LPG conversion
10-14-2002, 04:16 PM
#1
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LPG conversion
Now, you may think me mad for asking this, but does anyone know of a 911 that's been converted to run on LPG? 
Cheers
Phil
Cheers
Phil
10-14-2002, 04:51 PM
#2
No, but I work for a company that makes LPG engines (8-20hp) and can tell you the most likely reasons why...
(1) Cost: propane (at least here in the USA) is more costly (about double per hourspower-per-hour) than gasoline.
(2) Wear & Tear: propane engines run quite a bit hotter than gasoline, to the point they require different exhaust valves.
(3) Infrastructure: Unless you have ready access to a propane filling facility, you are going to be limited in how far you can drive before the bottle goes empty.
(4) Weight penalty: the added weight of a pressure vessel to hold the propane greatly increased the weight of the vehicle, and likely offsets any possible gains in economy.
(1) Cost: propane (at least here in the USA) is more costly (about double per hourspower-per-hour) than gasoline.
(2) Wear & Tear: propane engines run quite a bit hotter than gasoline, to the point they require different exhaust valves.
(3) Infrastructure: Unless you have ready access to a propane filling facility, you are going to be limited in how far you can drive before the bottle goes empty.
(4) Weight penalty: the added weight of a pressure vessel to hold the propane greatly increased the weight of the vehicle, and likely offsets any possible gains in economy.
10-14-2002, 05:08 PM
#3
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Hi Phil,
Think of the possible mods. you can do if you run on LPG....
1) replace the retractable spoiler with a gas grill! Cook up some tasty dogs and burgers between auto-X heats...tail-gate parties will have a new meaning.
2) come on, help me out on this, guys....wait, spun carbon fiber gas bottles!
Enough brainstorming, I gotta go back to work... <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />
Think of the possible mods. you can do if you run on LPG....
1) replace the retractable spoiler with a gas grill! Cook up some tasty dogs and burgers between auto-X heats...tail-gate parties will have a new meaning.
2) come on, help me out on this, guys....wait, spun carbon fiber gas bottles!
Enough brainstorming, I gotta go back to work... <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />
10-14-2002, 05:33 PM
#4
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Here's a photo of Doug Harrison - He mey have had this conversion applied to his 930...
from the NER PCA site
(I do the Photo of the month
<a href="http://www.porschenet.com/photo.html" target="_blank">http://www.porschenet.com/photo.html</a> )
from the NER PCA site
(I do the Photo of the month
<a href="http://www.porschenet.com/photo.html" target="_blank">http://www.porschenet.com/photo.html</a> )
10-15-2002, 04:49 AM
#5
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Thanks for the replies!
Interestiing that the situation is so different in the US. Here, LPG is about half the price of petrol in the UK and is an increasingly popular fuel; the government gives grants to help pay for conversions of new vehicles. Apparently, new outlets are opening at the rate of one a day, and you can still switch back to petrol if you run out of LPG.
LPG-powered vehicles also pollute less and so will be exempt from any future city-centre charging.
One possible problem with the grill idea; the hot fat will drip onto the engine and down to the heat exchangers, where it will burn off giving a nasty smell. Something which 911 owners will never have experienced before...
Phil
Interestiing that the situation is so different in the US. Here, LPG is about half the price of petrol in the UK and is an increasingly popular fuel; the government gives grants to help pay for conversions of new vehicles. Apparently, new outlets are opening at the rate of one a day, and you can still switch back to petrol if you run out of LPG.
LPG-powered vehicles also pollute less and so will be exempt from any future city-centre charging.
One possible problem with the grill idea; the hot fat will drip onto the engine and down to the heat exchangers, where it will burn off giving a nasty smell. Something which 911 owners will never have experienced before...
Phil
10-15-2002, 07:43 AM
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I spoke to a specialist A/C , LPG company that converts engines to use LPG (Just along from JZM)
They said dont even think about it, on these performance cars. So I didnt. <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" />
Apparently it make a huge performance difference too.
They said dont even think about it, on these performance cars. So I didnt. <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" />
Apparently it make a huge performance difference too.
