The Beast Runs.

[HOTFR8]

OK, 16 of these arrived today. (I got plenty of spares this time ).

Started glueing them on with Loctite Super Flex again except for the 4 that allow me to move the guard up and down to adjust. Still have the light bar to run the wires and remount but closer to being back in action and ready for that Australian Custom Trucks magazine Photo shoot.

 

[1/2 Cup]

OK, 16 of these arrived today. (I got plenty of spares this time ).

Started glueing them on with Loctite Super Flex again except for the 4 that allow me to move the guard up and down to adjust. Still have the light bar to run the wires and remount but closer to being back in action and ready for that Australian Custom Trucks magazine Photo shoot.

The Loctite should do the trick.

 

[HOTFR8]

The Loctite should do the trick.

I think I used Tarzans Grip last time on the guards. I have used the Loctite Super Flex on many of the others. Loctite have been of great help to me with this project in the past and always keen to keep up with the movement of the vehicle.

 

[HOTFR8]

Back in action again and waiting for the photo shoot.

 

[1/2 Cup]

I just noticed............... Congratulations on your 12000 th post HOTFR8, not a bad effort I must say.

Regards

 

[HOTFR8]

Not counting them. Photo Shoot set for this Sunday, weather permitting.

 

[HOTFR8]

Photo shoot has been postponed yet again this time by the photographer.

 

[HOTFR8]

Just what I do not need. Another issue now to resolve. The LPG system appears to be stuck in limp home mode. Company that made it has gone and no support or diagnostic equipment can be found. Possibly time for a rebuild .

 

[1/2 Cup]

Your not having a good run lately.

 

[HOTFR8]

You do not have to tell me that.

 

[HOTFR8]

OK. Not having any luck at present and much of what I am finding out is a sad reflection on the Australian Auto Industry at present.


The company that made the system I have has gone. I can find some support but that is in another state and no one in this state will look at it. I need the diagnostics for it but as the company has gone most have tossed out that diagnostic system. The rebate that was being handed out for LPG (Liquid Propane Gas) has gone (I could never get it any way due to a stupid loop hole I found). Many places that have fitted LPG no longer do so and the price of LPG has gone up.

Where does that leave me ? Well I have a fuel system that does not work so it now looks like I may as well pull it all off. That looks like my next project. In hindsight it was a great system and all new technology at the time and I worried this could happen and it has so I deal with it.

Truly I see this a a reflection as to what may be happening to the Auto Industry in Australia as we have no support for cleaner fuels like LPG and what support will smaller Automotive Industry have once we have lost Ford, Holden & Toyota ? Surely this country can still make alternative fuel systems to sell to the other parts of the world ?

In the mean time I have to remove what was a good system simply because the company that made it has closed and I can not get any support.

Another expense on this project that I did not need. Still it runs well on Diesel and I can still look for Bio as well. Once the LPG comes off I may make some other changes so there will be yet more updates.

As for much of the parts, some I can re use and the International Truck may just get another LPG tank fitted under it so it will have a longer traveling range and that is something I should have done years ago.

 

[CNGsaves]

Is LPG fuel system fogger or injection ??

You mention diesel so are you Blending the two fuels (ie adding LPG to diesel - - thus no spark plugs)??

Tell us what you've got, and what you think is root cause of "limp mode" problem you're having.

 

[racingtadpole]

What brand was the system?

 

[HOTFR8]

Is LPG fuel system fogger or injection ??

You mention diesel so are you Blending the two fuels (ie adding LPG to diesel - - thus no spark plugs)??

Tell us what you've got, and what you think is root cause of "limp mode" problem you're having.

Yes correct. System was great when it worked and most likely the ECU has a failure. I guess you could call it a fogger as the LPG goes in before the turbo and mixes with the Diesel fuel to burn it hotter and cleaner.

As the company that made them has long gone no one has the diagnostics and the ECU will be encrypted so the system is no longer of any use. Many that have been running these types of systems in this country are in the same position as myself and simply removing them. Pretty sad when you consider running a Diesel this way is better for the environment.

What brand was the system?

CSMU Technologies Pty Ltd / GFSI (Green Fuel Systems International).
You can GOOGLE that and read more.

Was a great system when it worked as I was using about 3 litres of LPG per 100 k and about 14 Litres Diesel per 100 k. An approx ratio would be mixing about 4 to 1.

 

[1/2 Cup]

What a shame you cant get the bits to repair it.

 

[xtremek]

What about some kids from a local university? I've got friends here who could probably hack the system, but they wouldn't be able to diagnose it because they aren't into cars. Maybe someone from a university who is into SAE (Formula SAE or SAE mini-Baja)? They're usually pretty adept at computers and cars. If I remember right, Australia has some pretty awesome collegiate SAE teams.

 

[CNGsaves]

Too bad your Blend-Fuel system for mixing LPG with diesel is giving you trouble. This whole Blend-Fuel effort is taking off in USA for CNG with ratios as high as 40 to 50% cng with much MORE power and lower emissions. Big rigs are doing it, and delivery fleets are doing it, so existing fleet of diesel trucks can run out their useful life. LPG blend setup is virtually same as cng/diesel blend setup, other than cng tanks smaller at high pressure with longer range (however downside is cost of cng tanks).

+1 to let someone try to hack the ECU of defunk company. No one left around to sue you, and might create your own cottage industry business with old inventory at pennies on the dollar. Good luck.

 

[HOTFR8]

Problem is how much time and money do you spend to get it to work ? Most are telling me not to waste my time with it and remove it. Most Big Rig Truckies that have been running similar or the same systems and pulling them out now. If the ECU has failed then nothing can be done to save it or replace it. Could have failed and burnt itself out.

Much of this is to do with the LPG industry here once the Government stopped supporting this sort of thing most have gone belly up and closed shop.

 

[xtremek]

I think it would be worth it to contact a nearby university that has an active SAE org and see what they can do. I wouldn't spend huge wads of time, but some of these kids are incredibly sharp and can not only hack the code, but diagnose a bad circuit board component. But you're right in that I wouldn't spend much time before I yanked the system. It's worth a couple of calls, not much more.

 

[HOTFR8]

Believe me I have made plenty of calls and have plenty of headaches over this.

 

[xtremek]

Sorry, I didn't mean to belabor the point. I should have known better. Good luck.

 

[HOTFR8]

Sorry, I didn't mean to belabor the point. I should have known better. Good luck.

No offence taken . Just booked the Auto Electrician who wired it to remove all the LPG wiring. Will start removing all the other parts of the systems now as well. It has now become a project I did not need but out of it I may make some little changes.

I had one day last week on the phone looking at all options with many places. Most point me to removing it other wise it may only cost me more to keep it working. The experts in the LPG Automotive area of this all tell me much the same thing. It makes you seriously wonder what on earth is going on in our Automotive Industry here.

 

[CNGsaves]

That's too bad as it's the wave of future . . . blending fuels like LPG/diesel and CNG/diesel and LNG/diesel.

There's cng guy whose whole business is hauling vehicles across USA (ie auto transport) and all his rigs (from big rig to medium size to pickups) are either blend fuel or cng. Most rigs started out as OEM diesel only. Company is CNG Motors in Phoenix.

Might be worth joining alternative fuel forums and see if any LPG gurus are out there in other countries who might help the Aussies.

 

[HOTFR8]

Do not worry. I have looked into it via the AAFRB http://www.aafrb.com.au/ and the VACC http://www.vacc.com.au/ as both these groups are well up with it. I even had a Federal Senator visit me about five years ago when I was building the F4. As he was keen to see these system developed further. Yet here I am now talking to both the AAFRB and the VACC and they are telling me companies never got the ongoing support to develop further.

Many transport firms have removed the systems just as I am looking to do as the expense of maintaining these systems out ways the savings given the tech support is just not here anymore.

So much for developing what should have been an environment friendly system.

 

[HOTFR8]

Moved the F4 back into the workshop today ready to start removing all the LPG.

I recently added a Davies Craig Electric Water Pump or EWP boost pump to my XP Falcon to stop it suffering from heat soak. It takes coolant from the top of the Windsor V8 behind the thermostat housing via the EWP and back to a join in the top hose so this helps the engine at idle to keep coolant moving bypassing the slow at idle mechanical water pump and keeping the coolant moving or flowing faster to keep it cool. I am very happy with this as it has solved the heat soak issue after I converted it to run on Un Leaded Petrol some years ago and as ULP runs hotter so does the car. Now I have fixed this issue I am happy with the EWP and the way it works.
View media item 44207View media item 44209Here you can see how the coolant comes from behind the thermostat to the EWP and back into the top hose.
View media item 44210The EWP.
View media item 44208Coolant from the EWP then goes back into the top hose via this T piece.


This has given me an idea when the Diesel LPG system comes of the F4 I have a heater hose running to the LPG converter so a join may look out of place but a small EWP in its place may not and may help run the heater.

 

[HOTFR8]

One of the parts I will need when I remove the LPG will be something to replace the convertor.

So this small pump will fit in the same place and make sure water goes to the heater when required. This is a smaller unit to what I used in the XP Falcon.

 

[HOTFR8]

Well this rebuild plan has been ******* me off .

New water pump arrived today so I am now thinking about other updates. Nothing like thinking about what you can change or improve on whilst you are at it.

Will miss out on the magazine feature but after a few phone calls I set up the photographer with another truck to feature

and hopefully mine will feature after the rebuild.

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ Simply gorgeous !!

Likely more aerodynamic than many of the new big rigs.

MORE details . . . it's a CHEVROLET !! . . . . . but what ??

 

[HOTFR8]

^ ^ Simply gorgeous !!

Likely more aerodynamic than many of the new big rigs.

MORE details . . . it's a CHEVROLET !! . . . . . but what ??

I suggested this truck to replace the feature on mine. Yes Chevrolet V8 Diesel.
I will post more about it when I know more. Possibly will be when I read the feature.

 

[HOTFR8]

Started removing the LPG lines today. Filling line came off first and I disconnected the line to the converter. Tank will come off next. Odd that every bolt holding the filler line in place used odd size bolts so that comes back to the installer and just how he did not do the job as he should have.

Looking for ideas to replace the LPG tank with a water tank or maybe not.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Like I have said before, what a shame.

Odd bolts, another pet peeve..

Is the location of the tank accessible and if so you could use it as storage perhaps??

Regards

 

[HOTFR8]

The same standard as the past work on the Air Con. Missing O rings and non crimped hose fittings. The standard of work you can only say reflects on what I am doing removing the LPG system.

Still looking as to what I can do and a small water tank would be use full and would easily fit in the same location as the gas tank that will come off.

 

[HOTFR8]

Well I have been talking to a few about LPG systems and have not long finished talking to a mate that removed LPG from his 502 Big Block in his 1937 Coupe. Best thing he tells me he ever did going back to straight petrol.

Now something I was not aware of is the quality of the LPG fuel has fallen although I was aware the price has gone up. When I put the International on LPG the price was about 30c a litre and now it is about 89c a litre. His 502 in his Coupe runs much better on petrol.

Going back to straight Diesel as fuel I think will be a good thing with the F4. It now looks like the International will need me to have a look over it again as it no longer runs so well on LPG but now I am aware the fuel is such poor quality I know why. Explains why the Inter also runs better on petrol.

 

[HOTFR8]

With very little happening on the F4 I got back into the XP Falcon again. The top hose with the new set up was holding air and I had to find some way to get the top hose lower than the top tank of the radiator.

I have been working with many new suppliers and recently they sent me a hose to test.
Chrome plated flexible copper and similar to another product that I used to sell.
View media item 44401View media item 44400After removing the rubber hose I worked out what I needed to do to stop air in the top hose and made it up as follows and with a little more hose and a twist it now sits lower than the top tank on the radiator.
View media item 44398View media item 44399The bigger type clamps are good and much better than the ones you do up with a screw driver. Electric water pump also made it easier to both drain and refill the radiator and all I have to do now is run the engine and tighten the clamps.

I will get back to removing the LPG on the truck this coming week.

 

[1/2 Cup]

The hoses look fantastic HOTFR8.. pity I cant use them on the Model A. I am guessing it would be frowned upon in a concourse.

One question, is that Beam can a standard fitting on the Falcon???

Regards

 

[HOTFR8]

The hoses look fantastic HOTFR8.. pity I cant use them on the Model A. I am guessing it would be frowned upon in a concourse.

That depends on how you like the finish on your own car. Concourse is not a lot these days.

One question, is that Beam can a standard fitting on the Falcon???

Regards

It is on my Falcon. Coil covers on many vary in this part of the world. XXXX used to popular as it had the Castlemaine name on it.

 

[HOTFR8]

A friend is due to help me this week with the heavy items on the F4 like the LPG tank etc. and then later in the week I have the Auto Electrician due back to remove all the wiring he did to install the LPG system.

In the mean time I am busy testing the new hose on my XP Falcon. Not happy with one clamp and have to keep adjusting it. So I do not want to travel to far from home until I am sure about it.

With an event later in the week at the local Autupro Store I have been asked to represent the Rod Club at the Autopro 2nd Birthday sale so I have been busy cleaning the T Roadster. I hate cleaning brass. The day before Melbourne Cup is always a quiet day for me at work so it allowed me time to clean the T.
View media item 44481Should be a good night out as I usually get a few good bargains. Fuel additives and tools and I may even have to look for more brass cleaner. Did I say how much I hate cleaning brass ?

 

[1/2 Cup]

You did mention something about cleaning brass once or twice...

On the other hand I love it, there is nothing more satisfying, pity I wasn't down you way this weekend

 

[HOTFR8]

You did mention something about cleaning brass once or twice...

On the other hand I love it, there is nothing more satisfying, pity I wasn't down you way this weekend

Friday night is an invite only for the buyers club and those with a car to show.
I have been told the T will stay in store over night so come Saturday I will bring it home again. I have also found I have plenty of brass cleaner on hand so something I do not want to buy.

1/2 you should see a few Cars heading through your town heading to the events at Mulwala or Bright as those events are on this coming weekend.

 

[Brian Moylan]

I am also going to remove the strait gas system from my BBC C10 pick -up going back to petrol . done with LPG ,