PS2000 Finished - Page 3 - Diesel Forum

argve · 03-02-2005, 11:34 PM

Scott,

I'm sitting here reading this going UH-OH... I feel like I'm reading one of my old posts... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/vulnerable.gif[/img] Your scaring me...

Me is still a little leary of anything other than #2 in my cylinders - considering my past

psychostroker · 03-03-2005, 08:37 AM

You may have gotten lucky (crossing fingers [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/phoney.gif[/img] ). Normally coolant blowing out (whether it be from the overflow bottle, or the radiator cap) under load means that there was enough cylinder pressure present to left the head just enough to pressurize the cooling system. Not enough to blow out the gasket, but just enough to let a little compression by.

If the cylinder pressures / timing were high enough to make an idi hammer, you did a very good thing when you backed the LPG off.

Hopefully blowing coolant was just a one time deal in your case.

agnem · 03-03-2005, 10:03 AM

Scotty, your doing a good job of replacing a certain Hoosier in the power hall of fame! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

beretzs · 03-03-2005, 01:41 PM

I was actually just running up the I5 doing about 65Mph. Temps were right on about 190* and boost was around 5psi. EGT's were around 500 or so. Pretty normal, but on the hills I was hitting around 10psi and temps were still normal and EGT's maybe climbed to 650-700*. I gunned it a few times and got the boost up around 12psi, temps never really moved, but there was still a light hammering in the upper boost range. I pulled over to turn the LP down and coolant was rolling out of the ovrflow tank, once I got home, everything was back to normal. So hopefully, I got lucky. I am going to try and retard my timing so I can pump the propane back to it. The power is still there with the propane, but it is not as noticeable, but still very nice. I am going to back off the timing and see if I can incrementally increase the propane.

I am not terribly scared of blowing a Headgasket, I have been looking for an excuse to put studs in. Studs would really add alot of peace of mind. Overall, it looks like I was lucky, could have been worse, but I have been checking and so far, no oil in water, water in oil, no white smoke, so heres to hoping. Now, I am not saying I want to do studs RIGHT NOW, but if I have to, there is probably no better time to do it. Overall, my goal is to have the strongest running stock IDI I can, I am pretty confident I am getting pretty close to my limits, but as long as I keep a sharp eye on things, I am pretty sure I won't cook anything. You guys are my support system, hopefully, I won't be crying by the end of the week... Scotty

agnem · 03-03-2005, 02:20 PM

Scotty, first sign of impending gasket problems will be at the rear of the heads. Take a flash light and shine it up in there from under the the truck..... if you dare. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]

Mike Lewis · 03-03-2005, 03:12 PM

Hey, Beretzs... if you blow your engine, mine still runs... :-)

beretzs · 03-03-2005, 03:19 PM

Yeah, like I said, I am not sure if I am brave enough to go digging for trouble. But I will check it out. I would like to do the HG's anyhow, just to have the piece of mind of knowing what I have. Truck seems to be good, been driving a little here and there today. I have some work to do today, so I will probably try and back off the timing tomorrow.

For the timing, can I just loosen the three nuts and rotate the IP towards the pass side? DO I need to do anything else. I will probably start at about a 1/8 and see what that does. I really don't wanna mess with it too much. I want to try and hook up with JLMendoza and see if he wants to break in his new timing set up on my truck.. Scotty

jdc753 · 03-03-2005, 09:06 PM

Hey Scotty,

I been following your posts, sounds like your truck is coming along quite nicely. Your doing all the mods I hope to get done on my truck at some point. I can't wait to see the dyno numbers it lays down [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smokin.gif[/img] It looks like you are keeping a good eye on things and hopefully that will keep from anything terrible happening, need to start issueing some Instrument class licenses to you guys pushing these idi's to the limit. I got my fingers crossed and hoping for the best with your truck Scotty, good luck to ya. Oh yea and can't wait to see all the pics lol [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

V2Neal · 03-03-2005, 09:24 PM

It's kind of suprising to me how much these engines will take and still run good. I drove mine home knowing it used/lost coolant due to a presumed head gasket or cavitation problem. After 3 1/2 hours the temp hit 210, and the engine light came on. I added 2 1/2 gallons of water and kept driving. Pulled the engine apart and found #2 cylinder has a vertical crack almost the length of the cylinder. Yet it still started and ran very well.
Scotty - you'r killing me with your power exploits! I can't wait to get mine together and start tweakin' on her. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smokin.gif[/img]

beretzs · 03-03-2005, 10:16 PM

Everything seems to running just fine. These trucks and especially the engines are pretty rugged, so I don't think anything to serious happened yesterday, like I said, I was not beating it, I was just driving pretty normal. Hopefully, soon I will be able to get the IC installed and that should lower head pressures and EGT's some more. After that, I will start looking for a water tank of good capacity to start running some H20 in her. Hopefully tomorrow I can retard the timing a little and turn the propane back up some. Right now, it seems pretty good, but man, it would be nice to have a dyno in the garage, would make modding alot more fun..... Anyhow, I will try and post again tomorrow once I get the timing done and get the propane pumped back up. Then, I really need to do the brakes on the truck.. Scotty

Huff · 03-04-2005, 05:37 AM

Scott, don't get hooked on "more is better". The power difference between a safe no knock setting and where is starts to knock, is negligible and just ends up costing you alot of $$$$. So do your self a favor and keep it on the low side of slight knock. Remember, a little is good, a little too much is very bad [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Also make sure that NO LIQUID LPG is induced into the system (the expansion rate from liquid to gas is over 260 to 1) from slosh in the tank, i.e. when you accelerate the liquid lpg will slosh to the rear or backside of the tank, you need to have the the tank mounted so that the valve on the tank is toward the front of the truck.

maddenji · 03-04-2005, 08:24 AM

Scotty, I've had my PS 2000 for over three years. It tkes awhile to get everything tweeked. Mine was an early version and I had problems regulating from a fresh fill to an almost empty tank. I put an acetylene regulator on that smoothed out everything. Does the new system have a separate regulator? As stated earlier, start slow and then bring it up gradually.

beretzs · 03-04-2005, 10:17 AM

I have the tank mounted under the truck, in between the GV's and the framerail. The actual regulator is mounted on the outside of the frame up high. It is actually higher than the bottom on/off valve and in the front of the tank. I used the pictures that were sent to me from other set ups and modeled mine after those. I just may leave it where it is at right now to see how I like it for awhile. Right now it seems to be working really well, I get alot of good power and there is no knocking whatsoever. All, I would really like to try is retarding the timing to 4*BTDC and then see if I can use just a touch more propane. Right now I have it backed off quite alot, still getting power, just not exactly where I would like it. The truck is running great, but I know there is a little room for safe improvement on it. I have to get some kind of boost pump, a Mity Vac or something like that? Any idea where I can find something like that? That way I can tune my regulator to come on a little later. Right now it is starting at 3psi and since when I am traveling on the freeway at 5psi, it is always on, so if I could set it a little higher, and get the flow regulated, I would have a more economical set up. I have about 1/4 tank of propane left, so I would like to stretch it a little further. I really need to hook up the Jeep and a trailer just to get an idea of how it is going to tow. That is pretty much why I bought the propane, so I wanna get it as close as possible before I take off for the hills. Scotty

agnem · 03-04-2005, 02:23 PM

Scotty, pushing the top of the pump towards the drivers side advances timing.

beretzs · 03-04-2005, 03:21 PM

Gotcha, might goof around with it a little today since it has stopped raining, but it is a pain to get to the bottom nuts on the IP without the special wrench. Anyhow, what do you think about an 1/8 or so towards the pass side should get me where I want to be? I hate not having the correct tools for the job, but, I will just have to suffer until the wife clears me for some tool money. Scotty