Probably an easy answer - if you know it. I don?t ? so I am looking for a person that does!
Manufacturers tell us that their petrol has lubricants and other additives included in it for the protection of the engine, the valves, valve seats etc.
When running on LPG, what lubricates/protects the engine, the valves and valve seats? I ask this because I have been told LPG has no lubricants etc., included.
Is that correct?
I manually switch the fuel types on a regular basis between petrol & LPG as advised. This is to add the missing LPG lubricant into the engine.
Is there an aftermarket product (add to oil, attach to engine lubricator) out there that will protect the engine as a unit?
What engine oil (1600cc) should I be using too and should it be mineral, semi or fully synthetic?
What manufacturer makes the best engine oils without it costing me an arm and a leg to buy 4 litres?
Is good old Castrol GTX 10w40 sufficient?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 18/12/2007 at 21:07
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Make and model of car, engine capacity, and mileage would enable those who know about these things to give you a more accurate answer!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 18/12/2007 at 20:08
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Ooops!
Manufacturer: Vauxhall.
Model: Astra.
Type: Estate.
Fuel: Dual fuel - LPG/Petrol.
Trim: Elegance.
Engine: 1600cc.
Registered: 2003.
Mileage: 50k.
{some of which now added to header}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 18/12/2007 at 21:08
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I think there would only be a problem with the (now ancient) leaded fuel only cars with valve seats that relied on lead.
That is, one of those cars converted to run on LPG without harder valve seats.
If yours is a manufacturers dual fuel car I can`t see any problems and regarding the current petrol attributes I think that just advertising really.
No doubt someone will be along though advising to add snake oil while running on petrol, or to puff something up the exhaust pipe to allow the magic particles (polarising with the companies bank ) to protect the valve seats ;)
Regards
Edited by oilrag on 18/12/2007 at 20:52
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Valves and stems are lubricated by the engine oil, and there's nothing you can do about the valve seats. LPG causes less contamination than petrol, so just stick to the 'standard' oil. On this one semi-synthetic or fully synthetic. Difficult to beat Vauxhall's own brand on price or performance.
JS
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the only thing that i am aware of with regards to lpg is that the lpg system needs a service seperate to the normal engine service and that the plugs need changeing more often than normal due to high combustion temps, you vauxhall dealer should be aware of this and should be able to advise, i am not aware that any addative needs to be added to the fuel or the oil but yet again the dealer should be able to advise
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The oil requirements are given in the owner's manual. If anything, I would expect an LPG car to be easier on its oil than a convenionally fuelled car, and so, the oil requirements for the purely petrol engined car are on the safe side when used with LPG.
As mentioned above, the valve seats aren't directly oiled - other than via leakage and crankcase ventilation fumes - I don't see that improving the oil quality beyond that specified for a petrol engine will be of any help.
If you are concerned about the valve seats, you might wish to use the petrol every now and again, but it wouldn't be something that would keep me from sleeping. Now, if it's a 16v engine, keeping the cam belt and tensioners in tip-top condition would be something I would have the odd sleepless night about. During the time we owned a 16v Astra, I was never completely happy with the cam belt and the consequences of its potential failure - I changed it, and the tensioners well before the recommended interval.
Number_Cruncher
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The oil requirements are given in the owner's manual.
And on Vauxhall's website:
www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/owners/engineoils.do#Astra
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When I had Jag X type converted it was fitted with a flashlube lubrication system that keeps the valve lubricated, also because lpg burn hotter than petrol it helps to cool the system aswel
Kush
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