GAZ (Gorky Automobile Plant) is a well-known Russian automaker. Popular due to the creation of such cars as the Volga, Gazelle, Chaika, Pobeda and other cars famous in the past and present. Currently, GAZ is a manufacturer of commercial vehicles; due to a drop in demand, the assembly of passenger cars has been discontinued. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of these cars on the streets of our city, and this widespread occurrence is quite easy to explain - cheapness. Spare parts for GAZ are not expensive at all, cars are repaired on every corner, and the price of the car itself is extremely low. For tuning lovers, GAZ is perfect, the engines have a decent displacement and power, can be turbocharged quite well, and the price for all this remains within the bounds of decency.

GAZ engines in passenger cars are fairly simple in-line four-cylinder engines of various models and modifications, mainly produced by ZMZ and UMP. Top-end GAZ cars used 6-cylinder engines and V8. In addition, foreign-made engines were used, such as the in-line four 3RZ and V6 5VZ, Rover T16, and Chrysler EDZ. Along with gasoline engines, diesel engines were also installed on GAZ: in-line 4-cylinder GAZ-560 Steyer, as well as those produced by YaMZ, MMZ, Cummins, Toyota 2L-T.
GAZ engines on trucks are gasoline V8 ZMZ, in-line turbocharged 4-cylinder MMZ and YaMZ, and on older versions of GAZ, the engines were 6-cylinder, in-line configuration.

WikiMotors has collected and continues to collect an information base on the engines of the Gorky Automobile Plant, here you will find all the models and markings of GAZ engines, which ones were installed and where, their volumes, technical characteristics, malfunctions (troits, stalls, etc.) and do-it-yourself repairs. And also the resource, device, weight, oil in the GAZ engine, replacement time, how much to pour, etc.
At the same time, special attention is paid to GAZ tuning: how to properly modify the engine in the naturally aspirated version, as well as installing a compressor and turbine.
After reading the information on Wikimotors, you will decide which GAZ engine is worth buying and which one will cause a headache, whether to tune a standard power unit or choose another one for a swap and much more.

An article about the advantages and disadvantages of gas equipment for cars. Parallel use of gas and gasoline, fire hazard, ecology. At the end of the article there is a video about HBO.

The content of the article

Installing gas equipment means quite seriously disrupting the design of the car. Such a decision is not always rewarding, because after such a modification, the warranty on the car will disappear into oblivion, as if it never existed. However, despite this risk, many drivers decide on such a reconstruction, and not without reason.

Reasons for installing HBO

Motorists consider financial savings to be the main reason for installing gas-cylinder equipment, if we also take into account the indomitably rising prices for gasoline and diesel fuel.

It must be said that installing LPG, like any other car reconstruction, has its advantages, as well as disadvantages. Comparing both, many drivers often prefer gas as a fuel. Let's try to understand all these pros and cons so that in the future you can make the right choice for yourself.

The main advantages of gas cylinder equipment

The main advantage of gas fuel is its efficiency. Despite the fact that a car consumes 20% more gas, it is almost two times cheaper than gasoline.

But you need to keep in mind that such savings will only work for you if you use the car with maximum intensity. Otherwise, the benefits of installing such equipment will become very doubtful.

Also, do not forget about the fuel consumption indicator that is on the engine of your car. If this figure does not cross the border of 6 liters per 100 kilometers, then you need to think again about switching to gas fuel.

The reason for making such a decision may be the following circumstances: with an engine with a small volume, as well as with low mileage, your costs for purchasing gas equipment will take too long to pay off, especially if you take into account the difference in the prices of one liter of gasoline and one liter of gas.

Parallel use of gas and gasoline

The benefits of parallel use of gas and gasoline fuels will primarily be appreciated by drivers who need to make regular trips over long distances. With this equipment, you have an additional mileage reserve for the car. That is, you will be able to travel a fairly long distance without refueling and, thus, avoiding dubious gas stations that can be found far from large cities.

As an example, imagine that you drive a certain part of your route on gas, and after it runs out, you immediately switch to gasoline. Or vice versa. In addition, many motorists use this strategy: on large highways, where there is a need to overtake at high speed, they use gasoline. And within populated areas, where high engine power is not required, they switch to gas power.

Features of engine operation on gas fuel

Many car owners have repeatedly noticed from experience that a gas engine operates with less noise and is much more stable than a gasoline engine. This feature is easy to explain: the octane number of gas is higher than gasoline and is approximately 110.

Thanks to this very circumstance, a gas engine runs smoother and softer. For the same reasons, the percentage of vibrations and noise is reduced. In developed European countries and the USA, attention is paid to such negative manifestations as noise pollution in large cities, and there the advantage of HBO is undeniable. In Russia and the CIS countries, this problem is not yet so relevant, but, as we know, progress does not stand still.

Many motorists who prefer gas-cylinder equipment believe, not without reason, that engines powered by gas have a longer service life than those units that consume gasoline. And indeed it is.

This is explained by the fact that propane-butane in the fuel supply system is in liquid form. Penetrating into the cylinders of the internal combustion engine, it instantly passes into the desired gaseous state, ready for use.

Compared to gas, gasoline does not have a similar property, despite the fact that developers in different countries strive to bring the working mixture of gasoline and air as close as possible to the gaseous state.

Note: Methane gas equipment is not used in passenger cars, because such a system is too large and weighty.

Ignition on a gas engine works much more efficiently. Despite the fact that gas does not burn as quickly as gasoline, the combustion process is much more uniform than the combustion process of a gasoline-air mixture. And this circumstance provides the following advantages:

1. Reduced shock loads on the cylinder and piston.
2. The high octane rating of gas fuel minimizes detonation and its negative effects.
3. The main argument in favor of HBO is the longer process of engine wear. The durability of a gas fuel engine is 45% higher than that of a gasoline unit.

In addition, the gas mixes very evenly with air and therefore no deposits remain on the cylinder walls. For the same reason, the motor oil that is poured into a gas engine is less contaminated, its viscosity is extended for a longer time and, accordingly, the service life of the oil between changes is extended by 40%.

It is also worth saying about the protective oil film in an engine that is powered by gas - it does not disappear from the cylinder walls. All these features taken together indicate that the use of gas as a fuel actually increases the service life of the engine.

By the way, with installed gas equipment, the service life of the spark plugs also increases by about 40 percent. The fact is that when gas fuel burns, tar deposits do not accumulate inside the cylinder and, accordingly, much less carbon deposits form on the spark plugs. This is facilitated by the high concentration of hydrogen in gas fuel.

Engines with LPG and ecology

Gas-powered units are not as toxic as gasoline-powered ones - this is a scientifically documented fact. Gas is indeed a cleaner fuel compared to gasoline. According to BOSCH specialists, the use of gas in terms of environmental friendliness is inferior only to hydrogen engines and electric vehicles. Let us list the main environmental nuances of using gas fuel:

1. The use of HBO significantly reduces the amount of harmful substances polluting the air.
2. The gas does not contain sulfur.
3. There is no need to add additives to the gas.
4. Gas is three times more environmentally friendly than unleaded gasoline.
5. The gas burns completely in the cylinders, thereby reducing the CO level.

Indeed, the environment is much less polluted from cars running on gas fuel. However, in Russia and the CIS countries this advantage is not appreciated at all.

Not everything and not always we need to learn from the collective West, but this is the case when it is worth paying attention to the experience of those European countries in which gas-fueled cars are welcomed, and their drivers are even provided with benefits.

Moreover, in some European cities, movement restrictions are being introduced for drivers of diesel and gasoline engines. These restrictions do not apply to owners of electric vehicles and gas-powered cars.

Ease of operation, fire hazard

Modern gas cylinder equipment is quite easy and simple to use:

• automatic gas injection automatically switches to the desired type of fuel;
• the system carries out self-diagnosis, the results of which are signaled to the driver, and also monitors the remaining gas in the tank;
• The owner of the car can change the type of fuel at any time using a switch in the car's interior.

Gas-cylinder equipment has the lowest probability of explosion or fire: a gas leak cannot pose the same danger as a gasoline leak. Even if damage occurs to the cylinder or gas pipeline, the gas will immediately begin to cool.

For example, at an outside temperature of +20 degrees Celsius, the gas temperature will drop to –130 degrees when the system depressurizes. After this, the contents of the cylinder are transformed into a gaseous state and evaporate.

And if the street temperature is below zero, then there is no risk of gas fire at all - it is simply canceled. The listed properties of gas, which distinguish it favorably from flammable gasoline, also indicate the advantage of engines using gas fuel.

This fact is confirmed by numerous experiments of both domestic and foreign specialists. For example, the Germans (ADAC club) repeatedly simulated the most powerful test accidents in which the car was hit exactly in the part where the gas cylinder was located.

In this case, all gas equipment was damaged to the maximum extent, and after that the damaged car was set on fire. However, the results of this test were in favor of gas equipment.

Experts have found that if a working gas equipment is installed correctly, it will not pose a danger to the driver during operation. Even in the event of an accident, a gas cylinder is less dangerous than a gas tank.

By the way, the physical strength of a gas cylinder significantly exceeds the strength of a gasoline tank. So if fires occur in cars equipped with gas equipment, this is, as a rule, a consequence of gross violations of the rules for using gas equipment.

Tragic consequences of this kind can arise when operating a obviously faulty gas equipment. The same thing happens with gasoline engines if safety rules are violated.

Another advantage of gas fuel is the timely smell of a leak. To do this, special components (mercaptans) are added to the gas, which, when leaked, emit a noticeable odor.

And now some strict rules for handling gas fuel:

1. Do not load cylinders with household gas under any circumstances.
2. Observe the maximum permissible pressure in the gas container and never violate this rule.
3. Strictly follow the recommendations of the gas equipment manufacturer.
4. Focus on the requirements of professional gas equipment maintenance workers.

Here are the basic rules that you just have to follow. If you do find even slight signs of a gas leak in the engine or detect a smell in the trunk or interior, immediately send the car to have the gas gas leak checked. Remember: using a car with this problem is strictly prohibited!

Main disadvantages of HBO

The biggest disadvantage of gas equipment is its cost. Purchasing a modern system and installing it on a turnkey basis can cost you at least $500. But at the same time, you must remember that you are investing this money in future savings, and considerable ones at that. True, dividends will not come immediately, but over time and taking into account many conditions.

Engine power on gas

If you decide to switch to gas fuel, prepare to reduce your car's power by up to 15%. This will be due to the fact that the combustion rate of gas is significantly lower than that of gasoline.

You will especially feel this when you need to accelerate quickly. To some extent, this drawback will be compensated for by the smooth operation of the engine, especially during acceleration, as well as the absence of jerks and dips. This is all due to the slow combustion of gas.

Attention! In winter, run the engine only on gasoline! Cold starting on gas has a detrimental effect on the gearbox diaphragm and shortens its service life. Switch to gas only when the engine has warmed up to 50 degrees.

Conclusion

So, you have chosen gas fuel and decided to install LPG. In this case, review this article again and try to take into account all the pros and cons listed above. After all, it often happens that for one car enthusiast the use of gas equipment is completely unprofitable, but for another it serves as a serious means of financial savings.

In addition, before purchasing and installing gas equipment, do not forget that it is subject to registration, and after installation it will require increased attention and care. However, it is quite possible that for you, the advantages of HBO will be much greater than the disadvantages, and this system will reliably serve you for many years.

Video about gas equipment:

Olga Nagornyuk

Gas and gasoline engines: which is better?

Is a gasoline-free engine better or a gas engine? The dispute between supporters of these types of fuel has been going on for quite some time. Both have compelling arguments to prove they are right. We will get acquainted with the opinions of both sides and draw our conclusions regarding the advisability of installing gas equipment (LPG) on cars.

Gas and gasoline: competition for centuries

Surely not everyone knows that the gas engine is older than the gasoline engine. The first internal combustion engine (ICE) running on gas fuel was invented by Belgian engineer Jean Etienne Lenoir in 1860.

The progenitor of modern gas engines literally “devoured” gas, producing an efficiency of only 4%.

Its competitor, running on liquid fuel, was born two decades later. The German designer Gottlieb Daimler created a single-cylinder gasoline engine that surpassed the gas engine in power.

Further development of internal combustion engines took place on the basis of gasoline engines, and until the end of the last century they remained the undisputed leaders. However, the rise in price of gasoline made us think about using a cheaper type of fuel, and the eyes of automakers again turned towards more affordable gas.

Advantages and disadvantages of a gasoline engine

We have collected and summarized the opinions of experienced drivers who have dealt with gas and gasoline engines. Your attention will be offered to the arguments they give both in favor of one and in favor of the other ICE.

Gasoline engine.Advantages:

• High power, which results in excellent acceleration dynamics and high speed. At a traffic light you will be rushing, but on the highway it is easy to go at maximum speed.
• Low valve wear. Gasoline washes away the fumes from them, which can cause disruption of their contact with the saddle and burnout. This significantly increases the service life of the engine and extends its life.
• Low fuel consumption. On average, it is 15% lower than that of engines running on gas, so you have to stop at gas stations somewhat less frequently.

However, gasoline internal combustion engines also have a lot of disadvantages:

• High cost of fuel. Gasoline is twice as expensive as gas, so even with lower consumption compared to gas, the cost of liquid fuel will be higher. Depending on the brand of car and regional prices for fuels and lubricants, refueling a gasoline engine per 100 thousand km will cost 40-60% more than a gas engine.
• Increased wear of engine cylinders. Gasoline forms a film on them that prevents their normal lubrication, without which the service life of the engine is significantly reduced.
• Low quality fuel. At gas stations, it has become common practice to add various additives to gasoline, which clog the engine, shortening its life.
• Meanwhile, overhauling or replacing an engine is not a cheap pleasure.
• Threat to the environment. In the exhaust gases of a car, even if it complies with the Euro-4 standard, there is a high concentration of carbon monoxide. Environmentalists call CO2 the main destroyer of the ozone layer of the atmosphere, and doctors accuse it of having a detrimental effect on human health.

Advantages and disadvantages of a gas engine

Gas engines have a number of attractive characteristics that force drivers to choose them:

• Minimum content of carbon monoxide and formaldehyde in exhaust. Eco-friendly, harmless to health. Minimal harm to nature and maximum benefit for those who like to travel abroad in their own cars: border guards have no complaints about such cars.
• High octane number. The resistance of gas to detonation is 100-105 units, while that of gasoline is 80-95. Everyone understands that safety directly depends on the fuel’s resistance to fire, and from this point of view, the driver and passengers of a car with LPG will be better protected.
• Low load on the cylinders, which results in an increase in engine life by 15%.
• Increase mileage between engine oil changes. Gasoline emits combustion products that contaminate the lubricant and periodically render it unusable. In the case of gas, this happens on average one and a half times less often. You save on buying oil and replacing filters.
• Economical. As we have already written, gas costs half as much as gasoline, and even taking into account that its consumption is 15% higher than the “appetite” of a gasoline engine, its benefits are obvious for motorists who have to travel a lot.

To avoid accusations of bias, let us also mention the disadvantages of gas engines:

• Expensive installation of gas equipment. Today, experts are already installing fifth-generation gas equipment, which allows the car to minimize power losses and maximize fuel economy. Gas equipment has been installed on injection engines since the third generation, the price of which ranges from 300 to $400. Installing a more modern gas equipment will cost $1,500 - $1,700.

• Difficulty starting the engine in cold weather. Experts were able to solve this problem by creating a symbiosis of gas and gasoline engines: in the morning and in the cold season, start on gasoline and drive on gas.
• Reducing trunk volume. Most often, a gas cylinder is placed in the trunk of a passenger car, so there is less useful space for transporting things and products, and the spare tire has to be placed in another place.
• Low draft. Compared to gasoline fuel, gas “takes away” from 7 to 15% of engine power. You will not be able to “squeeze” the maximum number on your speedometer on the highway, and the start at a traffic light will not be so fast.
• High operating temperature. Pistons are especially sensitive to it, so you will have to closely monitor their serviceability, and at the same time the operation of the internal combustion engine cooling system.

Due to the high heat capacity of gas combustion, experts advise making a balanced decision about installing gas equipment on cars with Japanese engines. It’s paradoxical, but true: the reason lies in the perfection of the engine of the Japanese manufacturer.
Possessing high specific power indicators, such an engine operates almost at the limit and has a minimum safety margin. Increased thermal load on the combustion chamber and valves leads to rapid wear of the mechanism and failure.
We have not come across any information regarding the undesirability of converting other brands of cars to use gas fuel.

An engine converted to gas requires more attention and care than a gasoline engine. Get ready for the fact that you will have to change the gearbox membrane more often (every 100 thousand km) and drain condensate (every 10 thousand km).

Opinions about the explosion hazard of cars equipped with gas equipment are divided. On the one hand, you have a gas cylinder in your car that can explode. On the other hand, traffic police statistics record isolated cases of such accidents. When the cylinder deforms, a safety valve is activated, releasing part of the gas into the air and reducing its pressure.

The traffic police requires that a vehicle be re-registered if it has been converted to an LPG. You will be forced to document the fact that the company that installed the equipment has a permit for this type of activity and submit an expert opinion on the safety of gas equipment. And this means time, nerves and money.

When installing gas equipment, use the services of specialized service stations, the level of training of whose specialists allows for high-quality adjustment of the equipment and to eliminate possible breakdowns in the future.

Who benefits from a gas engine?

Let's calculate whether it is profitable to equip a car with a gas engine. Let’s say you cover a distance of 120 km per day, respectively, 43,800 km per year. With a gasoline consumption of 10 liters per 100 km and a price of $1 per 1 liter, refueling will cost you $4,380. Gas with the same mileage will cost $2518.5. It is clear from the figures that within the first year you will cover the costs of installing the equipment.

If you drive a little, say 20 km a day. Paying for gasoline will cost you $730, and gas will cost you $419.75. It will take you more than 5 years to recoup the cost of converting your car to use LPG.

Conclusion: equipping a car with LPG is beneficial for those who have to travel a lot. If you are a taxi driver, a minibus driver or a commercial gazelle driver, gas will bring you significant savings. If your daily route runs from home to work and back, then the game is not worth the candle: a gasoline engine is your option.

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Cars produced by GAZ, the Gazelle model, are one of the most popular light-duty cars in the CIS countries. This car and the Gazelle engine went into mass production back in 1994 and are still produced today.

Throughout the production and operation of the car, the Gazelle has undergone many different changes and modifications relating to both the appearance and body, as well as the engine. This machine is also a good option for self-improvement. For example, you can install a Japanese engine on a gazelle, which will increase the service life of the car and significantly improve some characteristics.

Among the significant changes throughout the production of the Gazelle, the car was significantly modified two times:

1. In 2003, a change in appearance was carried out, which significantly influenced the subsequent body style. The hardware component has not been subject to deep modifications.
2. The engine for the Gazelle underwent a more extensive and serious modification already in 2010, where changes affected both the operating principle of the device and its characteristics. In addition, the prefix “Business” was added to the name of the car. This car is still being produced in this form for 2016.

Basically, this machine is a good and cheap option for commercial travel and transportation, and is actively used by forwarders and postal transport services.

Engine ZMZ 402

The most common engine that GAZ engines could boast of was the ZMZ 402. It was produced from the beginning of 1980 until 2006. Now you can find it exclusively in a maintained form.

This GAZ engine is the most common, as it has been produced for more than 20 years, which makes it easy to find the necessary spare parts and carry out repairs.

In terms of technical characteristics, it is not particularly different from its predecessors:

• The engine cylinder is made of aluminum, the power supply system is carburetor.
• Maximum engine capacity – 2115 cm3.
• This engine has quite high fuel consumption - up to 14 liters per 100 km in the city.
• One of the main advantages of this engine is its versatility, thanks to which it can be used on almost all GAZ cars.

Breakdowns and repairs of the ZMZ 402 engine

Despite the high quality and mass production of the Gazelle ICE engine, breakdowns still occur. These include the following malfunctions:

1. One of the most fragile parts in the ZMZ 402 engine is the crankshaft oil seal. It is made from ordinary rope, pre-impregnated in graphite lubricant. The strength limit of such a part is up to 2500 rpm. If you exceed this figure, the crankshaft oil seal will simply begin to leak oil out. In order to avoid such unpleasant situations with ZMZ 402, the stuffing box should be replaced with a better one made of durable material;
2. Abnormal vibration, unnatural sounds, and jerking may occur when the engine is idling. Such signs of malfunction may appear due to wear of the carburetor, since its design is initially crooked and is not the best solution implemented in Gazelle engines. Due to this feature, fuel is supplied to the engine cylinders in uneven parts, which leads to the malfunction described above;
3. The occurrence of unhealthy sounds in the engine during its operation. Basically, the owner of a car with a GAZ engine is faced with knocking in the engine, which indicates a faulty fuel supply through the valve. In order to avoid such troubles, valve clearances should be adjusted in a timely manner. Basically, this car needs engine maintenance after every 15,000 km. If the knocking does not occur due to a crooked valve, then you should turn your attention to the connecting rod bearings or the camshaft.

Due to its wide distribution, almost any breakdown of the ZMZ 402 can be corrected; it is enough to find out the cause of the malfunction and carry out high-quality repairs or replacement of the damaged part. This is why gazelle engines are not often completely replaced due to breakdown.

Modifications of ZMZ

There are also a large number of modified versions of ZMZ 402 engines, which were mass-produced and produced for cars of the same name.

The most common modifications include the following:

• ZMZ 402.10

It is this modification that can most often be found among motorists in our country. It is installed on the Volga and works with 92 gasoline;

• ZMZ 4022.10

Not the best engineering solution for low-cost cars, as it contains a number of complex engineering solutions, such as a modified carburetor and an improved crankshaft.

Such innovations were supposed to increase the performance, efficiency, and reduce the toxicity of the GAZ engine. But in reality, not everything turned out so well, there was no expected efficiency, and the entire design required significant modifications;

• ZMZ 4025.10

It has no special differences from the 402 model, but was developed and used for cars of the Gazelle family.

Engine ZMZ 406

This is the next stage in the development of engines for the Gazelle, which replaced the ZMZ 402.

Despite the slight differences in numbers between them, this motor has undergone dramatic changes compared to its predecessor.

The main differences include the following changes:

• changing the location of camshafts;
• 16 valve engine;
• hydraulic compensators are installed, which avoids the constant need for their adjustment;
• a significantly improved timing drive, the service life of which is 100,000 km, but in most cases can withstand loads twice as large. The engine camshaft is driven by gears with helical teeth. At the same time, a steel gear is mounted on the crankshaft, and a textolite gear with a cast iron hub is mounted on the distribution shaft to ensure silent operation.

But despite the general improvement in design and the use of more reliable components, this GAZ engine also has a number of serious drawbacks, due to which it is necessary to monitor the hydraulic tensioners and the condition of the chains quite often.

At the same time, it is difficult to overestimate innovations in the production of GAZ engines, especially when comparing the ZAZ 406 with the classic ZAZ 402.

Modification ZMZ 406

There are only three modifications of the ZMZ 406 engine:

• ZMZ 4061.10

The GAZ car engine runs on 76 gasoline and is of the carburetor type. At the moment it is rare, as it was produced in smaller quantities than other modifications and is now obsolete;

• ZMZ 4062.10

One of the most common modifications of the ZAZ engine. This Gazelle engine is also used on the Volga. Has an injection type of operation;

• ZMZ 4063.10

One of the latest modifications of the above-mentioned engine, running on 92 gasoline. This GAZ engine operates on a carburetor circuit.

Breakdowns of ZMZ 406

This type of motor may have the following malfunctions:

• Despite the stronger material used for hydraulic tensioners - metal chains, they also have some disadvantages that the driver may not have encountered when using a rope transmission. The timing chains on the engine can become jammed over time. Such a malfunction leads to unhealthy noise, vibrations appear in the operation of the engine, leading to the destruction of the shoe or the chain jumping;
• overheating of the ZMZ 406 engine. One of the most common malfunctions that appears when the radiator is dirty or the thermostat is malfunctioning. It is worth replacing the coolant with a new one;
• Due to wear of the hydraulic compensator, knocking noise may occur in the engine. This type of malfunction is most often encountered by owners of the ZMZ 406 and the GAZ 3307 engine.
  This malfunction also appears when connecting rod bearings, pistons and piston pins break.

Engine UMZ 4216

UMZ 4216 is one of the most modern modifications of motors from this manufacturer. Its good specifications and high reliability are proven by many positive reviews among motorists.

The main difference from older models is a significantly increased engine volume, improved exhaust valves, which have become 3 mm larger compared to the previous model, and an injection type of operation and gasoline supply.

Also based on the UMZ 4216, a series of Evotek engines was developed. If we compare this engine with the ZMZ 402, the UMZ 4216 has blocks of significantly increased strength; instead of wet liners, dry and thin analogues began to be installed, the cylinders became larger in diameter and are now 100 mm versus 92 mm used on the ZMZ 402.

Also at the Ulyanovsk Motor Plant, where engines with the abbreviation were produced, a diesel engine for the Gazelle is assembled.

The main breakdowns and malfunctions with this motor are not particularly different from the problems described above for a number of other engines. This is due to the fact that there are no global differences between the series of motors and UMP, and they have a similar structure and operating principle.

In order for the GAZ engine to work as long as possible, the valve clearances should be checked and adjusted every 10,000 km, which will help avoid serious damage. The same rules apply to the repair and operation of the GAZ 3307 engine, which is common among business and government enterprises that have trucks from this manufacturer in their fleet.

Much has been said about the advantages of gas engine fuel, in particular methane, but let us remind you about them again.

This is an environmentally friendly exhaust that meets current and even future legal emissions requirements. Within the framework of the cult of global warming, this is an important advantage, since Euro 5, Euro 6 and all subsequent standards will be imposed without fail and the exhaust problem will have to be solved one way or another. By 2020, new vehicles in the European Union will be allowed to produce an average of no more than 95 g of CO2 per kilometer. By 2025, this permissible limit may be lowered further. Methane engines are able to meet these toxicity standards, and not only due to lower CO2 emissions. Particulate emissions from gas engines are also lower than their gasoline or diesel counterparts.

Further, gas engine fuel does not wash away oil from the cylinder walls, which slows down their wear. According to propagandists of gas engine fuel, the engine life magically increases significantly. At the same time, they modestly keep silent about the thermal stress of a gas-powered engine.

And the main advantage of gas engine fuel is the price. The price and only the price covers all the shortcomings of gas as a motor fuel. If we are talking about methane, then this is an undeveloped network of CNG filling stations that literally ties a gas car to a gas station. The number of filling stations with liquefied natural gas is negligible; this type of gas motor fuel today is a niche, highly specialized product. Further, gas equipment takes up part of the payload capacity and usable space; gas equipment is troublesome and expensive to maintain.

Technical progress has given rise to such a type of engine as gas-diesel, which lives in two worlds: diesel and gas. But as a universal means, gas diesel does not fully realize the possibilities of either world. It is not possible to optimize combustion, efficiency or emissions for two fuels on the same engine. To optimize the gas-air cycle, you need a specialized tool - a gas engine.

Today, all gas engines use external gas-air mixture formation and ignition from a spark plug, as in a carburetor gasoline engine. Alternative options are under development. The gas-air mixture is formed in the intake manifold by gas injection. The closer to the cylinder this process occurs, the faster the engine response. Ideally, the gas should be injected directly into the combustion chamber, as discussed below. The complexity of control is not the only disadvantage of external mixture formation.

Gas injection is controlled by an electronic unit, which also regulates the ignition timing. Methane burns slower than diesel fuel, that is, the gas-air mixture should ignite earlier, the advance angle is also adjusted depending on the load. In addition, methane requires a lower compression ratio than diesel fuel. So, in a naturally aspirated engine the compression ratio is reduced to 12–14. Aspirated engines are characterized by a stoichiometric composition of the gas-air mixture, that is, the excess air coefficient a is equal to 1, which to some extent compensates for the loss of power from a decrease in the compression ratio. The efficiency of an atmospheric gas engine is 35%, while that of an atmospheric diesel engine is 40%.

Automakers recommend using special motor oils in gas engines that are characterized by water resistance, low sulfate ash content and at the same time a high base number, but all-season oils for diesel engines of the SAE 15W-40 and 10W-40 classes are not prohibited, which in practice are used in nine cases out of ten.

A turbocharger allows you to reduce the compression ratio to 10–12, depending on the size of the engine and the pressure in the intake tract, and increase the excess air ratio to 1.4–1.5. In this case, the efficiency reaches 37%, but at the same time the thermal stress of the engine increases significantly. For comparison, the efficiency of a turbocharged diesel engine reaches 50%.

The increased thermal stress of a gas engine is associated with the impossibility of purging the combustion chamber when the valves are closed, when the exhaust and intake valves are simultaneously open at the end of the exhaust stroke. The flow of fresh air, especially in a supercharged engine, could cool the surfaces of the combustion chamber, thus reducing the thermal stress of the engine, and also reducing the heating of the fresh charge, this would increase the filling factor, but for a gas engine, valve overlap is unacceptable. Due to the external formation of the gas-air mixture, air is always supplied to the cylinder along with methane, and the exhaust valves must be closed at this time to prevent methane from entering the exhaust tract and causing an explosion.

A reduced compression ratio, increased thermal stress and features of the gas-air cycle require corresponding changes, in particular, in the cooling system, in the design of the camshaft and CPG parts, as well as in the materials used for them to maintain performance and service life. Thus, the cost of a gas engine is not so different from the cost of a diesel equivalent, if not higher. Plus the cost of gas equipment.

The flagship of the domestic automotive industry, KAMAZ PJSC serially produces gas 8-cylinder V-shaped engines of the KamAZ-820.60 and KamAZ-820.70 series with dimensions of 120x130 and a displacement of 11,762 liters. For gas engines, a CPG is used that provides a compression ratio of 12 (the diesel KamAZ-740 has a compression ratio of 17). In the cylinder, the gas-air mixture is ignited by a spark plug installed instead of an injector.

For heavy-duty vehicles with gas engines, special spark plugs are used. Thus, Federal-Mogul supplies the market with spark plugs with an iridium central electrode and a side electrode made of iridium or platinum. The design, materials and characteristics of the electrodes and the spark plugs themselves take into account the operating temperature of a heavy-duty vehicle, which is characterized by a wide range of loads, and a relatively high compression ratio.

KamAZ-820 engines are equipped with a distributed methane injection system into the intake manifold through nozzles with an electromagnetic metering device. Gas is injected into the intake tract of each cylinder individually, which makes it possible to adjust the composition of the gas-air mixture for each cylinder in order to obtain minimal emissions of harmful substances. Gas flow is regulated by a microprocessor system depending on the pressure in front of the injector, the air supply is regulated by a throttle valve driven by an electronic accelerator pedal. The microprocessor system controls the ignition timing, provides protection against methane ignition in the intake manifold in the event of a failure in the ignition system or valve malfunction, as well as engine protection from emergency modes, maintains a given vehicle speed, provides torque limitation on the driving wheels of the vehicle and self-diagnosis when the system is turned on. .

KAMAZ has largely unified the parts of gas and diesel engines, but not all, and many outwardly similar parts for diesel engines - crankshaft, camshaft, pistons with connecting rods and rings, cylinder heads, turbocharger, water pump, oil pump, intake pipeline , oil pan, flywheel housing - not suitable for gas engines.

In April 2015, KAMAZ launched a corps of gas vehicles with a capacity of 8 thousand units of equipment per year. The production is located in the former gas-diesel building of the automobile plant. The assembly technology is as follows: the chassis is assembled and a gas engine is installed on it on the main assembly line of the automobile plant. Then the chassis is towed into the body of gas vehicles for installation of gas equipment and carrying out the entire test cycle, as well as for running-in of vehicles and chassis. At the same time, KAMAZ gas engines (including those modernized with BOSCH components) assembled at the engine production facility are also fully tested and run-in.

Avtodiesel (Yaroslavl Motor Plant), in collaboration with Westport, has developed and produces a line of gas engines based on the YaMZ-530 family of 4- and 6-cylinder in-line engines. The six-cylinder version can be installed on the new generation Ural NEXT vehicles.

As mentioned above, the ideal version of a gas engine is direct gas injection into the combustion chamber, but so far the most powerful global mechanical engineering has not created such a technology. In Germany, research is being carried out by the Direct4Gas consortium, led by Robert Bosch GmbH in partnership with Daimler AG and the Stuttgart Research Institute for Automotive Technology and Engines (FKFS). The German Ministry of Economics and Energy supported the project with 3.8 million euros, which is actually not that much. The project will run from 2015 to January 2017. Na-gora must provide an industrial design of a direct methane injection system and, no less important, the technology for its production.

Compared to current systems that use multipoint manifold gas injection, the advanced direct injection system can increase low-end torque by 60%, eliminating the weak point of a gas engine. Direct injection solves a whole complex of “childhood” diseases of a gas engine, brought along with external mixture formation.

The Direct4Gas project is developing a direct injection system that can be reliable and sealed and dose the exact amount of gas for injection. Modifications to the engine itself are kept to a minimum so that the industry can use the same components. The project team is equipping experimental gas engines with a newly developed high-pressure injection valve. The system is supposed to be tested in the laboratory and directly on vehicles. Researchers are also studying the formation of the fuel-air mixture, the ignition control process and the formation of toxic gases. The long-term goal of the consortium is to create conditions under which the technology can enter the market.

So, gas engines are a young area that has not yet reached technological maturity. Maturity will come when Bosch and his friends create technology for directly injecting methane into the combustion chamber.