Patrol Gas conversions

You will need to do your sums.

The conversion is around $3000.

It does reduce your effective range though. It normal uses 100 odd litre Gas Tank , and stays with its sub tank which is piddly small. Changing the fuel tank takes it to around $3500+ and goes to about 70-80 litre . . . from memory.

You use quite a lot more gas then petrol. Seeing how you are towing a horse float . . . whats your economy . . . high 20's per 100 k's ?

You would be well into the 30's running on gas towing.

There is supposed to be an increase in LPG commencing in 2008 I think. When I was looking , it was suggested to me , that a minimum of 35,000 per year would be needed to make it worthwhile.

The benefit is , the Patrol is well suited to the conversion. Nothing special needs to be done.

Just need to do you costings , to see where the break even point is.

Hi,
I remember reading in an IAME publication some time back that LPG would receive an excise increase from 2007 I believe, with that in mind, gas may not be the cheaper alternative for much longer, esp when you factor about 15% more gas than ULP to do the same km.

Also Patrols are notorious for cracking heads on LPG, not sure if this carried over to GU from GQ, but GQ on gas was disaster, if they crack, they often crack again shortly after having them welded, assuming it will be repairable at all, a new head would kill your saving if you had to buy one.

Cheers,
Wayne

I have a 2000 model Topyota 100 Series 4.5L with a gas conversion done by Gas ZConverters in Perth. Net change over price was $2000 as there is a $500 Gov rebate. They removed the aux tank (about 45L) and as I had already removed the spare wheel from underneath the new 92 litre gas tank went in there. So have about 90L useable of both fuels.... Up here in the north of WA we pay $0.82 for gas and about $1.37+ for petrol or diesel and the l;atter keep going up.

More gas is used around town (and much more in the bush!) but at a constant 115 on the highway with c/control I get about 4.8km per litre and much better at 90.

Don't really know the typical consumption on unleaded - don't use it much (only know the price lol). Will shortly be towing a heavy van and the plan was always to tow on petrol and tootle on gas.

I have had a Flashlube systen installed - only about $120 and comes with a 15 year warranty - it provides a constant very slow drip of upper cylinder lubricant, cost is bugger all - a valve saver I am told by mechanics I trust.

I was also advised to get the valve clearances checked periodically. Can be quite critical on the Toyoata running on gas - as are good plugs and leads. I spoke to the chief Nissan dealership Techie in Perth at the time of purchase as I was eyeballing a 4.8 petrol Patrol, he stated that the model did not like gas conversions - something to due with the catalyitic converter - dunno.

So I guess you do your sums and make your choice. I don't regret making the change and my wallet says thanks each time I fill up :-)

Cheers GB

Dennis, the operation is a bit pricey on a Patrol. But don't be put off by this bullbleepabout increased excise on lpg. It was originally supposedto be 2.5% per year increase starting in 2008 until it totalled 10% in 2112. That has apparently been deferred until 2112-2116. But you'll probably use about 25% more lpg than ulp (it burns quicker) so that would effectively increase the (say) 40c per litre to 50c. Still a long way short of the 110/116c we're paying for ulp now. If it's going to cost you $3,000+ you'll still break even in less than 2 years, especially when you take into account you'll probably use the car more once it costs less to run. Get your figures right, have a look thru Google and the search archives on this site. There's normally good advice around here but also some ill-informed advice like I was given before the conversion for a Landcruiser. If you're keeping the car for more than 2 years it'll probably pay you.

I saw this the other night on the ABC's New Inventors program.

I have no idea if it is a better Autogas (Auto LPG) system for motor vehicles.

How it works.
The GTi Stealth Injection System is a multipoint sequential vapour system for gaseous fuel injection technology in cars. It works directly in conjunction with a car’s existing computer. It doesn't need a secondary computer to interpret and send the new gas system’s needs to the first computer.

This is achieved primarily through the use of a specially designed gas injector valve. Similar to the workings of fuel injector valves, Bill’s injector differs by including electronics within. This will ultimately enable the valve to open to a 4mm opening due to an increased use of amps. This gap is substantially larger than the fuel injector holes, which vary somewhere under 0.1mm openings on fuel injectors. It is essential for the right delivery of gas with air ratio.

Existing fuel injectors cannot be used with gas, not only because petrol is a liquid, but because the quantity of fuel allowed through those holes wouldn’t be enough for gas. More gas is required than fuel, due to the fact that gas is a vapor, not a liquid. This means that Bill’s gas injectors require larger openings. These fit into the timing of the existing computer’s pre-set fuel injection commands, whilst still allowing enough gas through. In fact, the GTi Stealth Injection System allows 300 times more gas than petrol through each injector in the same time.

Thus the name stealth as it's fooling the car’s computer into thinking that it is still using a petrol injection system. The actual timing of the injection does not need changing as the size of the gap itself allows enough gas through, not the length of time of the opening. This enables the user to still directly tap into the car computer’s existing programming and elements as nothing else needs to be changed.

Other systems need open longer, gas stays in manifold, changes dynamics within engine. This also means that a second interpreter interface/computer is not required to talk to the first computer to tell it what the gas systems needs are. Those needs have not, according to the first computer, actually changed. Basically, the timing for the activation of the engine’s components, controlled by the computer, do not need to change.

Bill’s system also requires the use of a specially designed heat exchanger/ regulator. This works in conjunction with the gas injectors, as it fully vaporises the LPG from its stored liquid state, at the regulator. Existing regulators cannot start cold. They require dual fuel systems (incorporating the choice of either petrol or gas) to start on petrol, then convert to gas when the engine is warm enough to vaporise the LPG. In systems with no dual fuel, this is a problem. With Bill’s regulator however, the system can start from minus 10 degrees.

From the regulator, the vaporised gas travels to and through the fuel rail. It enters the gas injector (and is forced through its large hole) at the same position as it would have on petrol injector. It emerges into the inlet manifold where it is mixed with air. This mix then travels through the engine’s inlet valve, then into the cylinder, nicely mixed. There, the piston comes up, and the spark plug fires.

As usual the claimed results are as follows.
'This results in:
* Superior Engine Performance
* Longer Engine Life
* Reduced Exhaust Emissions
* OBD Compatibility
* Original Fuel System functionality
* Cost Effective Investment'

Cost is between $2000-$2300 AUD for most vehicles.

Gas Injection Technologies Pty Ltd website.
http://www.gas-injection.com/lpg-gas-injection-technologies.html

ABCs website.
http://www.abc.net.au/newinventors/txt/s1345083.htm#otherinfo1

Dennis - just go to:

http://www.lpgautogas.com.au

It's all there - including fitting and filling station locations.

Cheers
Chrispy

Hi All,
Just would like to say thanks for all the good replies. I can alway rely on this forum.
Regards Dennis