diesel-gas conversion

[Traveller]

UMMMMMMMM, NO! They run predominantly on gas at approx a 70/30 mix. More power is gained as LPG has a higher combustion rate than diesolene but having fewer lubricatin properties causes engine failure well before normal

From the Diesel Gas website:

The system operates by simultaneously burning diesel with a small quantity of gas resulting in a more efficient burn rate of 95%-98% (most diesel engines achieve around 75-85%). This increase in the burn rate results in less diesel being used to create the same outcome.

DIESEL GAS AUSTRALIA

 

[mark daly]

diesel gas

diesel gas

 

[havok011101]

Very interesting guys. I am looking at a Hilux at the moment that has a lpg conversion, was very curious about it. I like the idea of better power and more clean burning, but one of the main drawcards to the lux would have been reliablity.

I wonder how the engine copes?

The one I'm looking at has (I thnk, haven't called yet) 140K odd on the clock, but the motor is only has 37k after a "warranty rebuild". Sounds a little suss to me?

 

[BUSHNUT]

Very interesting guys. I am looking at a Hilux at the moment that has a lpg conversion, was very curious about it. I like the idea of better power and more clean burning, but one of the main drawcards to the lux would have been reliablity.

I wonder how the engine copes?

The one I'm looking at has (I thnk, haven't called yet) 140K odd on the clock, but the motor is only has 37k after a "warranty rebuild". Sounds a little suss to me?

The jury is still out on the question of longevity of the motor, one being a total oiler and the other Gas Assisted running drier.

One has to ask why the big transport companies haven't embraced it.

Generally speaking , fuel is the cheapest thing about your vehicle .

Also it would take a long time and lots of KM's to really get the savings as gas is so bloody expensive now for what it is .

37 after rebuild ? I would walk away from it .

The gas in the system makes the engine run drier, diesel engines are not called oilers for nothing.

the transport companies haven't embraced the concept - this would suggest that wear and tear factor is a problem .

Some one on the forum may have first hand experience about this - input of this is what I'm waiting for .

 

[havok011101]

Thanks for the input, sounds like I should find out a bit more info before I consider it more. The price is good, but probably not worth the potential heartbreak.

More from me as it comes in.

Any other thoughts on the DSL/LPG debate?

 

[Towjackar]

The jury is still out on the question of longevity of the motor, one being a total oiler and the other Gas Assisted running drier.

One has to ask why the big transport companies haven't embraced it.

.

Sorry!

I'm a newbie to this site and what I'm about to say is probably out of line.

I'm researching this exact subject at the moment, as I'm interested in doing the conversion early next year, about April 2010.

The statement about big transport companies is absurd because they are using the system, not as widespread yet, but it's getting there.

Allan Clark is king of the road in his T904

This makes a good read for those not convinced as yet to it's acceptance in the big transport industry. Then go look at the GFIS site as it's this system I'm leaning to.

Welcome to Green Fuel Systems International

Cheers, D

 

[mark daly]

hi ive got dieses / gas on a 2004 nissan patrol have done 50000 km we have put it on are tractor an have better fuel ecom an more power .


Mark

 

[croozza]

Diesel/Gas is not a new idea, this was originally around well over 60 yrs ago, what has changed is the technology and the application, the reason why some diesels have problems now with it is that the modern light diesel engine (fitted to 4wd's and some light commercial vehicles) is nowhere near as strong internally as the diesel engine you find in the modern heavy vehicle.

 

[Jeeptheone]

My father has had the diesel/gas system on his 93 GQ patrol for the last 5 years and has had no real issues apart from some donkey mechanics not knowing how to tune the thing. He has been around Oz twice towing a pop top, heaps of gold prospecting around WA and drives it a fair bit now in NSW for shooting/hunting purposes.

He swears by it and is now looking at getting an aftermarket turbo fitted to get the added benefits of forced induction. He has the tank located adjacent to the fridge in the back on the storage system.

After his real world results in an older truck and if I had a diesel I would be getting it.

JTO

 

[havok011101]

Older reply but I ended up buying the Lux with the LPG injection and it's going really well.

I was a bit skeptical on the both fuels until I ran it on pure Diesel for a couple of weeks and then went back to the mix, much more power, revs better and a bit better economy. It seems to blow less smoke from time to time as well.

So yeah, a year in and I recon that it's a good thing to get if you're so inclined. I do hear about bus companies running these systems, as more capacity means better gains, and a turbo gets more back too for some reason.

 

[croozza]

Older reply but I ended up buying the Lux with the LPG injection and it's going really well.

I was a bit skeptical on the both fuels until I ran it on pure Diesel for a couple of weeks and then went back to the mix, much more power, revs better and a bit better economy. It seems to blow less smoke from time to time as well.

So yeah, a year in and I recon that it's a good thing to get if you're so inclined. I do hear about bus companies running these systems, as more capacity means better gains, and a turbo gets more back too for some reason.

The reason you found that was, the fuel pump gets turned down to accommodate the LPG, as it is used at the same time as diesel (unlike the petrol styles) and when you are not using the LPG and just using the diesel, you actually have less fuel to use which inturn reduces the fuel burnt and lowers the power of the motor. There is a potential problem here, as the motor can run too lean, and if you keep giving it the full berries, it can damage the motor. So the best thing to do there is to just go steady when using straight diesel.

 

[puppet]

all the big trucks going out of my mine site have massive natural gas tanks on the back

 

[puppet]

word on the street is you can put a little pertol in the tank..... 5l for a 60l tank and it will do the same. i havent tried this but next time i fill up i will

 

[croozza]

word on the street is you can put a little pertol in the tank..... 5l for a 60l tank and it will do the same. i havent tried this but next time i fill up i will

BANG is what you will hear from the motor if you do that, then there will be silence.

 

[offroader3]

Gday All I Have Actually Done Some Work For A Company In Brisbane That Fits Gas Systems To Mainly Trucks And Have Seen What Goes On And What The Owner Drivers Say To Dispell Some Myths You All Think You Know ....

1.the Diesel System Of The Vehicle Is Not Touched So If You Run Out Of Lpg The Vehicle Runs As Standard .

2.the Lpg System Runs A Computer Injection System With Several Sensors Inputs To Control The Amount Of Gas Being Injected And Also Exhuast Temps Are Monitored .

3.the System Works Best Of Turbo Diesel Engines As The Lpg Mix Just Before The Intake Of Turbo The Get A Better Mixing Of Gas/air Mix .

4.the Idea Of Doing This Is As Previous Have Said Better Complete Combustion Of Diesel The L.p.g Acts As A Catalyst So In Doin This It Is Actually Better For The Engine As Very Very Little Soot Is Dumped Into The Oil /i Have Seen Diesels With Perfectly Clean Oil Even After 5000km So It Creates A Cleaner Enviroment For The Inside Of Your Engine .

5.also Because Of This More Explosive Mix You Get Better Power From The Engine And Huge Torque Increases In Effect Reduced Use Of Diesel Supply So Save Fuel , But They Only Use Approx 1/3 Lpg To Diesel So Eg; 90 Diesel Tank 30 Lpg Tank ..

6.once System Is Fitted The Control Ecu Is Hooked To Laptop For Final Tuning And Trimming Settings Can Be Adjusted Also Alot Tune On The Dyno And See Phenominal Results .alot Of Trucks Are Heading This Way As The New Euro 5 Emission Laws Will Come Out And If Trucks Dont Meet This I Guess There Off The Road ,so By Putting This System On They Will Easily Pass The Tests .much Better For The Enviroment ,no More Black Smoke .

So Hope This Helps With The Research Glad To Be Of Help .

 

[canyonaro MK1]

think i might look into this diesel/gas conversion. from what i'v read, the 95 NJ paj would be a suitable candidate would it not? does any one know of any specific reasons why it would't before i go spending endless hours researching!

 

[Qute]

G'day guys,

My Musso's 2.9 litre, 5 cyl Mercedes designed Turbo Diesel (just so we all know what we're talking about) has run on D-Gas for the last 3 years and 75,000 K's (it is up to 103,000 now).

I had the system fitted 2 weeks before I set off around Australia for a year towing a pop-top van. With the Fed and, at the time, State rebates, it cost me $700 which was easily paid off in fuel cost savings within 10,000 K's which was 20% of the trip.

Why did I get it fitted? A mate of mine had a 4.2 litre TD Pootrol done and his Torque at 1,000 RPM was literally doubled. In fact, it was difficult NOT to spin the back wheels on dry bitumen in a straight line off the mark...

As said above, the Diesel system is not altered in the slightest. If you run out of Gas (or decide to switch it off), your vehicle runs as it always did on straight Diesel.

SOME vehicles will accept 30% Gas (by litres) whereas others will ping their heads off at that mix. 20% Gas is closer to the norm in 4WDs. However, the more Gas you can get in there, the better the bang (no, not THAT bang) for your buck.

Working on 20% LPG, and LPG at ½ the cost of Diesel, your average cost per litre of fuel is reduced by 10%. You get about 20% more Diesel economy but, overall, you use the same number of litres of Diesel and LPG as compared to running on Diesel alone.

My Musso runs a smidgen under 20% Gas in normal running around and about 24% when towing the van (because it boosts earlier and longer when towing). In Low Range 4WDing, it'd run about 2% as I am rarely on boost for any period of time.

The Merc TD's are unusual in that they still run 22:1 compression AND a Turbo at 10 PSI whereas most Jap TD's run about 16:1 or 17:1 and more Turbo boost...

In my particular case, I gained 12% more Power and, more importantly, 16% more Torque running on Diesel/LPG as compared to Diesel. Here's my Dyno Graph:

It was about 42 degrres when that dyno run was done, the Musso had only done about 28,000 K's and an intercooler pipe hoseclamp decided to die as I pulled into the place. The dyno had EVERY size hoseclamp known to man except the one I needed... So, the numbers aren't too speccy but you can clearly see the difference between straight Diesel and Diesel/LPG. Actually, I should go and get another run done as she'd put out healthier numbers now...

I have noticed that my oil stays cleaner for longer and, unless working her hard off the line or up a hill with the sun low in the sky and behind me or a car behind me with his lights on, she blows no noticeable smoke. Even in the above exceptions, the smoke is absolutely minimal...

AFAIK, Vic is the only State to have issues with D-Gas vehicles...

I have had absolutely ZERO problems with the system or my motor and expect that to continue for the foreseeable future.

 

[Towjackar]

Diesel/Gas

Just stay away from WOOLWORTHS LPG, they are importing it from Malaysia and it's causing all sorts of problems here in NSW.

Cheers, Dennis

 

[Bainsy]

i got diesel gas on my old girl, (4.4 turbo diesel) works a treat! its all mechanical, no computers. it took me a few nights in the shed to get it right but im happy with the outcome.

 

[Qute]

I forgot to add above:

When towing my 17' Pop-Top van which weighs in at about 1600 - 1700 kg when loaded, I usually sit on about 95 km/h.

Over the 51,500 K's of my trip, I averaged the equivalent of 12.5L/100 KM or 8 km/L or 22.64 mpg (depending on which system you think in...). This included towing the van through the Snowies, across Mt Hotham from Beechworth to Lakes Entrance, 4WDing, sightseeing and everything else I did...

I set up a spreadsheet before I left to work it all out for me. It worked out the full fuel cost as well as the average cost of Diesel thereby calculating how much Diesel I could have bought for the total fuel cost. It then divided the kilometers by the litres of Diesel I could have bought for the price of both fuels and gave me an equivalent usage. Thank God the spreadsheet was easier to do than it is to explain...