alchohol engine internals
06-22-2006, 01:56 PM
#1
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alchohol engine internals hey guys im building a bi fuel motor to run on methanol, or alchohol, at the track but on 92 around town and at shows. ive read that alcohol engines run cooler and therefore use different materials in the block internals (pistons valves etc) if this is the case then couldnt i build an engine spec built for high octane high boost situations and have a perfectly reliable motor when switched over to alky. Im am going to be using fuel injection and if i can get some specifacts on norths star's vvt hopefully ill be able to control my valve timing too. Anyone see a reason a shouldnt attempt this or am i looking for more headaches, long nights, and empty wallet days than i can handle? Thanks guys
JC
JC
06-22-2006, 02:04 PM
#2
I would stick to a gas setup for anythign seeing stret duty. ther's several reasons, alcohol is a solvent, yes a great fuel for making power, but it is very thin, and comtaminates oil very quickly, and rings don't last long when running it. It also requires massive fuel system components because you'll burn about 2 to 3 times as much as you would running gas because it's so thin, and alcohol also runs best in engines with a TON of compression, something you don't really want on the street either.
A friend of mine that runs a sand rail has an alky big block setup on nitrous, and I've seen what he went thru getting it set up to run alcohol, rings and bearings, are a must at least at the start of every season for him and once during the season, and sand rails only race for 300 feet, they pull up, stage and go, then they shut them off and tow them back to the pits... on a street car, you'd be doing the rings and bearings over probably every month or so.
Stick with gas, there's plenty of power to be made with it, probably more then you'll ever need for anything you can drive on the street.
A friend of mine that runs a sand rail has an alky big block setup on nitrous, and I've seen what he went thru getting it set up to run alcohol, rings and bearings, are a must at least at the start of every season for him and once during the season, and sand rails only race for 300 feet, they pull up, stage and go, then they shut them off and tow them back to the pits... on a street car, you'd be doing the rings and bearings over probably every month or so.
Stick with gas, there's plenty of power to be made with it, probably more then you'll ever need for anything you can drive on the street.
06-22-2006, 02:15 PM
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One part of that i found interesting, im not really to concerned about yankin the motor to re ring it or anything, thats no biggy. As far as the compression goes, say static compression of 8.5:1 around town on 92 say 8 lbs of boost. Wouldnt jacking the boost up to say 28-35lbs effectivly put the compression ratio where you need it. i know i would changed the satic ration but the dynamic is were your power comes from anyways.
Also how about methanol engines. and if i do end up just stickin with gas i would still like to be able to boost the hell out of it when i race, how hard are those kits that injectect alky into the airstream on internals. thanks man i thank your the first one who had understood the concept of what im tryin to build.
JC
Also how about methanol engines. and if i do end up just stickin with gas i would still like to be able to boost the hell out of it when i race, how hard are those kits that injectect alky into the airstream on internals. thanks man i thank your the first one who had understood the concept of what im tryin to build.
JC
06-22-2006, 02:19 PM
#4
The problem is that hte rings that you're runnign probably won't work.. the alcohol is so thin it will blow right by the rings before it ever gets burnt. I know of people that have tried what you are trying to do, and what ends up happening is they will be on the dyno trying to tune teh setup, and the engine starts running funny.. they check the fluids, and find the crankcase overfilled by about 3 to 5 quarts, and it's fuel that's getting by the rings into the crankcase. Alcohol takes a specific ring setup, what it is I don't know, but I knwo it's differnet.
