I am working to convert the LSJ engine to run on pipeline natural gas so that we can use it to power standby electrical generators. I contacted Matt Cramer at DIYAutotune.com. They are dealers for the MegaSquirt line. He asked me some questions about the LSJ engine that I don't know the answers to.

CAN YOU HELP?

1) What type of ignition system does your car run? Where is the crank angle sensor (CAS) or distributor trigger wheel and what type is it (Optical/LED Sensor? Hall Sensor? VR Sensor?)

2) Does the engine have a distributor?

3) How many teeth/windows/slots and what orientation does the CAS, crank trigger, and/or distributor wheel have? (any missing? all evenly spaced?)

4) Does this engine have a fast idle valve (IAC)? If so, how many wires are connected to it? Do you know if it is an on/off, pulse width modulated, thermal, or stepper type?

IF YOU COULD HELP ME WITH ANY OF THESE FOUR QUESTIONS, I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL.

--Chris

 

2. No

 

x2 NO

 

Thanks, guys. That leaves 3 questions to go.

 

Just me, but I would assume you'd want to try this on a n/a engine rather than a supercharged engine. Does anyone know if it's possible to run natural gas with a turbo or supercharger? I mean if you're just using the engine to power generators why wouldn't you just use the 2.4 or 2.2 engine?

 

Igniton is Coil-on-Plug. CAS is in the block, below the oil filter housing, approximately at the 8-9 o'clock position looking at the front crank pulley. Hall sensor I think, not 100% on that.

No distributor

58x crank trigger wheel. 2 missing. Can't tell you where on the crank in degrees the missing teeth are. No dist wheel since no dist.

Fast idle on this car is modulated via the electronic throttle, it fine tunes its closed position to control idle speed. You could call it stepper control or pulse width. They should know what ETC idle air control is.

 

A supercharger is ideal for natural gas because it has only 78% of the energy value of an eqivalent amount of gasoline, primarily because of the difference in density between the two fuels. In other words, gasoline is a Molotoff cocktail and NG is a balloon filled with doggie breath.

But natural gas has a 130-octane rating compared to 87-to-96 for gasoline. So you can burn NG at a higher compression ratio. Therefore NG is more efficient with less emissions. We are increasing the CR on our engines to 13.5:1.

 

Since you want to use an aftermarket ECU (Megasquirt..) you can just mount a normal (cable operated) TB on the LSJ.
But maybe you want to modulate power electronically to the demanded generator power, then the standard ETB should be perfect. If you can control it...

Do you want to inject the gas into the manifold? Or feed it to the intake, before the SC?

 

I am torn between using a Continental Controls' electronic carburetor that they claim will lean-burn NG at any speed or load without the need for a catalytic converter and MegaSquirt's EFI controller.

Continental Controls says that their carburetor provides a uniform fuel charge for every cylinder, but no so with fuel injection.

DIY Tune said that the Megasquirt is not able to operate a drive-by-wire throttle. Does anybody know why?