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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

LP Gas - How it works

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Specter

11-03-2005 08:05:25




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I've seen a few LP gas tractors, and have always wondered how they work. What are all the valves and knobs in the tank for? How do you refill them? Are they harder to work on than gas or diesel tractors? Any input would be helpful.
Thanks!

Specter in Alberta




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Specter

11-04-2005 07:50:07




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 08:05:25  
Thanks for the info. Sounds like a lot of hassle to fill up LP tractors. There aren't many up here, just a few. Mostly just curious.

Again, thanks.

Specter in Alberta



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Bus Driver

11-04-2005 05:01:10




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 08:05:25  
One of my friends has a propane fueled tractor. Lives on a popular road. He just calls the propane supplier and they fill it from their truck within a couple of days as they use that road frequently.



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Glen in TX

11-03-2005 16:23:35




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 08:05:25  
LP tractors aren't any harder to work on than others and are good as long as things are done safely. You need good valves and lines that don't leak. Parts for those are available from LP dealers. One valve is liquid and one is vapor. Your filler inlet is for liquid and the other outlet is a vapor return line for taking vapor back when filling. Propane and butane are vapors at regular temperatures but turned to liquids when compressed. These liquids will boil at low temperatures, butane 31 deg. F. & propane 44 deg. F. It is kept under pressure to keep it in a liquid state. This ranges from low pressure in cold weather to higher pressures in hot weather. A proper working relief should be used on the tank to prevent excess high pressures. Propane and butane are heavier than air and will settle in low spots. It's not any more dangerous than gasoline if handled correctly. You open the vapor valve for starting the engine and vapor boils off the liquid and a regulator keeps the pressure lowered to the LP carb. After the engine is warmed up the liquid valve can be turned on and liquid LP is turned to a vapor at the vaporizer being warmed by the warm engine coolant flowing thru a coil in the vaporizer. Then the vapor valve can be shut and it can be ran on just the liquid valve. It will be easier to start if switching back to vapor before shutting off. Also can switch back to running on just vapor for about a half hour instead of liquid before shutting down to lower the pressure in tank making it easier to refill later. When engine has cooled off to refill you hook a liquid line up on nurse tank to liquid filler valve and a vapor return line back to vapor return on filler tank. Most can be filled with a 250 - 300 gal. nurse tank just fine without pumping but will fill easier from a larger tank. States vary on LP fuel regulations so check with your local LP dealer and state. Illegal to haul nurse tanks on a trailer now. Most tractor companies had a supplement operators manual on safe operations and handling of LP gas equipment.

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37 chief

11-03-2005 17:44:08




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Glen in TX, 11-03-2005 16:23:35  
I will agree with you about not being harder to work on if you can still get parts. Ever try to get Ensin fuel regulator parts for a 60 year old system. Stan



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37 chief

11-03-2005 14:38:50




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 08:05:25  
When they work they are great, but when a problem occurs sometimes it is hard to locate the problem. I have a couple tractors that run on propane, and don't use them anymore because of the hassel of filling. Stan



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ILL John

11-03-2005 19:54:34




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to 37 chief, 11-03-2005 14:38:50  
Stan, There is a guy in OK that sells diaphram kits for the old Ensign regulators, $80.00, no hard parts, just the diaphrams and gaskets. I use 3 MMs here on 16 acres, never have to unhook the tractor from the implement. 50 UTS/LP, 49 GTB/LP, and 64 M670/LP, I have to haul them to the LP dealer or have him come and fill a 100 gallon tank and if I run out, I have a 20# tank with a 10' hose that connects to the tank side of the filter to get back to the barn or on the trailer. Works very well. I can give you the address and phone#, grandfieldfarm1 at aol.com John

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Engineer20

11-03-2005 12:37:48




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 08:05:25  
Specter,
I have a Case LA on propane. It has two valves on the tank. The top one is "vapor" and the bottom one is "liquid". I run it on liquid. There is also a dial that you adjust that tells you how much propane is left in the tank. I live in town. They told me they won"t bring a truck out to fill that small of a tank. I now have it stored out at a farm and havn"t talked to the propane dealer down where it"s stored about coming out and filling it. If they won"t come out I"ll have to haul it into the propane dealer. I saw a guy who"s tractor ran out of propane and he hooked a grill cylinder to it so he could get it back to the barn.

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Specter

11-03-2005 14:27:26




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Engineer20, 11-03-2005 12:37:48  
Is there a difference between how it runs on liquid as compared to vapor? Also, I have heard about nurse tanks for refilling LP tractors. Heard anything about them?

Thanks!

Specter



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CLW

11-03-2005 23:14:46




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 14:27:26  
You start on vapor and after the engine warms up you switch to liquid. In most cases if you forget to switch over you will never know it by the way it runs. Sometimes if you forget, and you work it hard it will start to miss. Just switch and it will clear up.
CLW



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buickanddeere

11-03-2005 16:07:02




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 14:27:26  
Full power operation requires more fuel. Fuel only burns as a vapour. Either off the top of the tank through the vapour valve. Or as liquid through te liquid valve taken from the bottom of the tank and turned to vapour as it's ran through the coolant heated vapourizer. If large amounts of vapour is drawn off the tank the tank temp and pressure drops as the LP boils inside. In cool weather and heavy draw it's possible to chill the tank to sub zero temps. So engine heat is used to turn liquid LP into vapour to prevent getting frost all over the tank and lines.

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Bryan In Iowa

11-03-2005 09:55:14




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 Re: LP Gas - How it works in reply to Specter, 11-03-2005 08:05:25  
My uncle has a nice old MM GB sitting in weeds . I spent lot of time on it as a kid . Nice old tractor. I think he'll pretty much give it to me as he has no use for it anymore . Only thing is wondering how to fill it, what kind of LP storage tank I'd need etc. Now,,if he's only part with some of the other tractors sitting in the weeds needing tlc ,,,806, TD9, F20 , farmall B ..Gotta get to work on him some more !

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