P38a on gas or keep the Disco 300TDI?

[wozzlegummich]

Hi All,

Long time lurker but seldom a poster.

Here's my dilemma. I've got a 95 Disco TDI auto that needs some attention to the injection pump and possibly the injectors (180,000 K's). Having recently acquired a cabin in the high country it's starting to get tedious (slow) going up hills with the old oiler.

I'm toying with one of two options.

1. Bite the bullet and get the pump & injectors done on the DISCO and fit Dieselgas to it.

2. Trade up to a P38a Rangie and put that on gas (injected).

Question is, which would be cheaper to run?????

[rangieman]

hard question but i think it will end up close for now untill the goverment add there tax,s to LPG which is in the next couple of years on a scale that goes up wards im not sure of the dates or the% of tax but the way it will work will be in the goverments favour not yours
id go the diesel thats my choice:D
you will get more k,s to the litre with diesel than you will with gas

[p38arover]

hard question but i think it will end up close for now untill the goverment add there tax,s to LPG which is in the next couple of years on a scale that goes up wards im not sure of the dates or the% of tax but the way it will work will be in the goverments favour not yours
id go the diesel thats my choice:D
you will get more k,s to the litre with diesel than you will with gas

I have a P38A on LPG and a 300Tdi Disco.

My preferred drive is the Rangie. It's a nicer car to drive and, fuel wise, it's cheaper on LPG than the Disco on diesel. Even after the excise is applied (over a period of 5 years commencing in 2011), it will be cheaper.

The auto 300Tdi is a slug up hills. With LPG fumigation it would be better.

However, I am growing to like the 300 Tdi. I'm even getting used to the noise.

The problem with any P38A is the ongoing cost of maintenance even if you doi most of it like I do. I console myself with the thought that even if I paid an LR specialist to do the work, it would still be cheaper than buying a new Toymota. The P38A is pretty much fully depreciated.

Now can I sell you my P38A?

Ron

[rangieman]

I have a P38A on LPG and a 300Tdi Disco.

My preferred drive is the Rangie. It's a nicer car to drive and, fuel wise, it's cheaper on LPG than the Disco on diesel. Even after the excise is applied (over a period of 5 years commencing in 2011), it will be cheaper.

The auto 300Tdi is a slug up hills. With LPG fumigation it would be better.

However, I am growing to like the 300 Tdi. I'm even getting used to the noise.

The problem with any P38A is the ongoing cost of maintenance even if you doi most of it like I do. I console myself with the thought that even if I paid an LR specialist to do the work, it would still be cheaper than buying a new Toymota. The P38A is pretty much fully depreciated.

Now can I sell you my P38A?

Ron
i did say it was my choice for the diesel and im not going to suggest to any one which is best
in my personal opinion its best left up to the individual to what they buy its their money
im not accusing you of anything ron
as most of my post,s get taken out of context i feel i need to put a dissclaimer with all my post,s from now on (lol) :p

[p38arover]

:D

Oh, you might get more km/litre with diesel, but LPG will cost you 40% of the diesel fuel costs overall.

I get 11 litres/100km from the 300 Tdi and 21 litres/100km with the P38A on LPG.

LPG costs 50c/litre, diesel costs $1.26/litre.

Ron

[rangieman]

yes your right in what you say but i like my diesel for the fact that i can leave home with a full tank and drive 500 ks have fun in the bush 4wdriving return home with out refueling and still have half a tank when i get home
now your 21 litres to a hundred ks would go out the window if you were towing or up the bush in low range

dissclaimer
this is my opinion only and should not be taken as gospel or for legal reasons
i will not be held responsible for other people,s actions on my opinion,s :D

[Aussie]

For ride comfort and driving I think the P38 is very good, well Um I am comparing to my old series 2A..:D

[wozzlegummich]

When is the government likely to change the tax on LPG?

[wozzlegummich]

:D
I get 11 litres/100km from the 300 Tdi and 21 litres/100km with the P38A on LPG.
Ron

Ron,

If I may, I'd like to pick your brains about the P38a lpg.

Is it injected or just the normal sort with a mixer in the intake tube?
How much was the conversion?
Where are the LPG & fuel tanks mounted?
What capacities are the Fuel & LPG tanks?
Who did the conversion?
How much power loss on LPG?
Cheers,

Robbie

[p38arover]

When is the government likely to change the tax on LPG?


In 2003 it was announced that excise would to be introduced in 2008 - starting at 2.5 cents/litre and increasing at 2.5 cents/litre until a maximum of 12.5 cents/litre (still a lot less than petrol or diesel).

The reason for the 5 years warning was that it was required by law that the Federal Govt. give 5 years warning.

The announcement saw, almost overnight, the virtual death of the LPG conversion industry because people stopped converting their cars. The biggest LPG tank manufacturer, APA in Victoria, went into receivership as orders dried up (they have since recovered).

The Federal Govt. subsequently put back the introduction of the excise to commence in 2011. I'm amazed by the number of people who cannot understand they still have plenty of time before the excise is at a maximum. Their thinking seems toi be that it's happening tomorrow. :confused:

Ron

[p38arover]

Ron,

If I may, I'd like to pick your brains about the P38a lpg.

Is it injected or just the normal sort with a mixer in the intake tube?
How much was the conversion?
Where are the LPG & fuel tanks mounted?
What capacities are the Fuel & LPG tanks?
Who did the conversion?
How much power loss on LPG?Mine is the mixer type. You can get away with it on a GEMS engine but not a Bosch engine owing to the way the igntion system operates. Backfires are more of a problem with the Bosch (later P38A and the D2).

Sequential gas injection is the preferred method for both. If I keep mine, I'll convert it to SGI.

The conversion cost the previous owner $3000 in Sept 2001. He was ripped off. Also he had problems with it and wasn't using it when I bought the car in May 2002. I had a lot of problems with backfiring. It destroyed two expensive airboxes (which I repaired many times).

The toroidal (doughnut) LPG tank is in the wheel well. The spare is on a wheel carrier but I'd be happy to strap it down on the floor in the rear or get a mount to carry it like is done in a RR Classic. I fitted that tank. The original install had a large cylindrical tank crossways behind the seat which prevented the use of the rear compartment for anything. I couldn't even fit my wife's wheelchair in the back (when she was in the chair).

The usable capacity of the LPG tank is 54 litres which gives me 300km range on a trip. I still have the 100 litre petrol tank (but I have a 155 litre long range tank yet to be fitted).

Conversion done by Andy Francis in western Sydney. I wouldn't recommend him.

Power loss? Dunno. Not noticeable.

Ron

[Milton477]

I had a P38 for some 300k km on LPG. Had a toroidal tank in the spare wheel well & another 50l tank in the boot running north/south on the LHS behind the wheel arch. all up 100l usable gas or 400 to 500 km. Originally the system was the mixer type. I destroyed the airbox & dented the inside of the bonnet in the process. When sequential injection became available, I changed. Never had a backfire or any sort of hassel as the system I had relied on the vehicle ECU to control the gas system - no a separate gas ECU as was the case with the mixer type system. The perfect vehicle...or so I thought.

I now have a TD5 Discovery & would not go back to a P38 on gas for all the tea in china.