If it rains, it pours!

[Dark Dude]

What a 1st weekend with my. Yesterday on a quick trip to Wood Green, coolant started flooding out of the back of the engine, leaving Sharon and me high and dry. A pipe going into a "T" connector at the top of the engine had snapped clean off. 45 minutes later the nice man from the RAC turned up but because he didn't have a "T" connector going spare in his van and ALL of the motor factors had closed by that time ( it was already 5.30pm on a Bank Holiday), he soon found himself scratching around for a solution. Long story short, he found one and we finally got home.

Then this morning we wake up to find our car had been clamped! I'm so pissed off.

John

The Dark Dude

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

There have been a few cases of those T pieces going brittle and breaking, at some point I'll either replace them with a stainless T or bypass the rear heater they feed.

 

[Dark Dude]

Thanks for the heads up Jon. Alas, Sharon is still like a cat on a hot tin roof and ready to rip my head off.

John

The Dark Dude.

 

[frank rabbets]

Hi

Is this "T" piece the same on the diesel 100? [still learning!].

Frank

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

The diesel piping is a different layout but has the same plastic T piece on one of the hoses: 87248-60460 . The petrol has two of them. I haven't looked for a replacement metal (SS?) part yet but it may be that inspecting every now and again with a view to fitting new OEM parts every 10 years is fine.

 

[Dark Dude]

Well last week it happened again, this time with Sharon and me coming back from an appointment at the Royal Free Hospital. A hairline crack of another coolant pipe going into the back of my mighty V8 sent the temperature gauge into the stratosphere. And again the dudes of the RAC came to the rescue. LPG is ONLY as good as the coolant system that feeds it. My car is 11 years (young) and I'd have to concur with Mr Wildsmith that checking and overhauling the entire coolant system (rad, pump and all pipework) is a wise precaution to take after retrofitting a LPG system to any LC100 of that age. Another thing to take note of in these times of sky rocket fuel prices is that at same time my LPG system was taking ever longer (20 mins) to switch over after a cold start, using up valuable unleaded in the meantime. And even after switch over the LPG simply wasn't running right. This was all due to that crack in the coolant system and it nearly cost me, Sharon and Hanna the truck dear.....

You have been warned!

John

The Dark Dude

 

[Rob]

If it was taking that long to switch to LPG it might be because the thermostat is stuck open

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Coincidence or maybe the LPG install wasn't done right? I know I'd be a bit suspicious!

 

[BRE Fabrications LTD]

In winter my 80 takes about 5min to switch over to LPG, in summer a minute or two tops.

From what I understand this is due to the vaporiser having to warm up enough to do its job. Now If this is the first time you've had issues with coolant pipes going, after the LPG install, I'd definitely be suspicious...

Would it be possible that there could be some thing wrong with your vaporiser? Possibly something that would cause a pressure build up Which could explain the ruptured pipes.
Or possibly the LPG installers manhandled your coolant pipes and fittings when the tee'd into the system (11yrs on they are not going to be as strong or flexible as they once were)?

Either way I'd definitely be taking it back to them and ask a few questions.

Just my 2c.

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Ryan

 

[Dark Dude]

I think I'm going to have to defend Neil ( the guy who installed my LPG system). When the original "T" piece fractured, it was clear from the start it fractured because of age and not because of the LPG install. Hanna is 11 years old and I'm going to treat her as such. I am still happy with the original install but these are early daze and I'm going to make a little more water pass under the bridge before passing final judgement. Until then, Neil will be servicing the both the car and the LPG to make sure everything is lickety lick!

John

The Dark Dude

 

[Dark Dude]

I know from bitter experience with my Frontera that running with a compromised coolant system isn't good for the LPG, irrespective how good the LPG system is. I had a series of problems with my Frontera which was finally diagnosed to the Radiator but by that time it had managed to cook the head twice. If the introduction of LPG has managed to over pressurize the system, then I want to find out sooner rather than later.

John

The Dark Dude

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

If the installation of the LPG is pressurising the system then it's been installed wrong somehow but it's very unlikely that's what's happening unless the installer is a fool. The vapouriser should just be T'd off the existing pipework so any blockage in the new pipes or equipment just means no heat for the vapouriser and business as usual for the rest of the system. If the vapouriser isn't getting enough coolant flow then it'll freeze up and you could end up running a lean mixture and overheating as a result.

 

[Dark Dude]

Jon Wildsmith wrote: "If the vapouriser isn't getting enough coolant flow then it'll freeze up and you could end up running a lean mixture and overheating as a result."

And that's exactly what happened to my Frontera........The vapouriser in my present truck was still cool to the touch after half an hour, so I reckon it's been running lean.

John

The Dark Dude