It has been done to a couple of private Volvos (both older T5s) on the Volvo Club forum. Both are still fairly recent, so the long-term prognosis isn't known.

However, Volvo's own 'factory' bi-fuel cars are normally aspirated, which is interesting when you think that pretty much every car they make in the 60 / 70 / 80 range apart from the 2.4 is turbocharged.

Edited to say that DNB's right -- as soon as there's a decent number of people using LPG, the tax will jump up to stupid levels ... basically, unless you drive 20,000+ miles per year and can get the coversion costs back on savings at the pump, it probably ain't worth it.

[Edited by brickboy - 12/2/2002 5:31:26 PM]

 

I have been told that LPG is close to zero emission? If so, that would mean that all the cat's could be taken off which would give quite a power boost and half the running costs. I must be missing something as I've not seen any mention of this before!

Has anyone managed a conversion and what were the results?

Cheers!

:-)

Mike

 

I thought that scoobs didnt react too well with LPG conversions.

Gez

 

I've asked this before, and was told "It will happen sometime..." and "research is being done"

Apparently the Subaru flat 4 doesn't take well to LPG (due to low compression ratio apparently) And turbos just add to the problem.

I like the thought of no cats, cheaper fuel (until 2004 when the govt will wind up tax to the point of stupidity ) and passing emissions tests...

Also, the octane rating of LPG is greater than petrol (108 springs to mind, but I don't know for sure) so better det protection maybe? The calorific value of the fuel is lower, so you won't get as much power or mpg. (All AFAIK)

Anyone up for doing a DIY LPG conversion?

 

Zero emissions?
Ha - nope - but politically it is, which seems to be the important thing these days
I imagine it's a case with LPG that, as usual, turbos raise the risk of problems hugely & no LPG conversion company wants to be known as the company that blows cars up.

 

Has anybody fitted LPG to a turbo car yet?

 

Hi all

The problem with LPG on Scooby's is the same as with all turbos - that of the massive difference in fuel-delivery levels. When off-boost, a turbo'd car needs "normal" amounts of fuel, and so a small gas-vaporiser. Trouble is, when the turbo spools up, they need an awful lot more and the vaporiser just isn't man enough for the job.

So, at present, you either have to go for a car that runs stupid-rich off boost, or dangerously-lean on boost - both of which are dangerous.

The new injector-based systems are still in their infancy and, because of the flat-4 arrangement of the Subaru's, they aren't being focussed on as much as for the in-line engines. My LPG Legacy (normally-aspirated) is being converted from vaporiser to single-injector in the new year. This _might_ be a simple (read that as basic) solution for turbo'd cars, but you wouldn't want to play the game with tweaked Scoobs at all yet.

Sorry - I promise I will keep you guys posted

 

There is roughly a 10% decrease in power on LPG-dont ask me why though-but if it was possible to fit it to a turbo scoob and decatting it ,the decat would outweigh the losses,also, i dont think that the range is as good on LPG(about 150 miles on a converted N/A car)which is why most conversions are dual fuel.-----so we'll be lucky to get 1.5 miles out of a scoob then!!

 

It's better and worse than that. The power output is about the same (although I've lost quite a lot of torque) but the mpg is seriously hit. I got 29mpg on petrol and now get 21mpg on gas!

Fortunately, part of the reason for that is the vaporiser, so it should improve with the single-injector system next year. But, if you assume you won't be able to boot it quite as hard, it's a reasonable assumption

 

Ah well, if it was such a good idea it would be available by now I guess. As I do big miles I thought that this could be the solution but looks like I'd better start driving the missis Sport to keep the costs down :-(

:-)

Mike

 

Lower calorific value explains the some of the loss of power and MPG, but due to higher octane you can remap to get back most of that power. Only if the car will be run on LPG all the time though.

Still not convinced it's a good idea on a turbo, too many variables to control to keep charge temps down and prevent det etc. How many NA cars do you hear of being turboed and blowing up because the ECU couldn't get the fuelling right under all conditions? I think the same risks apply to running LPG on a turbo car, cos the factory ECU no longer controls the fuelling when using the LPG.

TBH I'm not an authority on this subject but just my opinions going on what I've read. LPG can cause valve seat erosion on some cars so is not yet 100% problem free even on NA cars.

 

My mates been running on LPG now for 2 years on his Nissan S14 the only problems he has experienced is under high load/boost the Lpg cannot keep up with the Turbo. If you inrease revs gradually in high gears it's fine Floor it & it just runs out os Steam.

Dean