Replacing original petrol tank with lpg

[sppigot]

Can anyone give me the exact tank make and type to use when replacing the original petrol tank with LPG cylinders? There are heaps of second hand tanks available from testing outfits but I don't know which one(s) to ask for.

1986 Rangie with non-efi petrol tank, 4 barrel carb and elko lpg system. Current lpg tank is 110 litre which is up for inspection soon and I'd like to take the opportunity to get it out of the load space.

[loanrangie]

Your only choice is a pair of tanks in a cradle that fit in place of the fuel tank , buying new will be uneconomic so I'd be looking for used.
You will also need a pocket tank if you want dual fuel.

[bee utey]

The LPG tanks were made by various manufacturers for this application, and measure 310mm diameter and 650 to 660mm long. Buying them loose would be much dearer than buying a pair complete with cradle from a wrecked rangie or D1. The APA part number was H66 but at least 2 other manufacturers had compatible tanks. A D1 or late RRC cradle will need to be modified as the chassis mounts are different. A pair of these tanks carries around 68 litres of LPG when full.

[Erik68]

Best way is to messure available space and get biggest to fit.
You will also need a hydrostatic valve.
Another popular way would convert them to gas was multiple small diameter tanks, place them in the load area and box them in. This way you keep a flat cargo area and only loose about 250mm of height. This was popular with off road people as they retain the standard amount of petrol.
Most people would make the box themselves as they could set it up for tools, recovery gear, oils and other lubricants (and one bloke use to hide his bundy in there)

[sppigot]

Best way is to messure available space and get biggest to fit.
You will also need a hydrostatic valve.
Another popular way would convert them to gas was multiple small diameter tanks, place them in the load area and box them in. This way you keep a flat cargo area and only loose about 250mm of height. This was popular with off road people as they retain the standard amount of petrol.
Most people would make the box themselves as they could set it up for tools, recovery gear, oils and other lubricants (and one bloke use to hide his bundy in there)

Yep - I'm tempted by this option as it leaves things in place. I've seen the manifold G84MAN tanks for sale elsewhere (eg. https://www.ebay.com/itm/LPG-Gas-tank-Gas-cylinder-Low-Profile-G84MAN-scuba-2yr-warranty-10yr-tested-SA/222799125199) in groups of three - but reading elsewhere on this extremely useful forum I see that if you use 3 then you need 2 filling points?

[Erik68]

You don't need three fill points. But it does make it easier. It is the same with hydrostatic valves . You can get away not using them by using the tank lock off valve to change what tank you are using. Like multiple petrol tanks just switch over to another tank when you run out.
As for the multiple fillers, a single filler will start filling the tank with the least amount of gas first, then when the pressure equalize between the tanks it will fill them all at once. Every now and then you may get an airlock that would effect filling, no customers ever said the could not fill the tanks. We did fit multiple fillers at times, but this was more so they can isolate tanks if there is a problem.
Good luck with it, as which ever way you go there is plusses and minusses. The main thing to remember it is easier to refuel petrol out in the middle of nowhere than gas .You can get a hose and turn a bbq upside down to top up a gas tank,but you only get an equal pressure amount in the bbq and car gas tank (roughly half the bbq bottle ) and it is technically illegal.

[bee utey]

Yep - I'm tempted by this option as it leaves things in place. I've seen the manifold G84MAN tanks for sale elsewhere (eg. https://www.ebay.com/itm/LPG-Gas-tank-Gas-cylinder-Low-Profile-G84MAN-scuba-2yr-warranty-10yr-tested-SA/222799125199) in groups of three - but reading elsewhere on this extremely useful forum I see that if you use 3 then you need 2 filling points?

A manifold tank consists of 3 small cylinders welded together into one tank assembly with one set of valves, therefore it needs just one filler connection. LPG capacity is around 58 to 61 litres for the tank, depending on the manufacturer. They were fitted to Falcon wagons from XA to EL so should with a bit of luck be available from the wreckers. I fitted loads of these back in the day, quick and easy to get a useful balance between capacity and load space. I give away out of date ones these days as no-one bothers with gas any more.

[bee utey]

You don't need three fill points. But it does make it easier. It is the same with hydrostatic valves . You can get away not using them by using the tank lock off valve to change what tank you are using. Like multiple petrol tanks just switch over to another tank when you run out.
As for the multiple fillers, a single filler will start filling the tank with the least amount of gas first, then when the pressure equalize between the tanks it will fill them all at once. Every now and then you may get an airlock that would effect filling, no customers ever said the could not fill the tanks. We did fit multiple fillers at times, but this was more so they can isolate tanks if there is a problem.
Good luck with it, as which ever way you go there is plusses and minusses. The main thing to remember it is easier to refuel petrol out in the middle of nowhere than gas .You can get a hose and turn a bbq upside down to top up a gas tank,but you only get an equal pressure amount in the bbq and car gas tank (roughly half the bbq bottle ) and it is technically illegal.

You most definitely require hydrostatic valves on dual tank installations, as the LPG pressure from a hot tank can reverse flow through a closed tank lock valve and overfill the colder tank. Land Rover installs can get the left hand tank pretty warm from the exhaust running by.

[sppigot]

A manifold tank consists of 3 small cylinders welded together into one tank assembly with one set of valves, therefore it needs just one filler connection. LPG capacity is around 58 to 61 litres for the tank, depending on the manufacturer. They were fitted to Falcon wagons from XA to EL so should with a bit of luck be available from the wreckers. I fitted loads of these back in the day, quick and easy to get a useful balance between capacity and load space. I give away out of date ones these days as no-one bothers with gas any more.

Thanks for clearing that up for me! Presumably the elko connections I currently have on the current 110 litre tank would require some changes to work on the manifold tanks?

Seems like it would be possible to have one of these manifold tanks in the load space and a donut tank (with separate filler) in place of the spare wheel? Might as well get as much gas in there as possible......

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I have the manifold and underfloor twins,, and when the manifold was first installed it was connected to use the original single fill point, due to inadequite line size it took way too long to fill all the tanks.
It would be nice to have only the one (standing upright to fill) fill point.

[bee utey]

Thanks for clearing that up for me! Presumably the elko connections I currently have on the current 110 litre tank would require some changes to work on the manifold tanks?

Seems like it would be possible to have one of these manifold tanks in the load space and a donut tank (with separate filler) in place of the spare wheel? Might as well get as much gas in there as possible......

The position of the control box on a manifold tank is going to be quite different to that of the 110 litre Elko tank, however the fittings may be compatible. Something you should let a LPG fitter do I suppose.

Upright donut tanks are rare and hard to find, they were specifically imported by one company for fitment to 5 seat Ford Territories, good luck getting hold of one.

Another way to get increased LPG capacity is to fit dual 1100mm by 285mm diameter tanks in the load space, which could be filled off a single filler with a tee piece. I've done a couple of those, you end up with about 110 litres of LPG.

[sppigot]

The position of the control box on a manifold tank is going to be quite different to that of the 110 litre Elko tank, however the fittings may be compatible. Something you should let a LPG fitter do I suppose.

Upright donut tanks are rare and hard to find, they were specifically imported by one company for fitment to 5 seat Ford Territories, good luck getting hold of one.

Another way to get increased LPG capacity is to fit dual 1100mm by 285mm diameter tanks in the load space, which could be filled off a single filler with a tee piece. I've done a couple of those, you end up with about 110 litres of LPG.

That sounds good! Any idea where I can get the tanks? Presumably the cradle would have to be made up specially?

[bee utey]

That sounds good! Any idea where I can get the tanks? Presumably the cradle would have to be made up specially?

Brackets are just standard panel van brackets (you need four of them) and tanks like that are available in SA. Send me a private message with your phone & direct email and we can discuss.

[AK83]

LOL! just noticed this thread after posting my tank sale thread :p


.... The APA part number was H66 but at least 2 other manufacturers had compatible tanks. A D1 or late RRC cradle will need to be modified as the chassis mounts are different. A pair of these tanks carries around 68 litres of LPG when full.

So you reckon that APA part No. fits D1/RRC too.
Tanks I have came out of a parted out D2, obviously with it's cradle .. I haven't checked if they could fit into a D1 chassis, but looking like they could according to this info.

[bee utey]

LOL! just noticed this thread after posting my tank sale thread :p



So you reckon that APA part No. fits D1/RRC too.
Tanks I have came out of a parted out D2, obviously with it's cradle .. I haven't checked if they could fit into a D1 chassis, but looking like they could according to this info.

I've modded a D1/RRC cradle to fit a D2, wasn't hard. Chassis shape is much the same, bolt hole positions for mounts are a bit different.

[AK83]

I've modded a D1/RRC cradle to fit a D2, wasn't hard. ....

[thumbsupbig]

Thanks for that.
If no one wants them on AULRO, I'll post them to gumtree or fleabay and can advertise them to fit D1/RRC as well.

I thought that the (internal) width of the D2 was a bit wider than that of the D1/RRC chassis.

[bee utey]

I thought that the (internal) width of the D2 was a bit wider than that of the D1/RRC chassis.

630mm on all of them, room for two 310 tanks and a few thin straps, no weld dags either.

[AK83]

LOL! tell me about it .. found that out the hard way.

Install was professional on the ones I removed, so good on them.
But bugger me if I could get them out the 'backyarders' way .. on dodgy ground, no less!

I then realised that to get them out, the tank fittings had to come out of the (RHS) tank and the tanks had to be lifted and tilted from the RHS, then down ... and then out .. on my head! [biggrin]

They held into place just on their own for a bit once I removed the fittings and moved the fittings somewhere safe, crawled back under, only lightly touched the tanks( to see how much play I had to manoeuvre them out, and the RHS bonked me on the head.

Job done .. no damage(to the tanks) [tonguewink]

[bee utey]

One shouldn't have to remove the fittings. Just undo the clamping nuts and lower the cradle an inch or two at a time using blocks of wood or a big trolley jack. The tanks should rotate to near vertical orientation in the cradle with a bit of an occasional boof from a lump of wood from outside the chassis rails.

[87County]

I have no idea if this is of any use to the op :)

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/warwick/other-parts-accessories/auto-lpg-system/1156457714

[AK83]

One shouldn't have to remove the fittings. Just undo the clamping nuts and lower the cradle an inch or two at a time using blocks of wood or a big trolley jack. The tanks should rotate to near vertical orientation in the cradle with a bit of an occasional boof from a lump of wood from outside the chassis rails.

Nup! mine wouldn't come out, whether an inch or two was used, or a mallet or 3 was used.
Just wouldn't come down between chassis rails whichever way I tried.

So had to remove one tanks fittings. Not easily accessible, but accessible through the chassis curve, and from then on easy(too easy, as I found out).