Calling all AUTOGAS users re: fuel quality

[Dillzio]

hi all,

I was wondering if you've noticed much of a difference in the quality of LPG from different brand petrol stations?

Apparently with the older style LPG systems, where LPG gets mixed with the incoming air just infront of the throttle body, the fuel quality isn't so important. On LS1s however, with their plastic inlet manifold, a backfire from an imperfect mixture of LPG would blow the manifold apart, so the old systems won't do- you need to go direct gas vapor injection.

With this system, you have an additional 8 fuel injectors for the LPG, and the fuel goes through a filter to prevent the injectors getting blocked. APPARENTLY (i was told by the place that installed my LPG), if you use cheap crappy LPG imported from Asia, the gas is cut with a "wax vapor" which blocks up the fuel filter. I think that Liberty may use this one, they seem to be the cheapest. I was told that BP was the best one to get, or the 100% propane you can get from LPG stations (where the tankers fill up).

I've found from experience that BP, Mobil, Origin and Elgas/Unigas seem to go the best in my car. Other brands seem to lack a bit of grunt.

-cheers

[SS Enforcer]

I deliver LPG for a living and can tell you that there isn't any wax vapour
in the gas. Some automix is a blend of Propane and small amounts of Butane which doesn't quite burn as purely as propane.

Fact Sheet For LPG In Link.

http://74.125.155.132/custom?q=cache:qYmM0UaorHwJ:www.ret.gov.au/resources/Documents/transport_fuels/LPG%2520Fact%2520Sheet%2520May%25202009.pdf+import ed+lpg+to+australia&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=pub-7805041628024522

So the imported stuff is the good stuff .

cheers

[quinny-8]

I believe that all LPG on the East Coast is imported

[danielsan]

In melbourne i try to fill up at supagas when possible (100% propane), otherwise i've found caltex to be the next best

[Highway]

Supagas is supposed to give the best performance from what people have said.

They have at least 1 outlet in Adelaide from what I remember.

Try it and let us know what you think !!



I deliver LPG for a living and can tell you that there isn't any wax vapour
in the gas. Some automix is a blend of Propane and small amounts of Butane which doesn't quite burn as purely as propane.

Fact Sheet For LPG In Link.

http://74.125.155.132/custom?q=cache:qYmM0UaorHwJ:www.ret.gov.au/resources/Documents/transport_fuels/LPG%2520Fact%2520Sheet%2520May%25202009.pdf+import ed+lpg+to+australia&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=pub-7805041628024522

So the imported stuff is the good stuff .

cheers

SS is it true that country deliverys get the 100% Propane while the city stations get the mixed lpg.

Any tips on which stations in the city get the best stuff or is it all a much of a muchness !!

Mike

[SS Enforcer]

I believe that all LPG on the East Coast is imported

No not at all there is quite a lot of automix manufactured in Sydney Brisbane and Melbourne actually.


In melbourne i try to fill up at supagas when possible (100% propane), otherwise i've found caltex to be the next best

I did a lookup and all I can find is that Supergas appears to be an indian LPG retailer and I have no idea what gas they sell.


Supagas is supposed to give the best performance from what people have said.

SS is it true that country deliverys get the 100% Propane while the city stations get the mixed lpg.

Any tips on which stations in the city get the best stuff or is it all a much of a muchness !!

Mike

No not true at all it depends on who is supplying the gas for the contract However it's also possible to supply more than one retailer with product from the one supplier.

cheers

[morpheousssv]

If you locate service centres that sell KLEEENHEAT GAS auto gas that is the best you can get, the others are a by-product of the refinery process of fuel oil and can oil up your gas converter diaphrams and cause the seals to leak.
If you prove that a service centre has caused your LPG system to fail they will support your claim.

[Dillzio]

SUPERGAS! That's the name of the place with the 100% propane. In Adelaide it's in Elizabeth, just a few doors down from where I got my conversion done. That stuff runs really well in my car.

Cheers for the fact sheet Highway, interesting reading!

I've tried Kleenheat gas before and didn't find it ran too well in my car. Kleenheat is owned by Westfarmers, the same place that owns Bunnings. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they cut their fuel with some cheaper stuff.

I thought the "wax vapor" thing sounded a bit dodgy. Wax by definition is a solid at room temperature, and it only forms a vapor at high temperatures. But still, liquid propane is a pretty strong solvent, I guess it's not impossible for a small amount of wax to be dissolved in there.

Does anyone else use upper cylinder lubricant in their petrol? I had a VH that had it's valve stem seals totally rooted from being dried out by the LPG. Now I always use upper-cylinder lubricant in the petrol (the lead replacement stuff) and flip it onto petrol for the last Km drive of every day to moisten the seals and prevent them from drying out.

[Highway]

SUPERGAS! That's the name of the place with the 100% propane. In Adelaide it's in Elizabeth, just a few doors down from where I got my conversion done. That stuff runs really well in my car.

Cheers for the fact sheet Highway, interesting reading!

I've tried Kleenheat gas before and didn't find it ran too well in my car. Kleenheat is owned by Westfarmers, the same place that owns Bunnings. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they cut their fuel with some cheaper stuff.

I thought the "wax vapor" thing sounded a bit dodgy. Wax by definition is a solid at room temperature, and it only forms a vapor at high temperatures. But still, liquid propane is a pretty strong solvent, I guess it's not impossible for a small amount of wax to be dissolved in there.

Does anyone else use upper cylinder lubricant in their petrol? I had a VH that had it's valve stem seals totally rooted from being dried out by the LPG. Now I always use upper-cylinder lubricant in the petrol (the lead replacement stuff) and flip it onto petrol for the last Km drive of every day to moisten the seals and prevent them from drying out.


Have you got the vapour or the liquid gas setup ?

The liquid setups start on petrol and change over to lpg and I thought most of the vapour systems also do the same type of thing.

Don't think there is any need to use upper cylinder lubricant in the liquid systems.

I run it on petrol every week for a while anyway when the lpg runs out.

By the way SS Enforcer supplied that fact sheet !!

What sort of differences do you find using the Supagas ?
( Can't get it in Sydney so far )

Mike

[Dillzio]

Oh, my mistake. Thanks SS_Enforcer for the fact sheet :-)

I have the gas vapor injection setup. That also starts on petrol, and kicks into gas once the engine reaches 36 degrees C.

You are correct that starting on petrol every day does offer some lubrication for the valve seals, but I don't think that running for 3 minutes on petrol every morning offers the same degree of protection as soaking the seals in petrol overnight to prevent them from drying up.

I find the improvement with supergas is similar to the improvement from 95 octane to 98 octane petrol, the car just seems more responsive and seems to pull more G's on acceleration.

The supergas station here only sells LPG, and always has lots of LPG tankers going in there to fill up for their deliveries to the petrol stations. I can't say I noticed the logo on the side of the tankers though.

[danielsan]

I also ran my previous car (vt superchaged v6 with OMVL DREAM XXI-N sequential injection) on supagas, and there was a noticable diffrence in mid-range power between supagas and the stuff from the servos, but stuff all economy diffrence. The Calais with the JTG system doesnt show as much of a diffrence with power but it is there. Oh and supagas tends to be anywhere from 4c to 14c a litre cheaper, well at least supagas bayswater does.

I think i've also posted this somewhere in that 50page liquid injection thread.....

[cammm]

where abouts in melbourne is this supagas place?

[Highway]

Lots in and around Melbourne -

www.supagasnsw.com.au/contact.htm

Let us all know what you think

Maybe in the future they might have a site in Sydney.

Mike