Printable View
IMO - It's timing issues that cause backfires - nothing else (except lean mixes). If you can get the ecu timing mapped for LPG you wont have a problem. I'm running coilpack (distributerless) ignition on a Series 3 holden - 202 - Since fitting this I have not had a sinle backfire. When running the dizzy it was common. Very bloody common.
Simon
Thanks for the very helpful info everyone. These are my calculations and why I am seriously considering the $4000 investment.
Kms travelled a year 40,000
LPG useage approx 16.7 litres per 100kms
LPG litres used per year 6680
LPG useage approx 20 litres per 100ks
LPG litres used per year 8016
Annual LPG cost @ approx $1.40 per litre $9352
Annual LPG cost at approx $0.60per litre $4810
Savings per km $0.114
Cost of conversion $4000
Cost back in approx 35,000ks or less than a years running
BUT I don't want to have the hassles if it is a pain in the **** or starts breaking other things that cost more money. I am going to contact some of the dealers you have variously mentioned but Iam more optimistic now than before. Thanks once again.
Sorry guys stuffed that up, obviously the higher cost and lower consumption figures refer to ULP not LPG but I am sure you get the message
I drive a '99 Discovery V8 and have been following the LPG conversion story for the last 6 years now.
Back in 1999 when I first bought my Rover, the only LPG systems available in Australia were the carburettor style gas diffuser ring conversions. And the foremost leaders of these installations for Land Rover V8s, I consider to be LPGAS-1 in Lilydale.
They had no end of problems with exploding air cleaner boxes due to backfiring through the inlet manifolds.
So I did not bother to get my engine converted - I figured it's just not worth the costly downtime and repairs, which would immediately reset the savings that LPG offers.
Recently the every obscene price of petrol has caused me to do some more research. It seems that the old style gas diffuser rings are still hard at work, exploding air intake boxes and so these systems still have to be avoided like the plague.
HOWEVER, Australian LPG installers have finally caught up with the folks over the otherside of the pond - we now have Vapour Sequential Injection systems available here now! :banana:
These are truly a step forward in the right direction.
VSI does not inject liquid gas directly into the combustion chamber, but it does deposit the right charge of fuel as close as possible to the inlet valves of the manifold, so pretty much in the same vicinity of your existing petrol injectors.
There are a number of systems that are available in Melbourne that I can find.
The better of the two systems seems to be Impco's BRC vapour sequential injection.
There is another competing system from Sprint Gas, which uses the OMVL Dream system.
I think both are comparable, but the Impco kit is about $500 dearer. Impco is an American LPG company that acquired BRC, which is an Italian company. OMVL is Italian too, but a smaller operation. I believe that BRC have twice the number of employees as OMVL (350+ vs 190+ respectively)
Both systems should work just fine.
If you want to convert your Thor V8 in the Disco II to LPG, you can contact either Ezygas (they do the OMVL/Sprint Gas system) or Deacon Automotive (they do the Impco/BRC Gas system).
These systems won't have the backfiring problems that the old systems have suffered.
I guess that my research thus far is validating everything that Rory said.
Check out this website for some cool LPG installations on Land Rovers. Unfortunately, the Pommies are one step ahead of the Aussies in the LPG conversion business - they have been for a while, naturally because of the higher cost of petrol in the UK
http://www.gascarco.com/gallery/album16
Check out the sexy injector inlet add-on to the intake manifold. Now that will give very very accurate gas metering into each cylinder.
And having said all that, there is a news flash that is suggesting that petrol prices are coming down:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=96716
Hi Guys
Was chatting to my Bro the other nite,those OMVL kits are the ducks nuts but NOT AVAILABLE TO ALL CONVERTERS,if the converters alligance is with another company they cant buy them so dont sell or recommend them.
SPRINT GAS are the distributors(if I remember correctly).
Apparently the BA falcons go really well on the system,my bro had a run against a non turbo Xr6 running this LPG setup, in his new XR6 Turbo and couldnt shake it.
Andrew
Hey that really good to hear since I have the Disco booked in with Ezygas to get the OMVL system installed.:D :D
I recall the problem with the Thor engine (post 99 P38A and D2) is the Bosch engine management system that shuts off fuel and ignition in some situations. If you use a simple mixer, the LPG is still being fed to the engine. When the ignition returns, Ka-Boom.
Ron
I run a 5.4lt BA ford ute as my work truck and looked into lpg. $4990.00 for the multipoint conversion s**t.
After realising that it would take longer than the lease to pay off I scrapped that idea. The other problem is, and I will put money on it ,is that with the government grant the demand on lpg will become greater, hence pushing the price up. "supply & demand" . You wait and see once the lpg component suppliers catch up - Jan, Feb next year the price will rise!!!!!!!
If you owned the lpg supply and another 800 thousand cars wanted your gas you'd put the price, after all they just forked out 3-5k for a conversion???????.
Regards Justin
a price rise is inevitable....but i dont think it will happen that soon.....
there has to be a bit of positive feedback from those that will convert at johnnys expense.......
this will take a bit of time before the savings start then they will start telling their mates to change over.....
by the time this happens it will probably be 2008......
so...if you convert now....you will benefit for a while......considering most of the conversion will be free......
and with the cost of fuel today......i would say you would have the expense covered in about a fortnight......