I can’t wait to see the air inlet part of that, great setup, Gary!
Gday,
Just a quick thought before I start work,
GZ on your project,Gary.
Something you said got my attention and engine management is my interest.
Re injectors.If you switch off the fuel pump,and the ECU continues to fire the injectors,The heatsoak (and expanson of metal parts in injector) from the engine -lesso with plastic intakes- -moreso with direct injection petrol- combined with the lack of cooling fuel flow will cause your injectors to wear out prematurely. Dunno if it will happen sooner or just injectors gradually spitting instead of injecting over time.
Something to think about anyway.?Hope didnt put any noses outta joint.
Shalom, Barana.
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I have thought of this as well, however all the dakotas on the road together that I know of have well over a million miles on wood, and the original injectors.
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Another moment of wow feelings…
Thumbs up Gary.
OBD can do a lot more with only minor modifications 
and you are experiencing the simplicity already…
teaching us by doing it…
Thanks again
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What if we design a woodgas injector? Glue a bung in next to the gasoline injector and have an electric blower supply low pressure gas to the woodgas injectors. Just unplug the gasoline and plug into the woodgas injector. Next time you need to get your rig inspected just swap the wires back… 
It would need to be a larger diameter.
Wellll, There needs to be a place where oxygen (air) reacts with charcoal to produce CO2 which then gets converted to CO (carbon monoxide) This oxidation can be very hot 3000F and the nozzle that brings the air into the charcoal take a thermal beating. If you just put a hole in the bottom of the charcoal container, there is no nozzle per say, but the ash can build up over time creating an ash volcano. The only way to clean it out is to dump the contents of the gasifier. The system I am experimenting with has no nozzle but a tuyre, much like in a blacksmith forge. .
Hey guys, Got a video shot of starting the Ranger and driving it on charcoal gas, This is kind of fun!!! But need to ramp up my charcoal production, Here is the link,
Gary in PA
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Hi Gary, great video. On the tractor the air intake faces upward. It has a layer of refractive cement and nothing else. With over 20 hours on it I’ve come to believe that it should have burned out.by now. My only guess is a slag volcanoe as you mentioned is building up replenishing the “nozzle”. What do you think?
Best regards, David Baillir
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I just tap the grate with a small hammer before the next start up.
I have a long narrow cold chisel I tap through the slag with.
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Jeff Do you have the nozzle in the bottom or from the side. Are you running a grate=== kind of confusedTomC I didn’t know anyone used a grate with charcoalTomC
Tom, it’s a grate at the bottom.
Good showing Gary, welcome to the world of “hybrid driving” Gasoline is handy on those pesky hills.
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Great job Gary! Thanks for the video.
You might want to check for air leaks, if the fire is staying alive all night long it’s probably getting air from somewhere.
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Gary, I agree with Chris…must be an air leak keeping your charcoal burning all night. Maybe at the very bottom air inlet? How are you closing off the grate? On another topic, I just saw this series of slides showing how to build a cone kiln from a sheet of steel. Might be useful if you need lots of charcoal. Perhaps someone is making a “slash” pile to dispose of tree trimmings and you could help them get rid of the stuff? https://plus.google.com/photos/112929397141178613286/albums/6145581844469906801
Hello Gary.
Thanks for posting the video !!
You will soon need a lemon to carry with you 
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Hey Wayne, make that soap instead of a lemon! I was looking forward to driving to work on charcoal this morning! Filled the hopper, turned on the fan and found the unit was still burning from three days ago (yes, there is a small air leak but it does not affect performance) Got in the truck and could not get it to start on gasoline???. This has never happened before so was a little BUGGED and wondering what happened. It fired a few times initially but then nothing, The Schrader valve shot some gasoline when depressed so the fuel pump should be working. Checked the on/off switch for the fuel pump and it is working. Still no luck. Took my other truck to work. When I got back home, I shot ether into the air intake and NOTHING. Did not have time to pull a plug and check for spark but that is next. Frustrating! Needed the soap to wash my mouth out with but would have preferred a lemon!!!
Gary in PA running on dino fuel (for now)
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Hello Gary .
Probable something very minor and you will find the problem very quick
Gary if you end up having fire I wouldn’t rule out the pump it’s self I had a similar problem on my dakota I had some fuel there at the line. Later i found that the pump would run one time and not another it also would start on ether some times and not others I replaced pump and no more problems since, great to hear about your charco truck good luck
Hey all, it has been almost two weeks since my Ford Ranger got parked. Would not start on gasoline! Tried ether, tried a timing light on the plug wires and got intermitent flashes. Disconnected the on/off switch for the fuel pump. Nothing!!! Well, I had wife tow the Ranger to my local mechanic’s garage about one mile away, While being towed, I turned on the key and popped the clutch while in 4th gear, After about 30 seconds, it started up!!! Go figure. The mechanic checked it out and found nothing wrong, Drove it home on gasoline. Next day, started on gasoline and then switched to charcoal and drove to work with no problem, About a mile before getting to work, I switched to gasoline to get the computer (or so I think) get readjusted. After work, started on gasoline, went about a mile and switched over to charcoal gas and drove home with no problem, The truck sat over the weekend and it refused to start this morning, Frustrating!!! A shot of ether did nothing, some firing of the cylinders but that diminished as I continued to crank. Here is the plan, 1. Check fuel pressure in the fuel rail, 2. check the spark. 3. Get an anaylzer for the OBDII computer to read and set codes,
For what it is worth, my tuyere design seems to be working well. I’ll do a complete tear down maybe later this week to hopefully confirm that, There is also another design floating around my head. Dang is this stuff a curse??? Stay tuned
Gary in PA
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