LPG question(s)

Post Sun Jun 15, 2014 4:47 pm

I've bought a kit from one of the members but I have a couple of questions regarding fitting it.

1. I've seen pictures of the LPG filler mounted alongside the petrol filler cap. I believe you need to have the filler pipe topped with a european filler neck and that you need to carry a UK to european adaptor with you in order to fill up using a UK pump. Does anyone have more info on this? Are all euro fittings the same? Where can I buy a Euro>UK adaptor?

2. Some of the single point E30 installations I've seen have somekind of blowback flap fitted to the airbox. Is this something you can buy or is it something you have to make for yourself?

3. Can you have more than one tank fitted? Ideally I'd like a torroidal and a cylinder.

Looking forward to getting the kit fitted as it'll make trips abroad much cheaper and therefore more frequent!

Any advice appreciated.
Ta.

Post Sun Jun 15, 2014 10:41 pm

Hidden filler and bayonet adaptor are on this page: http://www.tinleytech.co.uk/acatalog/Fi ... _caps.html I've found that the 10mm thread that these adaptors use is a bit fragile for constant use if made completely of brass, so it's worth going for an adaptor with a steel 10mm insert.
Note that these fillers don't strictly meet UK regulations, which prohibit the use of adaptors for 'normal' filling. You will need adaptors if you take your car out of the UK of course - the French 'cup' type and the 'Acme' Belgian/German screw type are all that you need. I've never set eyes on the 'euro' one yet. You also need to carry a set of 'water pump' pliers with you, as the 'ACME' type often gets left in the pump nozzle when you unscrew it,and the pliers are needed to retrieve it!

'Catflap' AFM saver is on this page: http://www.tinleytech.co.uk/acatalog/Mi ... stems.html Check the size you need. I think it's the 72mm version for a 325. The end with the grub screws fits where the rubber hose currently fits, with a bit of sealant to fill the gap.

You can run more than one tank, but you need one way valves in the outlets to stop LPG flowing from the higher tank back into the lower one and filling it past its 80% safety limit.
I run twin tanks on my E39 when I'm in Europe - a 70 litre toroidal in the car, plus a 100 litre cylinder tank, which follows about five metres behind the car.

Post Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:03 pm

daisy123 wrote:Hidden filler and bayonet adaptor are on this page: http://www.tinleytech.co.uk/acatalog/Fi ... _caps.html I've found that the 10mm thread that these adaptors use is a bit fragile for constant use if made completely of brass, so it's worth going for an adaptor with a steel 10mm insert.
Note that these fillers don't strictly meet UK regulations, which prohibit the use of adaptors for 'normal' filling. You will need adaptors if you take your car out of the UK of course - the French 'cup' type and the 'Acme' Belgian/German screw type are all that you need. I've never set eyes on the 'euro' one yet. You also need to carry a set of 'water pump' pliers with you, as the 'ACME' type often gets left in the pump nozzle when you unscrew it,and the pliers are needed to retrieve it!

'Catflap' AFM saver is on this page: http://www.tinleytech.co.uk/acatalog/Mi ... stems.html Check the size you need. I think it's the 72mm version for a 325. The end with the grub screws fits where the rubber hose currently fits, with a bit of sealant to fill the gap.

You can run more than one tank, but you need one way valves in the outlets to stop LPG flowing from the higher tank back into the lower one and filling it past its 80% safety limit.
I run twin tanks on my E39 when I'm in Europe - a 70 litre toroidal in the car, plus a 100 litre cylinder tank, which follows about five metres behind the car.

Is this Brianmoooores secondary / stealth account?

Post Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:05 pm

Oh shite! That's another zoner who came to see me this afternoon, and used my laptop to look up a post she'd made. (brianmoooore)

Post Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:08 pm

Does your wife know you have women round to check out stuff on your laptop

Post Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:11 pm

Right! Back to normal.

Post Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:41 pm

daisy123 wrote: I run twin tanks on my E39 when I'm in Europe - a 70 litre toroidal in the car, plus a 100 litre cylinder tank, which follows about five metres behind the car.

Any pics of this intriguing setup?

Post Mon Jun 16, 2014 12:14 am

Car has a changeover switch on the dash, which switches between the car tank solenoid valve and a second solenoid valve/filter fitted behind a rear wheel arch liner. A pipe goes from this valve/filter to a bracket under the tow bar which has a modified French 'cup type' filler fitted to it. This filler serves as a one way valve and provides a male 3/8" BSP thread which normally has a cap screwed onto it, but is fitted with a snap in connector similar to that used on air lines when required.
The 100 litre tank is mounted right on the axle of a touring caravan, in a spare locker area. It has the normal air tight box fitted to it, with two copper pipes leading under the 'van, along the A frame, to just behind the tow hitch. One pipe goes to a French style filler cup, and the other goes to another snap in connector.
Power for the solenoid valve on the tank comes through a spare pin on the 'grey' trailer plug and socket.
An appropriate length of high pressure orange LPG hose has a male snap in connector on each end, which links the two female connectors together.
In use, I switch to the rear tank first, run that dry until the LPG low pressure alarm sounds and the car automatically switches to petrol, then flick the dash switch to switch the car tank on, and then switch back to LPG again.

Post Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:49 pm

^
Is that actually legal here?.....aren't you effectively towing your fuel tank behind you?

As for the blow back flap,there seems to be a catflap "box saver" type and a m/f band type. Which is most suitable (and where the hell do you mount it? lol).

Post Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:09 pm

N00b wrote:^
Is that actually legal here?.....aren't you effectively towing your fuel tank behind you?

That's legal AFAIK, but I try not to look into it too much. All the LPG safety features should work as normal, so I'm perfectly happy from a safety point of view.

As for the blow back flap,there seems to be a catflap "box saver" type and a m/f band type. Which is most suitable (and where the hell do you mount it? lol).

The cat flap incorporates a rubber band blow off device, and the whole thing is fixed directly to the AFM outlet, where the big convoluted rubber hose normally fits. The inlet side of the cat flap has fits over the AFM and has three grub screws which hold it in place. Sealant is needed to prevent an air leak.
The AFM assembly needs to be moved about 20mm towards the front of the car, so that the convoluted hose can be fixed to the back of the flap.
The mixer can be fixed inside the top of the air filter assembly, with the gas feed pipe drilled through the casing, to avoid having to move the AFM assembly forwards even further.