LPG/methane conversion, gas prices are forever on the run Options

[xkillerx]

LPG is rougly half the price of unleaded fuel. Methane is half the price of LPG. all that would mean, ONE very expensive surgery for my ST, and lots od cheap motoring in years to come.

however, BRC (www.brc.it) does not recommend converting 1.8 litre Toyotas and Hondas because the valve and valve bearing alloys cant withstand further temperature increase

Methane conversion is hugely expensive (2500 euros = 3000 us dollars).

anybody got experience with this?

[G3D45]

I heard that it is not recommended for cars with VTEC (VVT). Also not recommended for drivers, who like to rev engine to the max...

Celica + LPG = ?.. Hmm, need some time to get used.

[Kadett]

Many 7A-FE here which are on "marktplaats" (Local Ebay) have LPG installed. And a few Celica Club members as wel so far, never heard of any problems with it.

[G3D45]

Many 7A-FE here which are on "marktplaats" (Local Ebay) have LPG installed. And a few Celica Club members as wel so far, never heard of any problems with it.

Problems may come with 7gen

[Culpable04]

do you guys do conversion to propane as well ?

is funny because the MK II supra I bought in my country last December had a propane system installed, I removed it and put back the regular gas system. it scare the hell out of me, when running a car with a big propane gas tank on the trunk.

This post has been edited by Culpable04: Jun 4, 2007 - 4:27 PM

[BloodyStupidDave...]

Do it. Only down side I can think of is slightly more weight, but not a big deal unless you are really into track days. The Celica is pretty light to start with.

[dustin15brown]

The Celica is pretty light to start with.

since when?

[stephen_lee]

since a lot of other cars weigh over 3k.
were around 2500, correct?

[xkillerx]

LPG conversion set for july. will let you know how it goes if i get the money together by then

BRC okayed the installation of its "sequent" system (common rail direct injection).

[BloodyStupidDave...]

BRC okayed the installation of its "sequent" system

Good choice - that's the one I went with. I actually find acceleration slightly better with lpg than with petrol but put that down to the lpg parts being new compared to mostly 8 year old petrol parts.

My top speed is lower in lpg mode (110-115mph vs 140-145) but then you can always switch over to petrol at the touch of a button. Plus, I can now afford to put high-octane petrol when filling up with petrol.

[urbandork]

whats lpg?

[BloodyStupidDave...]

whats lpg?

Liquified petroleum gas. Other common names for it are propane and autogas. It is a by-product of refining crude oil and thus is in plentiful supply in any country that processes oil in this way, including Turkey, Australia, Hong Kong, Europe, the US and the UK. In China, CNG (compressed natural gas) is more common.

Because LPG is essentially a waste product (and therefore relatively cheap to buy) and due to the ease of converting petrol cars to run on LPG, LPG is becoming an increasingly popular fuel for cars. Performance of a converted car, even performance cars, are generally comparable to unconverted cars when a good quality system is used. Some racing teams are now using LPG engines in championships.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNG


This post has been edited by BloodyStupidDavey: Jun 13, 2007 - 1:42 PM

[Culpable04]

what are the downsides of this set-up ?


do you guys install any kind of system to alert when the tank is almost empty ?

[BloodyStupidDave...]

what are the downsides of this set-up ?

Downsides are:

• car is a bit heavier
• top speed is limited in lpg mode
• grants aren't available in most countries, so one has to look long-term for break-even. For instance, break even for a UK car would typically be around a year at 20k miles/year, perhaps 18 months to two years at 10k miles/year. There are lpg calculator websites all over the web - here is one for the UK: <a href="http://www.greenfuel.org.uk/" target="_blank">/</a>
• most countries don't offer Tax breaks for having a conversion, either. Tax incentives no longer operate in the UK, Ireland or Europe. There is a reduced London congestion charge though (so might be more worthwhile for regular London drivers)
• lpg conversions can show up pre-existing problems as LPG is a little less forgiving of engine faults and problems
• The LPG refueling pumps network isn't quite as advanced as petrol and diesel pumps networks in most countries. It is worth checking where your local refueling pumps are located. I'm fine - about 1 in 4 station forecourts near me have an LPG pump including the two nearest my house and the one nearest my work.
• Some insurers charge a premium for converted cars. However, many don't as long as the conversion has been carried out by a qualified lpg engineer. There are even a couple of specialised companies that provide a discount as LPG drivers are generally safer drivers. Apparently.

do you guys install any kind of system to alert when the tank is almost empty ?

Most kits come with some kind of gauge. The BRC Sequent one comes with a 4-led gauge. *edit: found some pics*. I'm planning to replace this with a dial gauge at some point.

http://www.envirogas.net/images/galleryPics/396.jpg
http://www.greenfuel.org.uk/_images/testim...ns/miss_b_2.jpg

This post has been edited by BloodyStupidDavey: Jun 13, 2007 - 2:14 PM

[Culpable04]

this type of conversion is very popular in Domincan Republic, I didn't know you guys called it LPG. as I mentioned before the MK II supra I bought in December came with this conversion, I just couldn't see myself driving it with the Propane tank on the back, so I removed it.

is a growing industry, I've read of a company here in New Jersey who manufacture conversion kits for forklift, trucks and such, but is not as popular here in the states as in the rest of the world.