redlineracer

home made fuel?

http://www.ethanolstill.com/index.html

Is this possible for our cars. How would this affect our cars ferformance.

Icemark

Mazda does not recommend ethanol supplimented gas exceeding more than 10% volumn (90% gas/10% ethanol) because of seal issues.

And they never ever recommened the use of Methanol.

And typically ethanol supplimented gas has a lower BTU rate than full gas (meaning less power).

There is a whole ethanol thread on this page in the last day or so, you should look/search for it.

J-Rat

iTrader: (2)

lol! Yep, and I am in the dead thick of it!

deadRX7Conv

Screw Mazda's recommendations.

If you want to make your own fuel, go right ahead. Its possible once you replace the entire fuel system with ethanol safe components.
You'll have to source: fuel tank/pump/lines/hoses/filter/injectors/regulator/seals/engine Orings/.... best bet is from the OEM FFV/E85 vehicles and aftermarket sources.

Once you've spent $1500 or more on that stuff, on an NA, you'll need to bump your compression ratio.
Ethanol is a high octane fuel and the stock CR would be a waste.
Rx8 rotors are a start, but you'll need to run more timing, easily solved by running an aftermarket standalone ECU(whats a motec/electromotive/haltec cost). And, advanced timing can only go so far before it becomes an inefficient way to use that octane(110+ for ethanol).
Anyone make 12:1 rotors for the rotary?
Turbos are lucky. They can just run more boost(along with the highest CR rotors you can find).
Once you got all that stuff built and together, you'll have to find a competent tuner with alcohol experience. The A/F ratio will need to be rich in the 7-8:1 range. 9:1 is stoich for ethanol. Since its a rotary, go rich. 14.7:1 is stoich for gasoline. Hint, big MPG drop!
The lubricity of an alcohol vs petroleum fuel is nothing to brag about. You might also want to run the premix on the rich side(80:1) until you can verify seal:housing wear over several hundred thousand miles of use on several dozen engines(or just upgrade with the best aftermarket engine components you can find during your required rebuild).
Since ethanol has 30% less BTUs then gasoline, expect your MPG to drop by a 1/3. Some of that MPG can be had with taller gearing, torque tuning, short shifting(nice long runners on custom intake manifold), smaller turbo(with VNT) ........ all which defeats the purpose of owning a rotary.

Damn it, its a freaking rotary. It wasn't suppose to get good MPG, be clean. or run on hippie fuel.

ErixHvn

Why not try just soaking a set of old side seals to see if the ethanol will cause any deterioration before running it in the engine? Would be cheaper finding out that way don't you think?

Whizbang

actaully ALL cars did not recommend more than E10, because well. alcohol eats alot of things that are in the fuel system.

Icemark

side seals are the least problem.

The flexible hoses and PD and FPR are the biggest issues as they tend to dissolve.

ErixHvn

Bummer

BigMike85

Uhh, last time I checked, you need a license to make high content alcohol. It is legal to make beer and wine in the US, since the % is what? 12% max? Anything above that counts as moonshine basically and is/was an arrestable offense (w/o a license). I haven't been keeping up with the laws though.

This place had some interesting still plans.

J-Rat

iTrader: (2)

Your fuel tank would be fine, I have been running my alcohol pump for years, and its just a stock in tank pump, and engine o-rings? Please....

Thats an opinion. Running it on stock compression ratio is perfectly fine.

Yep, a standalone is a good idea. Not much of a problem for those of us already on them.

Hippy fuel.. Hmmm. What will you do when we reach peak oil? Or have you even considered that?

Digi7ech

iTrader: (1)

If you question the seals you can switch to Viton Coolant and other seals.

Viton is approved for use with Ethanol.

As for external. Traditional rubber and aluminum is bad.

Most plastics,teflon coated items are ok. I forget what flexible type of hose is ok.