And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
December 1941. Shasta County, California. "Dump truck which carries materials for use in construction of Shasta Dam. This truck uses butane instead of gasoline because of the extra power butane gives."
Butane produces less power than gasoline, not more. It does, however, burn far cleaner, and in those days was a lot cheaper as well. Butane tractors were common on farms until the 70s. Now you can't find one anywhere.
To obtain more power from butane than gasoline you must have a very high compression ratio ala the old 2 cylinder John Deere tractors. The were very powerful. My Dad had a new 1960 GMC pickup truck with the optional 390 cu. in. V-6 gasoline engine. It had an audacious 13.5 to 1 comp ratio,(or about that). It was a beast on butane! He had to install a permanent second (tractor) battery to make it crank over on cold mornings. It was awesome. Butane without a high comp ratio just sucks on power and is not economical.
My recollection is that the 390 version was for GMC two-ton trucks. My Dad asked the GMC dealer, a friend, if the truck engine could be ordered for the pickup truck line. Dealer thought so, ordered one and it came that way. It was larger than the other pickup engines, a huge V-6, but of course, other than the springs, steering mechanism, and a few heavier items, the pickup version was identical to the truck, in body size, frame width etc. Some smart guy will probably tell us this was not possible, but I was there when it happened. My (much) older brother says that this story is correct and he was almost grown when it happened.
Haulscott motor. My dad drove a logging truck in the 50's with a Haulscott motor on butane. On cold mornings you had to pore not water on the tank to get the butane pressure up.
Hall-Scott. Capable of some outrageous horsepower ratings in their days. I'm old enough and lucky enough to have heard stories from some of the old timers in my neck of the logging woods about what the Hall-Scott powered rigs were like. Such as guys on long hard pulls determining how their trucks were running by stepping out onto the running board to see how long the flame was that was shooting out of the stack. Those engines were state of the art in their day.
Two things I love about this truck: The brush guard (work of art, really) and the headache rack for the driver, the protective extension of the dump bed over the cab
Butane produces less power than gasoline, not more. It does, however, burn far cleaner, and in those days was a lot cheaper as well. Butane tractors were common on farms until the 70s. Now you can't find one anywhere.
ReplyDeleteTo obtain more power from butane than gasoline you must have a very high compression ratio ala the old 2 cylinder John Deere tractors. The were very powerful. My Dad had a new 1960 GMC pickup truck with the optional 390 cu. in. V-6 gasoline engine. It had an audacious 13.5 to 1 comp ratio,(or about that). It was a beast on butane! He had to install a permanent second (tractor) battery to make it crank over on cold mornings. It was awesome. Butane without a high comp ratio just sucks on power and is not economical.
ReplyDeleteDid y'all mean Propane?
ReplyDeleteWe used butane in the summers and propane in the winters, if memory serves.
DeletePropane has 3 carbon molecules, butane has 4 (pentane 5 and so on). All members of the alkane family.
DeleteIn 1960 GMC pickups had two V6 engines, the 305 and an optional 351. I never heard of a 390 in 1960. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy recollection is that the 390 version was for GMC two-ton trucks. My Dad asked the GMC dealer, a friend, if the truck engine could be ordered for the pickup truck line. Dealer thought so, ordered one and it came that way. It was larger than the other pickup engines, a huge V-6, but of course, other than the springs, steering mechanism, and a few heavier items, the pickup version was identical to the truck, in body size, frame width etc. Some smart guy will probably tell us this was not possible, but I was there when it happened. My (much) older brother says that this story is correct and he was almost grown when it happened.
DeleteHaulscott motor. My dad drove a logging truck in the 50's with a Haulscott motor on butane. On cold mornings you had to pore not water on the tank to get the butane pressure up.
ReplyDeleteHall-Scott. Capable of some outrageous horsepower ratings in their days.
DeleteI'm old enough and lucky enough to have heard stories from some of the old timers in my neck of the logging woods about what the Hall-Scott powered rigs were like. Such as guys on long hard pulls determining how their trucks were running by stepping out onto the running board to see how long the flame was that was shooting out of the stack. Those engines were state of the art in their day.
Two things I love about this truck: The brush guard (work of art, really) and the headache rack for the driver, the protective extension of the dump bed over the cab
ReplyDeleteFirst time I've noticed Angle Iron turned sideways for a grill. The good ole days there.
DeleteMethane, Ethane, Propane, Butane
ReplyDelete1 2 3 4
I loves me these commenters.
ReplyDelete