Runnin on GAS!!!

[T5SLAVE]

Just a quick one guys. Anyone know how successful conversions to LPG r on these here Volvo's...most importantly 850 T5's!

Also, is anyone aware of whether or not you are able to performance modify a gassed vehicle, e.g ECU upgrade for more power etc?

Thanx again in advance :o)

Mark.

[firestorm]

hi mate, got mine running on gas, got the sequential system on it, got the tank in the spare wheel well, raised the boot floor a bit (wanted the biggest tank possible), no loss of power, i am looking to do ecu upgrade soon, i will let you know.

[T5SLAVE]

Thanx 4 that m8, keep us posted on the progress of the tuning.

Further to my original questions, what useable litres or gallons does your gas tank hold and how does it stack up for the mpg/money savings over unleaded...worth the hassle of the conversion in your oppinion? I have spoken to a couple of specialists down my way and they reckon a 90 (useable) litre tank will squeeze into the 850's boot?!

Thanx again, l8rs.
Mark.

[firestorm]

hi, i can get 60litre's (£24)on refil, does about 280 miles round town, with the missus driving it, school runs etc. She does not drive slow, enjoys upsetting the bee-boys (her word, not mine) off the lights, and every other chance she gets, to get 90 useable litres, the must be putting a cylinder tank in the boot, prob behind the rear seat.
gets the same mpg, just cheaper to buy
deffo worth doing

[T5SLAVE]

Thanx again Firestorm, that's reassuring to know as I can quite often do long lazy miles so maybe I'll get some good returns on the big tank. Yes, they are fitting a cylinder tank pushed right up to just behind the rear seat, its bleedin big let me tell ya!

Seems somewhat contradictory I know, but I still want to enjoy, use and upgrade the T5's power, but really like the idea of paying much less at the pump and hence better overall mpg/costs! Plus all the future (potential) benefits of LPG, should the government start thinking LPG is great again...whatever happened to all the grants???

Ta muchly, l8rs

Mark.

[mikej]

Can i ask you guys how much you paid/have been quote for the gas conversion on a t5
cheers
mike....

[marshall_volvo]

I asked our master tech and a few other techs about lpg conversion if the vehicle is fitted with it as standard i.e th bi fuel models its not a problem but if its fitted as a aftermarket item apparentley it is not so good i.e plug life and valve life is reduced quiet a bit now how true this is i dont know but i know a few people who have had a gas conversion done on 40k plus engine and are now on about 90-100k and have to have inlet valves replaced and changed the plugs a few more time than when it was standard

[T5SLAVE]

Thanx 4 that marshall, I shall bear it in mind as I'm planning on converting an engine with some considerable miles on the clock, if nothing else I spose the mill has been well and truly tried and tested. If what I have heard is true, Volvo mills r some of the very best choices in the world for accepting gas conversions, I hope this is true?

However, the savings made on the gas may possibly justify the odd extra plug change?...not a terrible trade off I spose? I have already done my homework on what are the best types of plug for running with gas but it supposedly alters from car to car, that would always be the case tho eh? The valve problem is the one that could really put the cat amongst the pigeons some way down the line tho?

What do you think Firestorm, afterall you are running gas already so you are the best one to ask, how many miles have you covered with gas and how many miles had the engine covered at conversion?

I have had varying quotes, I'll be goin with a company near Exeter who qouted 2k! Seems pretty dear but I still reckon long term (all being well) it will pay dividends in more ways than one. I have done some sums (been very generous in favour of unleaded in all cases to cover my back) and it always comes back good for gas...that was before I heard the news from marshall tho, ohh life's never easy :o

[mikej]

2K for a gas conversion you would have to do some miles to recover that outlay , how could that possibly be cost effective unless you drive a bloody space shuttle lol. :B_steerin

[firestorm]

hi, car was converted with 185k on the clock, yes, the spark plugs do need changing more often on any gas converted vehicle, as the spark needs to be perfect to ignite the gas, if your worried about inlet valves, have a 'flashlube' fitted, adds about £30 to the bill, drops a bit of oil into the inlet manifold, lube's the valve's,
only done about 2k miles in the volvo, i have had 8 previous cars running on lpg, there is now a 'fifth' generation of gas system out, i have seen the system on a hummer, and the software which runs it, it's out of this world, the gas ecu is self learning (every 5 seconds!!!)
i have done over 100k on gas in various cars

i am sure this new system will cope well with a ecu re-map, i am waiting for someone to order the kit for ecu re-map at my local volvo independant, so i can borrow it to max mine (dont wanna spend £400ish to use once)

[mikej]

Please don't shoot me down in flames now but can you convert a diesel ? i have no idea how this conversion works !

[firestorm]

in short, you cant, alot of big car manufactures have tried this (the latest being MB) and failed, the conversion works for a while, then fails.

[T5SLAVE]

Cool thanx Firestorm.

The new system u talk of is, I believe, called e-g@s? It's an Italian company...like most of 'em and it's supposed to be very trick indeed. I really liked the sound of the e-g@s system but the chap I spoke to recommended a Romano system as it was, in his words, "seriously hardcore tried and tested" his company has fitted in excess of 2500 similar sytems in around 5 years!

As for the miles Mike, I have been known to do 13ish-k a year in recent years, so it wont take that long to pay the system off, especially considering some of my more recent vehicles have had single figure mpg's!!! I like to consider this a mini project as well. Much like Firestorm, I am hoping this wont be my one and only LPG'er...only problem is I might have got on the LPG bus somewhat late...

[firestorm]

hi, i think the system i am gonna get must be simular, although it's called Piro (pronounced Pea-row ), made in-house by OMVL. The system comes with a 2 year warranty, i dont think your too late to get on the LPG bus, i think there is still 2 or 3 years left of the duty not being raised no more than 1p per year.

[NugentS]

I asked our master tech and a few other techs about lpg conversion if the vehicle is fitted with it as standard i.e th bi fuel models its not a problem but if its fitted as a aftermarket item apparentley it is not so good i.e plug life and valve life is reduced quiet a bit now how true this is i dont know but i know a few people who have had a gas conversion done on 40k plus engine and are now on about 90-100k and have to have inlet valves replaced and changed the plugs a few more time than when it was standard


Interesting - I have done damn near 80K on gas (a few on petrol) - the plugs are always clean - and I change them when I get nervous about how long they have been in rather than when I should.

Not sure what symptoms the inlet valves would show - can you elaborate?

Sean

[T5SLAVE]

That's nice 2 know m8, what car is that LPG systenm running on?

[firestorm]

hi, you would get a misfire when the valves are burnt, if you have done 80k on gas, then there is no need for the flashlube, must already have hardened valves, it's not the condition of the spark plugs on the outside you need to worry about, it the condition on the inside, the lpg needs the spark to be better than what it needs to be for petrol, therefore, a weak spark plug, or coil etc would show up on gas first.

[NugentS]

That's nice 2 know m8, what car is that LPG systenm running on?

2.5 LPT 1998 S70

[NugentS]

hi, you would get a misfire when the valves are burnt, if you have done 80k on gas, then there is no need for the flashlube, must already have hardened valves, it's not the condition of the spark plugs on the outside you need to worry about, it the condition on the inside, the lpg needs the spark to be better than what it needs to be for petrol, therefore, a weak spark plug, or coil etc would show up on gas first.

Hmmmm - I have always had a misfire - right from the earliest I can remember - not a bad one - and its occaisonal. Car has always done it - even before the gas.

Sean

[firestorm]

i would'nt worry about it too much then, if it's a valve burnt out, it would soon get worse, probably something more like ign leads, dist. cap, rotor arm etc, if you have lived with it for 80k miles, it cant be that bad

[NugentS]

i would'nt worry about it too much then, if it's a valve burnt out, it would soon get worse, probably something more like ign leads, dist. cap, rotor arm etc, if you have lived with it for 80k miles, it cant be that bad

It isn't that bad - but I have changed the plugs, leads, dizzy, rotor, even the amplifier (I think) and was gonna try the coil next.

Sean