Lehr Propane Outboards

[Jon Bastien]

Hello all,

After much contemplation, I bit the bullet and bought a Lehr 2.5 HP propane-fueled outboard... I decided that I'd like to use a relatively 'green' fuel; I didn't want to deal with the maintenance issues involved with a gas motor; I didn't want to add another fuel to the boat; I already had 'camping' bottles on board for the grill, and they are available pretty much everywhere (gas stations, Wal-Mart, many marinas, etc)-- so there wasn't really a down-side.

So far, I'm happy with the purchase. It's being used on an older Walker Bay 10 (no RID tubes), and moves easliy between the stern rail of the mothership and the transom of the dinghy. Light enough to move around, and pushes the dinghy as you'd expect any other 2.5 HP motor would... but I haven't tried this is a true traveling situation yet.

Word of advice, it ships without motor oil in the crankcase, but it DOES have gear oil in the lower unit when you take it out of the box (figured this out the hard way- added motor oil, and when I tried to add lower unit oil I discovered it was already full... ).

I intend to use this dinghy/motor setup while cruising the Great Loop during late 2013-early 2014. Based on the serial number of my motor (#80), I'm guessing I'm a fairly early adopter... and would like to pass on my experiences to those who are curious or considering purchasing one of these for their own boats.

I'm willing to answer anyone's questions about this motor, if you're contemplating purchasing one for yourself. If you're near the FL Panhandle, I'll even give you a demonstration or let you take a spin in the dink-- drop me a PM, and we can set something up!

Now to find a workable way to stow the dinghy...

--Jon

 

[sailingandsuch]

Sounds cool Jon!

Im not in the market for a new outboard right now but it's interesting to hear about your experience none the less.

What part of the panhandle are you in? I live in Dothan and frequent the panhandle.

What kind of boat do you have? When you say take the outboard off the mothership does this mean you are using it to power your big boat?

 

[KD3PC]

... I decided that I'd like to use a relatively 'green' fuel;

--Jon

while I agree the "fuel" can be green....those camp bottles are too similar to the millions of water bottles wasting away...yes, I know, under certain circumstances those bottles can be illegally filled and re-used....but most are throw aways.

having the cans aboard....propane is still propane and will sink to the lowest portion of your boat, regardless of size....and if you don't have a propane sensor/solenoid/shutoff/alarm (kind of doubt you have a shut off on the green bottles stored below) the only way you know if one of them has leaked and they are notorious for that, is an explosion.

so drop the "green" justification, it isn't a green engine, and may or may not hold up to marine use.

best of luck with your new toy. and DO NOT store them aboard, unless properly lockered.

 

[Delezynski]

Jon,

Let us know what type of range you get for one of the "camping" bottles??

We may be looking at a new OB in a year or so and are comparing this one to an electric.

THANKS!

Greg

 

[Old Skool Neil]

I didn't want to deal with the maintenance issues involved with a gas motor

Except for maybe an occasional carburetor cleaning, what's the difference?

Decades ago I had my el Camino converted to straight propane. The fuel pump and conventional carburetor were eliminated but those were traded for heat exchanger difficulties (part of the fuel system). This was a professional conversion, Century carburetion all the way.

In my case there was no maintenance advantage at all. I still had plugs to change, oil and filter to change, ignition system was the same. There were advantages though: I was exempt from California's strict emissions laws and also at the time there was a gasoline shortage with rationing, even-odd days to purchase fuel, green and red flags displayed by stations and gas lines around the block. I never had to deal with any of that.

 

[sail354]

Last year, we purchased the 5 PH Lehr for a new dingy. Had some initial problems with stalling. Turned out to be a factory issue with the throttle body, and was fixed by the local Lehr service dealer. Also, the two engine cover clamps were not working, and they were re-drilled and replaced. The 1 lb camping stove bottles work OK, but we use a 10 lb fiberglass LPG tank that secures nicely in the dingy. The engine uses about 1 lb of fuel per hour.

 

[RTB]

I really think propane is a great idea, unless you are cruising. Gasoline is available anywhere. Propane is not.

Ralph
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/brogdon/

 

[bigpapaporsche]

I really think propane is a great idea, unless you are cruising. Gasoline is available anywhere. Propane is not.

Ralph
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/brogdon/

I have more than 40 years experience with Propane cars/trucks as well as other LPG powered equipment. I am a big supporter of the use of this fuel in motor vehicles and other small engine applications! Lehr certainly has made some in-roads into LPG powered small engines and now Marine motors. There is no question that there is a growing opportunity for this Fuel in out country. I have only done about 1 hour research on the web but I can't fine any info on the Warranty or who/where these motors are made. This makes me wonder why! I suspect China. Additionally I wonder what dealer network is going to support them, Parts/service! The cost of the Lehr 2HP motor appears to be about 25% higher than a comparable Honda 2HP. This fact, coupled with the unquestionable higher re-sale value and the ease of re-sale is a no brainer. Having said all this, I'll be watching with real interest to see how well Lehr does. I wish him good luck!

 

[IceTurtle4]

"Green"

Hey, I thought I'd chime in because while I too believe that Propane isn't 100% green, it IS much better than gasoline, and those green canisters are actually recyclable.

They also can be stored indefinitely which I find to be helpful as a casual boater. I have the 5.0 LEHR engine and I've been really happy with it. Just seems more reliable to me and less messy than gasoline.

 

[Merlin Clark]

Re: "Green"

Wally World has these to extend the range http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-5-High-Pressure-Propane-Hose-and-Adapter/19897422
I've seen splitters there to so that a bbq can be run off the same big can.

 

[Jon Bastien]

Lehr Outboard - An update...

It's been a while since I checked in on my older posts...

I still haven't left for my Great Loop Cruise, but preparations continue; one of those chores was to put the dinghy through its paces and determine whether or not the Walker Bay 10/Lehr 2.5 is a viable dinghy for the trip. The short answer is, yes... barely.

As far as the outboard goes, I'm still happy with the purchase. At FULL throttle, it burns through a 1-lb bottle of propane in a little over an hour, while pushing the dinghy at around 5 knots. If I throttle back a bit (~75%), I can make the bottle last almost 2 hours at 4 knots.

I find it a little difficult to get my fingers in between the propane cylinder and the housing to unscrew the empty bottles- the hose connecting the bottle to the carburetor is about an inch too short to do this comfortably. That's really the only gripe I have with the motor.

What makes my dink/motor combination a poor choice is that the Walker Bay may not be up to the task- The combination of boat, motor, driver, and safety equipment are heavy enough that I can't safely carry much else in the dinghy- like laundry, groceries, an anchor, or another crew member. I may be shopping for an inflatable after all; if so, I'll probably go with a roll-up and keep the Lehr motor. Either that, or retrofit inflatable chambers onto my existing boat... but those don't get very positive reviews.

Overall, it looks like it's going to work out pretty much exactly as I planned... but propane is starting to get expensive! Still cheaper than gas, and I still don't have to introduce yet another fuel on board.

Since posting this originally, I've moved from the Florida Panhandle to the Tampa Bay area. My original offer still stands, though, and if any of you want to see the rig in action, let me know!

--Jon

 

[chuckwayne]

we've been happy with our Lehr 2.5 so far-runs well, starts easily, and no gas issues...
We got the lehr to replace a merc 3.3 2 stroke on a 7' roll up, but this year we took it on our flotilla downeast on our 9' quicksilver airdeck instead of the usual 5hp merc 4 stroke. worked really well, didn't get the dinghy on plane but pushed it fast enough. we got about 1 hour on a 1lb bottle, but no gas tank to haul and store, started easily, and a breeze to get off the pushpit and onto the dinghy-34lbs vs 84lbs. The Lehr 5hp may be in the plans for next year.
One thing that they don't have in the manual but customer service will tell you - you should burp the carb when you first set it up. The carb has a silver disk on one side with a small hole in it. after attaching the cylinder, push a paperclip into the hole until you hear gas coming out. the engine should then start easily.

 

[centerline]

under certain circumstances those bottles can be illegally filled and re-used

propane is still propane and will sink to the lowest portion of your boat, regardless of size.... the only way you know if one of them has leaked and they are notorious for that, is an explosion.


DO NOT store them aboard, unless properly lockered.

while I agree with most of your original post, I feel compelled to claify for others who may misunderstand, the portable camp style propane bottles can LEGALLY be refilled, but they CANNOT be legally transported by motorized vehicle, vessel or aircraft.... and it is highly recommended by the manufacture that they not be refilled, but there are no laws against refilling them

they are NOT "notorius" for leaking, as they are relativly safe, but they can leak. and almost without exception, if its going to leak it will be after it has been connected to the appliance or device and then disconnected from it for storage or transport . the valve does not always reseat itself immediatly (sometimes not at all) and can leak.
this new disconnected cylinder is just as dangerous as one that has been refilled, but there are no laws against transporting it.
so draw your own conclusions as to whether its marketing or an actual safety issue....
another thing about refilling the cylinders and why its not recommended is there is no quality control... no one to say the cylinder head is too rusty or its been sun damaged because it has set outside in the sun too long. some people cant be depended on to make these kind of decisions for themselves.

but for anyone who takes it upon themselves to refill one of these cylinders, after filling it should be placed in an enclosed container with a lid on it for a couple of days, such as a tote or a bucket before using it to insure there are no leaks from it, as if its leaking there will be a smell from the propane when the lid is removed... its still not the best idea, but its better than refilling it and storing it away without checking.

you can do the research on these little bottles and for as many of them that get used every year (and the many that get refilled) you will find less problems with them than you will the bigger bottles, or even the plants that manufacture and/or fill them...