[BigRay]

Been very interested in converting my Jimny to dedicated LPG. Done a lot of research and would like to do it. I have seen that a few of you have Sierras running straight LPG and love it. I have a G13bb Jimny and live in Vic, anyone else with a Jimny on LPG?

You may say it's pointless but I am curious!!

Thanks,
Ray

[GraphicX]

you sure you wouldn't be better off just going the G16BB route ? pure gas from what i understand can provide more torque (probably still less than the G16BB) & from what i understand there's no cost saving between gas & unleaded these days in running a car.

[henno]

The main benefit for straight gas offroad (and excuse me for over-simplifying it) is not having to worry about fuel sloshing around carby floats and/or fuel tank pickups on stupid angles. The return on investment for a conversion to LPG (with regard to initial outlay versus future savings) just isn't there, particularly for small engines.

[BigRay]

I'm not after more power and not interested in a G16. The 1.3 has just been fully rebuilt and is sitting in the garage waiting to be put in. I'm after something different and as I know the benefits of LPG I think it's a good idea. Being freshly rebuilt also, a cleaner burning fuel with less deposits and byproducts would be going in the right direction for increasing engine longevity - think of taxis that manage to clock up to 1,000,000km... I also like the cheaper price at the pump and depending on the tank size I may increase my range. A return on investment always exists, the timeframe just changes.

Ray

[GraphicX]

I've seen people use scooba tanks for lpg, might be what you need to look at. I'd be worried about your range though, you probably won't be able to carry much and you can't use jerry cans, plus a litre of lpg won't go as far as a litre of unleaded.

[droverdave]

There are rules and regulations about what you can and cannot use for gas conversions, I'd be looking into what you need for these before buying anything. I know you have to get it certified by someone in order to make it legal. Probably a mod plate too (or equivalent). and you don't want a gas leak in the car, big bang!

[buzbox]

The space the tank would take up would turn me off it straight away let alone the initial expense to do the conversion. If you'd do the duel fuel setup, Say good bye to the rear seats and you wouldn't be able to even fit a semi decent swag in the back.

I have a 1.8L Mitsu Lancer that runs on LPG/petrol that I'm selling at the moment. The fuel savings are awesome, but the initial outlay of a newly fitted system would take a while to regain the profits.

[BigRay]

Yeah I would never do a diy kit, If I do the conversion it will be done by a company. My rear seats are already out and I'm not really fussed about losing storage space because the Jimny has heaps with the seats removed, and I camp very simple with not much.

Ray

[BigRay]

But also think of the fun in running a little 1.3 on gas. You'd have to clean the cobwebs off the fuel cap every time you fill up..

[Jezza86]

due to the position of the fuel tank in a jimny id be realy hesitant in replacing it with a gas tank.
31zook's jimny is unique, as he has but a crazy amount of work into it to make it function better

a gas jimny is not going to as as functional a a petrol one especially if you go remote, where there is no gas.

[BigRay]

Ah yes I understand, if I did the conversion the gas tank would go in the boot as best it can fit. Crazy idea to put it inside the little Jimny but I'm a crazy person haha
I'm really keen. I'm considering dual fuel but then the system has to be designed to accommodate the best of both worlds which has it's drawbacks.

Ray

[atari4x4]

it's just not worth it IMO, it was almost viable when you were getting the 2k gas rebate on the instal, but now with the tax on LPG it's now up arond 80+c a litre here.

[BigRay]

It's 75c where I am, 80c is still pretty good considering petrol costs anywhere from 130 - 178c where I live.

[atari4x4]

yet you won't see the same litres per 100kms as petrol so it's a false economy looking at it that way + add the cost of the conversion. 2.5 grand would buy many many tanks for fuel for that money & would take many years to recoup the cost of the LPG.

EDIT: my GQ SWB was on gas when i got it, there is now way i'd pay for a conversion after using LPG for 6 years.

[BigRay]

Yes I understand but I'm not really focused on the costs but on the benefits of LPG, and I will get my money back eventually.

[atari4x4]

there are benifits to LPG, i just thought it was for tight arses?

[vet 180]

Unless you go turbo and direct gas injection it's not worth it imo. And direct gas injection systems are not cheap, but there are some good benefits with forced feed induction.

[vet 180]

atari4x4 wrote:

yet you won't see the same litres per 100kms as petrol so it's a false economy looking at it that way + add the cost of the conversion. 2.5 grand would buy many many tanks for fuel for that money & would take many years to recoup the cost of the LPG.

EDIT: my GQ SWB was on gas when i got it, there is now way i'd pay for a conversion after using LPG for 6 years.

I don't think there is any way I would run a GQ on anything but diesel or LPG

[atari4x4]

vet 180 wrote:

Unless you go turbo and direct gas injection it's not worth it imo. And direct gas injection systems are not cheap, but there are some good benefits with forced feed induction.

^^^ bingo, the RON rating of LPG alone is a huge plus for boosted applications.

vet 180 wrote:

atari4x4 wrote:

yet you won't see the same litres per 100kms as petrol so it's a false economy looking at it that way + add the cost of the conversion. 2.5 grand would buy many many tanks for fuel for that money & would take many years to recoup the cost of the LPG.

EDIT: my GQ SWB was on gas when i got it, there is now way i'd pay for a conversion after using LPG for 6 years.

I don't think there is any way I would run a GQ on anything but diesel or LPG

doesn't petty patrol + LPG = expert at replacing cracked heads?

[vet 180]

To the OP you seem to know the benefits of the LPG systems, but do you know the negative's of straight gas vehicles?

Cold starting its a bitch, enjoy riding the brake and gas pedal on really cold mornings. This is why duel fuel systems start on petrol and switch to gas after a minute or so.
Air box explosions. The amount of airbox's I have had to replace on LPG vehicles is just annoying.
Less mpg. Not sure what tank you will get, but make sure it's decent so you don't get stranded out bush.
Harsher on valve seats and valves. Shouldn't be an issue if your engine has been rebuilt with gas in mind.

My point is it's not all positives.

LOL at cracked heads joke! I assume you are an expert now?

[atari4x4]

vet 180 wrote:

LOL at cracked heads joke! I assume you are an expert now?

the 3 tubs of chemiweld did a better job, cunt of a thing cracked up into the rocker area from the water jacket around #5

[Jezza86]

i reckon fill the engine bay/replace the fuel tank of the jimny with 4 grand worth of lithium batteries and replace the 1.3 with a 60kw eleteric motor.

you'll have something that moves quicker as eleteric is much torquier right across the rev range, has a lower COG, will be only marginally heavier. out camping with 2 Kw of solar panels, 10 hours of charging would give you close to a hour of driving time at 100kph.

pick the right eleteric motor and you may even be able to eliminate the gearbox and power the transfer case directly.

[Jezza86]

also the jimny would probably float once the 1.3 is out, so you could add 2 helicopter float skids to your rock sliders and it would double as a boat.

[vet 180]

Jezza86 wrote:

i reckon fill the engine bay/replace the fuel tank of the jimny with 4 grand worth of lithium batteries and replace the 1.3 with a 60kw eleteric motor.

you'll have something that moves quicker as eleteric is much torquier right across the rev range, has a lower COG, will be only marginally heavier. out camping with 2 Kw of solar panels, 10 hours of charging would give you close to a hour of driving time at 100kph.

pick the right eleteric motor and you may even be able to eliminate the gearbox and power the transfer case directly.

Cool idea, but I think it would be heavier. Millage would suck too. You would have to keep the 1.3 as a generator and run 4 hub style water proof electric motors. You would only need 15-20 kw motors. I wonder if it could be done a little as a budget build

[got_bar_work]

Hub motors r like 10x the price of the car so thats out

[Jezza86]

80KW at the wheels would be ore powerful then a M18, and way more torqueay.
lithium air technology will make this possible

[MrRocky]

Pity you just rebuilt your engine.
Lpg is great but you need to match your compression ratio if goung dedicated lpg.
Power will be down on petrol performance also.