Converting 1993 Honda to CNG Vehicle

Alittle lite reading for you, Most items listed as previuos discussion

the first one is link for conversion info, if your good at DIY on cars its pretty straight forward, You may wish to contact local goverment dept to see if there is any laws or restrictions etc regarding LPG localy Hope this helps

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lpg+diy+conversions&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GZEU_en&redir_esc=&ei=JjaPTNC8HoW6jAeep-39DA

http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&sort=textmatchrank&srch=cng&order=asc

http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&sort=textmatchrank&srch=lpg&order=asc

http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&sort=textmatchrank&srch=lpg%20conversion&order=asc

A great deal of your references are for LPG. I'm interested only in CNG. The discusuons seem to center around converting an existing engine. This is illegal in my state of California. I am talking about switching to a honda GX natural gas engine that is certified by the state. No conversion of the motor woud be necessary, since it is already a state approved dedicated natural gas engine. I would have to add the NG tank to my vehicle. The question is will switching from my Honda gasoline engine to a Honda CNG engine be a clean switch or would I have to fabricate an adapter. And where could I find a used GX engine or could I buy a new, off the shelf replacement engine from Honda and what woud that cost?

May we ask why you would like to do this?

I figure it woud be cheaper than buying a new CNG Honda GX at $25,000

So you're wanting to install a 2010 CNG engine in a 1993 model?

Cheaper Perhaps than buying a new one but, not much. And when you add the cost for all of the Tylenol, that you have to buy to deal with the headaches, it may not be that much of a savings. This could become a logistical nightmare, considering all of the red tape that you will have to cut through in Kalifornia. Buying a new engine from Honda will be reeaaly expensive. Nevermind, all of the electronics to make it work. Why do you want to do this? Lower fuel costs or are just trying to be greener? There are a few things that you could do, relatively easy and inexpensively, to inprove the fuel economy and emissions of your current Honda. That will give you more bang for your buck and your time.

I hadn't thought about the electronics/computer aspect of a conversion. Good point. Reason for wanting to use CNG: cleaner burning, cheaper. So, what can I do to improve fuel economy and emissions on my current Honda?

Hello mscgultz,

I have been using a suzuki car which was converted to run on CNG in 2000. Been using it since then on CNG.

Lately I have converted my Honda Civic 2007 to CNG, both doing exceptionally great, and save me sizable gas bill. We did not change the engine, but installed off the shelf available kit (there are many Italian kits available like Landi Renzo or Levetto) and retrofit the same on the existing engine. Total cost of the kit and retrofitting INR 25000/- say roughly $500.

In India, these kit are test approved by the transport authorities and suitable mention of the retrofitting is recorded on Registration Certificate and also on the Insurance with a 5% increase in insurance premia.

Considering this, you really need to go in for change of engine will depend upon your local regulations.

I am aware of the possibility of your type of conversion but I live in California and doing your own conversion is not permitted by the Air Resources Board. Where do you live?

India.

GSK

I am curious as to when the Air Resource Board made it illegal in California. I know I have been gone for about 5 years so things could have changed, but I did alot of work in the early years of this century developing a mass flow air sensor for a company in Cerritos called Impco that specialized in converting gas engines to run on natural gas. They had asked our company to take over the manufacturing of the product that would be sold to GM, but while I was there they were already converting postal vehicles as well as Chevy S-10s, Chevy 1/2 Tons and Chevy passenger cars for local city and county governments within California.

I really don't get why the Air Resource Board would have an issue with this since you would be improving the emissions of the existing engine. But hey the stupidity in the California government is why I left there in the first place so it wouldn't surprise me.

GM had a CNG vehicle in the US and claimed nobody was interested and droped it. That didn't keep them from making CNG vehicles for the European market. They currently have a Chevy made for the Far East. There are companies that specialise in converting GM mostly trucks. and another company that converts some Ford vehicles. Cummins Westport makes an engine that is custom installed on made to order buses like the ones running in Sacramento. They are the cleanest buses on the road. All of these products have gone through a rigerous and costly certification process. An individual cannot do his own conversion. I'm told that if they find out the car can be impounded. I would argue that if anyone converted his car and it passed a smog check it would be acceptable but what do I know?