LPG coversion for Discovery puzzle

[ex8rarsig]

I seem to have embarked on a mission which is raising more questions than providing answers. I am researching an LPG conversion for my 99 series 2 V8 Discovery and am getting conflicting advice from LPG installers (surprise surprise). Story number 1 is that you could install a standard LPG conversion in a Disco at a cost around $2800 but this may cause problems with backfires which can cost thousands of dollars to replace damaged parts ( one guy said that tyhe backfire were caused by poor maintenance and poor spark and that if you replace the platinum plugs with normal plugs without an inbuilt resistor this will not happen but the NKG website tells me that modern engines need plugs with an inbuilt resistor to avoid damage to ECU and radio interference etc) Story number 2 is that if I spend an extra $1200 on a "multi point" system this will prevent backfires but this then makes the conversion a $4000 job. Story number 3 Camelgas here in Newcastle has been around a long time and they say they will not fit gas to Discos at all as they have had too many problems. I would obviously like to have the fuel cost savings of LPG but all of this negative problem problem problem has made me just about give up and just pay the price for LPG but before I finally bury the project - Has anyone any experience with an LPG conversion to this engine? Which way was it done? Any problems arising? Any helpful comments appreciated.

[Bush65]

I presume from what you are saying that you want to run duel fuel.

With duel fuel, the fuel injection system will need the air flow sensor. This is the part that is damaged when a backfire occurs.

Sorry don't know much more about running duel fuel with injected engines.

[maggsie]

I have just bought an 01 V8 Disco and enquired about putting it on gas at my local installer, he said that series2 could not be put on LPG as the ECU has too many problems.

[langy]

Whilst I haven't got the whole answer to the Thor & LPG puzzle, I have owned a LPG vehicle before, and can answer some of your questions. All of the info appears to be correct -firstly LPG engines using a traditional diaphram LPG system do backfire easily if the ignition isn't up to scratch. On a mid 90's Australian vehicles, this wasn't too much of a problem, as the sensors were reasonably hardy. At the end of the 90's, injection systems turned to Mass airflow sensors and other improvements and they are somewhat fragile. Reports in UK LR magazines do indicate that D2 v8 of that age tend to blow the airbox and airflow sensor if they are poorly maintained. Since they are in the UK, the price isn't too much of a problem to them. Here is a different matter. The multipoint gas injection system has been suggested in UK magazines as the proper way to do modern v8's, and it has an additional ECU/injector emulator system. Go look at a new Ford factory done LPG vehicle for an example. If you visit the various UK magazines websites, they may have reference to a LPG multipoint install on a v8 - I know I've read the article in the last 12 months. Considering the current situation, and the value of a 99 Disco, $4k isn't too bad.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Try searching this forum,,

at last count it was concluded as not possible on a D2,,,

[loanrangie]

It certainly is possible, a guy in the LROCV has recently had his D2 converted to lpg so the knockers are obviously people who know very little about landrovers.LPG-1 did the conversion for $3950 with twin under rear lpg tanks and a 40ltr pocket tank in the rear 1/4 panel - give them a call. They also give you a 2 year 60k warranty.

[dobbo]

I have seen a few D2's driving around coverted to duel fuel so it must be possible you just have to spent the money to get it done correctly the first time.

[Milton477]

My P38 is fitted with an OMVL Dream Sequential Injection. 8 solenoids provide gas directly to the engine via nozzles situated close to the petrol injectors. The gas ECU gets its signals from the P38's own brain & then fires the solenoids accordingly. The solenoid opening times are modified slightly by the gas ECU but the P38's ECU is none the wiser. The gas ECU also has a built in emulator which convinces the P38 brain that the petrol injectors are working correctly. The gas system does not have it's own lamda sensor as the P38 ECU is still doing all of the control. I have a program which runs on a laptop that I use to setup the gas system.

Before I fitted the Sequential Injection, I had a Bedini single point system. I have the dents from backfires or should they be frontfires? in the underside of my bonnet where the airbox exploded. Back/front fires normally occurred when the gas/air mixture was too lean. Just as you are about to run out of gas, you boot the throttle, feel the hesitation & then get the bang. Helps to leave hose clips loose so that the air inlet system just falls to bits. Roads in the UK are tarred so no problem with vibration/ bumps etc. The mixer in the single point system also strangled the air inlet to the plenum chamber from 50mm down to 38mm so I do not believe that the vehicle ran properly on petrol either. The Bedini system used a separate lamda sensor to control the mixture. While the vehicle on gas was tuned, the Petrol ECU would adjust itself into oblivion so that when I had to run on petrol, the mixture was so rich that 100l would last 160km & all in my wake would be in petrol heaven unable to breathe.

The system I have now installed has none of the single point injection problems & has not/cannot backfired in 3 years. When the gas runs out, the system swaps automatically to petrol. From cold, my vehicle runs on petrol until the rad water is up to 45deg (adjustable from laptop) & then swaps seamlessly to gas. I honestly cannot feel any difference in power between the fuels but the vehicle feels smoother on gas. I also have no cats to rob you of additional horsepower. On a recent trip to Germany I had no trouble cruising at 110mph on gas on the autobahns. I run standard spark plugs as I cannot feel the difference with colder/hotter/gapped plugs. I change my plugs every 80000km.

So, my advice is as follows: Forget single point systems, go sequential; Fit good quality sparkplug leads eg Magnecor; Advance the timing by way of ECU chips or the old fashioned way; make sure that your camshaft is ok.

See http://rpiv8.com
http://www.centralgaragecarcroft.co.uk/omvl.htm
http://www.lpg4x4s.co.uk/Pages/lpg/gassystems.php
for a wealth of information about gas & V8's

Enjoy the massive savings & stick it to the green party.
Rory

[Pedro_The_Swift]

It certainly is possible, -1 did the conversion for $3950

thats a lot of fuel,,, or kays,,

a quick calc and you have to do 175000 kays before your ahead,,,

[DirtyDawg]

Jesus after reading all that, the effort required to save a few bucks (over the long term) and the complications ensued I would keep what i got or buy a diesel. Advance this, trick that seems way to hard for a novice. If you do damage engine Items add that replacement cost to the installation charge and let see how much money is saved in the long term. IMO