lpg on chevy 350

[DavidL]

I am going to need some work on my 4.2 rover v8 this summer and I suppose a bit more go might be nice so whilst looking for "spare" TVR engines I came across this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chevrolet-350 ... 2a4ba57728

I have a very basic single point lpg on the rover v8 so how lpgable is the chevy engine? Overfinch used these back in the day so I know it fits!

[Gilbertd]

Same technology as the Rover V8 and the Mercruiser and Volvo Penta marine engines used the small block Chevy motor and quite a few of those have been gassed. So it should be OK.

[classicswede]

They run great on gas. I have mixers for the 4 barrel carbs.

The most popular hot rod engine going and lots of parts available for them

[LPGC]

Converted loads over the years.

One of those conversions particularly sticks in mind... This was the second Chevy pickup I had converted for a guy who lives just a few miles away.. we had arranged that when I'd finished the job I would drop the vehicle off at his house, where he would pay me the balance for the job and give me a lift back in the same vehicle. Driving around the estate trying to find the address I'd been given, there seemed to be some suspicious looking characters walking around giving me or the vehicle the eye. I stopped beside one of them and asked for directions to the street name I'd been given... the guy seemed to be acting a little strange or maybe a little taken aback that I'd stopped to ask him directions but he did give me directions... Having found the street and house I parked the vehicle outside, double checked I'd locked it up properly etc (especially with those dodgy characters walking around), knocked on the door, was paid in cash just inside the house near the door, the door was then shut and I was waiting in the hall while the guy put his shoes on. Then there was a great commotion as police burst in, handcuffed everyone in the house (the guy, his mate, his wife, late teenage kids, and myself!). Police had obviously had prior dealings with this customer of mine (some of the officers and the customer seemed to be on first name terms) and police were asking everyone where the drugs were! So I soon picked up on the fact that the guy was a cocaine dealer under police surveillance and that police thought I was dropping him some supplies off - they thought I was being paid for delivering cocaine! In the other room, as an officer emptied my pockets I said 'I've got a lot of money in there, mate, but this probably isn't what you think... I'm a mechanic dropping his car off, I just converted it to LPG!'. At this point my main concern was that police might confiscate the money, the customer might get locked up, and I'd end up being out of pocket for the conversion. An officer counted my money out on the sofa by which I was stood, he said 'don't worry we won't nick any of it', I said 'No I wouldn't think that at all mate, you're alright, just saying you've made a mistake here...'. The guy also told them who I was, and after showing them the receipt I'd made out, my trade insurance, and giving details of my business etc (all of which they checked), the police realised their mistake.. A few of the police started laughing, others seemed not so impressed that they'd blown their cover and a potential bust! My handcuffs were removed, police gave me my money back and and I booked a taxi back to work. While I was waiting for the taxi in the living room with everyone except police and myself handcuffed, most people seemed to be in high spirits... some of the police laughing at their mistake and having a laugh with the customer, who himself seemed in high spirits because the police hadn't caught him with any drugs on this occasion. Customer started saying things like 'You were f***ng cool then Simon mate, you were cool, sorry about tonight, I'll come and visit sometime and pay you back the taxi fair, I bet you think I'm a right ****head now don 't you'... I said 'Err no you're alright mate, that was a bit different and a fairly surreal experience, was an experience, I quite enjoyed it'.

Simon

[DavidL]

Clearly dodgy as well as cold oop north

Presumably they are happy on fuel injection as well as carbs?

Any idea what a stock 350 makes power wise and fuel consumption on petrol and lpg. I'm guessing not much over 10 on petrol!

[LPGC]

That was a one-off situation I'm happy to say! Cheeky with the Ooop North! Presumably there aren't any cocaine dealers Darn Soft Sarf then?

I think it depends on what you mean by stock, they run different compression ratios and have different cams per application... Usually a 350 in a pickup will make more bottom end torque but less bhp than effectively the same engine in a Corvette. All very tuneable though... Probably the most aftermarket tune-able engine ever! Yanks normally think along the lines of 1bhp per cube for a moderately tuned engine but the standard engine in the pickup won't make anything like as much, probably around 250bhp I would've thought. Feels like more than the same bhp figure would from a little turbo'd engine due to the instant throttle response and bottom end torque. .

Simon

[Gilbertd]

and if you are doing a rebuild on it, I've got a set of brand new cam followers for a small block Chevy. Mate in France had a boat with a Volvo Penta motor that was just a marinised Chevy 350 that had a tick that sounded just like a tappet. He bought a set of followers, put them in and it was just the same, swapped them back, still the same. Then tried running it with no fanbelt and no tick, it was the alternator all along......