Alcohol questions

[Maliboost]

Im considering Alcohol for my new turbo setup, but am quite ignorant about it.

what is the difference between Ethanol & Methanol, Performance & cost wise?

are they both typically as easy to get?

how do you tune an Alchy motor??? Im just getting the hang of tuning C16 with plug cuts, but its my understanding that you cant look @ the plugs on an Alchy motor & expect to see anything.

are there differnet "types" or "grades"??? for example, you can get C16, C23, N2O, etc, etc, which are different types of "gas".

thanks a bunch
Bob

[Mike Coffey]

Im considering Alcohol for my new turbo setup, but am quite ignorant about it.

what is the difference between Ethanol & Methanol, Performance & cost wise?

are they both typically as easy to get?

how do you tune an Alchy motor??? Im just getting the hang of tuning C16 with plug cuts, but its my understanding that you cant look @ the plugs on an Alchy motor & expect to see anything.

are there differnet "types" or "grades"??? for example, you can get C16, C23, N2O, etc, etc, which are different types of "gas".

thanks a bunch
BobGood question. I was wondering about Methanol myself. What's the good word Jason?

[Pooch565]

Methanol is the way to go in my book. Ethanol is made from corn and actually makes about 10 % less HP than methanol. There are different puritys of methanol. VP M1 is 99.95 % pure. Industrial and reclaimed can go all the way down to 80%. The other 20% is water. So if you see a cheaper priced methanol, be sure it is 99.95% pure. Water will etch your cylinders. For a race only application methanol is pretty good. It will withstand a bunch of compression, and heat. Remember you have to use approximately twice the volume of Methanol to gas. You fuel pump has to be up to the task and your carb redone. Methanol burns gray on the porcelain. That's what it looked like when we ran a 505bbc on methanol. YOu could still read it like normal plug. Also, methanol is very corrosive. If your car is going to sit, you need to fog the lines with wd 40 or run an upper cylinder lube. Give me a buzz if you need any other info. 812 466 1175

Jason

[Maliboost]

Right on, thanks a bunch Jason.

Bob

[Mike Coffey]

Is there a HP advantage with Methonal over C-16. I know every motor is diffrent but in most cases which one makes more HP?

[Pooch565]

In a non intercooled race only application, methanol will keep you safer. You can make more power with gas, but methanol will give you less chance of detonation. That way you can run more timing in essence giving you more power. I personally like gas. To me it is easier to tune and I don't have to worry about the corrosion.

Thanks,
Jason

[Mike Coffey]

Thanks for the input Pooch!:cool:

[BBCStang]

We always read the platng on the plugs in blown alcohol applications, we didn't even look at the porcelain. When we first started running the alcohol deal we were trying to read plugs like the gas motor and kept hurting things, then we begged Camp Stanley for a little advice and he straighten us right out.

In real serious appilcations they don't look at the plugs at all, they pull the bearings and mic them to check for det.