LPG Chimaera (Follow My Conversion)
Discussion
In theory development never ends and even something remarkable can always be improved upon, so the long and rewarding journey that is project 'Ol Gasbag' is set to continue with yet more innovation.
Things move on, so it's important to stay up to speed with the ever improving components available in the world of vapour injected LPG.
Things move on, so it's important to stay up to speed with the ever improving components available in the world of vapour injected LPG.
- Fluoropolymer coating
- Coil resistance: 1,9 Ω
- Opening time: < 2,0 ms
- Closing time: < 1,0 ms
- Max gas pressure: 4,5 bar
- Max gas flow: 115 l/min
- Temperature range: -40°C – +140°C
ChimpOnGas said:
In theory development never ends and even something remarkable can always be improved upon, so the long and rewarding journey that is project 'Ol Gasbag' is set to continue with yet more innovation.
Things move on, so it's important to stay up to speed with the ever improving components available in the world of vapour injected LPG.
Hey man where you been, place is dead without you. Things move on, so it's important to stay up to speed with the ever improving components available in the world of vapour injected LPG.
- Fluoropolymer coating
- Coil resistance: 1,9 ?
- Opening time: < 2,0 ms
- Closing time: < 1,0 ms
- Max gas pressure: 4,5 bar
- Max gas flow: 115 l/min
- Temperature range: -40°C – +140°C
Now do you mind coming down to my level and telling me what that funky looking thing does
Just the all-new TECH-YETI injector rail Alun, the latest thing in LPG injectors designed for use in extremely low temperatures.
They are faster than my current excellent Hana injectors offering even more accurate fuel dosing so should allow for an even smoother idle, even better drivability and enhanced fuel economy, also while my Hanas happily work down to 5 degrees these new injectors are designed to work in sub zero conditions which is a first in the world of LPG.
One of the reasons you traditionally cold start an LPG car on petrol is to allow engine coolant to warm the vaporisor, this is well understood but is actually only half the story, what is less well known is warming the injectors so they don't stick is as important... if not more important than warming the vaporiser. 'Ol Gasbag' actually already cold starts on LPG in the summer and autumn months, something long considered impossible by the LPG industry, these new injectors take things to a whole new level and should allow for deep winter cold starts on gas too.
The new LPG Tech Yeti injectors are internally finished with a fluoropolymer coating which not only helps them function in very low temperatures but also makes them extremely resistant to fuel contamination. LPG contains suspended oils that can collect inside and contaminate the delicate LPG injectors. These waxy heavy end deposits are the cause of many LPG issues so I use the latest filtration tech to eliminate it, but having injectors that are more tolerant to these contaminants in the first place just catches the issue at both ends to deliver unparalleled reliability.
Fluoropolymer coatings are blends of high performance resins and fluoropolymer lubricants, the coating is a superior dry film lubricant that produces a smooth, hard, slick internal finish that provides excellent corrosion and chemical resistance. Other benefits of fluoropolymer coatings include reduced friction, resistance to galling, non stick, non wetting, excellent electrical resistance and abrasion resistance too.
In theory these injectors should offer a longer service life, resist contamination better, offer an even better idle, better economy and work right down to the kind of sub zero temperatures that would have most LPG cars switching back to petrol. Better still the Yeti injectors will come with a revised ECU circuit design recently developed by the brilliant David Hampshire of Canems Engine Management Systems, this new strategy now shares the heat generated between the internal injector drivers and the injector itself which is of course super cooled by the LPG that flows through them. Taking a percentage of the heat away from the delicate injector drivers buried inside the Canems Dual Fuel ECU and sharing it with the injector enhances longevity and reliability, basically it will work like petrol where as petrol injectors are cooled by the fuel flowing through them, as we know heat is the biggest enemy of all electronics.
In theory these injectors are better, better, better in every way and offer a number of significant advantages, there's actually nothing wrong with my current excellent Hana injectors that are themselves a big step on from the slow type LPG injectors that were common just a few years ago, its just I can't help using the latest tech on 'Ol Gasbag' as I'm committed to a process of continual development to ensure this is the very best vapour injected LPG system in the world. LPG still carries the stigma of the bad old days where a car on gas typically exhibited poor economy, drivability and reliability issues, however what people need to accept is the reasons for this was all down to the crude systems and components used, during the last ten years especially LPG technology has followed the rapid developments in engine management technology so is a completely different animal these days.
With dirty diesels now exposed as being the polluting evil they've always been, low carbon super clean burning low emission LPG should really the government's solution to a filthy fuel they never should have promoted as the greener choice, diesel is the devils fuel while gas is for the angels
They are faster than my current excellent Hana injectors offering even more accurate fuel dosing so should allow for an even smoother idle, even better drivability and enhanced fuel economy, also while my Hanas happily work down to 5 degrees these new injectors are designed to work in sub zero conditions which is a first in the world of LPG.
One of the reasons you traditionally cold start an LPG car on petrol is to allow engine coolant to warm the vaporisor, this is well understood but is actually only half the story, what is less well known is warming the injectors so they don't stick is as important... if not more important than warming the vaporiser. 'Ol Gasbag' actually already cold starts on LPG in the summer and autumn months, something long considered impossible by the LPG industry, these new injectors take things to a whole new level and should allow for deep winter cold starts on gas too.
The new LPG Tech Yeti injectors are internally finished with a fluoropolymer coating which not only helps them function in very low temperatures but also makes them extremely resistant to fuel contamination. LPG contains suspended oils that can collect inside and contaminate the delicate LPG injectors. These waxy heavy end deposits are the cause of many LPG issues so I use the latest filtration tech to eliminate it, but having injectors that are more tolerant to these contaminants in the first place just catches the issue at both ends to deliver unparalleled reliability.
Fluoropolymer coatings are blends of high performance resins and fluoropolymer lubricants, the coating is a superior dry film lubricant that produces a smooth, hard, slick internal finish that provides excellent corrosion and chemical resistance. Other benefits of fluoropolymer coatings include reduced friction, resistance to galling, non stick, non wetting, excellent electrical resistance and abrasion resistance too.
In theory these injectors should offer a longer service life, resist contamination better, offer an even better idle, better economy and work right down to the kind of sub zero temperatures that would have most LPG cars switching back to petrol. Better still the Yeti injectors will come with a revised ECU circuit design recently developed by the brilliant David Hampshire of Canems Engine Management Systems, this new strategy now shares the heat generated between the internal injector drivers and the injector itself which is of course super cooled by the LPG that flows through them. Taking a percentage of the heat away from the delicate injector drivers buried inside the Canems Dual Fuel ECU and sharing it with the injector enhances longevity and reliability, basically it will work like petrol where as petrol injectors are cooled by the fuel flowing through them, as we know heat is the biggest enemy of all electronics.
In theory these injectors are better, better, better in every way and offer a number of significant advantages, there's actually nothing wrong with my current excellent Hana injectors that are themselves a big step on from the slow type LPG injectors that were common just a few years ago, its just I can't help using the latest tech on 'Ol Gasbag' as I'm committed to a process of continual development to ensure this is the very best vapour injected LPG system in the world. LPG still carries the stigma of the bad old days where a car on gas typically exhibited poor economy, drivability and reliability issues, however what people need to accept is the reasons for this was all down to the crude systems and components used, during the last ten years especially LPG technology has followed the rapid developments in engine management technology so is a completely different animal these days.
With dirty diesels now exposed as being the polluting evil they've always been, low carbon super clean burning low emission LPG should really the government's solution to a filthy fuel they never should have promoted as the greener choice, diesel is the devils fuel while gas is for the angels
Five years on and this project worked out better than I ever could have hoped 
I'd also hazard a guess its the only TVR after market engine management conversion that's actually paid for itself.
Vastly improved drivability, no loss of performance, no loss of range, no real loss of luggage space, an engine that's smoother and runs cleaner, no way you'd ever know it's ruining on LPG.... oh and that 50mpg fuel economy too of course
Whats not to like?
I'd also hazard a guess its the only TVR after market engine management conversion that's actually paid for itself.
Vastly improved drivability, no loss of performance, no loss of range, no real loss of luggage space, an engine that's smoother and runs cleaner, no way you'd ever know it's ruining on LPG.... oh and that 50mpg fuel economy too of course
Whats not to like?
Tyre Tread said:
ChimpOnGas said:
Whats not to like?
The smug b
d who keeps posting about it. "I dont get why other's haven't done it"
Anyone who's ever been around Land Rover products will confirm its really not rocket science to run a Rover V8 on LPG, people have been successfully doing it for years. Ok so I did my best to make a better job of it, but the truth is thousands of 14CUX & distributor equipped Range Rovers and Discoveries have been successfully converted using simple and inexpensive components over the years, proving without any question it can be done on a budget with acceptable results.
We all like to believe our TVR Rover V8s are something special, but the truth is with the exception of the 5.0 litre what we actually all have is a Range Rover engine with some double valve springs and a slightly more progressive cam. The bottom line is if an old cheap Range Rover can be converted at 100,000 miles (and many are), and then go on to give another 100,000 miles service running on LPG (and many do), then the results really aren't going to be any different when you do the same to your RV8 TVR.
When people consider an aftermarket ECU swap for their Griff or Chimaera, as many frustrated with the 14CUX & distributor do, for just couple of hundred quid more than a petrol only Canems system they can have the dual fuel option. They can drive and enjoy the benefits on petrol first just as they would on an MBE or Emerald, but with the Canems Dual Fuel ECU when they're ready and funds permit they can follow my recipe and implement LPG element to give a no compromise 45-50mpg.
I'm not actually trying to be smug here, I'm just genuinely confused why other's haven't followed suit, I've done all the development work and will be more than happy to share what I've learned and the blueprint of my tank arrangement ect... which to be honest is all here for everyone to freely copy anyway. Maybe people are scared of LPG, maybe the stigma associated with the crude old mixer systems lives on? To people with these concerns I can reassure them things have massively moved on in the world of LPG and my system definitely works brilliantly, so well in fact it substantially better's the drivability of any standard petrol Chimaera I've ever witnessed.
The truth is gas isn't going away, and with ever stricter environmental rules appearing every year it may well prove to be the savior of the classic car world as its the only credible low emission strategy for older internal combustion engines vehicles on the road today. In ten years or less make no mistake we will all be driving electric cars, at which point an internal combustion engined car will seem like something from the stone age and driving one will come with a social stigma for sure like smoking cigarettes does today.
At this point I can see the government imposing usage rules on classic cars, perhaps a limit of 3,000 miles per year or less and trackers to monitor and police it, this will cover traveling to car shows and some light leisure use but that's it. However, if the classic is fitted with an engine management system to replace it's carbs and it's running cats & LPG you may well be given an exemption. Make no mistake an industry built around making classic cars greener is on its way, and LPG is just one way this will be achieved.
Of course you may argue this is all speculation, but the fact is some countries already have such rules in place on collector cars so its perfectly reasonable to assume these type of mileage restrictions on classics may be on the horizon for the UK too. And even if it never comes if you convert your Chimaera to LPG you'll instantly turn your 23mpg average TVR into one that averages 45-50mpg, which to me is a no-brainer.
All the environmental benefits aside, basically you swap £0.22p a mile in your TVR (at best) for a genuine £0.12p a mile, all you then need to do is divide the cost of the LPG conversion by the £0.10p per mile saved to show you how many miles you need to drive before you cover the cost. If the conversion cost you £2,500 that's 25k miles, if it cost £1,500 you'll break even at 15k miles.
While I appreciate 25,000 miles sounds like a lot, all I can say count up the miles you've done in the last few years and you may be surprised, this may also start you thinking about how LPG (in the long run) can make your TVR way cheaper to enjoy.... just saying
COG , you make a very valid point and one I often consider, especially since I work in the motor trade 'trying to sell new metal and can see where that's going.
I've had LPG on Landie products in the past and I quite like it. I certainly not entertaining a conversion on my chim just yet, but as you said, it might be the only truly viable way of enjoying them in the future....as I'm certainly not looking to turn the lovely RV8 into something running on batteries.
Question: my future upgrades include the GEMS ecu I have waiting, how do you think this would manage running LPG?
I've had LPG on Landie products in the past and I quite like it. I certainly not entertaining a conversion on my chim just yet, but as you said, it might be the only truly viable way of enjoying them in the future....as I'm certainly not looking to turn the lovely RV8 into something running on batteries.
Question: my future upgrades include the GEMS ecu I have waiting, how do you think this would manage running LPG?
motul1974 said:
Question: my future upgrades include the GEMS ecu I have waiting, how do you think this would manage running LPG?
The answer is it'll work brilliantly, just as it does on a GEMS Range Rover. The first thing about the GEMS that makes it so much more convenient for an LPG conversion than the old 14CUX, is it has an OB2 connector, LPG ECU designers understandably make good use of this universal connector as it essentially carries all the data needed by the LPG ECU to do its job.
This makes the engine management side of an LPG conversion on a GEMS equipped car a simple plug in exercise, with a bit of additional LPG ECU calibration thrown in. No cutting and splicing wires, and because you've got distributorless ignition with piezo crystal knock sensors the GEMS ECU will keep challenging the point of detonation by continually advancing your timing, then backing it off a fraction for safety as it detects the early onset of det.
This means the GEMS ECU is effectively fuel/octane adaptive, and that's an important advantage with LPG because what a lot of people dont realise is LPG is 110Ron. The GEMS is also fully sequential which should deliver a small benefit over batch fired injection, all be it mostly at idle, finally the GEMS ECU is self learning so as long as you mostly drive on LPG it will find (to some extent) what it feels is your best fuel & ignition calibration.
Essentially the GEMS ECU will help you make a far better job of the LPG conversion than you could ever hope hope to achieve with the old 14CUX & distributor, all you need is a good 8 cylinder LPG ECU that's designed to plug into your GEMS OBD2 port. And the good news is they aren't expensive, for example LPG Tech offer a well regarded OBD2 compatible 8 cylinder LPG ECU for just £210.00.
http://www.lpgshop.co.uk/8cyl-ecu-lpgtech-tech-328...
I wish you all the best with your GEMS conversion, and once it's all working correctly I strongly encourage you to dual fuel the car too, the truth is once you get used to buying your fuel for £0.58p a litre I can guarantee you you'll never want to pay the £1.20p for petrol again.
Gas is good
COG, thanks for your very detailed reply. It's good to here I'm doing the 'right' thing for once in life!
Although....GEMS will need to wait until next year. I've got the MA ecu and I'm currently doing a full body off refurb, but my planned engine upgrades are on the long finger due to MORE court expenses with an ex.
Couldn't live with her.....and couldn't s#$#t her!
Although....GEMS will need to wait until next year. I've got the MA ecu and I'm currently doing a full body off refurb, but my planned engine upgrades are on the long finger due to MORE court expenses with an ex.
Couldn't live with her.....and couldn't s#$#t her!
ChimpOnGas said:
I'm not actually trying to be smug here, I'm just genuinely confused why other's haven't followed suit
I would say either you're bothered about MPG or you're not, and a very high percentage of people who own large capacity V8s just aren't that bothered about it, otherwise they probably wouldn't have bought said V8s in the first place. Remember many people own cars like ours as weekend toys, so fuel savings are not the priority like they might be on a daily commute.That other environmental stuff mentioned is just not here yet and most people are not going to spend thousands on a conversion 'just in case'.
I get it's not for everyone, if your TVR is a low mileage weekend toy the ROI sums at least simply don't add up.
But I'm not that guy, I do use my Chimaera extensively simply because I love driving the car, as far as I'm concerned to leave it locked up in the garage is to complete miss the point of owning a TVR. While making the car more cost effective to fuel was the key driver behind converting my Chimaera duel fuel, ultimately there were a number of additional personal motivations behind the project.
It's important to remember this is a hobby for me too, so not everything I do with my TVR is done solely because I'm seeking cost savings, and I think that would be true for us all. Ignoring the significant price advantage for a minute, to me LPG is a very interesting low carbon high octane fuel and the only alternative fuel that's readily available across a huge number of UK forecourts, and of course it's even more popular on the European continent where I enjoy many rewarding touring adventures in my TVR.
The project was an opportunity for me to explore a better way of managing the fuel with the ECU designer, it's important to explain here that all other LPG conversions use a slave ECU piggybacked to the petrol ECU, what these slave ECUs are actually doing is looking at the petrol injector durations and trying to twist this data to make it appropriate for LPG, they also do nothing with ignition side which to my mind (and experience) misses the biggest potential advantage of running a 110Ron fuel.
The concept of the Canems Dual Fuel ECU different, its a singe box computer that completely does away with the need for the compromised slave ECU concept, this allows you to directly develop dedicated fuel and ignition calibrations for each fuel type. This means you're no longer trying to manipulate what is essentially the wrong (petrol) calibration to run LPG, with the Canems Dual Fuel ECU you are starting from scratch by building the right calibration for LPG in the first place.
For me the project has been a deep dive into engine management, ultimately it's given me the opportunity to prove LPG conversions can be approached in a different and I feel better way. Of course the system is rather 'niche market', most people converting to LPG are doing so on a budget and with so many different vehicles being converted the slave ECU idea becomes the most practical approach, even if in design terms it's a rather compromised Heath Robinson approach.
Make no mistake, if an OEM car maker was starting with a clean sheet of paper approach and designing a factory dual fuel vehicle from scratch, they would undoubtedly tap into their highly intelligent engine management team to eliminate the slave ECU idea completely to create something that follows the 'dedicated mapped by fuel' concept of the Canems Dual Fuel ECU.
This project has been extremely rewarding, not least because I was able to prove all the naysayers wrong and demonstrate you can convert a TVR to LPG without introducing any of the traditional compromises, it also gave me the opportunity to prove it can be done in a better way than taking the traditional slave ECU approach as used on all other LPG conversions.
Of course the 45-55pmg petrol equivalent fuel economy is rewarding too, but it was really the technical challenge that interested me, doing things differently is something I've always enjoyed, and as odd as it may sound to some I found this project significantly more stimulating and rewarding than simply shooting for a big horsepower number. I also strongly believe the Chimaera is the most underrated classic sports car option available anywhere, it's truly better in every dynamic way than an E-Type or Healey both of which I have extensive experience of, only the TVR's significant thirst holds it back from being the very most practical analogue classic sports car there is.
So I turned on that fuel consumption weakness and solved it, while at the same time making the car much much nicer to drive than any 14CUX and distributor equipped Chimaera could ever hope to be. The result quite simply being I use and enjoy my TVR more, which at the end of the day should be everyone's objective if like me you are truly passionate about these cars.
This was a super rewarding project that stimulated my mind, while there have been some challenges along the way solving them has actually been to most satisfying element. Ultimately the project turned our better than I could have ever hoped, so if anyone is interested in doing the same I would be very happy to share my detailed experiences and support them with dual fueling their Chimaera or Griff.
I also hope the above explains my multiple motivations behind dual fueling my TVR Chimaera?
Dave.
But I'm not that guy, I do use my Chimaera extensively simply because I love driving the car, as far as I'm concerned to leave it locked up in the garage is to complete miss the point of owning a TVR. While making the car more cost effective to fuel was the key driver behind converting my Chimaera duel fuel, ultimately there were a number of additional personal motivations behind the project.
It's important to remember this is a hobby for me too, so not everything I do with my TVR is done solely because I'm seeking cost savings, and I think that would be true for us all
. Ignoring the significant price advantage for a minute, to me LPG is a very interesting low carbon high octane fuel and the only alternative fuel that's readily available across a huge number of UK forecourts, and of course it's even more popular on the European continent where I enjoy many rewarding touring adventures in my TVR.The project was an opportunity for me to explore a better way of managing the fuel with the ECU designer, it's important to explain here that all other LPG conversions use a slave ECU piggybacked to the petrol ECU, what these slave ECUs are actually doing is looking at the petrol injector durations and trying to twist this data to make it appropriate for LPG, they also do nothing with ignition side which to my mind (and experience) misses the biggest potential advantage of running a 110Ron fuel.
The concept of the Canems Dual Fuel ECU different, its a singe box computer that completely does away with the need for the compromised slave ECU concept, this allows you to directly develop dedicated fuel and ignition calibrations for each fuel type. This means you're no longer trying to manipulate what is essentially the wrong (petrol) calibration to run LPG, with the Canems Dual Fuel ECU you are starting from scratch by building the right calibration for LPG in the first place.
For me the project has been a deep dive into engine management, ultimately it's given me the opportunity to prove LPG conversions can be approached in a different and I feel better way. Of course the system is rather 'niche market', most people converting to LPG are doing so on a budget and with so many different vehicles being converted the slave ECU idea becomes the most practical approach, even if in design terms it's a rather compromised Heath Robinson approach.
Make no mistake, if an OEM car maker was starting with a clean sheet of paper approach and designing a factory dual fuel vehicle from scratch, they would undoubtedly tap into their highly intelligent engine management team to eliminate the slave ECU idea completely to create something that follows the 'dedicated mapped by fuel' concept of the Canems Dual Fuel ECU.
This project has been extremely rewarding, not least because I was able to prove all the naysayers wrong and demonstrate you can convert a TVR to LPG without introducing any of the traditional compromises, it also gave me the opportunity to prove it can be done in a better way than taking the traditional slave ECU approach as used on all other LPG conversions.
Of course the 45-55pmg petrol equivalent fuel economy is rewarding too, but it was really the technical challenge that interested me, doing things differently is something I've always enjoyed, and as odd as it may sound to some I found this project significantly more stimulating and rewarding than simply shooting for a big horsepower number. I also strongly believe the Chimaera is the most underrated classic sports car option available anywhere, it's truly better in every dynamic way than an E-Type or Healey both of which I have extensive experience of, only the TVR's significant thirst holds it back from being the very most practical analogue classic sports car there is.
So I turned on that fuel consumption weakness and solved it, while at the same time making the car much much nicer to drive than any 14CUX and distributor equipped Chimaera could ever hope to be. The result quite simply being I use and enjoy my TVR more, which at the end of the day should be everyone's objective if like me you are truly passionate about these cars.
This was a super rewarding project that stimulated my mind, while there have been some challenges along the way solving them has actually been to most satisfying element. Ultimately the project turned our better than I could have ever hoped, so if anyone is interested in doing the same I would be very happy to share my detailed experiences and support them with dual fueling their Chimaera or Griff.
I also hope the above explains my multiple motivations behind dual fueling my TVR Chimaera?
Dave.
A very clever guy and having heard the engine running on lpg can only agree with how well it runs.
That said and I owned a Jag I had converted to lpg so understand fully the cost savings that can be had but only if you really put the miles in.
The issue here is it’s a sportscar and so 90% of owners will use it as such.
For fun and weekends or sunny days.
So most owners will never get the benefit or even feel the need for lpg as it’s an expensive mod if it’s part of an Ecu upgrade.
I’m not knocking it and each to there own but I like the power output 99 fuel gives me as much as anything.
There is a weight gain and reduced boot space whatever way you look at it and for many into light sportscars with big boots not something you want to loose.
I think more importantly than anything you’ve created a fine Rover engined car running on Lpg that’s probably as good as any out there. World class no doubt
That said and I owned a Jag I had converted to lpg so understand fully the cost savings that can be had but only if you really put the miles in.
The issue here is it’s a sportscar and so 90% of owners will use it as such.
For fun and weekends or sunny days.
So most owners will never get the benefit or even feel the need for lpg as it’s an expensive mod if it’s part of an Ecu upgrade.
I’m not knocking it and each to there own but I like the power output 99 fuel gives me as much as anything.
There is a weight gain and reduced boot space whatever way you look at it and for many into light sportscars with big boots not something you want to loose.
I think more importantly than anything you’ve created a fine Rover engined car running on Lpg that’s probably as good as any out there. World class no doubt
ChimpOnGas said:
Oh how clever you are (not), I absolutely feel others could benefit from this which is why I shared my project.
Your cynicism and negativity is only matched by the absence of your own interesting and innovative development projects.
If you don't get it that's fine, but investing energy in criticism seems painfully pointless to me as it really adds no value whatsoever.
Share your own innovations or move on.
Hold on I'm not trying to be unpleasant here. I think you've done a great job and I'm not knocking your project at all. You said you didn't understand why anyone else hadn't done it and I tried to give you an answer. Your subsequent post seemed to demonstrate that it was very much a personal challenge and I was just acknowledging that.Your cynicism and negativity is only matched by the absence of your own interesting and innovative development projects.
If you don't get it that's fine, but investing energy in criticism seems painfully pointless to me as it really adds no value whatsoever.
Share your own innovations or move on.
I have not at any point criticised what you have done, at least not intentionally.
ric355 said:
ChimpOnGas said:
Oh how clever you are (not), I absolutely feel others could benefit from this which is why I shared my project.
Your cynicism and negativity is only matched by the absence of your own interesting and innovative development projects.
If you don't get it that's fine, but investing energy in criticism seems painfully pointless to me as it really adds no value whatsoever.
Share your own innovations or move on.
Hold on I'm not trying to be unpleasant here. I think you've done a great job and I'm not knocking your project at all. You said you didn't understand why anyone else hadn't done it and I tried to give you an answer. Your subsequent post seemed to demonstrate that it was very much a personal challenge and I was just acknowledging that.Your cynicism and negativity is only matched by the absence of your own interesting and innovative development projects.
If you don't get it that's fine, but investing energy in criticism seems painfully pointless to me as it really adds no value whatsoever.
Share your own innovations or move on.
I have not at any point criticised what you have done, at least not intentionally.
Like I say its not for everyone, and I'm not trying to sell it to anyone, all I'm doing is presenting the project to stimulate thought and discussion around something a bit different to what you normally see on these pages.
To add balance there are some general elements of running gas that could be improved upon, and the big one for me is the forecourt LPG pump delivery nozzles we use here in the UK. These are heavy, clunky and poorly designed when compared with the super convenient light weight and easy to use systems found on the Continent.
Finding LPG stations isn't really an issue but prices vary wildly, the FillLPG app on my phone has proved invaluable in this respect as it gives live real time fuel prices and integrates with Google maps to take you right to the cheapest gas on route. Of course there's a little bit more planning involved than running on petrol, but the app solves this in seconds and I've never had to switch to petrol or deviate from my chosen route to find realistically priced LPG, the 300 mile range I designed into my conversion helps here too.
LPG also has a reputation for throwing up general running problems, stalling, misfires and drivability issues, but my experience has been to complete opposite. Perhaps it's the advantages of the Canems system I've already covered, but switching to gas for me has resulted not only in better drivability over the old 14CUX & distributor setup which you would expect, but the car also drives fractionally better on gas than it does on petrol since moving to the Canems system.
LPG in my case turned out to be a significant drivability improver, like I say it's been the complete reversal of what some experience when moving to gas, however I should probably point out many conversions are done on the cheap by people who claim to be experts but actually aren't , if you find a really good experienced LPG fitter any car can be made to run beautifully on gas.
There is a tiny loss of luggage space but it really is splitting hairs when you study it, I designed my conversion so I can still get the targa panel in the boot, and with that safely stored in the boot still be left with enough luggage space to take the luggage of two people touring Europe for two full weeks. The additional weight element ended well too, by stacking the two steel LPG tanks just behind the rear axle line where the standard petrol tank usually sits, it turns out handling was actually enhanced. These cars are very light at the back end in standard trim because all that sits behind the axle is a fiberglass shell that forms the boot, adding the extra weight has defitely delivered traction and handling advantages.
All this adds up to a situation that means I'd never go back to a petrol only TVR, obviously I do still have the option to burn petrol as the conversion is dual fuel, but I honestly can't remember the last time I used the car on the expensive stuff because quite simply the only difference is it costs me twice as much to go anywhere.
These are my truthful experiences, while there was an initial investment to convert the car in the first place that's long since paid for itself in fuel savings, essentially what I'm left with is a far nicer driving, cleaner burning, full fat V8 TVR that literally costs peanuts to fuel.
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff