Generator LPG conversions

wingnut771 said:
Yeah, there's not much to it it seems except for the air/fuel ratio which is on a hair trigger.

I would have assumed that a proper kit would take the guess work out of it.
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There is a switch on the carb I can turn left or right to regulate the air/fuel ratio I think, which makes the generator run smoother when it starts up. Only problem is, on the first few attempts the generator comes on then dies but does not start up. Hence the reason I now wonder if the choke could not be an issue and wondering if it should be on full running speed when starting up. When using petrol, my Generator would not even start when the choke is on full running speed.
 
rvZA said:
There is a switch on the carb I can turn left or right to regulate the air/fuel ratio I think, which makes the generator run smoother when it starts up. Only problem is, on the first few attempts the generator comes on then dies but does not start up. Hence the reason I now wonder if the choke could not be an issue and wondering if it should be on full running speed when starting up. When using petrol, my Generator would not even start when the choke is on full running speed.
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Sounds like LPG conversion is an art and takes practice. Like riding a bicycle. Don't give up.
 
wingnut771 said:
From the YT I've seen, LPG doesn't even need a carb.
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I'd rather prefer a duel fuel carb when doing this, as I have the benefit of using either gas or petrol. I suppose it is safer too, as the carb is supposed to prevent the petrol and gas from mixing together?
 
wingnut771 said:
Sounds like LPG conversion is an art and takes practice. Like riding a bicycle. Don't give up.
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Yeah, I was pissed when it wouldn't start... seems there are a few things one needs to look at - not simply a start and there you go operation. Will definitely be playing around tomorrow to see what works and what does not.
 
rvZA said:
I'd rather prefer a duel fuel carb when doing this, as I have the benefit of using either gas or petrol. I suppose it is safer too, as the carb is supposed to prevent the petrol and gas from mixing together?
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To my layman eyes, you don't touch the existing carb which works with petrol and just tap a line into the airbox for the lgp with a seperate manifold to get the air fuel ratio right, that way you don't have to change (or spend) anything?

I'm super keen to see what these people sold you.
 
rvZA said:
Yeah, I was pissed when it wouldn't start... seems there are a few things one needs to look at - not simply a start and there you go operation. Will definitely be playing around tomorrow to see what works and what does not.
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I think once you get it running, the next time will be super easy as all the valves are already set.
 
wingnut771 said:
To my layman eyes, you don't touch the existing carb which works with petrol and just tap a line into the airbox for the lgp with a seperate manifold to get the air fuel ratio right, that way you don't have to change (or spend) anything?

I'm super keen to see what these people sold you.
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Sure, will post images tomorrow. But, he definitely removed the old carb, placed it in a box and gave it back to me. I can only assume that the standard carb on the Ryobi was not a dual fuel carb or something.
 
rvZA said:
Sure, will post images tomorrow. But, he definitely removed the old carb, placed it in a box and gave it back to me. I can only assume that the standard carb on the Ryobi was not a dual fuel carb or something.
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The fact that these people didn't even test the "duel fuel" for you tells me that all your neighbours are ****ing morons.
 
wingnut771 said:
I think once you get it running, the next time will be super easy as all the valves are already set.
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That was what I thought today, the installer did everything, also struggled a couple of times to get it started, but he did start it up, we did the switchover and everything worked. All the settings were left in place, but 7 hours later it would not start up...
 
rvZA said:
That was what I thought today, the installer did everything, also struggled a couple of times to get it started, but he did start it up, we did the switchover and everything worked. All the settings were left in place, but 7 hours later it would not start up...
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Practice makes perfect. Don't give up.
 
Are these images fine?

This morning, I turned down the choke lower, opened the gas, pressed the button to allow gas into the pipes and started the generator. It started first try and I turned the choke to full speed and it ran. No problems.

So, I suspect, having the choke on full speed when starting up, like with using petrol, is causing it not to start. I think this was my problem yesterday.

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rvZA said:
Are these images fine?

This morning, I turned down the choke lower, opened the gas, pressed the button to allow gas into the pipes and started the generator. It started first try and I turned the choke to full speed and it ran. No problems.

So, I suspect, having the choke on full speed when starting up, like with using petrol, is causing it not to start. I think this was my problem yesterday.

View attachment 1515033View attachment 1515031
View attachment 1515035View attachment 1515037
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In the beginning, it does work, but it will fail. What causes the failure I don't know. I had mine installed by a professional that charged me R4k for the conversion. This included the conversion kit. The first few months it ran really well and I had no problems at all. In November of 2021, my generator started to backfire loudly. After it backfired a few times it just stops. Thankfully I was around to turn the gas off.

I took the generator back to the installer and left it there for several days. After a week and R1k worth of troubleshooting, I was told my generator has failed mechanically. They offered to buy my generator for parts but the motor itself was gone.

I am not a mechanic, I have no option but to believe them. Since then I got myself a second-hand generator but kept it on petrol.

If you hear your motor backfiring, it can spell the end for your generator. The installer actually stopped converting generators after mine failed. As I understand it he had many complaints.
 
rvZA said:
So, tried starting up the generator and it would not start on first attempt. Tried a second and third time, but no luck. The whole room reaked of gas and with my mobile flash light you could see the gas next to the generator with the eye.

Will sit in the dark tonight and have the provider remove the gas and carburator tomorrow and revert me back to petrol.
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Oh dear! Are the hose clamps tight and is there perhaps a leak somewhere?
My generator starts on the first time. You only need to prime the carb for about 3-5 seconds and the choke should be on the second stage.
Did the provider test the generator after installation?
 
lkswan747 said:
Oh dear! Are the hose clamps tight and is there perhaps a leak somewhere?
My generator starts on the first time. You only need to prime the carb for about 3-5 seconds and the choke should be on the second stage.
Did the provider test the generator after installation?
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Thanks @lkswan747, I managed to sort it this morning. I think it was indeed the choke. If I turn it down half-way, the generator starts immediately and I then turn it to full speed and the generator runs perfectly. If the choke is on full speed, as the installer told me, the Generator struggles to start.
 
6174 said:
In the beginning, it does work, but it will fail. What causes the failure I don't know. I had mine installed by a professional that charged me R4k for the conversion. This included the conversion kit. The first few months it ran really well and I had no problems at all. In November of 2021, my generator started to backfire loudly. After it backfired a few times it just stops. Thankfully I was around to turn the gas off.

I took the generator back to the installer and left it there for several days. After a week and R1k worth of troubleshooting, I was told my generator has failed mechanically. They offered to buy my generator for parts but the motor itself was gone.

I am not a mechanic, I have no option but to believe them. Since then I got myself a second-hand generator but kept it on petrol.

If you hear your motor backfiring, it can spell the end for your generator. The installer actually stopped converting generators after mine failed. As I understand it he had many complaints.
Click to expand...

Okay, no problem. My generator is 4 years old and due for a replacement anyway and I will still test the Gas system. I was charged R1900 which included the kit and the installation, so a lot cheaper than yours. If it kills the Generator, then I will know. If not, I will install a new system on my new Generator as well. And, if it does kill the generator, I will open the gas in the concrete room we built for the generator and then blow the gas bottle to see if it can destroy the small room I built.
 
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valve seat recession is the biggest problem ,we were doing conversions in the 80s allready ,everything was converted back to petrol ,there was even a kit for towing a caravan uphill ,it was on a 20 minute timer ,only advice i can give is run one tank of fuel with an additive in it too X amounts of gas ,no idea how many ,we even tried hardened valve inserts but didnt work .the biggest problem was the cast iron components .on a big gene you will probably get the aquivalent of 5 hours of fuel to a 4 kg gas cyl .make sure you allways turn the gas off and run the system dead before leaving it ,any gas left in the system on starting can cause a flash .
 
soulie said:
valve seat recession is the biggest problem ,we were doing conversions in the 80s allready ,everything was converted back to petrol ,there was even a kit for towing a caravan uphill ,it was on a 20 minute timer ,only advice i can give is run one tank of fuel with an additive in it too X amounts of gas ,no idea how many ,we even tried hardened valve inserts but didnt work .the biggest problem was the cast iron components .on a big gene you will probably get the aquivalent of 5 hours of fuel to a 4 kg gas cyl .make sure you allways turn the gas off and run the system dead before leaving it ,any gas left in the system on starting can cause a flash .
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Makes sense...
 
rvZA said:
Makes sense...
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you do get a lead additive at auto shops to add to fuel ,not cheap but may give longevity ,all in all its probably just the convenience factor that makes it viable.the guy that pioneered it in SA was a mechanic by the name of Koert .he worked for Metal Box ,all the Vaal Triangles municipal cars were converted and had a big yellow forklift tank in the boot ,also duel fuel ,but it was short lived edit .some of the converted cars were still in use in the late 90s
 
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i also dont know if you can set the air to fuel ratio on the unit ,there is no one size fits all ,you need to be able to set it for no knock under heavy acceleration ,in a gene thats difficult because of the tolerences and noise ,genes run under extreme conditions hence the extra clearance in components ,causing noise .knock will kill the bearings ,be it white metal or roller very quickly
 
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