Mondeo st220 conversion worth it??

[Sunj2107]

Hey, I'm new to the forum. I've got a mondeo st220 55 plate and due to the rise in fuel prices was looking to convert it to lpg. After weeks of research I got a couple of quotes around the £1800 mark.

Just a couple of questions. Is it worth it as I've heard that lpg prices are going to rise in 2012? Using the savings calculators it's going to take me about 4 years to recoup any value back as I don't do many mles (about 7000 a year). And also if anyone has had it done, where's the best place to go? I'm from the midlands but don't mind travelling. Has there been any problems? I know you sacrifice a couple of BHP, but after it's been converted can you still remap the engine after? Is it a noticeable difference in power? And would it lower tax and insurance etc?

If anyone could get back to me with any advice I'd be grateful.

Thanks!

[Tubbs]

Hiya, i would charge £1250 for that conversion using a good quality italian system. Im in Ludlow in Shropshire. That will include an electronic valve saver system and man do they need them.
As far as power loss goes its pretty negligible. All of the modern gas injection systems just follow the petrol injector timings so re mapping it shouldn't be a problem as long as the system has plenty of headroom and it isnt under powered for the vehicle its on. Ok so ive been in the trade 15 years. In that time ive seen governments come and go and lpg prices rise. Its hardly gone above a ratio of 2:1 with petrol. Back in the day LPG was only 26p per litre and petrol was 52p. If you are in the midlands then Countrywide stores have a very good network of refuel sites and they charge 66p including vat pretty much. Which brings it up at the 'golden ratio' £1.32 a litre.
The government may change the level of duty but i would doubt it. As i say it hasn't changed in 15 years. It may but its not like LPG is part of the world oil markets. Its produced in the UK and we export far more than we use a year to Europe.

[dannyf]

just been looking back at paper work years ago when petrol was £1.04 LPG was 51p
so its been more or less 50% less at pump price for years
now its not going to change any time soon
we also have LPG at the house and its used for heating an cooking at 49p at the mo on a order of 1.2 tons

I do like the ST220 nice engine but they do need lube on them to stop VSR other then that your get to keep your leather recaro's that the st tdci's dont get and that V6 sound track with the lpg its going to be a lot cheaper to run
its about 1/2 price of petrol near me at the pump

[Gilbertd]

and don't forget that any duty rises are done as a percentage. A 1% increase in duty on petrol at £1.35 a litre puts the price up more than a 1% duty rise on LPG at 70p per litre so the price differential will improve in our favour if anything.

[john_d]

That will include an electronic valve saver system and man do they need them.

you sure the 220 has soft valve seats?

[mat_fenwick]

How long do you plan on keeping the car? You'd be unlikely to get a premium because of an LPG kit when you come to sell it, but it may sell faster. Don't forget to factor in the cost of a valve lubricant, and servicing of the LPG system.

It might start to sound a bit marginal, but remember that even though the percentage price differential has decreased slightly, the actual saving has increased as the fuel costs rise. I.e. the difference between £1.35 and 70p (52% of the petrol price) is 65p, whereas between £1.04 and 51p (49% of the petrol price) the difference was 53p a litre.

[dannyf]

That will include an electronic valve saver system and man do they need them.

you sure the 220 has soft valve seats?

the ford V6 dose need it
they are soft soft

its a good engine I do like it my self they do like a bit of head work an cams with a good exhaust an down pipe

[Tubbs]

That will include an electronic valve saver system and man do they need them.

you sure the 220 has soft valve seats?

Oh yes !
They have soft valve seats. I've seen it first hand. 20k miles. More recession than Greece mate !

[mat_fenwick]

More recession than Greece mate !

[john_d]

the ford V6 dose need it
they are soft soft

not them all, the early mondy v6, 24 and 200's dont.

[Tubbs]

I'm not overly convinced about the 200's but agree with you on the early st24's.

[dannyf]

one of the drivers in work had a lpg kit fitted on his 2005 v6 and we had to rebuild his head after 2 years

[john_d]

I'm not overly convinced about the 200's but agree with you on the early st24's.

i know 2 guys with 200's, 1 has had his converted over 5 years the other just over 3 year neither have had any recession issues, my 24 is 1 of the last made, converted around 18 months ago and covered over 20,000+ miles (over 120,000 in total), all hunky-dory so far.

one of the drivers in work had a lpg kit fitted on his 2005 v6 and we had to rebuild his head after 2 years

im pretty sure if it was valve seat recession it would have happened before 2 years had passed, unless he only drives a couple of miles a day?

[dannyf]

I'm not overly convinced about the 200's but agree with you on the early st24's.

i know 2 guys with 200's, 1 has had his converted over 5 years the other just over 3 year neither have had any recession issues, my 24 is 1 of the last made, converted around 18 months ago and covered over 20,000+ miles (over 120,000 in total), all hunky-dory so far.

one of the drivers in work had a lpg kit fitted on his 2005 v6 and we had to rebuild his head after 2 years

im pretty sure if it was valve seat recession it would have happened before 2 years had passed, unless he only drives a couple of miles a day?

it was used on his days off work he gets a company van for day to day use
his car was used to toe his Van around on his trips
one is a 2.5 std lump the
3.0 L is only used in the st220

[Tubbs]

See this is the confusing bit. The 2.5 s type jag suffers for sure, but it's the same lump ?

[dannyf]

the jag v6 2.5 has VVT on them and the ford one dose not
well not the early ones unless ford started using them
I do like the V6 its got a lot of bang for your £

[roi354]

ST220 doesn't have VVT

[dannyf]

I dont know alot about them ST220's as they have been fine on petrol one of the drivers had one sold it for a Derv one
it needed new injectors an Dam they was not cheap at all
had his old cars ST220 body kit but it was missing the nice seats
and that V6 sound track

the 2.5 v6 is a bit of a pain to work on but they can be picked up cheap now
never taken a 3.0L apart but its the same heads as a 2004 v6 it might have soft seats

[redzed]

See this is the confusing bit. The 2.5 s type jag suffers for sure, but it's the same lump ?

They share the same block casting but the heads, inlets, pistons etc are all different.