3.0 24v LPG Lubrication?

[9000Parts]

Never having owned or driven an LPG converted car of any sort Im a bit in the dark about it all.

For those of you that dont know I bought a 3.0 24v 1997 960 Auto a few weeks ago with single point LPG fitted. I live in Marmaris, Turkey although I still hold UK passport so language can be difficult when trying to get work done on the car. I have a decent garage that let me borrow their ramps when they arent busy but they arent LPG specialists. The local LPG specialist doesnt speak any English and my Turkish is not advanced enough to speak to him confidently.

Basically, I know quite a few cars with LPG have to have some sort of additive added somewhere to protect certain bits. Can somebody run through what this additive is called, where do you put it and what does it protect?

Being as this car needs to last me for the next 10 years some preventative maintenance and knowledge now will go along way to keeping her alive.

[jjd101]

Flashlube - I think this is the additional lubrication additive you mean. IMO the manual flashlube system is better. Easy to fit, cheap to buy (Ebay), but can be fiddly to set to the correct flow rate (easily adjustable though)

[capt jack]

I think it's true to say that your car probably doesn't need an additional lubrication system. It's more of an issue on lesser engines than a Volvo - Fords and Japanese cars mostly.

My 97 V70 was converted to LPG 6 years and 175,000 miles ago, and now with 225,000 up is still running absolutely fine. There is no 'flashlube' system fitted, and at the time the conversion was done I was told that for Volvo engines of that period, extra lube systems are not needed.

Classicswede on here will be able to give you the definitive answer - I reckon a quick PM will do the trick.

Cheers

Jack

[9000Parts]

Thanks chaps. Not sure I have got enough posts to be able to do PMs yet but will try anyway.

[classicswede]

No need for any valve saver (flashlube) on the 960.

As your 960 is fitted with a mixer system you will need to make sure you fit new spark plugs every 10'000 miles or 12 months which ever sooner to reduce the backfire risk. One backifre on a 960 will cause a lot of damage.

[M D E]

Make sure you're very careful with the single point injection system as mine went dangerously wrong after 10,000 miles so please make sure you use a specialist.

I run Flashlube on C70 as a precaution, the 960
Has hardened valve seats and valves so it doesn't really need it.....

[9000Parts]

About 80% of all Petrol cars here in Turkey have LPG conversions and the installation looks to be of a high standard to me. The LPG tank was certified less than a year ago but what else is checked at the same time I dont know?

Am tempted to get a multi point system installed as there is a definate difference in power between LPG and petrol and I only get about 200Km (140miles) from a 35litre tank of LPG. Mind you, thats mainly town work and traffic light drag racing.

[M D E]

The fuel consumption sounds about right, the problem my single point system gave me was the LPG and petrol mixed in the inlet manifold and a small backfire caused it to ignite both fuels which blew my inlet manifold clean off !

My advise is never to restart the car within a few minuets of turning off.

My LPG BRC multipoint system provides the same power as the petrol (using the largest fuel injectors), it took alittle tuning but it's super smooth to drive !

[9000Parts]

There is some evidence of a misfire as the airbox was in pieces and the throttle body elbow was split when I first looked at the car. Cant get hold of any sort of service records as the car disappeared from the Volvo network when the Finnish Embassy sold the car back in 2004.

Trying to find out what the best spark plugs to use would be for the engine as it runs LPG almost all the time other than start up or at traffic light drag races? What ones would you guys recommend so I can try and hunt some down. Might be that I have to ebay some from the UK.

[capt jack]

Well I've tried all sorts of different spark plugs in my LPG'd V70. The ones that work the best and last the longest are the standard Denso ones, listed in their catalogue for the car. Cheap as chips and work a treat.

Certainly avoid the mutli-point plugs - they don't work very well with LPG.

Bosch superplus aren't bad, but I think the key thing is that for LPG the plugs need to be copper-core single point.

Cheers

Jack