fruitless Google searching. Always about converting TO CNG.
I already don't like the CNG bit, especially with gasoline prices now so low!

But I have a ticking clock, by 2018 or end of 2018 - it's unclear, my van won't be legal to drive as a CNG vehicle. I may be able to buy brand new CNG tanks and get it recertified but even that's unclear. It's like idiot information out there put out by the government. And at a cost of at least $1000 or more just for the tank(s) alone (I Don't even know how many tanks this damn van has - can't find anything online about the CNG Ford - p.i.t.a.).
No way I am spending $1000 + + and more for labor to keep a stupid product. The complete lack of info online and it's barely mentioned as a possible engine in the Haynes... not good if you want to work on these things yourself.

So, what would I need to do to go back to gasoline? Tank, fuel filler, fuel lines, and maybe a PCM / computer, injectors?

I have read I have hardened valve seats from the factory so that's nice

And also when I do this I will scrap the CNG bits and offer them for sale.
If someone wanted to swap parts for the needed gasoline parts for my CNG parts I would happily do that!

Thanks.

 

What year is it? may be better of selling . just my two cents

 

Hi, I just edited the title.
It's a 1998 van, it could be in excellent shape if I can solve the oil in coolant issue.
Only 11K on new rebuilt professionally installed Jasper transmission. Runs very smooth. Starts right up. Body perfect. No rot almost no rust.
Low miles for age, 122K.
Got it for a very good price - IF I can fix the chocolate milkshake issue.

 

I can't tell you how to switch it back but just some engineering guesses - if you can find a junk 98ish gasoline van in a scrap yard you'd probably make a lot of progress in figuring out if you can just swap injectors, PCM and gas tank and a few other transfers to have a gasoline vehicle.

If you find some unfortunate news from that experiment, then I would advertise on craigslist mercilessly about the green aspects of the van and see if you could find a greenie who might feel good enough about compressing CH4 to 3000 PSI in your van's tanks using coal fired power plants so that it may burn cleanly in your van for a nominal fee of a few thousand dollars.

 

Forgot to address the oil in the coolant. You should check it closely to make sure it is engine oil rather than transmission. We've had the transmission line through the radiator burst and force transmission oil into the cooling system. No worries, change the radiator and flush the coolant system. Wouldn't hurt to flush the transmission, but the pressure in the transmission line is higher than cooling system pressure so coolant doesn't usually find it's way into the transmission.

If it is actually engine oil then you may have serious issues brewing. Head gasket comes to mind.

 

I'm confused - I see "factory CNG" and "back to gasoline." Did Ford build them to run on gasoline then convert them to CNG, rather than CNG from the start?

You might need the fuel rail and pressure regulator for gasoline. If you're somewhere they do OBD emissions testing, you'll need vapor recovery and a bunch of other junk a CNG engine doesn't need/have so the PCM doesn't throw a CEL. Does a CNG catalytic converter work with gasoline?

Sixto
93 E150 Chateau 5.8 194K miles

 

These models were built off the standard Triton gasoline engine and adapted at the Ford factory to CNG and sold to the public as CNG models.

I did find a very interesting supplement book in the owners manual. I've not seen anything like it online so I photographed it and will post it on a new link here for anyone wanting info on the factory CNG Fords.

I found out that my van has a large driver side tank and 2 additional tanks in the rear. Those back 2 were optional, bringing the total 'gallon equivalent' from 7.5 gal to 16.1 gallons.
However, the 'fast fill' tech is about 5 minutes to fill up and you can only get 12.something into the system. The 'slow fill' rate you can get all 16.1 gallons in, but it takes 12 Hours. Wtf. See below pic for that data.

Oh, and Delgriffith I did update 'brown trouble overflowing' post I made. It is without any doubt engine oil and not T fluid. T fluid plenty of fresh red fluid all the way full on dipstick. Engine shifts brilliantly. Engine oil had dropped to approx 1 qt that I drained out. Yikes. And I am hoping it's a failed oil cooler and not a BHG.

 

Here's some interesting material from my Ford supplied supplements.

 

There's more to this book I can upload. I will probably make a new post for people searching for info.
A few more pics:

 

tank size info:

 

Trying to gather more info. From a Technical manual I found the following:

There are redesigned components for the Bi-Fuel (CNG / LPG / Gas) vs gasoline engine:
- Throttle body
- Intake Manifold
- fuel injectors

I also read that someone converted a 1998 Ford van back to gasoline and said they were having issues with cold starts but ran fine otherwise. Apparently they had NOT replaced the ECM. A Ford tech answered that the cold start enrichment was most likely different and suggested that o.p. to check and see if the ECM part # were different for the CNG and Gas motors. I will check that now.

 

WELL. I don't see how this can be correct.

Looking up microfiche at OEMfordparts and quirkparts website,
There are identical part numbers listed for both the CNG and regular gasoline engines for the following components:
-Throttle body
-intake manifold (upper)
-intake manifold (lower)
-ECM !!
-EGR
-MAF
-Fuel injectors
So I don't quite see how this is possible. Anyone care to weigh in on this?
Of course, even when I keep entering the vehicle as the CNG 5.4L version it diagrams up a regular gas tank and fuel filler neck etc... which we know is not right.

 

I'd sell it

 

No clue. However, once the system goes closed loop, the O2 sensor is looking for the ideal fuel mix by monitoring O2 content in the exhaust. The injector pulse width is constantly being adjusted around this value.

It would seem that the fuel maps in the ECM would be different but cold start is such a crude, "keep it running mode" perhaps it does not matter.

 

Yeah idk if it's just sloppy microfiche layout - my suspicion. All those parts can't be the same. I've noticed some issues before - everything seems to default around gasoline motors even if you enter the VIN and in pulldowns select the CNG engine.

Kind of wondering if one can use the fuel lines to the injectors / fuel rail whatever from the CNG setup. I'm sure it's more robust with the higher pressures and risks on CNG. Not sure about the diameter and volumes flowing.

I will not be selling this van to get around this issue.
To date, after selling off parts I've been PAID to take this van in essence. Got no money in it, and you can't kill a dead horse if the expired tanks "total" the van.
So it will be experimental surgery on the fuel delivery system to save it from the scrap yard or a 'for parts' sale first. If I can't make it run, then it goes for parts only in the end.

What I SERIOUSLY DON'T GET, is why no one either has done this, knows anything about this, or posts about it. I mean like the whole web. Searching generally for this with any vehicle or any Ford of any year there is almost nothing at all about. No detail, no step by step, no 'this is what I did' etc...
So either no one in the world has done it, or it's so easy no one can be bothered to post info. I doubt that. **** there are 'tutorials' to change your oil and filter and YouTube videos ad nauseam about the simplest things.