My S70's road to LPG

[Ocelot]

So I recently got my S70 back from the LPG workshop and I wanted to show you guys some pictures of it. I can't notice any difference in engine sound/performance whether I'm driving on gasoline or LPG so I have to say I'm quite impressed. But that's because I have an outdated image of LPG. Back in the day, with the old LPG systems, you could definitely notice less power coming from the engine when it ran on LPG. But luckily that's a thing of the past.

Here are some pictures!

I chose for 76 liter tank. That'll get me around 660 kilometers per tank (around 410 miles per tank). The same (or a bit less) I get on a full tank of gas (only now for 1/3 of the price ).

lpg tank in trunk2.jpg (193.77 KiB) Viewed 1628 times

The tank from a different angle.

lpg tank in trunk detail hose.jpg (166.51 KiB) Viewed 1628 times

A close-up of the hoses going in and out of the LPG tank.

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A picture of the LPG ecu next to the battery.

lpg evaporator in engine room.jpg (185.22 KiB) Viewed 1628 times

Here's the evaporator. The mechanic asked me wheter I want a LPI system, that's with the LPG being injected as a liquid just as the gasoline injectors, or a system with an evaporator. Performance wise there is no difference according to the mechanic and the system with evaporator was a lot cheaper (well, I do have a budget to think of so ). Furthermore, the 2.5 with 10 valves is apparently known to be very suitable with LPG, in contrary to the 20 valves engines (anybody knows why that is? do the 10 valve engines have hardended valve seats?)

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The "second" fuel rail. Nicely done

engine with lpg.jpg (229.65 KiB) Viewed 1628 times

Last but not least, an overal picture of the engine with LPG. The cilinderform object on the engine is the LPG filter. It has to be replaced every 20.000 kilometers (12.000 miles).

If you have any questions I'll try to answer them as best I can. Have a nice day!

[RickHaleParker]

Did the conversion kit come with Upper Cylinder Lubrication? LPG engines wear out real quick without UCL.

[ZionXIX]

What does the conversion cost and how long until it pays for itself?

[Ocelot]

What does the conversion cost and how long until it pays for itself?

I paid 1750 euros for the conversion, that's around 2130 dollars. I drive somewhere around 12.000 miles per year which means I'll break even (thank you Abscate) after 16/17 months

[Ocelot]

Did the conversion kit come with Upper Cylinder Lubrication? LPG engines wear out real quick without UCL.

Well, the lpg-mechanic said that the 10 valve engines from the white block series are very "lpg-proof" and that they don't need such a device.

[amblerman]

Did the conversion kit come with Upper Cylinder Lubrication? LPG engines wear out real quick without UCL.

What changes in LPG engines that the upper cylinder lubrication changes drastically?

Does gasoline provide some of that upper cylinder lubrication properties? And once removed, should be supplied by something else?
-A

[Ocelot]

From what I remember LPG enters the cilinder as a gas (the G3 systems with an evaporator) whereas gasoline enters the cilinder as a liquid (spray). That brief moment before detonation it lubricates/cooles down the valve and valveseat. LPG in it's gas form doesn't have those qualities. And I know that LPG ignites at a higher temperature than gasoline. And the detonation is longer, or more controlled than with gasoline (dont know how to properly translate that last part).

[RickHaleParker]

What changes in LPG engines that the upper cylinder lubrication changes drastically?

Petrol and Diesel have lubricants in the fuel. LPG does not.

Sulfur works well for UCL but it is now required to be reduced because Sulfur impairs the effectiveness of emission control systems and contributes to air pollution.

[Ocelot]

So today, for the first time in three years, the car threw a code at me. A year ago I made a flashcode reader with the help of this forum so I checked what triggered the feared yellow engine of doom on my dashboard. It spew out code 2-2-1. Something with fuel trim too lean under part load. So I "Googled" that in the MVS search engine and if I'm correct (and please correct me if I'm missing things) I'm to check the:

Maf sensor. Clean it out with maf cleaner spray and Do not touch it.
Vacuum lines. Do you have tips which to check specifically?
Lambda sensor (I think it's called O2 sensor in English). Whats there to check on this part?
Evap. Never worked on that system. Got any tips?

P.s.: The car runs fine. No hiccups, no strange noises.

[abscate]

I don’t know anything about LPG and lean codes , but if you get lean codes on petrol , see if your short term fuel trims are large at idle and small at 2500-3000 rpm. That’s a great test for vacuum leaks

The hose on the passenger side of the intake manifold and the tree are th places to look for leaks