menace

just a question cos i can get the barells for about the same price as fuel liter for liter?

AJC13B

Try it!

Take pics please

Anthony Rodrigues

Yes you can, make sure that you use plenty of castor oil for premix and dont forget the 2.4:1 supply ratio. Needs heaps of that gear but when it is right, methanol is known as "NECTOR OF THE GODS"
-Anthony.
Tread carefully though!!!!

HWO

currently i can buy a grade methanol by the 200L drum fill for nearly 10c per litre less than 96 octane, its F'king crazy

RETed

You realize that although methanol has a higher octane rating than pump gas, it also has a lower energy potential (forgot the real term).&nbsp This means you need MORE methanol to make the same amount of power versus gasoline...



-Ted

menace

can someone list ALL the pros and cons?

RETed

Methanol has higher octane rating - this is due to the fact that the methanol cools drastically when vaporized.&nbsp Absorption of latent heat?&nbsp Damn, my memory sucks...&nbsp Abel Ibarra figured this out when he switched to methanol and ran his drag FD car engine with NO intercooler!

Methanol has less power potential than gasoline, so you'll need to have some serious flow of methanol to make big power numbers.&nbsp I think methanol needs almost TWICE as much volume to produce the same amount of power as a gasoline powered engine.&nbsp So yor 500hp FD is running some 4,000lpm (4x1000cc/min fuel injectors) right now, when you convert to methanol you'd need to DOUBLE that fuel delivery.&nbsp Not many fuel pumps can handle this kinda fuel flow...

One BIG downside of methanol is that it like moisture - almost like brake fluid - hygroscopic?&nbsp You need to keep the water out of the methanol or you get degraded performance (maybe water injection? ) from the fuel.&nbsp Methanol turns milky white when it starts to absorb water from the atmosphere...



-Ted

HWO

i understood that the way you get more power from methanol was due to its lower combustion temps, lower evap point etc, this means the entire engine runs cooler

AJC13B

And methanol will eat your fuel lines etc. After every meet or time you run methanol, you should flush your whole fuel system out with normal fuel.

menace

ok fine then no methanol for me then...

newRX7fan

iTrader: (1)

A better alternative might be toluene. You can run up to like 10% toluene without causing damage to fuel lines, etc. And that'll increase octane by a few points.

Anthony Rodrigues

We dont run alcohol currently but it intrigues me that all of the leading drag racers use Alcohol as their main fuel source. I know it is very simple to tune but agree with AJC13B that it is very high maintenance. You would have to do alot of racing to justify it on a cost basis due to the expense of the fuel system required.
Regards-Anthony Rodrigues

crispeed

The initial cost of converting to alcohol may be a little expensive due to the need for a serious fuel system supply etc. Most of the myths you hear about maintainence are a little far fetched and based on old school technology.The materials used presently to manufacture fuel lines, fittings, pumps etc. are designed for exotic fuel use. Plus there're a number of additives on the market today to combat any problems with corrosion.
Alcohol cost on an average $2.00 per gallon vs. VP C-116 whigh is presently around $7.50 per gallon.
You'll use around twice the amount of alcohol vs racing gasolene to make the same power but it still comes out a lot cheaper.
If you're seriously going to make reliable horsepower alcohol/methanol is the only way to do it. No combination of gasolene and nitrous is going to come close!

crispeed
87 Rx-7 TII
9.204@150.47mph
2600lbs

Marcel Burkett

I am presently an assistant supervisor on a methanol plant down here so I also have a free unlimited supply, I plan to utalize this by trying water / methanol direct injection ( ERL kit) , and hope to run 20 - 25 psi boost with my T66 , is this a good idea , when should i have the pump cut in ? ,I am using the 300ml jet and lastly ,in what proportion should i mix ,i am thinking 25% MeOH.

crispeed

So you're working at the methanol plant in Pt Lisas!
Most of the water injection experts don't reccommend anything higher than a 50/50 alcohol/water mix.
Peter(Riceracing) got a lot of experience with water injection. Drop him a PM or e-mail and he will answer all your questions.

crispeed
87 Rx-7 TII
9.204@150.47mph
13BRE--->presently converting to methanol!
2600lbs

Marcel Burkett

Yeah , Cris......... how do you know so much about Trinidad ??? , any ways I posted the same topic in the single turbo forum and got a reply from rice r. , thanks all the same.

Greg

crispeed and a few other member of this board are island boys