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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

propane tank converted to diesel

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mike brown

12-09-2004 15:36:00




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Hi all; I was in the market for more diesel capacity so I could buy more when the price was good. After considering various options I discovered a small outfit near by that sand blasts and repaints propane tanks. I stopped one day to ask about old tanks. Propane tanks are condemned if they have rust pits over a certain depth (maybe 1/16"). The owner of the outfit said they had a bunch. 500gal tanks were $40! $120 if they welded on the two inch fittings for diesel filling. So I payed the $40 and asked for a 500 gal. tank with elliptical ends. The only pits I found on it were under a data plate which I cleaned up and painted. When I cut holes for the fittings I dicovered these things have 3/8" walls! It even had a nice working guage! I rigged it up with a diesel hose and nozzle and fittings to use compressed air to "pump" it into the tractors.
I wish I had gotten a 1000gal tank now.
Maybe make one into a land roller.
Maybe a 300 for a compressed air tank.

Thought I would share this as a source for a good fuel tank for not much $$$$.

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John A.

12-09-2004 21:04:47




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to mike brown, 12-09-2004 15:36:00  
mike, A converted LP tank to DSL is the best, No electric pump to burn out, useing only air. Mine is the same, useing ballvalves to cut on/off the DSL line and Fill hole too. First one I ever saw My cousin got at a farm sale. A 1000 gal.tank on a 4wheel trailer, 20 lbs of air will last LONG time.
Our elevators tire shop had a 500 gla tank for extra air storage, when flats were wall to wall.
The possibilities are end less.
PS.. Since those guys will cut and weld on a tank for a customer, Can You Say..... BBQ pit.
Have fun.
Later,
John A.

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thurlow

12-09-2004 18:44:53




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to mike brown, 12-09-2004 15:36:00  
Hey Mike, where is this fellow with the tanks? I'm sure it's across the country from me. Most local dealers are afraid of the liability they "might" incur and will not sell old tanks..... .....



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kjm

12-09-2004 18:05:29




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to mike brown, 12-09-2004 15:36:00  
Mike, Your plan will work fine but it takes a lot of air to fill that tank and a long time to blow it back off. I used a 500 gal for waste oil and pumped it back inside for heat with air. It took about 1 1/2hr. to pump 200 gal of moter oil with 175 psi. Good Luck kjm



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Kevin (FL)

12-09-2004 17:17:01




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to mike brown, 12-09-2004 15:36:00  
Mike,

The heads usually have pretty good thickness but the cylindrical section plates are much thinner. Still plenty of thickness for a fuel tank though. About using compressed air for fueling, did you happen to hydro the tank after welding the fittings in? If not, I'd be real careful as to how much pressure was placed into an untested tank. Granted, when new they would probably test OK up to 300-400 PSI, but since the propane folks have condemned them, that usually means some material has wasted away somewhere--like you said under the data plate or could be some pitting on the very bottom of the tank. Anyway when you apply compressed air to a tank and it decides to burst, you won't want to be near it. So I assume you're regulating the air pressure down to a few pounds, right? Just didn't want anyone to get hurt out there....

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Redmud

12-09-2004 16:03:10




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to mike brown, 12-09-2004 15:36:00  
Mike, all farmers in my neck of the woods use propane tanks on wheels for diesel fuel. you don"t see overhead tanks much anymore. There are some that pull 1000 gallon tanks behind their trucks. most are 500 gallon tanks. some of the guys have a small propane tank {40-50} gallon which is mounted on the trailer and use propane to pressure the diesel tank. this was when propane 60-70 cents a gallon. I have noticed here lately that most have 12 volt pumps mounted on the tanks.
Redmud

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buickanddeere

12-10-2004 05:54:59




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to Redmud, 12-09-2004 16:03:10  
A 1000 gallons of fuel, the tank and the trailer/wagon would weigh over 10,000lbs. That's looking for trouble by being to large a load to reliably stop or steer behind most vehicles. The local highway enforcement officers may also be annoyed. Even more when it's fuel instead of just a load of corn.



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Redmud

12-10-2004 08:37:45




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to buickanddeere, 12-10-2004 05:54:59  
Your right, You need a powerstroke to pull it. And the lawmen that farm in west Texas, have to pull their own fuel tanks.



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Ol Chief

12-09-2004 20:46:13




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to Redmud, 12-09-2004 16:03:10  
Yeah Mike; Your Idea sounds good to me.I am going looking in my area.The small pit you describe is of small concern to me.What you do not know about is the interior condition.Try this on.When the pressure is described in PSI that means for example that every single square inch of surface is going to be exposed to whatever psi you put into the tank.Example;10 square inch surface with 100 pounds per square inch is going to be subject to 1000 pound load on the area.If the tank is wasted inside over a 3 sq. in area at 150 psi then the weak spot having load of 450 lbs. may be subject to a rupture depending on thicknes,temperature, strength of material and etc.This however does not mean that the entire tank will explode.In my opinion you may consider your tanks safe if you fill with water and then impose a pressure of one and a half times your intended working pressure and it holds w/out leakage leakage.I have seen the interior of a lot of boilor tubes pitted to very thin thickness but only small diameter wasted area.So if the area is either one tenth or one hundredth of an inch then that measure divided into the working pressure is going to tell you what the working load is on the pitted or thinned section.High pressure boilers are commonly tested to 1.5 times WP with cold water and are passed for use if no leakage is noted.I hope this helps.By the way, don't ever think of trying to blow liquid out of an 55 gallon drum.The flat surface on both ends begins to swell at about 2 PSI. I know of a case where a cadet engineer was killed doing so. The oil drum he was attempting to empty blew up probably before the internal pressure reached ten psi.Go figure.PSI on several hundred sq.in. of flat surface.The main problems with a rupture is that more damage occurs next to the area by tearing action.

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mike brown

12-10-2004 05:30:52




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 Re: propane tank converted to diesel in reply to Ol Chief, 12-09-2004 20:46:13  
The tank outfit is S&V refinishing in Genoa NY in the fingerlakes upstate. I cut the holes in the cylinder wall not the ends and it was 3/8" thick. I'm sure that is way thicker than a compressed air tank. I think the weak link is the plastic fuel filter bowl at the out let. 29-30 psi seems to be plenty to push fuel at a good clip.
I was able to look at the inside because the propane fittings are removed when it is rejected for that use. It was very clean inside.
The ends do make good bbq pits also especially the elliptical (flattened) ends. Put it up on stones, build a fire and sit around it with hand held thirst extiguishers.

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