lpg affect engine ?

[poconosms1]

I work for gov't and we have to purchase a certain number of lpg vehicles. The biggest problem I've seen with lpgs is the limited number of miles you can travel between fillups. The larger crown vics we use cannot travel from Trenton to Atlantic City and back (180 miles max) without a fill-up. Its a problem with the tank size. For a few years, each lpg car also had a gas tank because of this. There are now more LPG stations, but it's a pain in the AS* when you have to fuel up every day.

 

[Brit Explorer]

....hence why I'm having a dual fuel conversion - I get to keep the Petrol ("Gas") tank as well as have the LPG (really "Gas") one fitted.....also I'm having the 92L tank, ie the largest one you can get for the Explorer.

 

[Maniak]

I've talked to people with Propane trucks.. .. and also someone who does the conversion...

If you just take a stock motor and convert it to LPG (e.g.. dual fuel).. you lose performance with the LPG..

If you convert the vehicle to LPG only you can gain performance.. becuase you can Increase the compression ratio..

Actually you have to to even keep the performance the same.. LPG has less BTU per gallon than normal petrol (unleaded gas)... but it has much higher octane..

The people with the actual converted trucks say there is no difference (e.g... they don't notice any loss or gain in power).. but these motor were switched to run on propane only.

~Mark

 

[user10]

can I stop the fuel injectors from software

My first contact with someone who instal lpg and he asked 675$ with a 90 l tank.

I know that from car computer you can stop from working the fuel injectors 2 by 2 to detect defects so can't I stop all because they said they have to put some "emulators" (I don't know what they are) to stop the fuell injectors from working dry ?

 

[Brit Explorer]

...sounds cheap user10 - my LPG conversion is costing me approx £2300 (this is for an Explorer specific BRC multipoint system).......????

 

[user10]

...sounds cheap user10 - my LPG conversion is costing me approx £2300 (this is for an Explorer specific BRC multipoint system).......????

do not be afraid the average income is 160$/month here so is not that cheap ...

 

[camer]

LPG tank where spare wheel was

Hi. Although over a year behind, I would love to know where Brit Explorer stores his spare. I am researching an LPG conversion at the moment, but am trying to find out if there is a contraption/device I have seen on other makes of 4*4 cars. As the tailgate opens upwards, the device opens back and to the side - like a door - and locks in place. This means the tailgate can now be opened.
Does anyone know of anything that can be fitted to an explorer?
Hope everyone is still around - a year on!
Ian

 

[OZexplore]

i have seen one here in australia but that is all i know

 

[Dre]

LPG is pretty widelly used in Europe... not like here in the US where we just acquired Iraq and don't have to worry about it... we are currently working on Venezuela too for the future generations...


If you are looking for an original LPG system try locating some on ebaY... these were factory installed in lots of Explorers bound for Canada as LPG is also in use there. I've seen a few sold.

Or start looking all over the place for a multi injection units... better performance... better fuel consumption.

 

[Brit Explorer]

still around and on LPG

Hi Camer (and folks),

Yep still around, still running the Ex on LPG. I had my tank installed in the recess where the spare wheel used to be (just don't carry the spare now). It's a good solution as you don't loose any boot (trunk?) space and the car visually is no different to a petrol (gas?) version.

Interesting to hear the Canadians got Ford factory installed versions - generally speaking in my experience I understood Ex's don't much like LPG, mine took 4 months of revisits, tune ups and tinkering before I got it too work satisfactorily.

Driveability and performance are affected a little still but the cost savings make up for that.

Cheers all,

- A.

 

[Dre]

Driveability and performance are affected a little still but the cost savings make up for that.

especially when the price of LPG is one third of the price of regular unleaded (Regular in Europe is 95 Octane)

(price comparison based on a price of one liter of petrol and LPG in Poland)

 

[Gonzo]

This is something I am interested in. I found some links to companies that do conversions in the U.S.

 

[graham@winnards]

We have a '98 V6 Explorer, and have an LPG (70 litre) system running alsondside petrol. We are achieving an average of 17 mpg on LPG but at only £0.33 P/L. A word of warning, we have experience of the cheaper Italian system which was disastrous, the US import (Via Gaspower in Birmingham has been great, with the odd backfire which results in you having to put one of the air intake stoppers back in (20 secs). but well worth it and makes it possible for running the Explorer all the time not just as a towing vehicle for two large horses and use on the farm.

 

[UK Explorer]

Think yourself lucky user 10 - I currently have a 4.0litre running unleaded which here in England costs £0.80 a LITRE - that's the equivalent of $7.50 a gallon.

I'm therefore having my explorer converted to LPG in two weeks time - all my research indicates it's a good thing to do provided you have fuelling stations available to you (quite a few here in the UK).

- Andy.

Brit Explorer, Where and how much for the LPG conversion in the UK ?

 

[philthejem]

Lpg

Hi all
i have a 98 x and have had LPG fitted several months ago

performance is not quite as good as petrol but after afew revisits to the garage is will do 280 miles on a gentle run per tank of LPG

who cares when you pay 29.9 for LPG and 80 for petrol !

i have a multi injector LPG system which has its own management unit with a computer port for diagnostics and tuneing/tweeking
it has had a emulator fitted for the injectors
the bigest size tank i could get was a 98 litre donut type and is mounted where the spare was

i had ultraseal put in the tyres to stop punctures - DONT DO IT!

It is crap and only good for a couple of punctures

it also throws your balanceing out
i ended up geting 4 new tyres (they were needed anyway) but i could have got more life out of mine

if i go on any long journeys i carry the spare in the boot with a cloth over it

the LPG conversion cost me 1800 quid but saves me £30 everytime i fill up!
and if you do it at morrisons you get points and get a £5 shopping voucher
every now and again!!

phil

(in the UK)

 

[UK Explorer]

Hi Phil,

Where did u get this done as I am interested and am also in the UK

 

[hermitrl]

From a mechanical standpoint LPG is a lot better for your engine. I drove cab for years and the oil never got very dirty on Propane. The spark plugs also came out nice and clean. There is slight power loss I found--but not worth mentioning--unless you plan to race it. Filling it up was tricky--as you dio not want this stuff on your hands.

 

[Brit Explorer]

Hi Bruce,

Apologies it's taken me a while to reply. I had mine done by "Chiltern Gas Cars" who (were) based quite near my home - however the car has never been right since the conversion so I wouldn't recomend them. BTW I also had a multipoint injection system fitted, it cost me approx £2500 and gas around here is never any less than 35p/litre - still great compared to petrol but I'm envious of philthejem! On a full tank of LPG I can get 240 miles at a push. Despite all my troubles I still think LPG is great, especially for a big vehicle like these. Do go somewhere that's recomended though, and go in with your eyes open.

Good luck!

- Andy.

 

[philthejem]

i only get 280 miles if on a motorway with cruse control at 65/70 m/hour
and that virtually empties the 98 litre tank

i did a 200 mile round trip towing a boat (aprox 1 ton) and ran out before i got home so i used about just less than a quater of a tank of petrol aswell

you cant have it all

my gas system is runnung a bit lean still at the moment so a final trip is still needed to the garage to tweek it

it still makes me laugh to my self when you get people putting 40 to 50 quid in petrol in there cars then i pull up and they look at you funny when you get a full tank for 20 quid

the performance isnt as good but the cost out weigh's it for me

Phil J (UK)

 

[UK Explorer]

Thanks you both for the info, us british explorers should stick together