LPG on a 2.25 Petrol Series 3

[sotal]

Just after any info on LPG kits fitted to series motors.

We picked up a Series 3 which we are breaking for parts and it's current engine is a petrol 2.25 which has been converted to run on LPG, the only thing I thought was unusual was that it only runs on gas, there is no petrol tank, it starts and runs on the stuff.

Is this normal on series motors?

Any info any where on what sorts of kits were fitted?

Only really need the info as we want to sell the engine but don't know much about it. I've posted about it in the for sale section.

Any info?

[rtbarton]

I've got LPG on mine. I kept the petrol tank and switch between petrol & LPG using an electric petrol pump and a solenoid gas valve.

It starts fine on LPG using the enrichment solenoid fitted to the regulator.

[sotal]

Thanks for that, so it's fine to not use petrol at all?

Any idea of how much the kit is worth second hand? Really we want to sell the engine and kit together, the buyer can even have the gearbox free if they want (jumps out of 2nd)

[rtbarton]

The only reservation I'd have about never using petrol would be the exhaust valve seats. If they've been fitted with hardened seats you'll be OK, otherwise it would be advisable to run with petrol with some LRP additive from time to time.

That said, people use these engines without hardened valve seats anyway.

It may be worthwhile having a look at the carb, just to make sure the float chamber, choke, jets &c are still there - with LPG you only need the butterfly. The seals may have dried out so it will probably leak like a sieve the first time you put petrol in!

[sotal]

I don't think we'll bother trying with petrol, I'll leave it up for sale on here for a little while if there is no interest (which there hasn't been yet) then I'll stick it on Ebay - If that doesn't sell it'll probably just get weighed in for scrap

[rtbarton]

You should get something for the LPG kit.

[CR88]

The only reservation I'd have about never using petrol would be the exhaust valve seats. If they've been fitted with hardened seats you'll be OK, otherwise it would be advisable to run with petrol with some LRP additive from time to time.

That said, people use these engines without hardened valve seats anyway.

It may be worthwhile having a look at the carb, just to make sure the float chamber, choke, jets &c are still there - with LPG you only need the butterfly. The seals may have dried out so it will probably leak like a sieve the first time you put petrol in!

Yes, I agree, the only problem that it will be found some miles later are related with the valves seats. I suggest to swap the engine head with one for unleaded petrol.

[Mark]

We ran our lightweight on LPG alone for several years, and never had any problems. All the petrol stuff was still there, and I used it onece when I couldn't get gas on the way home, and that was fine too.

Started and ran fine on gas, although it did have the unleaded head already.