Bi-Fuel Converter Lets Vehicles Use Gas Or Alcohol

Bi-Fuel Converter Lets Vehicles Use Gas Or Alcohol ENERGY Alternative Fuels 30-1-16 If you own a fuel-injected vehicle, you can operate it on 100 percent alcohol or 100 percent gas, or any mixture of the two, by installing a flexible fuel kit imported from Brazil. "It has the potential to save you a lot of money on fuel, because you can burn either ethanol or gas, whichever is cheaper," says distributor Brad Miller, Ridgeville Corners, Ohio. The Flexfuel converter consists of a small 4 by 3 by 1-in. box with wiring harnesses that hook up to each of the vehicle's fuel injectors. A network of processors is used to reprocess the signals, making the vehicle engine and the fuel found in the pump compatible with each other. The kit installs with no need to cut wires or make any other mechanical alterations. A toggle switch on the box is used to control the ratio of alcohol or ethanol to gas. To set the fuel mixture you simply press "G" for gas or "A" for alcohol. Kits designed for 4, 6, and 8-cyl. vehicles are available. "It doesn't improve the vehicle's mileage per gallon, but it does allow it to use whatever fuel is less expensive," says Miller, who recently installed the kit on his 1997 Chrysler Town & Country van. "The big advantage is that right now ethanol is cheaper than gas in most areas and doesn't fluctuate in price as much as gas does. Until now, if you wanted to use alcohol in a fuel-injected vehicle your only option was to replace the fuel injectors with different ones, which means messing with the timing. "Go to www.thefuelman.com to see if the Flexfuel system will work on your vehicle. If you want to use 100 percent alcohol in your vehicle, you may have problems starting it in temperatures below 59? F. In that case you'll need to install a cold start-up gasoline reservoir, which is available from the company." The Flexfuel kit is priced at $246 for a 4-cyl. engine; $317 for a 6-cyl. engine; and $388 for an 8-cyl. engine. But prices will soon be going up, according to the manufacturer. They are also coming out with new models that have the cold start feature incorporated into the unit. The current cold start-up gas reservoir sells for $89. Polarity inverter kits to terminals of injection plug connectors with fabric-reversed polarity sell for $30 to $60 depending on how many cylinders your vehicle has. Miller is also a distributor for alcohol fuel stills for do-it-yourselfers. He offers Revenoor copper stills ranging from 5 gal. to 1,000 gal. The Revenoor Co. has been building alcohol stills for more than 25 years at its plant in Yamhill, Oregon. The company also offers larger custom built units. Models can be heated by wood, electricity, or propane. The company also provides detailed information to customers on how to make and use home-brewed alcohol. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brad Miller, P.O. Box 222, Ridgeville Corners, Ohio 43555 (ph 419 267-5679; 1611av @cleaninter.net or www.thefuelman.com).

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