TwilightRage

(Dunno if this should go here or general rotary tech, as this applies to the 13B-REW, I'll post it here)

Just curious I was wondering as to what are some of the absolute best ways to cool the 13B? Seeing as how I'd say something like 40% of our Rotor problems are from some form of heat or another.

Firstly I've heard incredibly mixed things about E85 and our engines (after much searching on this forum and others) , that it's harmful and corrosive, to it being completely harmless and extremely beneficial. I'm aware of it's cooling properties and higher then average octane rating (like 100 or so) . I know of a few people who have run their cars on it but I was wondering what FD owners opinions on it are. Wouldn't lubrication be an issue since natural or 10% ethanol added gas has better lubrication properties?

Methanol. According to a few people this seems to be a great solution to the common over heating issues with the Rotary. Not to mention it supposedly will clean up (to an extent) any unwanted carbon build up (not sure if E85 will do that). Is it possible to daily drive this set up given, say a 3-5 gallon reserve tank and maybe a 30% or higher blend with gasoline?

What about mixing both set ups? An engine that can support E85 and running on an Auxiliary injector with a Methanol blend? Would one off set the others benefits or would it just be pointless?

The whole conversation got started while rambling off a bunch of a bunch of cooling ideas to one of my Sergeants. (Dual oil coolers, Larger Intercooler/Radiator, more efficient airflow to the engine via bodykit or hood etc...)

He argued that eventually you'll reach a point where the operating temperature is kept so low that the you'll fail to properly combust your fluid of choice.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

operating temperature will never be an issue with a high horsepower rotary, everyone has to try to further cool their cars when they apply more power and have more issue trying to cool it than from overcooling(which is fixed via the thermostat anyways).

if you mix e85 with gasoline then you have to mix it accurately every time because e85 is approximately only 60% as efficient as gasoline is so you need 60% more fuel injected to be as efficient which is why the e85 guys have such intricately and overbuilt fuel systems. that said, any inconsistencies in your fuel dilution will affect your AFRs and can cause engine failure.

e85 does cool better than regular gasoline does, i wouldn't worry about any corrosiveness if you premix and change your oil regularly(rotaries also are notorious for fuel dilution of the crankcase oil).

many people run auxiliary methanol to increase octane and reduce the chance of detonation, however water injection has better detonation prevention and cooling properties. some of us use a mix of 50% water and methanol for our auxiliary injection for a mix of the best of both worlds(methanol is water soluble). methanol is a fuel, water is not so it does not add any raw power while being injected.

TwilightRage

As stupid as it may sound one of the things I was wondering about was running like...both a methanol auxiliary injection and E85... all though...that'd be like I dunno...running almost pure alcohol? (Chemically anyways)

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

that would be pointless, unless you said something like water as an auxiliary injectant. i say that because e85 is already 85% ethanol and auxiliary injection isn't exactly injected at the same amount every time at every RPM/boost range, it is an approximation, unlike an injector which is precise.

TwilightRage

I thought as much. I just needed my stupidity to be confirmed...