(no subject)

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Something I've been meaning to say.

Fuck gas prices. Let the people responsible all burn in a gas-soaked Hell.

I know the prices here are better than other parts of the world, that's not the issue to me. It's the way they raise the damned prices on a whim. It used to be half of what it is now when I first moved here.

Total bullshit.

I remember reading once about this fellow who converted his vehicle to run on grease. I need to look into that...

LBD "Nytetrayn"

Comments

[gelgameth.livejournal.com]

Agreed.. but I don't think it's exactly a -whim-. The supply's slowly running out... and well. Supply and demand.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

I've heard it's going to be a long time before we run out, past our lifetimes...

LBD "Nytetrayn"

[thenekomancer.livejournal.com]

I think the most optimistic outlooks state that the world's crude oil supply will peak in 50 years, but it could be sooner.

[makzu.livejournal.com]

I've read that too. Unfortunately, it was a diesel.

[anotherdelta.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who has a vehicle that runs on used vegetable oil/grease. Smells like french fries, but I guess it saves him in the end. I think he can switch between commerical gas and grease as well.

[guido-jacobs.livejournal.com]

fuel source? MIT has uncovered a power source in spinach! :D

[shinkuu.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of us have our own gas story. When I was in middle school, my science teacher told us about his brightest student ever, and how, after graduating, he went on to develop this engine that would get incredible mileage on regular gasoline. Something like 10 times what you would normally get per gallon. Then one day, he discovered his student simply disappeared...

I admit I don't know much about cars or physical machines in general, but it's always struck me as odd how computer technology can double every six months while it seems cars never really improve that much over time. I don't expect them to improve at the same rate, but it just seems like we should have something better than we do now.

We're reaching record highs, too! I think the average price has to reach $3 a gallon before we break the all-time high in the early 1980's, to account for inflation and such.

[nova-eclipse.livejournal.com]

Actually, you probably did read that. It's called "bio-diesel". Trick is, as far as I know, it's only for diesel vehicles. I've also heard the mileage is somewhat crappier while using it, but it burns cleaner or something. They're converting some of the school busses around here to be dual fuel (will run on either regular diesel or bio-diesel).

For the gasoline engine, it is possible to convert them to natural gas or propane. My grandad had an old (late 70's) Ford F250 that he converted to natural gas. It got pretty good mileage, if I recall correctly, but filling it up was a pain and he pretty much had to run a custom fuel system for it. I know my uncle has a tractor that runs on propane, and he says it gets better hourage (farm equipment equivalent of mileage) than his gasoline tractors. He's told me about people who've converted their gas-using vehicles to propane, and I guess all it really requires other than messing with the fuel system a bit to change over to LP tanks is a new intake manifold and heads. The intake manifold has to be cooled to keep the propane from igniting in them (before it would reach the cylinders), and the heads have to be shaved a bit to increase the compression ratio so that the engine will run a bit better (although you don't neccessarily HAVE to shave the heads; my uncle left the heads on his tractor alone, and he says it runs just fine). The neat part about propane conversions is that you can dual fuel the set-up, and in fact, many who do the conversion do duel-fuel, so their vehicle can run on either propane or gasoline. The reason why is that cold starting a propane vehicle can be a pain sometimes, especially when it's cold, so you'd start the engine on gas, then when it warmed up a bit, you switch it over to propane (and you can do that while it's running, even).
Unfortunately, I don't know if propane conversions will work on fuel-injected vehicles, nor do I know if they make kits that would make doing it a relatively simple matter (at least, for someone who's somewhat mechanically inclined). So, unless your vehicle is a diesel or you can find an LP conversion kit for it, you're probably out of luck.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

I'm too tired to have any real idea what you just said. I think it comes down to "most people who do it use propane instead of grease, which is what diesel engines use."

LBD "Nytetrayn"

Lumber?

[zeroxphoenix.livejournal.com]

I read an article about a guy who converted his truck to run on gasoline and wood. Not sure what kind, but you could probably Google it and find the article.

I will say though, gas really is becoming a pain in my ass/wallet. Cali gets it the worst in the States. Unleaded costs a minimum of $2.75 a gallon at the cheapest gas station close to work. The average is much higher, usually about 10 or 12 cents more anywhere closer to home.

[gregorysparr.livejournal.com]

If the leadership in the United States had moral courage, starting with President Carter and going on all through George W. Bush, we'd have all sorts of alternative energy by now. Only candidate to run for President to really be serious was Kerry -- too bad he lost.

America needs to take the initiative in developing cars that run on water or more hybrids, cheaper hybrids, and the world will follow. Politicians don't like that kind of thing, though, because then they provoke Michigan (the auto industry) to be angry and their party may lose it in a Presidential race.

Most politicians don't realize that VISION trumps EVERYTHING in a campaign and even if you take a stance that people don't like, compared to the other guy if he's wishy washy or something, you will be a winner, in likelihood.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

Why the auto industry would be upset is beyond me, other than adopting new fuel sources. I imagine that might take a little doing, but I imagine the sales would be like hotcakes, moreso if they're willing to convert their own branded vehicles that people already own as well... for a moderate fee, of course.

LBD "Nytetrayn"