Method of converting diesel engine to natural gas engine

Abstract

A method of converting a diesel engine to a natural gas engine comprising inserting a spark plug into a diesel fuel injector opening in a cylinder head; installing a throttle body on the diesel engine; installing a throttle body adaptor between a throttle body and an intake manifold of said diesel engine; and modifying a piston, whereby the compression ratio of said piston is decreased during operation of said piston. The method also includes installation of a waste gate and waste gate adaptor and a timing mask.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
       1. A method of converting a diesel engine to a natural gas engine characterized by, the diesel engine having an intake manifold, a cylinder head having one or more injector openings which receive for receiving a fuel injector, and one or more pistons in corresponding cylinders, said method comprising:
 removing said fuel injectors from said injector openings; 
 inserting a spark plug into each of said injector openings; 
 installing a throttle body adaptor on said intake manifold, the adapter being structured to accommodate connection of a throttle body to the intake manifold of the diesel engine; 
 installing a throttle body on said adaptor, said throttle body having a throttle plate which responds to actuation of an accelerator pedal and opens to allow more air/fuel air into the intake manifold; 
 modifying said pistons to decrease the compression ratio in said cylinders during operation of said engine; and 
 modifyingproviding said pistons to havewith one of a three-ring or four-ring piston assembly; 
 providing at least one ring that is structured to expand into sealing engagement with the cylinder wall during the intake stroke of the piston to resist passage of oil into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke of the piston when the throttle plate is closed; 
 and wherein said throttle body adaptor further comprises a flange and a hose, said hose engaging said flange and engaging said intake manifold. 
 
     
     
       2. A method of converting a diesel engine having no waste gate to a natural gas engine characterized by, the diesel engine having an intake manifold, a cylinder head having one or more injector openings which receive for receiving a fuel injector, and one or more pistons in corresponding cylinders, said method comprising:
 removing said fuel injectors from said injector openings; 
 inserting a spark plug into each of said injector openings; 
 installing a throttle body adaptor on said intake manifold, the adapter being structured to accommodate connection of a throttle body to the intake manifold of the diesel engine; 
 installing a throttle body on said adaptor, said throttle body having a throttle plate which responds for responding to actuation of an accelerator pedal by opening to allow more air/fuel air and fuel into the intake manifold; 
 modifying said pistons to decrease the compression ratio in said cylinders during operation of said engine; and 
 modifyingproviding said pistons to havewith one of a three-ring or four-ring piston assembly; 
 providing at least one ring that is structured to expand into sealing engagement with the cylinder wall during the intake stroke of the piston to resist passage of oil into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke of the piston when the throttle plate is closed; and 
 installing a waste gate and a waste gate adaptor on said diesel engine, said waste gate adaptor enabling a turbocharger to communicate with an exhaust manifold on said engine through said adaptor; wherein, said waste gate adaptor has having an orifice for connection to said waste gate and also has having holes aligned with the exhaust manifold and turbocharger. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, installing a waste gate and a waste gate adaptor on said diesel engine, said waste gate adaptor enabling a turbocharger to communicate with an exhaust manifold on said engine through said adaptor, said waste gate adaptor having an orifice for connection to said waste gate and also having holes aligned with the exhaust manifold and turbocharger. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of inserting a spark plug into each of said injector openings includes providing a sleeve within each of said injector openings, each sleeve containing said spark plug. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 4, further comprising securing each sleeve to an upper interior portion of each of said injector openings. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
 providing threads within said upper interior portion of each of said injector openings: and   providing threads on an upper portion of each sleeve, said threads on said upper portion of each sleeve being structured to engage said threads within the upper interior portion of each of said injector openings.   
     
     
       7. The method of claim 4, further comprising securing each sleeve to an interior bottom portion of each of said injector openings. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
 providing threads within said interior bottom portion of each of said injector openings: and   providing threads on a lower portion of each sleeve, said threads on said lower portion of each sleeve being structured to engage the threads within said interior bottom portion of each of said injector openings.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
 providing an idle air control on said throttle body;   providing an air control orifice on said throttle body adapter; and   connecting said air control orifice to an idle air control.   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
 providing a throttle position sensor on said throttle body; and   utilizing the throttle position sensor to provide a throttle plate position to an electronic control unit.   
     
     
       11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying one of said pistons and said cylinders to decrease the compression ratio in said cylinders during operation of said engine includes removing material from a top of said piston. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a concave portion within said top of said piston. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying said pistons to have one of a three-ring and a four-ring piston assembly includes providing a scraper ring, an oil ring, and at least one central reverse torque ring disposed between said scraper ring and said oil ring. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one central reverse torque ring is provided in an orientation wherein said at least one central reverse torque ring is structured to expand towards a cylinder wall during an intake stroke of said piston. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
 securing a timing mask to a timing gear of said engine; and   providing a sensor, said sensor being structured to detect rotation of said timing mask.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing a sensor includes providing a hall-effect timing pick-up. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 2, wherein the throttle body adaptor further comprises a at least one of the configurations including:
 an adapter body having a central orifice, a plurality of first apertures structured to permit securing the throttle body adapter to the intake manifold, a plurality of second apertures structured to permit securing the throttle body adapter to the throttle, and an air control orifice; or   an adapter body that is structured to be secured to the throttle, the adapter body having a flange that is connected to a hose, the hose being structured to be secured to the intake manifold.