Alcohol fuels...

[knightmare1015]

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I've seen enough hybrid and electric vehicle advertisements to choke a horse. Everyone has asked me about alcohol fuels ever since spike tv's Horsepower show talked about alcohol fuels a weekend or so ago. The truth is it has it's advantages and disadvantages. The first advantage is obviously cost and easy to make(especially if you make your own). The bad news about alcohol fuels is that you have to use FORGED COMPONETS AND A HIGH COMPRESSION RATIO to run the stuff and for someone trying to stay within a budget that flat out sucks. Building an engine for alcohol use isn't easy nor is it cheap. In fact the initial up front cost flat out sucks. Plus you also have to add stuff to the fuel to help keep the engine from destroying itself. The best thing I know you can add is Lucas Upper Cylinder lube. America might be going to alcohol fuels sooner rather than later if the price of gasoline keeps going up. E85 (which is 85% ethanol 15% gasoline mixture) is rated to 100 octane and very affordable compared to gasoline. E100 or pure alcohol/ethanol is rated to about 120 octane. After doing some research you can make your own fuel for about an average of $1.00 PER GALLON which I think is kinda kool. The drawback of using alcohol fuels or ethanol is poor fuel economy depending on set up. About the only way I know you can fix that is the following mods: FUEL KOOLER, which makes the fuel kolder and more dense which requires less fuel to run. UNDER DRIVE PULLEY KIT, which takes less energy for the engine to turn those pullies lightening the engine load substantially. OIL KOOLER, which helps the engine kool itself more efficiently and keeps oil from breaking down prematurely.

[Robertkx250f]

Thats pretty interesting. So basically the only problem is that it burns too hot for the engine?

[sgtsandman]

The fuel system needs modified too. Stainless tubing and alcohol resistant rubber hoses is a must to keep the fuel from eating the system from the inside out. That's why most vehicle manuals only recommend E10 as the maximum alcohol content in the fuel.

There was an article out recently that some vehicles past a certain year (2007 or something like that) have been certified for E15. However, if your manual only says E10, I wouldn't go with anything more.

Some older vehicles that have cork in their fuel systems are getting torn up with even the E10 and causing a lot of problems. Especially those that were originally designed to run on leaded gasoline.

[knightmare1015]

Originally Posted by Robertkx250f

Thats pretty interesting. So basically the only problem is that it burns too hot for the engine?

Nope. It burns too fast. There's a grocery market chain called Food City that has these gas "n" go stations. Due to the high ethanol content my Ranger eats it like there's no tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by sgtsandman

The fuel system needs modified too. Stainless tubing and alcohol resistant rubber hoses is a must to keep the fuel from eating the system from the inside out. That's why most vehicle manuals only recommend E10 as the maximum alcohol content in the fuel.

There was an article out recently that some vehicles past a certain year (2007 or something like that) have been certified for E15. However, if your manual only says E10, I wouldn't go with anything more.

Some older vehicles that have cork in their fuel systems are getting torn up with even the E10 and causing a lot of problems. Especially those that were originally designed to run on leaded gasoline.

Unless it's a flexfueld engine I have to agree. The US government is basicly forcing alcohol fuels down our throats. They've already made it mandatory that ALL FUELS carry a percentage of ethanol. About this time next year we'll be seeing an additional pump at every fueling station across the country which a 15% ethanol based gasoline. They'll keep the 10% around for older vehicles due to the fact that they can't run the 15% ethanol fuels. Truth be told, alcohol fuels might be the only way we can become energy independent without foreign oil, due to the political situation involving foreign oil. In this economy I've noticed that the only thing creating jobs is green technology which I think is sad.

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Also they made it easier to get a permit to make your own fuel. After redoing my research I found that you DON'T NEED CORN TO MAKE ETHANOL. All you need is SUGAR,WATER, AND YEAST and your good to go. At that point all you have to do is distil it. And the ENTIRE COST BREAKS DOWN TO ABOUT $1.00 BUCK PER GALLON. Try getting a racing fuel for that cost. It aint happening. So basicly we all might be modifying or swapping out our engines before long due to the high cost of oil based fuels. That would be kool to make your own fuel.

[DiabloBlanco]

My buddy is making his mercedes an alchy.

[Badb3000]

My cousin has a 566 cubic inch alcohol drag motor in a mud buggy and he has to change the oil and the spark plugs every time he runs it. it destroys the spark plugs.

[sgtsandman]

Originally Posted by Badb3000

My cousin has a 566 cubic inch alcohol drag motor in a mud buggy and he has to change the oil and the spark plugs every time he runs it. it destroys the spark plugs.

It's like that with any drag motor. After the first few seconds of a run, the plugs are toast and engine heat and compression are igniting the fuel.

There was an email going around about it a while back. It was a pretty interesting read.

[knightmare1015]

It really depends on how the engine is built and what type of plugs are used really. Puslestar makes the things called plasma plugs that are specifically for alcohol fueled engines. they run about $15 bucks each.

[Waychoff05]

I run alky in my racing kart. It's a Flathead 5hp brigs that is putting about 20hp out. They make a oil called Thor heavy that we run and it helps with changing the oil after every run you can get almost a night of racing out of it. It is 20 bucks a gallon. Then the plugs we run are alky plugs they are 4 bucks each, after 2 races you need to change them. So you us up to 30oz of oil a night and 2 plugs a night of racing. Alky is 3.00 a gallon here is southwest Michigan but by the time you do all the other stuff to keep your motor in top shape you prolly spend more in the long run.

[jack7481]

that why I think diesel engines are better then gas because thoes engines can run on almost any type of oil.