# Chevy 6.0 CNG conversion



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

This is my 2005 Chevy 6.0 gas converted to run on CNG (compressed Natural Gas). 









The (2) sheds and storage bottles are the CNG compression equipment here at work. 









The fueling station is open to the public and anyone can come and fill up. As of today we sell to the public for $1.80. If the extenders bill ever passes, It will drop to about $1.50









Here is a close up of the filler nozel. It is a big air hose like fitting. The gas goes in the tank at 4000 PSI


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

This is a 12 GGE (Gasoline Gallon Equivalent tank) It holds as much energy as 12 gallons of gas. When the truck runs out of CNG, It automatically goes back to gas.









There is a second set of injectors mounted on top of the motor. They are piped to the intake manifold just above the factory injectors. The system simply turns off the gas injectors and turns on the CNG injectors.









This green button turns the CNG of or off. When it is green it is running on CNG. It turns red when it is on gas. The bar on the bottom is the CNG gas gage. Here it is showing full of CNG.


----------



## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Interesting. What's the point?


----------



## South Seneca (Oct 22, 2010)

*This* is our answer to high oil prices! We have plenty of natural gas right here in the USA!


----------



## unhcp (Jan 20, 2010)

what was the cost of this conversion?


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

cretebaby;1150816 said:


> Interesting. What's the point?


Well I had a few members ask about it. The point for us is fuel that is always about 1/2 price or less from gas. We are selling it for $1.80 but our cost is more like $1.00 per gallon. The gas here in Indianapolis is running abour $2.80 per gallon.

Also, we go 10K on oil changes and the motors last forever. While the truck that I drive has 150K on it we have several trucks with over 300K and they run like new.


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

unhcp;1150826 said:


> what was the cost of this conversion?


The conversions run $7500-$12,000. There are tax credits that can pay for somr or all of the cost. With NO tax credits it takes us about 65,000 miles to save the first cost back.

Chevy is offering this as a factory option for the 2011 vans and 2012 trucks. Ford has it as a option on both now.


----------



## the new boss 92 (Nov 29, 2008)

do you loose any power? does it sound any different? this is pretty interesting!


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

the new boss 92;1150868 said:


> do you loose any power? does it sound any different? this is pretty interesting!


Because the one I drive has the injectors just laying on the plenum (not inside the block like normal) you can hear them and it sounds like a diesel clattering at a idle. Once you give it a little throttle it sounds like a gas motor again. The factory stuff you cant tell sound or power.

There is a slight power loss on the older conversions. The newer stuff might even be more powerful than gas. CNG is 136 octane and some of the kits take advantage of it.


----------



## IMAGE (Oct 21, 2007)

Do you do the conversion in house? Or where do you have it done?


----------



## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Kris_Kris;1150834 said:


> The conversions run $7500-$12,000. There are tax credits that can pay for somr or all of the cost. With NO tax credits it takes us about 65,000 miles to save the first cost back.


65K miles divided by 12 mpg = ~5400 gallons x $1/gallon savings = $5400.

Me thinks it takes a bit more than 65,000 miles for a pay back.


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

cretebaby;1150945 said:


> 65K miles divided by 12 mpg = ~5400 gallons x $1/gallon savings = $5400.
> 
> Me thinks it takes a bit more than 65,000 miles for a pay back.


You thinks wrong. We only pay $1.20 per gallon. that is $1.60 per gallon savings. We sell it for $1.80.

We run about 30,000 per year so it is just a little over 2 years to recoupe the investment


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

IMAGE;1150922 said:


> Do you do the conversion in house? Or where do you have it done?


The last few we had were Royalty enterprises in Ohio but there are places in Indiana and al over.


----------



## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Kris_Kris;1151026 said:


> You thinks wrong. We only pay $1.20 per gallon. that is $1.60 per gallon savings. We sell it for $1.80.
> 
> We run about 30,000 per year so it is just a little over 2 years to recoupe the investment


Obviously I was figuring _our_ cost.


----------



## rusty_keg_3 (Dec 6, 2008)

Very interesting... I have never knew that these existed...


----------



## BSDeality (Dec 5, 2005)

i'm not comfortable with a 4,000 psi bomb sitting in my bed where i'd have stuff sliding around. if they had an frame side mount i'd be more comfortable.

Cool, different. but not the answer for the north east, CNG is unheard of up here.


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

BSDeality;1156116 said:


> i'm not comfortable with a 4,000 psi bomb sitting in my bed where i'd have stuff sliding around. if they had an frame side mount i'd be more comfortable.
> 
> Cool, different. but not the answer for the north east, CNG is unheard of up here.


The wall thickness on these tanks are almost a inch thick. They are far safer than the plastic or sheet metal fuel tanks. The best way to put that is would you rather cook on a stove with natural gas or Gasoline.


----------



## BigLou80 (Feb 25, 2008)

Kris_Kris;1156252 said:


> The wall thickness on these tanks are almost a inch thick. They are far safer than the plastic or sheet metal fuel tanks. The best way to put that is would you rather cook on a stove with natural gas or Gasoline.


I have done both neither is a problem. I agree however that the tank is perfectly safe and is in no way a bomb I would be far more worried about my sheet metal gas tank rupturing.


----------



## South Seneca (Oct 22, 2010)

It seems to me that the cost of this conversion is crazy high when we look at what it consists of. If they lowered the cost, to where it made sense to do the conversion, I think a lot of us would do it.

We have natural gas wells everywhere you look where I live and yet I can't think of one place where we could fill up a vehicle with CNG.


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

South Seneca;1156815 said:


> It seems to me that the cost of this conversion is crazy high when we look at what it consists of. If they lowered the cost, to where it made sense to do the conversion, I think a lot of us would do it.
> 
> We have natural gas wells everywhere you look where I live and yet I can't think of one place where we could fill up a vehicle with CNG.


This is not for everyone. If you are not putting on the miles that it would not be worth it. Also it is better if you are compressing your gas. At this time it could be a toss of a coin but as the gasoline and diesel cost continue to climb, The cost of natural gas is actually going down.

The cost to convert is not much more that a diesel upgrade. The gas motor is 30% less efficient than a diesel but the fuel cost is 50% less. It will cut your fuel cost 20% over a diesel motor and 50% over a gas motor.


----------



## Adamb (Jan 26, 2016)

*CNG conversion/delete...*

I have a 1999 Chev K2500 with a CNG system, Im pretty sure its factory. but i dont know that.

Does anybody know whats involved with removing it. There are no CNG facilities in Newfoundland, and I suspect there NEVER will be.
My biggest concern is The CPU, and the Throttle body. Will it operate normally with existing CPU and no CNG system? A new CPU and TBI is not a big deal but the diagnostic process would be time consuming, and some insight always helps.
Also, The existing system after removal may be for sale. The truck has no CNG tank. It was not there when I bought it. Otherwise its going to end up in the dumpster.

The truck is getting a frame off refit in southern Massachusetts.

If anybody has extensive experience with this stuff I would like to have a phone conversation.

my personal email is [email protected]


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

It does depend on the system. We have a 2002 that had the factory CNG conversion but the tank had expired. The truck was too old to spend the money on a new tank so we just removed the tank. When the system sees no pressure on the CNG side, It will always start and operate on Gas. There is no need to make any other changes. If you try to remove the other stuff, you could start throwing codes. I would leave it alone.


----------



## Adamb (Jan 26, 2016)

I see, thanks for the info.


----------



## damian (Jan 29, 2009)

We did this in some of our fleets in the eighties, our mass transit system the "T" Who cant shoot straight ever and is famous for wasting billions uses many cummins CNG engines now. Granted the conversion tech is better now. None of it makes sense when you back out the govenment incentives,cost in electricity to compress the gas,lower fuel efficiency and power,space and wieght of storage,few refueling stations, cost of building modifications explosion proof lighting and blow out walls in service facilities,etc.CNG cant beat diesel and gasoline for energy per unit weight period. When oil was over $100 a barrel it was an option to possibly consider,at under $30 it makes no sense at all.


----------



## johnhenry1933 (Feb 11, 2013)

Adamb;2103554 said:


> I have a 1999 Chev K2500 with a CNG ...
> There are no CNG facilities in Newfoundland, and I suspect there NEVER will be.[email protected]


Just out of curiosity, how and why would you ship a CNG truck to Newfoundland if there is no CNG?


----------



## Adamb (Jan 26, 2016)

johnhenry1933;2105329 said:


> Just out of curiosity, how and why would you ship a CNG truck to Newfoundland if there is no CNG?


John. I bought the truck at an auction from the US govt ridiculously cheap, it only has 30k miles on it and I really like the GM trucks from 88-99.

I'm not so much as restoring it but preserving it. Blast ans coat the chassis, underside of body, stainless brake and fuel lines, etc

My intention is to scrap all that lib-tard CNG junk and make a narmal pickup out of it

And anything can be brought to newfoundland from a clap of thunder to a baby fart, aboard the ferry


----------



## Kris_Kris (Feb 7, 2010)

It would definitely require a new intake manifold and a new computer You might be able to reflash the old computer but once again I'm not sure of which system you have exactly The wiring harness will have to be either replaced or repaired If this is a factory conversion it's not really a conversion It would be kind of like saying that someone converted your gasoline engine to run on diesel because you have a diesel truck. Your best bet by far would be to simply leave the CNG lines disconnected and leave all the other components in tact under the hood When the system sees that there is no CNG it basically bypasses the entire CNG system anyway



Adamb;2105335 said:


> John. I bought the truck at an auction from the US govt ridiculously cheap, it only has 30k miles on it and I really like the GM trucks from 88-99.
> 
> I'm not so much as restoring it but preserving it. Blast ans coat the chassis, underside of body, stainless brake and fuel lines, etc
> 
> ...


----------

