Honda Ek3 Vtec Lpgas Conversion Experiance

[manusha]

hi,

im planing on converting my EK3, VTEC car to LPGAS. im wondering if any one here got positive or negative experiences with

gas conversions for vtec's.

thanks

[Nilantha]

hi,

im planing on converting my EK3, VTEC car to LPGAS. im wondering if any one here got positive or negative experiences with

gas conversions for vtec's.

thanks

Don’t hesitate to convert to LPG. If you r doing regular maintains not happen problems.

[mazdaspeed]

Don't hesitate to convert to LPG. If you r doing regular maintains not happen problems.

Hi All,

Please don’t misunderstand me – I’m not trying to offend any 1 here

I’m a Mazda fan as it’s very evident – However I have deep respect for Honda’s .

Please reconsider converting a Vtec to GAS as it’s a crime in my humble opinion…

Yes u guys can tell me to Shove my 2 cents up my A## but I just had to voice out my opinion for the sake of the car… EK3 is a lovely machine and would hate to see her lose the spirit of a V tec – YES proper maintenance would keep the car in good condition but …..???

Once again I’m not trying to start a debate or fight… just pure love for a lovely machine

[big Daddy]

A conversion has good things as well as bad things. Like you guys said it will ruin the image of the car. But now days with the increase in petrol prices..... even the hardcore car lovers would think twice (my opinion)

I suppose it's the owners choice. Either you empty your pockets pumping juice or try to save some cash... Well if you ask me...Hmmmmm I will try to save some cash.. (Although i don't have my car... Sold it when I came )

/bigDaddy

[RACERSEDGE]

by experiance i'm tellin lpg is poison for honda engines cos the lpg sysems u putup here has lot of defaults,if its a honda eng with v tec..god bless the valves..justmy experince n a comment only..(hav removed more than dozen of engines with gas due to engine heating,low compression n low pulling ext ext)

Edited January 20, 2008 by RACERSEDGE

[miniace]

Fully agreed to Racersedge's comments! Note Racersedge is the best person to talk about this.

V-Tec and LPG is a deadly combination.Heard about many Vtecs got ruined coz of LPG conversions .

So Manusha you can take expert's advice !!

MINIACE

[GearHead]

Fully agreed to Racersedge's comments! Note Racersedge is the best person to talk about this.

V-Tec and LPG is a deadly combination.Heard about many Vtecs got ruined coz of LPG conversions .

So Manusha you can take expert's advice !!

MINIACE

exactly... totally agree with the comments that both of you guys have made. Once we came across a honda EG VTEC which had been used on gas for sometime and even when the engine was running on petrol the performance that it delivered was no where near what you get from a normal properly maintained vtec...and even when we took it all the way up to the red line, there was no feel of the vtec kicking in...

so think twice before you go for a gas conversion...cheers...

Edited January 20, 2008 by GearHead

[Arc Angel]

Spot on racersedge. Manusha, you will fry your valves. do you seriously want to rev to the far side of 7k on gas? don't do it bro.

[Ripper]

Spot on racersedge. Manusha, you will fry your valves. do you seriously want to rev to the far side of 7k on gas? don't do it bro.

since all the tech experts have passed on their verdict Isn't the gas prices are also going up pretty fast?

We have this guys in office who got a gas converted car purely for the economy and now he's complaining that when you compare the economy to all the negative points of a LPG car it's not worth it...

Just another point to consider i suppose

[Arc Angel]

since all the tech experts have passed on their verdict Isn't the gas prices are also going up pretty fast?

We have this guys in office who got a gas converted car purely for the economy and now he's complaining that when you compare the economy to all the negative points of a LPG car it's not worth it...

Just another point to consider i suppose

good point, in the long/medium run, it would prolly amount to the same thing (Lpg + possible maintenence = running on petrol)

plus, you driving experience would be very mediocre.

[MAS]

My experience with LPG is that you cannot tune the engine to run efficiently for both fuel types (petrol & LPG).

Cos LPG has around 110 octane (I think) and normal petrol is 90 octane. You have to advance your ignition to work efficiently with LPG. When you do this, the engine will not run efficiently on petrol.

I think this is why most of the LPG converted vehicle owners are complaining about noticeable under performance. They want the engine to work efficiently on BOTH fuel types and do not want to compromise.

Rgds.

[nira74]

Most of the people I know who had gas conversions done ended up dumping their cars after a while because they just didn't have the patience trying to sort out all the extra complications that arose after some time especially when it came to engine tuning. (Not to mention the one guy whos car went up in flames with the Bootlid ending up on a coconut tree when the gas tank exploded....)

For me in today's busy working environment where the amount of time you can afford to spend in garages tinkering with your car is minimal, there is nothing more satisfying than turning your ignition key just once in the morning with your right foot off the gas pedal and to have the engine of my eight year old car start up and settle to a smooth 500 RPM idle without a single splutter or puff.

How many owners of Gas converted cars of similar vintage can say the same ?

Edited January 27, 2008 by nira74

[MAS]

How many owners of Gas converted cars of similar vintage can say the same ?

Me.

I do not have a similar vintage car but I have a B12 running on LPG full time for the past 6 years with no issues. Did an overhaul for the first time (engine was a virgin) a few years ago and the valves were fine. My mechanic who discourages LPG was surprised too. It is a matter of proper maintenance like any other system.

Bottom line - if you have money for petrol then run with petrol.

[RACERSEDGE]

guys any 1 hav the info on the lpg convertions @ D*MO with a special oil been injected with the gas to keep the liquidity in valves & in the system...heard it 2-3 yrs back...

[miniace]

Me.

I do not have a similar vintage car but I have a B12 running on LPG full time for the past 6 years with no issues. Did an overhaul for the first time (engine was a virgin) a few years ago and the valves were fine. My mechanic who discourages LPG was surprised too. It is a matter of proper maintenance like any other system.

Bottom line - if you have money for petrol then run with petrol.

But the situation with VTec is different you know.

MINIACE

[manusha]

thanks for all the info and advices...

at the moment i got two other cars, both EFI petrol toyota's converted to LPG and runs fine without any problem.

as far as i know, gas is better to engine than petrol.

i have no trouble setting the idle @ 500 in gas.

as someone have said already, for proper running we have to advance the Engine to run in gas, which degrades performance in petrol.

and my initial question was:

DOES LP CONVERSION HAS BAD EFFECTS ON ENGINES WITH VTEC. I JUST WANNA SEE WHETHER THERE IS ANY SPECIFIC PROBLEMS FOR ENGINES WITH VTEC. AND IM SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR EXPERIENCES.

[Supra_Natural]

thanks for all the info and advices...

at the moment i got two other cars, both EFI petrol toyota's converted to LPG and runs fine without any problem.

as far as i know, gas is better to engine than petrol.

i have no trouble setting the idle @ 500 in gas.

as someone have said already, for proper running we have to advance the Engine to run in gas, which degrades performance in petrol.

and my initial question was:

DOES LP CONVERSION HAS BAD EFFECTS ON ENGINES WITH VTEC. I JUST WANNA SEE WHETHER THERE IS ANY SPECIFIC PROBLEMS FOR ENGINES WITH VTEC. AND IM SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR EXPERIENCES.

then in all honesty you'd be be better off selling the ek3 and buying a toyota, as several people have pointed out on this thread, honda engines arent really suited to LPG conversions

[Supra_Natural]

by experiance i'm tellin lpg is poison for honda engines cos the lpg sysems u putup here has lot of defaults,if its a honda eng with v tec..god bless the valves..justmy experince n a comment only..(hav removed more than dozen of engines with gas due to engine heating,low compression n low pulling ext ext)

thanks for all the info and advices...

at the moment i got two other cars, both EFI petrol toyota's converted to LPG and runs fine without any problem.

as far as i know, gas is better to engine than petrol.

i have no trouble setting the idle @ 500 in gas.

as someone have said already, for proper running we have to advance the Engine to run in gas, which degrades performance in petrol.

and my initial question was:

DOES LP CONVERSION HAS BAD EFFECTS ON ENGINES WITH VTEC. I JUST WANNA SEE WHETHER THERE IS ANY SPECIFIC PROBLEMS FOR ENGINES WITH VTEC. AND IM SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR EXPERIENCES.

look at the above post, gives details of not one but several vtec to gas conversions gone wrong.....

by the way, racersedge is AL's authority on all things honda, so you should really pay attention to what he says...

[manusha]

look at the above post, gives details of not one but several vtec to gas conversions gone wrong.....

by the way, racersedge is AL's authority on all things honda, so you should really pay attention to what he says...

im not very concerned about things that are told my mechanics... because i know most of the time they are just bullshit... being an engineer, i also know how engine works, how electronics work, etc, etc, but i dont see the logic behind this VTEC/LPG deadly combination... (if someone knows it please let me know) and i googled a lot to check whether this kind of deadly combination really exists, but found no clue. that is why im asking for experiences from user's perspective...(sorry i could not mention that in my initial post).

And i know these "HONDA mechanics" tend to replace the whole engine when they cant figure out the actual fault... blaming something totally unrelated...

so im again asking, please let me know if you had a good/bad experience with this deadly combination, ... if i happen to receive more negative experiences, i can think about this again..

here are some of the Sri lankan mechanic's comments on LPG:

too much carbon in LPG don't convert, it ruins your engine : however carbon percentage in LPG is much lower than gasoline

it ruins piston rings : how ever LPG is good for piston rings as it does not flood them with liquids during a cold start

the comment about overheating of valve edges seem to have some logic behind it though.. thats why im concerned.. VTEC is related with valves.. how ever in this case there should not be much difference for VTEC and non VTEC engines..

[RACERSEDGE]

its good to know that u are an engineer n u also knows how engines work..so y dont u gas it n run it n see plain n simple..(its yo car n yo gas/petrol)..so if you dnt cncern abt what mechanics say and as u say mechanics bulshit most of the time..y do u ask openions on this forms..n for yo info maite i aint a mechanic.i've used more than30 hondas for the past 5 yrs( so i guess that is what's called experiance).. n i got a very good team of mechanics whom i treat as my friends n whom i trust n honour..so stuff u mentioned abt mechanics is not good..give sm respect to the people who does a job that we cant do..i dnt want to make any more comments on this matter..as said by my mates miniace, arc angel & supra_natural.. best thing is for u is to turn it to lpg n see...it shd not be much differnce 4 vtec n non vtec....(as mentioned by u..) :D

Edited January 27, 2008 by RACERSEDGE

[RACERSEDGE]

look at the above post, gives details of not one but several vtec to gas conversions gone wrong.....

by the way, racersedge is AL's authority on all things honda, so you should really pay attention to what he says...

mate i'm not specialist on hondas but by useing more than dozen of v tecs i learnt lot on them,tried lot of stuff on them n ext..if any 1 so much interested can evn giv an vtec eng got jamed by lpg so they can rip it part by part to check the valve body, vtec sensor n ext..

[The Don]

im not very concerned about things that are told my mechanics... because i know most of the time they are just bullshit... being an engineer, i also know how engine works, how electronics work, etc, etc, but i dont see the logic behind this VTEC/LPG deadly combination... (if someone knows it please let me know) and i googled a lot to check whether this kind of deadly combination really exists, but found no clue. that is why im asking for experiences from user's perspective...(sorry i could not mention that in my initial post).

And i know these "HONDA mechanics" tend to replace the whole engine when they cant figure out the actual fault... blaming something totally unrelated...

so im again asking, please let me know if you had a good/bad experience with this deadly combination, ... if i happen to receive more negative experiences, i can think about this again..

here are some of the Sri lankan mechanic's comments on LPG:

too much carbon in LPG don't convert, it ruins your engine : however carbon percentage in LPG is much lower than gasoline

it ruins piston rings : how ever LPG is good for piston rings as it does not flood them with liquids during a cold start

the comment about overheating of valve edges seem to have some logic behind it though.. thats why im concerned.. VTEC is related with valves.. how ever in this case there should not be much difference for VTEC and non VTEC engines..

With all due respect to you Manusha I am sure being an engineer you will understand that when engineers design and engineer an engine they do so with particular factors in mind, and some of them being operating temperature, lubrication etc and the fuel of operation.

As an engineer I am sure you also understand that all engines are not the same. For example some engines are more resistant to boost than others and thus can be turbo charged without much internal modifications, others are not the same.

In the same way some engines are more tolerant to liquid petroleum gas than other engines and its an inherent design feature at times unintended except for cars with engines specifically designed for duel fuel by the manufacturer (The Opel/ Vauxhall Astra and Vectra both have duel fuel versions and so does the Focus)

Since we do not have the blue prints of the Honda VTec engine or have the capability to speak to Honda's main design engineer we do not have an insight of the tolerances this particular engine was built for. So we have no choice but to rely on the experienced of people who have had experiences of such and on people of the caliber of Racers Edge.

And also why go to mechanics whose advice you do not trust ? That sounds a bit silly to me to be honest,

And MAS the 16 valve Honda VTech is quite a different design from the 8V engine used in the B12, and an inherent feature of this engine is that its a high revving engine which would lead to higher operating temperatures and require a more complicated valve lubrication system to stop the valves from seizing. I am not an expert on the matter, but I do not think its logical to state just because LPG conversions are successful in one type of engine it would automatically be successful with another.

The Don

[manusha]

its good to know that u are an engineer n u also knows how engines work..so y dont u gas it n run it n see plain n simple..(its yo car n yo gas/petrol)..so if you dnt cncern abt what mechanics say and as u say mechanics bulshit most of the time..y do u ask openions on this forms..n for yo info maite i aint a mechanic.i've used more than30 hondas for the past 5 yrs( so i guess that is what's called experiance).. n i got a very good team of mechanics whom i treat as my friends n whom i trust n honour..so stuff u mentioned abt mechanics is not good..give sm respect to the people who does a job that we cant do..i dnt want to make any more comments on this matter..as said by my mates miniace, arc angel & supra_natural.. best thing is for u is to turn it to lpg n see...it shd not be much differnce 4 vtec n non vtec....(as mentioned by u..) :D

>> its good to know that u are an engineer n u also knows how engines work..

oh i know lot more than that...

>> so y dont u gas it n run it n see plain n simple

is't that bullshit? try to understand what i have asked for? if you cant understand my question, dont argue on it.

(as a reminder here is my question - any experiences from vtec owners on good or bad side effects on lp conversion.).

any tell me how many engineers are ther in sl? and how many of them repair their own car?

my argument was simple. i said im an engineer, so i also know/understand some stuff, so i know what the mechanic says is bullshit or not..

so asking me to convert it my self is total bullshit.

>> so if you dnt cncern abt what mechanics say and as u say mechanics bulshit most of the time..y do u ask openions on this forms.

forums are full of logical ppl, not just mechanics.. and most importantly other VTEC owners...

n for yo info maite i aint a mechanic.

>> never called you a mechanic, but from your post it is implicit that you are a mechanic..

>> i've used more than30 hondas for the past 5 yrs( so i guess that is what's called experiance)

have you ever converterd them to LP gas? if so you should have mentioned them..

>> n i got a very good team of mechanics whom i treat as my friends n whom i trust n honour..so stuff u mentioned abt mechanics is not good

it might be that i was so unlucky for the past 15 years to not to see a one good/logical mechanic.. however those mechanics i know are better than those "HONDA mechanics"..

>> give sm respect to the people who does a job that we cant do

i will definitely, if they do their job right... i always respect others jobs..

>> who does a job that we cant do

if i have enough time, i would not go to any other mechanic.. i'll do them myself... and i used to do that before i started working...

>> best thing is for u is to turn it to lpg n see...it shd not be much differnce 4 vtec n non vtec....

once again total bullshit without understanding the question..

[manusha]

With all due respect to you Manusha I am sure being an engineer you will understand that when engineers design and engineer an engine they do so with particular factors in mind, and some of them being operating temperature, lubrication etc and the fuel of operation.

As an engineer I am sure you also understand that all engines are not the same. For example some engines are more resistant to boost than others and thus can be turbo charged without much internal modifications, others are not the same.

In the same way some engines are more tolerant to liquid petroleum gas than other engines and its an inherent design feature at times unintended except for cars with engines specifically designed for duel fuel by the manufacturer (The Opel/ Vauxhall Astra and Vectra both have duel fuel versions and so does the Focus)

Since we do not have the blue prints of the Honda VTec engine or have the capability to speak to Honda's main design engineer we do not have an insight of the tolerances this particular engine was built for. So we have no choice but to rely on the experienced of people who have had experiences of such and on people of the caliber of Racers Edge.

And also why go to mechanics whose advice you do not trust ? That sounds a bit silly to me to be honest,

And MAS the 16 valve Honda VTech is quite a different design from the 8V engine used in the B12, and an inherent feature of this engine is that its a high revving engine which would lead to higher operating temperatures and require a more complicated valve lubrication system to stop the valves from seizing. I am not an expert on the matter, but I do not think its logical to state just because LPG conversions are successful in one type of engine it would automatically be successful with another.

The Don

>>Since we do not have the blue prints of the Honda VTec engine or have the capability to speak to Honda's main design engineer we do not have an insight of the tolerances this particular engine was built for. So we have no choice but to rely on the experienced of people who have had experiences of such and on people of the caliber of Racers Edge.

thats exactly im talking about...

thats why im asking for feedback from real owners..

>> And also why go to mechanics whose advice you do not trust ? That sounds a bit silly to me to be honest,

if you read my initial post carefully you will understand that i was not expecting advice from mechanics, but from real owners...

mechanics are the ppl who :

said Auto transmission suck... : but now almost all cars are equipped with AT.

hiace(dolphin) engine sucks : i know it is one of the best engines ever made....

[Pericles]

mechanics are the ppl who :

said Auto transmission suck... : but now almost all cars are equipped with AT.

Mechanics aint the only one who says AT sucks. If you think different, drive an auto Gen2 and see. Still the current situ is that ATs have improved a lot over the years. But just coz "almost all" cars come with AT, IMHO, manual is still better.