Lehr 9.9 propane outboard as a kicker?

[RickK]

I was once told that a propane generator was very inefficient compared to a gas generator.  Not sure why but wonder if this is the same with this engine?

[fitz73222]

I believe it has a lower expansion rate than gasoline, but at roughly 40% lower for a gallon of propane over gasoline it's still a better deal I would think.

[slvrlng]

First and foremost it is Chinese. Second it most definitely saltwater usable. They come with a 3 year warranty. Due to the shape of my transom it will not fit beside the 175. I would have to bracket mount it and drop in when needed. When I got the boat 2 years ago it had the remnants of a very corroded broken mounting plate for a kicker which I have now removed. One thing the addition of a kicker is something I will be looking at next year some time. At least this will give time to see if Lehr is a viable option or not.

[GoneFission]

is it ESKA/Ted Williams

I had one of those back then - POS!    Also a McCullough and a Scott-Atwater.    The Scott-Atwater would scream...

[seagate]

Where does it say made in china all I saw was Los Angeles, CA  for the company address just woundering?

[200CCPMerc200]

I have this honda 15 4 stroke, on my 200ccp,and it trolls well, will push it 6-7 mph, and i had to get home 7-8 miles with it one time, glad i had it!!

[200CCPMerc200]

I since got an E-Z steer for them, and thinking of painting the kicker black, lol

[uglystick]

Propane does not have as much power as gas. We had a couple of propane pickups on the ranch when I was a kid. Next item storing the tank.
finally propane is heavier than air so it could sink to the bilge.
 

[JimInPB]

I was unaware that Lehr motors were Chinese.  I thought that Lehr was a European company that was headed up by some retired pilot.

Those motors run at a higher than normal compression compared to gasoline engines, so that they can take full advantage of the propane's stored energy.  There is a shop down in Miami called Hopkins Carter that actually supports those things pretty well.  Converted gas motors are not as efficient.

The only disadvantage that I am aware of is cold weather performance.  Unlike forklift motors that run on liquid phase propane & use a heat exchanger to feed vapor to the mixing valve, these engines take the propane in vapor phase & rely on the head space in the propane cylinder to vaporize the LPG.  If you are in South Florida, that is no problem.  If you are in temperatures that are below 40F, you will probably have some trouble.

You can get fiberglass propane tanks now that don't rust.

I'm kind of old school.  I still like having a kicker for both trolling & back up power.   

Propane is actually a pretty clean option to work with, compared to gas.  Propane is usually a little more expensive as a fuel.  The energy in a gallon of propane varies depending on what grade it is & where it was manufactured, but it is always quite a bit less than the energy in a gallon of gasoline. 

If you are going to store propane anywhere other than an open area above decks, then USCG has very specific rules on how your propane locker needs to be constructed & how the feed lines need to be plumbed.