Skidrain

Hey, just a thought-I've read many posts here saying that rotaries, especially the first Gens, will run on pretty much anything that burns(gas, kerosine, perfume, Jack Daniels, big exagerations, but you get the point), and typically best on 87 octane, since it burns FASTER, but not HOTTER. Has anyone ever tried deisel fuel? Pardon my ignorance of the properties of Deisel, but I just thought I'd mention it, as I haven't read about it before-Thanks!

damon

it would clog the cats in a heartbeat smoke like a freight train and probably carbon lock in about three days

but on a positive note deisel fuel has more oil residue (from being the waste product of crude oil refinement)and could possibly eliminate the need for oil injection

but why would you want to use a more expensive no performance fuel in a sports car anyway

peace

Skidrain

I wasn't sure, I had no idea what deisel fuel is composed of. I just was asking, because it seems as though rotaries run better on non-performance fuels, according to what I've read. Also, My girlfriends grandfather is a truck driver, and his rig has 1,064,000 miles on it, and the motor sounds brand new, and has never been touched besides regular maintainence. I realize the engines are much different, but hey, a ROTARY is completely different from a typical piston engine, so it was worth a shot. Other opinions?\
Thanks-

Jerm982

Can you really run a rotary on Jack Daniels or some other type of hard liquor?

RXcetera

I think this guy has "Rotary engine" and "Turbine engine" confused. Rotaries run on the same stuff conventional piston engines run on. Trying to make them run on other combustibles will produce similar, dramatic results.

Project84

Deisel engines have higher compression than a piston or rotary engine, so I don't think you would even get the deisel fuel to burn.

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

Diesel is designed to be ignited under compression. There are no spark plugs in a diesel engine. The rotary might run for a few seconds/minutes, but chances are it's not burning the diesel fuel, but the excess gasoline that's left in the rotor housings and carb. I wouldn't suggest doing this.

RX7GT

It seems to be hard enough to keep the carbon out of a rotary. I definitely would not ever want to put in diesel. As stated above, diesel engines have much higher compression and need it to burn the fuel efficiently. If you have ever driven a diesel truck or car, you would also see that the engines run at a much lower RPM. Most diesel engines will redline well below 5000 R's. As I'm sure you know, the rotary's power peak is in the higher RPM range. To run diesel would actually be counterproductive. (not to mention more expensive)
I personally have been studying up on the properties of alcohol as a fuel. Methanol to be specific. The reason I first thought about it is that it runs cooler than a gasoline engine. However, it requires a much higher fuel:air mixture. I don't know if it will work but I guess anything to eliminate heat in a rotary would be good. I just don't know if it would be compatible or combustible in the rotary engine. As I have read, GM had done some testing with alternative fuels around the same time that they were producing the rotary engine in the early 70's. I don't know if any cross-over R&D was done though.

Skidrain

Thanks guys, I feel very much more knowledgable now, especially on how diesel engines work, as well as what not to ever do to my car. Much appreciated!
Gary

P.S. How about tap water? Wait a minute, the government is watching......

82streetracer

iTrader: (1)

doesn't somebody here have a rotary with a PROPANE caburator on it.

I think his car is in the photo section.

V8kilr

yeah its called LPG seems to be a normal thing in aussie


btw
LPG im pretty sure stands for
Liquid Propane Gas

because the propane is turned from liquid to gas then back to liquid

or something to that effect

maxpesce

LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas)
and
PROPANE
are slightly different compounds. They are both Hydro-Carbons containing Carbon & Hydrogen atoms but in slightly different configurations

Defprun

Mazda experimented with a Hydrogen Rotary. Apparently, a rotary tend to backfire less when using hydrogen than a piston engine! So, you can get a quick, alternative fuel vehicle, that doesn't backfire! The only problem was, that in the early 90's there wasn't many hydrogen fuel stations.

I read this out of a magazine in grade 9. I have good memory

Project84

I brought up the tap water thing a few weeks back. Do a search for a thread called water injection. My theory was that injecting water into the car would, A: cool the air. More cooler the air, the more condensed it is, meaning you could mix more fuel with it. B: it should be combustable since its oxygen and hydrogen, which are both combustable elements. It works on jet engines, but not on carbuerated cars. It does however, flash-boil water to steam which was said to destroy the carbon build up in the rotor housing. More than a few people have said that this works the same as doing the ATF treatment. Just slowly pour in water through carb while engine is running at normal temp. Have someone press gas pedal as the engine tries to bog down. Don't do more than a 1 liter bottle. I've heard of too much water causing mufflers to glow red

MikeLMR

Diesel is a definete no no in a rotary.
Diesels have much higher compression ratios than petrol engines and hence the blocks must be stronger as does the head and the crank etc. This is why diesel cars run at lower Rpms than petrol engines.

Water injection is used mainly on turbocharged cars to reduce charge air temperatures and prevent detonation I have never heard of it being used on an N/A car.

Water injection on turbines/ air craft is more about lowering combustion temperatures to reduce NoX (nitrogen oxides) in the exhaust emmisions + it gives a good boost in performance

Pele

iTrader: (28)

A shot for the car, A shot for me. Two shots for the car, One, Two shots for me...



Aw ****. Can't drive now.

It'd be cool if more cars ran on alcohol becasue then I could contribute to the parties I goto simply by going to a gas station, saying my car died down the road somewhere and filling a 5 gallon jerry can.

jeremy

iTrader: (1)

i use banana peels and beer cans.

joethecomputerdude

i bet a roto engine would run on everclear... but then again.. what other liquor can you degrease an engine with...

RX7GT

Water injection does in fact not only work o carbuerated engines, it works very well. However, I have never tried it on a N/A engine. I have an 85 Civic with a Jackson Racing Turbo kit. It also has a water injection setup (it actually recommends 50/50 water and alcohol to keep from freezing) which helps cool the intake charge. There is a small pump on the side of the reservoir which is similar to a washer fluid pump that will put just a slight mist into the intake through a small brazed on nipple. I am also running a Weber downdraft blow-through carb. (34/34 I believe. It came with the kit)
The whole setup really improves the Honda's slow-box characteristics. I am in the process of diassembling the turbo and removing the kit from the car. I started looking last night for a way to install the water injection on my T2. ---Jeremy

WackyRotary

I wouldn't feed your engine jack or everclear if I were you. If there is sugar in the fuel, you'll be sorry. I think you were just being humerous, ......HOPE SO.

By the way its not hard to run achokal in your engine if you simply re-jet the carb for it. Its rediciously easy to do it with a weber like what I have. They DO sell E-85(ethanel 85%) in certain gas stations here in MN. I think some local states have them to. They are meant for FFV's or (Flex Fuel Vehicles). Certain manufacturers make them options on local vehicles: Toraus, contuer, some Hondas, and some fleet vehicles. I think the Windstar has it too. They make more power with it. They can run any combination of gas or ethanal because of a density senser in the tank. It optimal ratio for best power is ~9:1A/F. Yes, you'll get 65% of what you'll normally get for MPG with regular unleaded, but you'll make more power, up to 15% more.