Anyone use Propane, CNG, LNG?

[101mpg]

Has anyone here converted a vehicle to propane or natural gas? I'm interested in the results. Even more specific - anyone done it with a VTEC engine?

[Pete]

101mpg,
I have a car running on dual fuel (LPG and normal unleaded petrol) and so far have put about 20 000 kms on it trouble free.

The vehicle is a 2003 Holden Commodore with the GM 3.8 V6 and 4L60E auto transmission in a four door sedan body weighing about 1600 kgs.

The LPG is cheaper here and is usually about half the cost of unleaded. At the moment is it $0.67 / litre while fuel is $1.35 / litre.

Consumption is slightly higher for the LPG by around 20 % or so but the lower costs still mean a saving.

All the standard features of the original car are still present. Air conditioning , cruise control etc. and there is virtually no difference in the performance for normal driving.

Starting is on unleaded and then I switch to LPG with the car moving and the engine above 1 500 RPM.

Cheers , Pete.

[101mpg]

Can the vehicle not be started on LPG?

[Ryland]

From what I've read about repairing and converting vehicles to propane it sounded like it was better to start them on that fuel rather then gasoline, as propane and natural gas don't need to be enriched in a cold engine, like a gas engine needs to be choked, as gas needs some of that heat to help it turn in to a vapor.
my only exprince is with the LP forklift at work, it's rather run down but still works ok.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by 101mpg

Can the vehicle not be started on LPG?

Sorry for the delay I have had a few problems with the server in the last day or two.

It will start fine on LPG but I normally start and run the car for a short time on unleaded to keep the injectors and fuel pump working.

Other wise the injectors sit on a hot engine with no fuel going through them and the fuel in the lines tends to form gums and resins which clog the injectors.

Cheers , Pete.

[101mpg]

That makes sense, as one would want to keep the regular gas route clear so one could use it later.

Have you thought of using a gasoline additive to keep the gas more stable? In the US we use Sta-Bil, it lets the gas sit about 6 months or more without gumming up. It's normally used when you've got long-term storage of a vehicle without using it. That would help the situation, I think.

Are you bypassing the fuel injectors on your setup?

[Pete]

I use an unleaded additive with a stabiliser in it. It is an octane booster and a fuel line cleaner as well. I also keep the tank more than half full to keep condensation to a minimum but living in a fairly dry part of the country that is not really a problem.

Are you bypassing the fuel injectors on your setup?[/quote]

Yes. The injectors only operate when running on unleaded.
Switching to LPG stops the injectors and fuel pump and opens the LPG flow.
The LPG goes into a mixer which has a water jacket.

The whole system is from IMPCO in the US apart from the tank and a handful of brackets etc which are locally supplied.

The ECU chip is from Holden and is the factory fitted LPG chip.
All the standard functions still work with LPG like exhaust gas recirculation and the chip does not operate on "limp home" mode which gets you back to a dealer but kills both performance and economy.

Apart from a light on the instrument panel switch there is no difference between the two from a driver's perspective.

My car was built without the optional LPG from the factory and all the bits are the factory installation fitted as an aftermarket kit.

One extra point not related to the kit and installation is on the LPG itself.

There does seem to be a distinct difference in the quality of the product from brand to brand.
Here in my car BP seems to be the best and Shell a close second.
I have no idea if this is to do with the blend of gasses used to make up LPG and the suppliers are not saying either but BP and Shell give me better than 650 kms per tank full (65 litre tank) and the others closer to 600 kms for the same volume.

I have no idea how this translates over to your situation but it may be worth talking to users there and get their thoughts.

Cheers , Pete.

[RoadWarrior]

Talking of forklifts, might be an "easy" way to a propane conversion if you can find out if your motor has an industrial version. I know for instance the mitsubishi astron and V6 motors have industrial equivalents that run on propane and LPG...

[brucely]

Hi i am brucely.I am using CNG Why because It is better for today heavy vehicles. It give long life to vehicle and the performance of the vehicle is also good.
================================================== ===========
brucely
Used Cars

[JoeBob]

Well, I once looked at a '51 Packard which had a propane system installed, probably back in '51. Unfortunately, they wanted $1,000 for the car, in 1975, and the car was in pretty disheveled condition. And the propane system was no longer working. It would have needed a lot to get it back into the type of condition "demanded in the limited and lavish lifestyles of Los Angeles."