Other Methanol?
- Thread starter bmock50
- Start date
- Location
- Central FL
5.40 for leaded 105 here in fl. everything you said about ethonal is true. you mentioned it once in your post though. the most important detail. you have to build a high compression motor to take advantage of it. it's not just the octane of the ethenal that helps you regain some of the lost energy. it's the fact you can run huge timing on high compression. it kind of creates a cooling effect on intake temps. it's a great alternative to race fuel. just a lot more time to setup because it's still a very rare setup. i tried e85 on a turbo series 2 i built a few years ago. it was almost the same power as my 110 setup for 1/4 the price of fuel. but e10 and e15 sucks 
Cannibal
Tasty Human
- Location
- Summit Lake, WA
Some good practical information there jetski9010.
I have some buddies that run clay oval stuff here and methanol is all they will run.
Running alcohol does have it's advantages, don't get me wrong, but you NEED an engine built for it. For instance, an engine built for 115 octane methanol will have higher compression and more ignition than an engine built for 115 octane gasoline because of methanol's cooling effect on the intake charge.
I completely agree about the the flex fuel vehicles out now. They are optimized to run on gasoline, but can run on other fuels. An engine BUILT to optimize alcohol or even propane/nat gas can't just fill up with gasoline. Save for modern advancements like variable compression, computer variable forced induction, etc.
Don't take what I've said as "hating". Realistically, most people aren't prepared for what really needs to be done to run on alcohol (I'd still love to see someone convert their ski to run on a 2g propane tank...lol).
My big concern is water absorption. With a full tank of E-10, a cup of water is not good, however, with a full tank of methanol, the same cup of water may not be such an issue, I don't know.
I have some buddies that run clay oval stuff here and methanol is all they will run.
Running alcohol does have it's advantages, don't get me wrong, but you NEED an engine built for it. For instance, an engine built for 115 octane methanol will have higher compression and more ignition than an engine built for 115 octane gasoline because of methanol's cooling effect on the intake charge.
I completely agree about the the flex fuel vehicles out now. They are optimized to run on gasoline, but can run on other fuels. An engine BUILT to optimize alcohol or even propane/nat gas can't just fill up with gasoline. Save for modern advancements like variable compression, computer variable forced induction, etc.
Don't take what I've said as "hating". Realistically, most people aren't prepared for what really needs to be done to run on alcohol (I'd still love to see someone convert their ski to run on a 2g propane tank...lol).
My big concern is water absorption. With a full tank of E-10, a cup of water is not good, however, with a full tank of methanol, the same cup of water may not be such an issue, I don't know.
jetski9010
Team RTYD
- Location
- Lancaster PA
First thing everyone always says with ethanol is water absorption. I do know that ethanol has a much higher absorption rate that gas does. Also ethanol and water mix as gas and water do not. I have a couple different theorys on this as to why I never had any problems with this issue. When I first started doing this I was really strict about it. I had read on the web that even if you set your gas can down after filling with it with ethanol it will suck the water up through the ground and into the fuel. I would always dump out my fuel tank and clean it every time I would get done riding. Well that lasted about the first two rides maybe. Then it would be one time where I didnt drain the tank and it sat for a few days then I would take it out that weekend but it would still run fine. I since then have had 1/2 tanks sit in it for over a month at some points and still be run through without a problem. I am not suggesting doing this I am just saying this is what I have done in the past and have not had that much of a problem.
Now my two ways of thinking about the water issue in ethanol is this. With gas everyone is always scard of water getting into your fuel supply or down you intake and getting into your motor somehow. Because gas does not mix the water and your oil is in your gas, everywhere water is in your engine where fuel and oil should be there is a lack of lubrication. Water will also wash off the oil residue that was on there prior all of this leading to engine wear.
Ethanol and water do mix. When you use a oil that is desinged for alcohol it will mix into the ethanol and also blend into the water and make a even mixture of fuel and lubrication for the motor letting all of the water in the fuel system pass through. This would hurt your fuel quailty some but should not cause any engine damage. This again is just from my testing messing around in the garage with stuff and not a science lab but so far so good from what I can see.
I would really like to see how far you could push a motor's limits on ethanol. I know if I said I wanted to stay in the safe zone with my motor and Art told me stay at 220 compression then that is safe. At some blender pumps in the country you can get E98 ethanol which is right around 115 octane and as said before 115 octane ethanol can take more compression then 115 gas. I think the highest compression motor I have seen on here was one time I had seen Pat selling his pro ski and said it was running at 265 psi compression. Has anyone herd of a higher ratio then that?
Now my two ways of thinking about the water issue in ethanol is this. With gas everyone is always scard of water getting into your fuel supply or down you intake and getting into your motor somehow. Because gas does not mix the water and your oil is in your gas, everywhere water is in your engine where fuel and oil should be there is a lack of lubrication. Water will also wash off the oil residue that was on there prior all of this leading to engine wear.
Ethanol and water do mix. When you use a oil that is desinged for alcohol it will mix into the ethanol and also blend into the water and make a even mixture of fuel and lubrication for the motor letting all of the water in the fuel system pass through. This would hurt your fuel quailty some but should not cause any engine damage. This again is just from my testing messing around in the garage with stuff and not a science lab but so far so good from what I can see.
I would really like to see how far you could push a motor's limits on ethanol. I know if I said I wanted to stay in the safe zone with my motor and Art told me stay at 220 compression then that is safe. At some blender pumps in the country you can get E98 ethanol which is right around 115 octane and as said before 115 octane ethanol can take more compression then 115 gas. I think the highest compression motor I have seen on here was one time I had seen Pat selling his pro ski and said it was running at 265 psi compression. Has anyone herd of a higher ratio then that?
RoTAxGreNade
X-
- Location
- Port St. Loozer
Wow - 265 !
Now we're getting into Diesel fuel territory !!!!
I can see it now, a powerstroke superjet... we can all it a "superstroke" lol
Now we're getting into Diesel fuel territory !!!!
I can see it now, a powerstroke superjet... we can all it a "superstroke" lol