Birty Dastards Jeep Club

Tech Forum => Workshop => Topic started by: The Transporter on May 09, 2009, 12:42:28 PM

Title: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 09, 2009, 12:42:28 PM: After much consideration, I have decided to ditch the elderly LPG kit from my Cherry in favour of good old fasioned petrol.. Reason is over the years the system has been bodged and does require a total revamp... The tank also is in a poor position, just forward of the rear axle and sits just as low, so sods law says that on my first trip out it will be removed when I hit something immovable... I could fit the tank in the back of the car but that would lose it's load lugging abillity

My question is, if I replace the LPG with a petrol tank, is there anything that I should look out for, My Cherokee is a 1993 model and so were there any design alterations on later models as I shall be looking for as new a tank as I can find...

As an aside, I replaced all of the fluids on the car the other week ( Auto fluid looked like my ex wifes gravy).. I noted that the plug on the rear axle is made of rubber/ polymer... Now I know that the yanks can be cheap, but is this correct or has someone lost the correct plug and used a rubber grommit ( It does have the Dana logo on it)

Thanks for any words of wisdom..
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Nosebolt on May 09, 2009, 12:45:58 PM: might be a silly question but why do you want a second petrol tank? isnt the original one big enough?
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Panic mechanic! on May 09, 2009, 12:58:54 PM: sounds like its an underfloor conversion, so the petrol tank space is shared 75% gas 25% fabricated fuel tank.
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 09, 2009, 01:13:49 PM: Thats right Panic... The original tank was removed, I have a fabricated petrol tank right on the RS end hich holds about £20 of petrol
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Panic mechanic! on May 09, 2009, 01:51:39 PM: got to admit I am in the other predicament, I am thinking of putting lpg on my cherry,and would actually prefer the under floor arrangement, mind you I got 3.5 inch lift so it would be less of a problem for me dragging along the ground.
thats going to have to wait tho til i find a full time job!
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Bishops Finger on May 09, 2009, 05:41:30 PM: Its probably a factory Mopar grommet...
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: xjman on May 09, 2009, 09:09:50 PM: Rubber grommet was standard, cheap, but does the job.
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 10, 2009, 10:28:03 AM: Thankd for the reassurance on the grommit in the diff guys, though I still have the picture of what would happen when I dip a hot diff into a cold river... When My back is better I'll have a look see if fitting a breather/ vent pipe is an option.

Panic, I'm planning on a three inch lift but I would still feel a little uneasy about the tank where it is, there is already a couple of stripes on it from a gentle trip off road. The cylinder is infinately tougher than any standard petrol tank but the weak point will be the straps that hold it on, I think that for serious off road work I would feel happier with the cylinder in the cabin
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Smiths on May 10, 2009, 11:43:02 AM: There is a breather already there - look where the brake pipes are attavhed to the axle
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 10, 2009, 07:28:49 PM: Thanks for that Smiths... Another job saved.

Just one other question about the axle / diff. I have noticed that once the car has been driven for a few miles, there is a dragging sensation from the rear end, almost like there is something very tight in the final drive... the only fluid that I haven't changed was the diff oil as as far as I can tell it requires a magic addidtive which my local motor factors has no information on. What is this addidive and what would be the result of not using it?... Current diff oil is looking pretty grubby
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: garyf on May 10, 2009, 08:18:58 PM: you MUST put the additive correct in, if you havent you will have more than likely already done the damage to the clutch packs
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Panic mechanic! on May 10, 2009, 08:29:49 PM: this is what you need to get your hands on, otherwise pretty soon , you'll have buggered clutch packs.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mopar-Limited-Sli ... 7C294%3A50 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mopar-Limited-Slip-Axle-Differential-Additive-LSD-Diff_W0QQitemZ310129279849QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item310129279849&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 10, 2009, 09:28:40 PM: Thanks guys... Errring on the side of caution, I left the diffs untill I could determine the correct lube for the rear so as long as the previous owner used the correct additive, then there shouldn't be too much of a problem... I'll get some additive ordered... I take it that one bottle treats the rear diff and add the correct lubricant to the correct level..
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Panic mechanic! on May 10, 2009, 09:43:22 PM: yup, you got it.
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 10, 2009, 09:58:39 PM: Many thanks!
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: chrisjones on May 12, 2009, 04:36:03 PM: Barbie has exactly the same LPG installation with a cylinder and small tank where the original fuel tank sat.

I've never come close to being worried about the LPG tank while off roading and I'm not exactly gentle with her. 'cough!'. :wink:

(http://http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l172/CJwiththeXJ/DSCN2162.jpg)
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: tim_aka_tim on May 12, 2009, 05:06:09 PM: Have you considered that you might be as well to sell your current XJ and buy a new one.
Some sucker will happily pay good money for your lpg XJ, then use that extra money to
buy a newer, petrol only XJ. Just a thought, as petrol only XJs aren't worth shit, so there
are some great deals to be had.
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 12, 2009, 05:47:58 PM: I picked up my Cherry for £400 and a Lada Niva with every panel battered and no back window.. So if I bend the roof on the Cherry first trip out then I won't be too upset, I'd hate to butcher a nice jeep just to go off roading in it.. It is a toy rather than my every day car.. As far as I can tell the LPG kit was fitted when the car was new and the system has been butchered so that it will work but not properly, I suppose that I could sort it out for a few quid in parts but it is still an old banger... Besides I much prefer it when it runs on Petrol.... Once I have found a decent second hand tank the LPG will be up for grabs to anyone who wants it but the only really useful part is the cylinder and fixing straps, the rest would be best replaced for a new multipoint which would be much better..

Chris.. I like Barbie very much and is pretty much the way I'd like mine to be.. Most of my pals drive Land Rover Disintegrators so it is nice to have something a little different. I see that you are right about the LPG cylinder but the final straw was when I filled up the baby petrol tank and it leaked all over my drive.... Time to sort out it's fueling once and for all
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: momos on May 12, 2009, 06:31:18 PM: Awww Barbies got a purdy mouth
hehe
don`t ditch the lpg, just get it serviced, they`ll replace neccessary parts if needs be
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Panic mechanic! on May 12, 2009, 06:38:15 PM: I'll swap you a petrol tank for your lpg kit.I might still have access to a cherokee which was given to me to break,so it should still be there
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Bishops Finger on May 12, 2009, 09:08:40 PM: LPG is satan fuel....
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Panic mechanic! on May 12, 2009, 09:15:10 PM: I'd rather be a satan worshiper , than a fuel guzzler.......
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Bishops Finger on May 12, 2009, 09:23:47 PM: mmm fuel guzzling...
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: neilhull on May 12, 2009, 09:25:08 PM: Quote from: "Panic mechanic!"
I'd rather be a satan worshiper , than a fuel guzzler.......

me to
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: The Transporter on May 12, 2009, 10:12:35 PM: Quote from: "Bishops Finger"
mmm fuel guzzling...

Mmmmmm.... Beer guzzling!..... Worship the Pendle Witches
Title: Re: Ditching the LPG
Post by: Bishops Finger on May 12, 2009, 10:30:07 PM: heh heh....