Gas anyone?

[black vxr]

Is anyone running an LPG setup on their car? The VXR has such a small boot I am not quite sure how this would work out, but 22,000 miles in 6 months has got me back to considering LPG again.

[anonymous-user]

Just sell it or buy a £500 diesel Peugeot 306 for the miles. LPG is expensive to convert (2 grand) and a bugger to get working properly, you'll also lose half your boot and the cost of the gas isn't as attractive as it used to be.

[slackalice]

Yes it is expensive to install, but the electronics that control it are so good now that it is an option that is cost effective if you are going to keep the car, or you do say more than 20,000 miles a year. This only stacks up all the time the goverment of the day don't take away the special dispensation on LPG.

There is no loss of boot space as the tank goes into the spare wheel housing, I was given a car for week fitted with this system, and I tried my hardest to mess it up but I have to say that it worked well, and there was no loss power either, and by God it was cheap to run !!!

[anonymous-user]

How did you find availability of Gas and what about the range on such a large engine? Doubt it will work with my supercharger?

[gareth h]

I researched this a while back there is a company south of Birmingham that feature a ro which they have converted on their website, apparantly very succesful, wortec spoke highly of the car.
Do a search you should find their contact details

[Ston]

Isn't LPG a higher octane as well? Would a remap on LPG find any extra horses?

Once the LPG tank is fitted, wouldn't it be possible to remove the petrol tank and then reclaim some room in the boot.

Doesn't sound a totaly crazy idea to me...

[V2RAC]

Ston said:

Isn't LPG a higher octane as well? Would a remap on LPG find any extra horses?

Once the LPG tank is fitted, wouldn't it be possible to remove the petrol tank and then reclaim some room in the boot.

Doesn't sound a totaly crazy idea to me...

Good idea but probably wise to retain petrol tank. Just in case you happen to be where no gas supplies available. I would imagine the system woulkd be switchable.

[Ston]

http://www.calor.co.uk/gas-supply/lpg-bulk-tanks/i... Stick one of these in ya garage!!

Okay, now I'm getting carried away.

Edited by Ston on Sunday 30th September 10:23

[o.versteer]

Ston said:

Isn't LPG a higher octane as well? Would a remap on LPG find any extra horses?

Once the LPG tank is fitted, wouldn't it be possible to remove the petrol tank and then reclaim some room in the boot.

Doesn't sound a totaly crazy idea to me...

It does to me though..... Seriously, it's not worth even thinking about messing with stuff like that on a modern car. LPG it by all means (although I wouldn't, just doesn't make sense to me) but messing with the fuel tanks and all that sort of stuff is a non-starter IMO.

[ringram]

Ston said:

Isn't LPG a higher octane as well? Would a remap on LPG find any extra horses?

Once the LPG tank is fitted, wouldn't it be possible to remove the petrol tank and then reclaim some room in the boot.

Doesn't sound a totaly crazy idea to me...

Yes its about 110 octane I think. However it contains less energy per litre than gasoline. So unless you are running a much higher compression ratio you will get less power from it. Optimal timing between lpg and gasoline will be different too. So really the only benefit is the cheaper fuel price (less tax). You will therefore lose power with a dual fuel setup.

If you went totally lpg and increased compression (like 12.x:1 etc) and altered timing (full retune) I would imagine you could get exceed petrol power outputs.

[SS HSV]

ringram said:

Ston said:

Isn't LPG a higher octane as well? Would a remap on LPG find any extra horses?

Once the LPG tank is fitted, wouldn't it be possible to remove the petrol tank and then reclaim some room in the boot.

Doesn't sound a totaly crazy idea to me...

Yes its about 110 octane I think. However it contains less energy per litre than gasoline. So unless you are running a much higher compression ratio you will get less power from it. Optimal timing between lpg and gasoline will be different too. So really the only benefit is the cheaper fuel price (less tax). You will therefore lose power with a dual fuel setup.

If you went totally lpg and increased compression (like 12.x:1 etc) and altered timing (full retune) I would imagine you could get exceed petrol power outputs.

Ah thanks Roger, you have answered a long-term question. I curently commute to Basingstoke - a 90 mile trip daily, but there is no way I want to give up the SS as its sooo much fun on the M3.

I thought about lpg and running a supercharger, a Motec M800 with higer compression, ditch the main tank and have it replaced with a cusom made lpg tank; and run the car on lpg only. We discussed this in the pub with a techy mate and he thought it was viable. As my car has a value of not a lot I am very tempted to do something completely different.

Do you think this is actually possible and would prove to be reliable or am I as mad as a hatter?

[ringram]

I dont see any need for a motec, the stock ecm can be made to control near 1000bhp with a better set of features.
As to whether its viable or not. Im sure it is, but I dont know how many others would have tread that path. US and Oz have cheaper fuel so you might be a pioneer.
Btw: You can call me Richard if you like

[gareth h]

I saw an e s class merc in a garage just outside basingstoke which had the petrol tank removed and ran on just gas, although I always thought they started on petrol and switched to gas when the engine was upto temp.

[SS HSV]

ringram said:

I dont see any need for a motec, the stock ecm can be made to control near 1000bhp with a better set of features.
As to whether its viable or not. Im sure it is, but I dont know how many others would have tread that path. US and Oz have cheaper fuel so you might be a pioneer.
Btw: You can call me Richard if you like

Oops sorry Richard I must have had Monkfish communication mode enabled

I like the idea of pioneering but the detonation word worries me quite a bit. Didn't know the stock ecu was that good. Time to do some homework me thinks

[slackalice]

Ston said:

Isn't LPG a higher octane as well? Would a remap on LPG find any extra horses?

Once the LPG tank is fitted, wouldn't it be possible to remove the petrol tank and then reclaim some room in the boot.

Doesn't sound a totaly crazy idea to me...

The car I was testing had a petrol tank as the system needs to start on petrol and once warm switched over automaticaly to gas.

There are a lot of filling stations over here now that sell LPG, in fact I have just had 3 weeks in Italy and nearly every good size garage had a pump. So maybe it is a fuel of the future, but alas as more and more people convert, I am sure the duty will rise, but i have been saying that for the last five years.

[stigmundfreud]

just because it has more octane doesnt mean you'll get more power. Its like 4 pints of beer can have the calorific value you need per day but you couldnt live on it (honest I tried) as those calories are empty of any real energy. Another thing is if its got a really high RON you would need to be able to run some very aggressive advance to get any performance gain and from my limited knowledge of the LS1 you can go 40 degrees advance, think the ls2 is slightly more. Thats where people like Mark or Roger would be handy to talk to.


eta missed Richards post...

Edited by stigmundfreud on Sunday 30th September 22:45

[ringram]

If you raise compression timing requirements will drop. But stock, yes more timing will be optimal. Hence why LPG really wants high compression, that will raise efficiency and regain some of the lost power from the lower energy fuel.

I wonder if you can set a compressor up to the residential gas supply and use that? Maybe more like CNG than LPG I guess!? Even cheaper.. hehe..

[ringram]

.. and a bit of late night research http://www.gasfill.com/
Even better, low tax and no special trip to the gas station required.. cool.
But as expected its really CNG.

[Yorkkie]

you can live on 6 pints of beer per day

[SS HSV]

ringram said:

.. and a bit of late night research http://www.gasfill.com/
Even better, low tax and no special trip to the gas station required.. cool.
But as expected its really CNG.

Oh that is sooo cool. Just dropped them an email. £130 per week in fuel to go to work is killing me no matter how much fun it is.

Even the MD passed a comment about the environment, in which I delighted in mentioning about investing in a Building Management System that would turn down the heating and turn off the lights as no one seems to bother...

Unfortunately unbeknown to me it was his job to do so as he is the last to leave but often forgets