mk1 8v on gas (lpg). your thoughts + advice for a new owner.

[xcedricx]

hello all.

picked up my first Mk1 gls gold 3dr on the weekend and im pretty stoked on it... just the pure size and lightness with the engine and full interior is over welming comming from the other car im passionate about (MK1 1979 - 1985 toyota soarers.. 1300kg's). me and a mate lifted the rear end clear off the ground with out to much strain.

ive been thinking of running a car on LPG for a while now and my thoughts turn toward this car, due to lightness, simple engine design (8v carby feed 4cyl) and its fuel efficiency it already has (compaired to my 1300kg 98 ron soarer - 10/100kms... not to bad but still 70 bucks with 40ltrs in the tank).

ive called three places so far about a gas converison, two of which were not much help. they just wanted to do dual fuel and charage 3600 and send me on my way. but the third fella i talked to used to race these things in south africa apparently, sugested LPG only (which i was aiming for) using a impco system (mixer and throttle body).

my question i guess is. would the 8v be the best for the job spendign some money to freshen up the motor or could i go a 16v engine and run it with the impco system with out computer (essentially running on carbies) to get better fuel econ/power out of it compaired to a 8v.

i have a few other questions but they can wait till later on.
thanks in advance
john.

[evorobin]

You would be looking at $1500 for a decent 16v motor which would have more power but still use more fuel. 2l 8v is the pick although as fuel has only just jumped to stupid money lpg conversions are rare atm.

Goodluck with it. Update your profile so people can see the city you're in.

[xcedricx]

yeah, i have heard that the 16v's are 1500 ~ 2000... would get a 5speed while i was at it as well.

i figure its a good time to try out LPG as its only picking up in popularity (some of the places i called were booked out till october) due to the rising fuel costs. the last fella that sugested the impco system said it would drop proformance altho putting a higher output motor in its place could combat that + ill be running competly striped interior, light weight parts etc...

location added

[GoLfMan]

technically you shouldnt experience any performance loss if you tune the engine for straight gas. Gas is a higher octane fuel, and you can run higher comp without pinging and a crankier cam and stuff if you do it right so i've been told.

build the engine for straigh gas and you'll have an absolute screamer i recon!

[xcedricx]

thats what ive read and come to understand, but i guess so many of the work shops are only used to tunning dual fuel that they dont know how to do other wise...

ive been reading around the place about mk3 2.0l motors is a good cheep conversion as well for extra kick but what other motors would be good, the 1.8l or an audi motor?

[GoLfMan]

i recon go the mk3 2L

ever looked into gas research, they do some awesome stuff for V8's and 6's, may even have stuff for 4 bangers too,

[Peter Jones]

Gas only. Wet turbine turbocharger.

(Normally draw through systems aren't a good idea but in the case of gas only some of the shortcomings are negated. Also lets you keep the convertor at atmospheric pressure and the gas keeps the impellor cooler. Played with this system on a beetle once, it went really hard but icing was a problem as we were running engine oil through the convertor due to a lack of water! Turbo experts fell free to jump in here, that's the story to the best of my recollection , the year was ~1992, I'm sure things have changed since then.)

The MK 3 1.8s are pretty much a drop in replacement, all the manifolds just bolt straight on. There's only a few minor things to sort out like water pump pulleys and a little bit of plumbing.

The 2.0s are a little taller so the exhaust might need a spacer. You also need an adaptor for the MK 1 dissy to mount in the 2.0 block unless of course you're going to run the complete FI system.

Niether will mount a MK1 fuel pump so you'll need an electric pump to suit your induction system.

I've done an 1.8 ADZ motor into a MK1, pretty easy stuff, and I'm about to put a 2.0 2E bottom end into my other Golf to replace the anemic 1.8 GX motor, slightly harder stuff.

Hope this helps,

Pete

[Peter Jones]

i recon go the mk3 2L

ever looked into gas research, they do some awesome stuff for V8's and 6's, may even have stuff for 4 bangers too,

Good tip, I forgot to mention Gas Research, they do good stuff with gas only systems.

Pete

[Golf Loon]

There is a Mk1 Caddy in Sydders running a 2E 2L motor on straight Gas and the same bloke has a 1.8 KJET MK2 on straight Gas.
They go alright.
Probably an easier conversion than petrol as you need less computer and fuelling.

[Jarred]

There is some good stuff out there for performance gas systems. I can recall an XE falcon ute, 4.0 straight 6 running straight gas and twin turbos.

Pumped out inexcess of 500HP.

There is defiantly information out there about them, you'd need to research V8 and 6 performance systems and adapt concepts I would suggest. Good luck with it, keep us updated.