# natural gas conversion



## jesse james (Sep 12, 2012)

I am a newbie so please be gentle with me.. I did a search and could not find where this has been discussed... I have a powermate 7k with honda 390 gx, 13hp engine. I want to do a conversion.. I called Honda US and they told me it would it would not only void the warranty, but it would shorten the life of the engine... THey said natural gas burns hotter and the engine is not designed for this.. I then called US carbeuration, makers of the conversion kit, and they said it would run cooler and extend the life of the engine. Who to believe??? Also do these generators need a rest after runnning extended periods of time, say 12 hours, or can they run till you change the oil... THanks for any responses...


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## Robert Coats (Nov 10, 2011)

Here are some facts to help:

• Propane / natural gas does indeed burn hotter that gasoline. 

• Honda used to sell a propane-fueled generator, and the exhaust valve and exhaust valve guide were made of more heat-resistant materials. 

• Technically, your warranty can't legally be "voided" but it works like this: If the conversion to a different fuel is determined to be the source of a problem, repairs would unlikely be covered by the Honda warranty. You can never "lose" the warranty, but it may not cover certain repairs, and does of course expire at some point.

• All small engines are regulated by the EPA. At the time of sale, the engine must have an EPA certification. Any changes to the emissions (fuel) system is considered tampering and violates EPA rules. Just because the parts used to convert a engine to propane are EPA are "certified" does not automatically make the modified engine "certified." So, it's not illegal to sell conversion kits, but it does violate EPA rules to install such a kit on an engine without getting it re-certified.

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Caveat: I work for Honda, but the preceding was my opinion alone.



jesse james said:


> I am a newbie so please be gentle with me.. I did a search and could not find where this has been discussed... I have a powermate 7k with honda 390 gx, 13hp engine. I want to do a conversion.. I called Honda US and they told me it would it would not only void the warranty, but it would shorten the life of the engine... THey said natural gas burns hotter and the engine is not designed for this.. I then called US carbeuration, makers of the conversion kit, and they said it would run cooler and extend the life of the engine. Who to believe??? Also do these generators need a rest after runnning extended periods of time, say 12 hours, or can they run till you change the oil... THanks for any responses...


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## jesse james (Sep 12, 2012)

Robert, 
Thanks for the response!!! I am really happy to speak to someone with some knowledge! Can you tell me if you think I will have a problem running natural gas??? The conversion people have claimed there has never been a failure to an engine due to natural gas...I have done my homework and searched the web and have not found a single incident.. And also do you need to rest these engines on gas or natural gas? Thanks for the help..


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## Zamenasew (Apr 15, 2014)

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