Gas on the Niva-Chevrolet: features, benefits and reviews

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

"Niva" - perhaps the most famous Russian SUV. Unfortunately, for the entire time of production, this machine has not undergone significant upgrades. Significant changes came only with the release of a new model - the Chevrolet Niva. The car received a different body and interior, but the engine remained the same. As a result, many problems "migrated" to the new Niva. This is not only low power, but also high fuel consumption. On average, a Chevrolet Niva consumes about 15 liters of gasoline in the city. This is a very large figure for a simple 1.6-liter engine. Of course, in today's realities, it will be expensive to maintain such a car. And in order to reduce operating costs, many drivers install HBO on the Chevrolet Niva. What is the result and how is the installation done? Read about all this and more further in the article.

Features

The key feature of HBO is thatthe engine, with minor changes, runs on a different type of fuel. Instead of classic gasoline, propane-butane mixed with air enters the combustion chamber. The principle of operation of the engine does not change. However, for the system to work, an evaporator reducer, separate lines, a tank, a multivalve and other equipment are required. Without these components, the system will not work.

What are the benefits?

What do they say about HBO on Chevrolet Niva reviews? The main advantage is the cost of fuel. Propane-butane is half the price of gasoline. At the same time, the car consumes about the same amount of fuel. That is, a hundred takes all the same 15 liters. sometimes the indicator can increase by 5-7 percent, but no more (otherwise, you need to adjust the Niva-Chevrolet HBO). The cost of maintaining an SUV is halved. At the same time, this fuel is distinguished by more gentle combustion products. Unlike gasoline, gas does not leave carbon deposits. Candles after 30 thousand kilometers are absolutely clean, according to reviews. The same goes for oils. It does not absorb any soot, since it has nowhere to come from. Working off when draining is not as black as the owners note. Another point is the high octane number. If for gasoline it is 92-98, then for gas it is as much as 102. This means that engine detonation will be completely excluded. Note that due to the high octane number, gas is also suitable for turbocharged engines. The main thing is that the system is properly configured.

Let's continuelist the advantages of Chevrolet Niva on gas. Saving money on refueling is not the only plus. The power of the machine does not decrease, traction also does not disappear. The SUV performs just as well as it does on petrol.

On the shortcomings of the system

Because propane-butane has a slightly different composition than gasoline, such fuel must be heated before combustion. We are talking about the fact that when in contact with air, such a gas instantly freezes. Even on a hot summer day, propane-butane tends to freeze. That is why the system has an evaporator reducer connected to the standard engine cooling system. Hot antifreeze heats the gearbox, and the gas does not freeze, but mixes normally with air. In summer, the engine can be started on gas, but in winter this will not work. First you need to wait for the time until the corrector gearbox from the standard SOD heats up. And after that you can switch to gas. That is, in winter it will not work to immediately start up on HBO, you will have to wait until the car warms up on gasoline, or warm it up on the go, and then switch to propane - this is what the owners say. Thus, completely abandoning gasoline will not work. It should still be present in the tank (even in the summer, if only so that the electric fuel pump does not burn out if there is no corresponding switch).

The next disadvantage is the cost of the system itself and the cost of installation. The exact figure will depend on the generation of gas-balloon equipment (we will consider this point later), but in any case, in order to switch to LPG, you need to spend at least 17.5 thousand rubles for workand materials. In addition, it will be difficult to install modern fourth-generation equipment on your own (and you still need to configure it correctly).

About generations of HBO

In total today there are five generations of gas-cylinder installations. However, on the Chevrolet Niva (as well as on other cars in Russia), two types of LPG are installed mainly. These are second and fourth generation systems.

The second generation is universal and can be installed on both carburetor and injection cars. The system is equipped with a gas dispenser that allows you to manually adjust the composition of the mixture.

The fourth generation is more modern and differs in that gas is injected directly into the cylinders. That is, propane does not mix with air in the pipe, as on HBO-2. The system prepares the optimal composition of the mixture. Each cylinder has a separate nozzle (gas injector). It has a special control unit that receives a signal from the ECU. If we talk about first impressions, the Niva-Chevrolet with 4th generation HBO has the same fuel consumption as on gasoline. On the second generation, it is slightly larger, as the owners say. But the HBO-4 system will be more expensive.

Features of choosing a cylinder

When installing HBO on Chevrolet Niva, you need to decide in advance what type of cylinder will be. There are two options:

Cylindrical. This is a classic gas bottle. Installed in the trunk or under the bottom. In the first case, the balloon will hide a lot of space, so many people mount it under the bottom. However, to do this,you will have to slightly change the configuration of the exhaust system and towbar

Toroidal. Currently the best solution. The cylinder is installed in place of the regular spare wheel and has the shape of a tablet. It does not hide space in the trunk, while it has a fairly large volume (about 50 liters)

Another feature of HBO on the Chevrolet Niva is the installation of a filling valve. It is better to place it next to the main neck for pouring gasoline.

Alternatively, many install the valve into the bumper, making a hole of the appropriate size there. The solution is easier, but over time, the element may rust, as it will be constantly bombarded with snow and sand. At one point, the ball will no longer hold pressure. This is not critical, because the cylinder itself also has such a mechanism. But after refueling, all the gas that is between the tank and the valve will go out, causing a wild hiss.

An important point is the selection and installation of gas pipelines. A few years ago, car owners without exception chose copper pipes. Yes, they are strong and seemingly reliable. But over the years, oxides inevitably form inside. This clogs the filter and prevents the normal passage of gas through the line. Therefore, now more and more craftsmen are abandoning copper tubes in favor of plastic ones. They are no less reliable, do not fray, and oxides will not form inside. Therefore, if you choose tubes, then only plastic ones, as the reviews advise. And it is better to fix them to the gasoline pipeline.

Installation of gearbox and other elements: features

If HBO is installed on the Chevrolet Niva with your own hands, then the gearbox can be mounted at the very beginning of work. The main thing is to decide on the place of its placement. It is attached to the body. In no case is it mounted on a motor. Also, good access must be provided to the gearbox. Further, after mounting the element, it is worth making an insert into the SOD. Upon completion of the work, it is worth removing the high-pressure line, as well as the vacuum pipe.

Next, you should insert the fittings (preferably on the removed manifold). You need to drill very accurately and carefully so that the gas fitting matches the gasoline injectors. New gas nozzles must have the same angle and be placed next to each other. On the holes made, a thread is cut for the fitting.

Please note that you must first lubricate the threads with high temperature sealant. After that, the collector is put in place (always on a new gasket). Next, you can mount the gas train. The latter will be fixed on top of the intake manifold.

At the next stage, a gas supply line from the reducer is laid, a gas purification filter is mounted. The final part is electrical. But here it is better to entrust the work to a professional who will correctly ring the wiring in Niva.

What to do with the hitch andsilencer?

If a classic cylindrical cylinder was chosen as a tank and a decision was made to place it from below, you need to think about a tow bar (if any). The best option is to install an already converted element from Bertone. But you can modify the regular towbar. To do this, a pipe with a diameter of 34 mm is taken and a bend is made that exactly repeats the circumference of our cylinder. Then you need to move and cut the mounting plate, remove the additional bracket. The latter may rest against the filling valve. After completing all the procedures, it is important to check the strength of the towbar.

Also, attention should be paid to the muffler. It needs minor tweaking. Owners practice the following scheme: they install two mufflers that are welded to each other in series. From the second muffler it is necessary to remove the pipe with a bend for the cylinder.

Adjustment

Please note that you can not set up HBO intentionally for savings. The machine should eat as much as it should. If an excessively lean mixture enters the cylinders, this will soon lead to burnout of the valves. This will not happen immediately, but after 30-40 thousand kilometers. There can be no talk of any savings here. If HBO is configured correctly, then the engine resource will be the same as on gasoline (if not more). The motor runs smoother and the pollution is minimal.

Operation and maintenance

After installing gas on the Niva-Chevrolet, many are interested in how to operate the car further. Costswhether to do additional maintenance work? About everything in order. So the first one is oil. In our conditions, it must be changed every 10 thousand kilometers. As we said earlier, after installing gas on the Niva-Chevrolet, the oil will not turn black so quickly. But this does not mean that it needs to be changed less often. The regulation remains the same - once every 10 thousand kilometers. The oil filter has the same change interval.

Gas filter

What will be added after installing gas on the Niva-Chevrolet is a gas filter. It is installed in the engine compartment. Sometimes it is located next to the gearbox. The replacement schedule for this element is 20-30 thousand kilometers. It doesn't make sense to change it before. The gas is not so dirty, and, as practice shows, after 10 thousand, the paper filter element is just beginning to acquire a dark shade. But you don’t need to save and just blow through the filter. It costs a penny, and by blowing off the outer particles, we will not increase the throughput of the old element. Therefore, we do not change the filter often, but always with a new one.

Condensation

About once a year it is necessary to drain the condensate from the gas reducer. To do this, the mechanism has a special tap, which is unscrewed with a hex wrench. Note that older gearboxes may not have such a hole. But if it is, do not be lazy to drain such condensate. Usually a black oily liquid pours out.

After five or more years of operation, the ball on the filler neck may “sin”. Priceit is also insignificant, therefore, if the valve starts to hiss after refueling, it is worth replacing this ball. Otherwise, HBO on the Chevrolet Niva (HBO of the 4th generation, including the 2nd one) does not require attention.

Conclusion

That's all you need to know about installing gas on the Niva-Chevrolet. As you can see, the system is not picky in operation. And the savings from gas on the Chevrolet Niva are obvious - half the money is spent on refueling.