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MG MGF Technical - Can you do this with an MGF?


Here's an interesting question for you - can you convery an MGF, either a MPi or a VVC to LPG?

Apparently it costs as little as £2'000 to do and with the cost of the petrol at less than half the price, it shouldn't be long before you get some, if not all of the costs back.

In addition to this, i have read that there is next to nothing in performance change and in fact it is better for the engine.

Any one care to comment?

ps lpg is better on the environment as well.
John

Yes.

>shouldn't be long
3 years at current prices and average miles before break even - assuming the tax doesn't change which is a flawed assumption given the Gov.n has said it will.

>i have read that there is next to nothing in performance change
A few BHP - equivelent to un-buying a good manifold at £400

>in fact it is better for the engine.
>better on the environment
Is it? in what way? how are the gains offset by fitting a cat (as required) - compleatly?
Will Munns


ANSWERS:
Can LPG damage my engine?
No. In fact, LPG is a cleaner burning fuel engine, so life is extended and less maintenance is required. The one exception is engines using leaded petrol. These are not suitable and LPG may damage the engine.

Will converting affect the performance?
There is very little difference in performance - however, with a liquid injection system, performance can be increased by 5%. Some drivers find increased drivability and for anyone used to driving on diesel, there's obviously a significant reduction in noise.

Jeff

>In fact, LPG is a cleaner burning fuel engine, so life
>is extended and less maintenance is required.
Cleaner than 95RON tescos? BP 95RON? Optimax?

Yes, cleaner as a base fuel, but not 'cleaner' as far as the engine is concerned when combined with the additives in petrol these days.

>however, with a liquid injection system, performance can be increased by 5%

yes, with a fuel system designed entirely around LPG the performace can be better, and the economy can be better as the caracteristics of the fuel are better handled at low temps - BUT NOT a £2k conversion which uses Petrol for the warm up and a standard ECU for the fueling

These statments are not lies, but neither do they actually tell the whole truth. Don't get me wrong LPG is a good idea on some cars, but the F is not one of them!
Will Munns

Yeah but would a motoring satire website called "sniffLPG" ever catch on?
Cannonball Bob

John

If you are going to convert, check where the LPG tank will be installed. The favourite place for most cars is in/under the boot, ie within the crumple zone.

LPG also contains less energy in a given volume than petrol, (because LPG has a lower molecular weight), so check how your range between fill-ups will be affected.

Chris
Christopher Marshall

and check the weight of the (unladen) tank to see how the weight effects your performance.
Will Munns

... and say goodbye to the boot space. LPG tanks are pressure vessels and therefore cylidrical. Nowhere to put one but in the boot.

Brian

Don't do it!

I converted a Vauxhall Vectra thinking I could make some money, I get a car allowance plus mileage for my work and believed the hype.

On petrol I was getting 35mpg, LPG reduced this to 27, so right away a good bit of the savings disappeared.
It didn't have the same power, and I felt like I was constantly looking for my next fill up. I got a 40 litre doughnut tank where my spare was, and as soon as I hit 200 miles I was looking for my next fill.
That and I still needed petrol because it started on that until the engine hit a certain temperature.

I reckon it's worth it for motorway cruising saloons if you're doing 25000 a year and prepared to keep stopping at service stations, otherwise forget it!

And yes, I reckon I was had!!!

Cheers,
Alan
Alan Paton

This thread was discussed between 01/06/2004 and 08/06/2004

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