Valve seat recession - questions

[volvobaggen]

Hello. I am the happy owner of a 97´Volvo 850 with a 10v NA engine, now running like clockwork on propane.

If you dont mind, I have some questions for you lpg-gurus

I got two offers(from different installers) before doing the conversion. One with valve-saver fluid, and one without it. Beeing stingy, I opted for the one without it.

Lately I have been reading about VSR and the scary effects of dry burning, super hot propane destroying exhaust valves on susceptible engines. From what I have read here on the forums Volvo 850 and pre-ford engines(2001?) have valves of good steel quality.

1. Does the valve seats take excessive damage from the propane when whipping the engine on high load and hard driving?

2. Would it be worth installing a flashlube system, or is this just snake oil for people like me who worry to much about VSR?

[classicswede]

97 850 - don't wast any money on a valve saver system as it is just not needed.

[volvobaggen]

Thank you for answering classicswede. This forum has provided me with lots of information.

Next to be converted is my slightly rusted but very much loved 1977 volvo 245.

[classicswede]

And no need for any valve lube on that either. B21's will run on anything without issues.

[volvobaggen]

Yes, back in the days Volvo made unstoppable machines. I truly love that car.

[DXMachina]

So my 2001 V40 2.0 won't need valve-saver either then? cool

(Yes, I bought it :-) )

[capt jack]

Originally Posted by classicswede

97 850 - don't wast any money on a valve saver system as it is just not needed.

My 97 V70 2.510v has just clocked up it's 250,000th mile on LPG. It's fundamentally the same engine as yours, still all-original, and still going strong.

It doesn't have a valve lube system, and I suspect that if it had needed one I'd have known by now....?

Cheers

Jack

[volvobaggen]

Thats pretty impressive jack.

My friends are very sceptical when it comes to lpg. They always refer to horror stories about cars they have seen in garages with dismantled engines due to this "cheap horrible fuel". Even though I tell them its not that dangerous, they are still waiting for my engine to burn up

[capt jack]

These are two oil filler caps from identical Volvo 5 cylinder 2.5 10v cars. The first is my 260,000 mile LPG 1997 V70, the second is of our other car, a 1998 150,000 mile petrol S70.

We bought both cars at the same time seven years ago, both have been regularly serviced by me.

LPG is a cleaner fuel than petrol, here is the proof.

Cheers

Jack

PS Actually my car has only 210,000 miles on LPG, not 250,000 - a typing mistake by me! It has now 262,000 miles altogether. The first 52,000 miles of it's life were done on petrol only, before the LPG conversion was done.

Last weekend I called into a Volvo specialist, because I'm tempted to get a newer car now. I asked which of the very nice cars on display could equal the cost equivalent of 53mpg average that my LPG V70 is doing....................

Jack

[volvobaggen]

Nice filler caps, I also couldnt help sticking my nose next to the exhaust pipe after I got the car converted

About new volvos(rant alert)

The volvo fleet of the household now consists of 3 cars. The 245, the 855 and the v60(which I am not driving much). I have driven the v50 for a few years, and I now the v60. I really think the old joke about volvo making family tanks finally has come true.(In a bad sense)

What really sucks is that the more modern the car gets, the visibility gets progressively worse. In the v60, huge A-pillars blocks forward visibility. Small side windows and rear window blocking visibility to the sides and rear.

I might be one of those dorks that thinks everything was better before, but the simple and rugged greenhouse volvos symbolized the golden age of volvo to me.