When the objective is to generate motive or electric power via I.C. engine, the overall pressure drop through the suction gasification system in addition to gas quality has become a sensitive issue. This work, therefore, presents an experimental study on a suction gasifier (downdraft) arrangement operating on kiker wood or Acacia nilotica (L). Studies were conducted to investigate the influence of fluid flow rate on pressure drop through the gasifier system for ambient isothermal airflow and ignited mode, pumping power, and air-fuel ratio, gas composition and gasification efficiency. Results of pressure drop, temperature profile, gas composition or calorific value are found to be sensitive with fluid flow rate. Ignited gasifier gives much higher pressure drop when compared against newly charged gasifier bed with isothermal ambient airflow. Higher reaction temperatures in gasifier tends to enhance gasifier performance, while, overall pressure drop and thus pumping power through the system increases. Both ash accumulated gasifier bed and sand bed filters with tar laden quartz particles also show much higher pressure drops. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.