ha ha