Some TLC for the 70 Cruiser and LPG questions

[Bubba]

To give some perspective to this. Some months ago I managed to bbq some wiring in the 70. I have attempted to find the issues myself but alas never had the tools, time nor knowledge.

Stage 1- Getting the electrial issues sorted

Kind of out of the blue Malcolm (Beer Cruiser), calls me and anounces that he is going to my place to fix it, regardless if I am there or not.

We were able to track the issue down to a innocent looking wire. Gareth, the other half of Team Beer Brother turned up and with a hiss and a roar and the assistance of gravity (read, hill start) the 70 burst into life.

Stage 2 - Removal of Alternator, Starter, Radiator. Clean repair and put back together.

We drive it to his house and start stripping the afore mentioned parts. Malcolm takes the starter away and thats as far as we get for a few days.

Saturday, I find out that the starter is beyond repair, the radiator is still clogged with crap and is looking like it needs replacing, and my spare alternator has a different plug in the back and the newly reconditioned one is flicking on and off. Bugger, bugger and bugger again.









I spent a good few hours cleaning the motor and all the other bits. Curly and Gareth turned up, mutted something about "fcking Toyota's, don't even own one and I still spend all my spare time working on the fcking things"





Malcolm had a old starter sitting around so we tested it and it appeared ok, chewed up a 4x2 like a chainsaw! So the best way to test it was to put it in. Then we had a small eletrical issue, fixed that, then we tried the alternator and what the hell, the radiator went back in and a few cranks and away it went, that about when it turned to a bit of confusing custard. The whole LPG system froze, including the carby.




Can't figure out why?

Stage 3 - Replace all the viatal fluids, plugs, leads and maybe a couple of seals

This is planned in the next week or so and then I'm back out there!!

I have a who;le heap of photo's but it

[mroffroader]

the lpg mixer should have water lines (like heater hoses) running through it to stop the mixer and system freezing, when re-fitting the radiator and refilling with water it is possible you havnt bled the cooling system properly and it has a air lock in the mixer or lines causing the watter to not flow and mixer to freeze over

[DieselBoy]

You nailed it right there Jame's

Ok, here goes:

LPG 101

Fuel goes from the LPG tank to the regulator via a high pressure line. The LPG is in liquid form as far as the regulator

The regulator takes the LPG from a liquid to a gas. This process cause's a cooling effect. Hot water from the engine block is pumped through the regulator to prevent it from icing up. The regulator also needs a slight negative pressure in the intake of the engine to allow the gas through.

The mixer, which sits on top of the carb meters the LPG into the engine at a controlled rate based on vacum.

So your issue will be that there is not water flowing through the regulator, causing the system to freeze.

Probably need to bleed the cooling system better.

[Bubba]

Thanks for that guys

We figured (part guessed) out that the reason it was freezing was becuase we had drained the water but i never considered having to bleed the system or having a air-lock

How do you bleed it?

New question: It was my understanding that LPG runs hotter than Petrol but if surely the lpg flowing through the system must cool it down heaps because those pipes frooze solid in front of our eyes

[Bubba]

I just got a txt from my 11 year daughter telling me to hurry up and fix the truck so I can start teaching her how to drive it.

Watch out world, my daughter loves Cruisers

[mercutio]

my ex flatemate had a commodore that was supercharged and he was piping the lpg direct into the manifold to make use of the cooling effect it had on the intake temperatures

[wopass]

Thanks for that guys

We figured (part guessed) out that the reason it was freezing was becuase we had drained the water but i never considered having to bleed the system or having a air-lock

How do you bleed it?

New question: It was my understanding that LPG runs hotter than Petrol but if surely the lpg flowing through the system must cool it down heaps because those pipes frooze solid in front of our eyes

LPG IN A CRUISER!!! OMG!!! it will detonate and kill your engine!!!.........................

oh wait.....

hang on.....

nope, wrong thread sorry....

take the hose off at the highest point when filling and fill till it flows out there, if the mixer is higher than the top of the radiator then you will need to pressure bleed it to get the air out. or you can do the incline bleed... park it on a fkn steep hill or up some ramps to get the nose up then the top of the radiator is the highest point then when you take the heater hoses off the mixer to bleed the air out it will be mean hard easy az chuuurrrr...

LPG burns slower hotter than petrol and you can run more advaced ignition timing yes but thats when its in the engine, when its going to the engine it is well below freezing and needs to be warmed otherwise it will very quickly freeze all the lines...as you found out

i just re read that and im not sure it makes sence but im gonna post it anyway

[Bubba]

Yip, got it Wop, stand it on it's bum and take the feed hose off the reg, add pos pressure till the water blow out the top and it's done. Cheers

[abbo]

Is all that mud from the fire wood loop bubba??? Has it not been out from then.....

[Bubba]

It's not about the last time it was used it's about the next time it's used and how well I use it